Long, low and dripping with nostalgia,
classically styled cruisers are what’s hot.
Yamaha’s contribution to this newly reju-
venated category is the Royal Star, a 725-
pound mega-motorcycle with an eye-
popping SI 3,499 asking price.
According to Yamaha, marketing such a machine
is not, repeat not, a blind roll of the dice.
"The demographics of past Yamaha owners and
current Harley-Davidson owners are identical,” said
R&D Manager Ed Burke at the bike’s Sedona,
Arizona, press introduction. “According to our
research, 83 percent of current Harley owners got
their start on Japanese machinery-over 50 percent
have ridden dual-purpose bikes. Eighty-five percent
have ridden for 10 years or more, and 66 percent
ranked motorcycling number one in their lives.
What really surprised us, though, was that only 16
percent felt ‘Made in the USA’ was important.”
It may be manufactured in Japan, but the Royal
Star’s styling is definitely All-American. “From the
beginning, this bike was made for the U.S. mar-
ket,” said a company spokesman. “At one point,
when we thought we were headed in the wrong
direction, we shelved the prototypes and started
over. That was tough to do because it put us a year
behind schedule.”
Stablemate to the Royal Star is the $15,399 Tour
Classic. It comes standard with '50s-style wind-
shield and saddlebags, and bears more than a pass-
ing resemblance to a Harley FLHR Road King.
Yamaha doesn't deny the similarity, but says, “We
don’t want to copy anyone. The customer just
wants a bike he can be proud of.”
In either standard or Tour Classic trim, the Royal
Star is a bike of substance. The teardrop gas tank
holds 4.8 gallons of fuel. Fenders weigh three
pounds each. Fork shrouds are stainless steel. The
broad handlebar measures one inch in diameter.
Controls are hefty pieces, as if hewn from billet. ■
Tires are fat, 150-series Dunlop D404s. Attention
to detail is terrific. The speedometer, for example,
is housed in a polished aluminum bezel atop the
fuel tank. Beautiful. Chrome is thick and lustrous...