Road Star Warrior

Yamaha arms its entry in the power cruiser wars

By Bill Kresnak

Dec. 10 - The bar just keeps getting higher in the hotly contested power-cruiser category. 

Witness the 2002 Yamaha Road Star Warrior: a cruiser that does more than just look good.

Yamaha’s latest entry offers just what you need in a go-fast cruiser: more motor, less weight, and suspension and brake bits derived from its R1 sportbike.

It adds up to a nice package, as we found riding the bike at its press intro in Half Moon Bay, California.

As with any cruiser, the engine is the focal point. For the Warrior, Yamaha took the standard air-cooled Road Star V-twin motor and bored it out 2mm to bump displacement to 1,670cc, up 68cc. 

In search of edgier performance, Yamaha didn’t stop there. Other enhancements include an all-new top end with high-volume cylinder heads and straighter intake and exhaust tracts than the Road Stars, as well as larger cooling fins and heat-dissipating ceramic composite bore plating. Also in the mix are high-performance camshafts, redesigned rocker arms that reduce high-rpm inertia, and a freer-breathing airbox.

Then there’s the fuel-injection—a first for the Road Star line. Dual 40mm throttle bodies replace the carbs. The system is controlled by seven sensors monitoring everything from air intake temperature and atmospheric pressure to throttle position and cylinder temperature.

The engine exhausts through a two-into-one stainless-steel header and a massive stainless muffler that dominates the right side of the bike. 

The end result: 79.9 horsepower at 4,400 rpm and a whopping 103.8 foot pounds of torque at 3,500 rpm. That’s 26 more ponies than a standard Road Star.

The frame, too, is impressive. Borrowing from current sportbike technology, Yamaha bolted the motor into a lightweight aluminum frame—a first for a cruiser—and mated it to an aluminum swingarm and aluminum wheels. That combo no doubt contributes to the bike’s claimed 606-pound dry weight, which is 69 pounds lighter than the standard Road Star.

To tweak handling, Yamaha engineers looked to Yamaha’s R1, spec’ing a 41mm R1-derived front fork, and R1-based front calipers grabbing 298mm discs.

Tying the entire package together is aggressive styling that emphasizes the motor, with a low, ready-to-pounce stance that takes its cues from the custom bike scene. Owners will be able to personalize that styling with a host of Yamaha bolt-on accessories.

Take the bike for a ride, and it’s clear that the effort has resulted in an impressive machine. 

In front, the look of the instruments echoes the performance theme, with a trick sweeping digital tach, analog speedo and an odometer that can be switched between multiple tripmeters.

Head out onto the road, and the first thing you notice is the seating position, with your legs and arms stretched out ahead and a forward bend to your back. Yamaha calls it an “aggressive’’ riding position. For me, it wound up getting my right knee up close and personal with the air cleaner. Those who aren’t 6-foot-2 may not have this problem.

With a long wheelbase of 65.7 inches, the Warrior is rock steady on straight roads. But once you reach the twisties, the work done to lighten the bike shows.

The bike takes curves with an authority you don’t always find in a cruiser. Yamaha says you can reach a 40-degree lean angle before anything touches down. Quick left-right transitions are handled with relative ease, and it feels lighter than its 606 pounds.

Best of all, the motor pulls strong from down low all the way to its 5,500 redline. Unlike some cruisers, when you yank the throttle, this bike gets with the program. It’s a nice feeling, and it sure adds fun to the cruiser equation.

Which is exactly what Yamaha hopes it will do in the performance-cruiser class.

Related Stories:

• June 14 - The Road Star Warrior Debuts at the 2002 Yamaha Dealer meeting.

© 2002, American Motorcyclist Association