[rajushank84]

Hello everyone, how is it going, its been a long time since I posted a thread on team-bhp. Finally have something to post about . This is about a bike I got after I moved to the US, I hope this is the right section to post this.

I used to be very much into motorcycles back in India. I went from Hero Honda Passion Plus to Pulsar 150 to Bullet 350 to Yamaha FZ16 when I was in India. I loved zig-zagging the streets (safely of course) and always preferred the bike to the car except when it rained.

In the US I realized it is a desi biker's paradise because used bikes are available relatively cheaper which I could only dream about in India. But somehow for a long time I didn't get the itch to ride here, I guess I was a bit intimidated with all the rigid rules and high speeds. Riding a motorcycle here seems to be such a rare activity it is almost considered a sport.

It all started when four of my friends signed up to take the written test which is the first step towards getting a riding license. I signed up too. After the written test we had to go for 3 days of riding safety training, 2 days of which are completely hands-on and the other day is complete theory about safety etc. Knowing how to ride I found most of the training redundant but I did pick up a lot of safety tips (like difference between how to hold your body when swerving vs cornering etc). Overall I was impressed with the training, looking at how many people turned up who hadn't even sat on motorcycles before but went away with a fair amount of skill in riding.

Anyway... after the license, two of my buddies bought motorcycles quickly. One of them got a Honda Shadow, which is a 750cc "medium sized" cruiser style bike. The other friend got a Yamaha Roadstar, which is a 1600cc "big" cruiser. A third friend of mine already has a Harley Davidson 883 Sportster. I tried riding all three bikes and I have to say, at first I felt very intimidated by the weight and heft of these bikes. Not so much the Sportster but the other two felt really heavy and I couldn't imagine myself riding something so heavy except in a straight line.

Next, I test rode a few sport-style bikes and that was short. Just a few minutes on an R6 convinced me that the riding position just isn't for me.

Well, what was left was standard bikes. I test-rode a Ninja 650, a Yamaha FZ6, all used bikes. It amazes me the kind of deals that can be had on lightly used bikes. I guess the resale value of bikes is really low.

Then came my test ride with the Triumph Bonneville! Man, what a bike. I felt like "this is how a motorcycle should look and ride!". Plenty of power, plenty maneuverable, just a pleasure to ride. My test ride was at a new one though.

So let's just say I was walking around half-dazed, totally in love with the Bonneville. However, these bikes seem to be so good they have a great resale value. I would keep watching for used ones on Craigslist, and the ones that came up would get sold the same day or the next day! And the sellers would sell them almost at new bike prices, people still seem to want the Bonneville so much!

When I was doing my wait-and-watch for the Bonneville I rode my friend's Roadstar (huge machine!) a few times and it got me thinking... maybe a cruiser bike feels great in its own way .

And then I saw the ad! It was a silver 2007 Yamaha Roadstar Warrior with just 8k miles! I decided to check it out. Surprise, surprise. This bike has been hailed by motorcycle magazines as the best-handling cruiser, and I could understand why, in the test ride. It has a proper cruiser engine, V-twin 1700cc. And though it has that cruiser feel, it still turns in and handles relatively quickly, giving an immensely pleasurable feeling. Suddenly the Bonneville was out of my mind. I took the plunge!

So I've been living with it for about a month for now, haven't done any long rides, just commute and 10-15mile radius rides. But I can give a few initial impressions.

Power: It is more about torque. The bike has that "thump thump" sound, reminds me of my Bullet, just with a lot more torque. There is always plenty of torque available at any gear at any speed. Especially in 2nd gear, it goes like a rocket!

Handling: This bike IS a cruiser and a heavy bike and that is definitely evident. However, it is surprisingly easy to turn and weave through traffic. A LOT more maneuverable than my friends' Roadstar and Shadow.

Looks: This is subjective but I think this is an awesome looking bike. In my opinion, this bike is second only to the V-ROD in terms of looks.

One small gripe I have with it is the small 3-gallon gas tank, which means a radius of not more than around 100 miles per tank. But I guess that's ok, I don't exactly plan on going cross-country with this thing. My other minor gripe is the "muscle bike" clamshell riding position, wherein you have to lean forward to reach the handlebar but your feet go forward cruiser-style. Needs a bit of getting used to.

The bling factor with this bike is huge. It make a proper cruiser V-Twin thump, and other riders on the road (including Hogs) give the two-finger wave when on the road.

And now for some pictures!

[jkdas]

Congrats and thanks for sharing.

Not even a badge in the tank etc. Was it so? Looks like its got lot of ground clearance...more than expected from such a bike.

[rajushank84]

Thanks, yeah I like the ground clearance. Its still low enough that I'm scraping the floorboard taking some quick corners, but the floorboard folds upward nicely when there's pressure against it from below.

Yes the previous owner did some mods on it - debadged the bike, cut the tail (the stock tail looks quite different), and got a different exhaust (the stock exhaust is famously ugly). And exchanged the stock footpegs for those nice floorboards.

The stock bike looks something like this (note the tail and the exhaust):

[mobike008]

Raju (I assume thats your first name), Firstly a huge congratulations on the Yam Roadstar. It indeed looks massive and is endearing to see such clean lines. Especially, side profile looks great and everything seems in tandem and the better GC is clearly evident

How much are these bikes when new and what deal you got? Hope thats shareable information.

Why dont you share the likes and dislikes of this bike in a single post for all readers to sum up on its characteristics?

Thanks for sharing, Ride Safe and keep updating this thread with pictures and anecdotes

Originally Posted by rajushank84

Then came my test ride with the Triumph Bonneville! Man, what a bike. I felt like "this is how a motorcycle should look and ride!". Plenty of power, plenty maneuverable, just a pleasure to ride. My test ride was at a new one though.

So let's just say I was walking around half-dazed, totally in love with the Bonneville. However, these bikes seem to be so good they have a great resale value. I would keep watching for used ones on Craigslist, and the ones that came up would get sold the same day or the next day! And the sellers would sell them almost at new bike prices, people still seem to want the Bonneville so much!

Nice to know there is one more person on forum who was equally dazed after riding the Bonnie

I did know that Bonnie is hot in the aftermarket and gets lapped up quickly but, that was in some years back. Iam presuming this search by you was in recent past?

Iam a newbie Bonnie owner and you can read about my experience with it so far here :-

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/superb...s-home-12.html

[Steeroid]

The cruiser that gave the MT-01 its engine I've ridden a version of this (Midnight Warrior) and its the only cruiser I have liked so far, though to be honest I haven't tried many of that genre.

If am not mistaken it shares the R1 front end (forks/brakes) with the MT and the Midnight Warrioer?

[rajushank84]

Thanks, @mobike008! Yes this was recent (a couple of months back). The bonnie does seem to be a very popular choice, I think it hits the sweet spot between handling well enough on city streets while being heavy/stable enough at freeway speeds. And its just a pleasure to chuck around.

In fact, after waiting for a month for a nice bonnie to show up on craigslist, I considered going for a brand new one but that worked out to like 9K after taxes!

Then I guess my friend's Roadstar "converted" me to some extent, to cruiser side . I've never understood the appeal of cruiser bikes but I am feeling it now..

Likes and dislikes.. like I mentioned in the first post, I love it for its torquey engine, handling (for a cruiser) and looks. Dislikes are the small gas tank and the clamshell riding position. I will add to this as I ride it more and more, I have had it for just a month now.

So glad that "spring" is officially here the days are warm enough to ride!

Oh and (off-topic) if you like the Bonnie, have you checked out the new BMW Nine T? It looks awesome, I want to own that one too one day!

Originally Posted by Steeroid

The cruiser that gave the MT-01 its engine I've ridden a version of this (Midnight Warrior) and its the only cruiser I have liked so far, though to be honest I haven't so many of that genre.

If am not mistaken it shares the R1 front end (forks/brakes) with the MT and the Midnight Warrioer?

Yes, this is the same bike as the Midnight Warrior. The "Midnight" is just the black version. Yes, it shares the front-end with the R1, I guess thats the reason it out-handles most other cruisers. However I've heard that Kawasaki makes a bike called "Mean streak" which is supposed to handle almost equally well, and Harley's Street Rod (which is stopped now) was suposed to be good too.

[jkdas]

Originally Posted by rajushank84

Oh and (off-topic) if you like the Bonnie, have you checked out the new BMW Nine T? It looks awesome, I want to own that one too one day!

Almost 11.6k GBP for Nine T. Bonnie is almost 7.8k GBP. Convert it to INR and

MT01 too had stuff borrowed from R1 right?.

[rajushank84]

Yes I think so. For some reason the mt01 was never available in the US, not sure why. In fact even the warrior is stopped now. Guess the sales volume is not much for these muscle type bikes.

But then I see a lot of VRODs. Maybe, people who are willing to spend so much $$ on a muscle bike would rather get the VROD than other brands.

[r_nairtvm]

Originally Posted by rajushank84

In fact, after waiting for a month for a nice bonnie to show up on craigslist, I considered going for a brand new one but that worked out to like 9K after taxes!

Hello there, really beautiful bike and congratulations.

Originally Posted by Steeroid

The cruiser that gave the MT-01 its engine I've ridden a version of this (Midnight Warrior) and its the only cruiser I have liked so far, though to be honest I haven't tried many of that genre.

So now for the first impressions and the feedback on the "Super Duke" please . How was the long ride last week ?

Best Regards & Ride Safe

Ram

[josejoseph]

Hey Raju, finally you took time to post this review. Congrats once again. Time to initiate another Bay Area meet to check out your bike.

Wishing you many happy miles. Ride safe and enjoy your new ride.

-- Jose

[rajushank84]

Thanks Jose! Sure let's meet soon.