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2005 Yamaha Royal Star Tour Deluxe: Cross-Town, Cross-Dresser
or Cross-Country?
The way I see it with the new Royal Star Tour Deluxe,
Yamaha has got the best of both worlds with this new model –
the cruising world and the touring world. All combined in one machine;
they call it a “Cruiser Touring,” possibly one of the
fastest growing segments in the market today. And believe me, with
its quick release touring windshield and passenger backrest that doesn’t
require any of tools (with the help of hidden latches), you can literally,
in a matter of seconds, remove it or install it, and go from cruising
to tour mode -- just like that! Ladies and gentlemen, introducing
the new bagger you can undress.
Yamaha has been very successful in the cruiser market with sales
being up by almost 10% from 2003’s totals, in fact they told
us recently during this Royal Star Tour Deluxe press introduction/event
held in Charlottesville, VA that they continue to see a healthy increase
in their Road Star Silverado and V Star Silverado sales, and they
continue to see strong overall growth here in the states. So perhaps
this is the reason for this mid-year intro, or is it because they
need to promote their entire cruiser line amongst all their dealers
to finish strong in 2004?
In any event, we had the opportunity to test ride this new bike along
the roadways, highways and byways of the beautiful Charlottesville
area, including Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello and the Blue Ridge
Parkway which is literally the backbone of a great scenic region embracing
the Southern (and highest) portion of the Appalachian mountain range,
an area of approximately 20,000 square miles. The Parkway follows
the Appalachian Mountain chain and provides seemingly endless views
of many parallel ranges connected by cross ranges and scattered hills.
From Shenandoah National Park, the Parkway follows the Blue Ridge
Mountains, eastern rampart of the Appalachians, for 355 miles. Then,
for the remaining 114 miles, it skirts the southern end of the massive
Black Mountains, weaves through the Craggies, the Pisgahs, and the
Balsams, and ends in the Great Smokies. In other words, one heck of
an awesome ride, on a great cruiser!
   
But let’s talk about the nitty-gritty. This new
Royal Star Tour Deluxe (RSTD) features the same trustworthy 1294cc
V-4 liquid-cooled engine many of us enjoyed so much in the Royal Star
Venture that was introduced in 1996, and a 5 speed gearbox and shaft
drive, but with a much lower and aggressive cruiser styling. This
engine is powerful and very smooth, with a great sound.
The 98 horsepower engine (89 ft. pound of torque) with a single counter
balance, and the 32mm Mikuni carburetors with heater circuits gives
this 800+ pound RSTD a wide, flexible powerband, offering plenty of
“off-the-line” grunt down low, and gratifying acceleration
authority in the higher rev range, even with some baggage and two-up.
And its 5.3 gallon fuel tank gives this puppy good range (about 200
miles).
With air adjustable suspension front and rear, my first impression
when I got on it was kind of soft, but after a quick blast of air,
I was happy and good to go. The rear suspension felt a bit wobbly
after I hit 55 mph but once again with a little bit of air to raise
the rear about half inch, we were in business, and ready for the Blue
Ridge Parkway.
Overall, this bike has great engine and chassis performance for its
category, as well as good handling, great dynamics, superior suspension
and excellent three disc braking. Dual 298 mm discs gripped by twin-pot
calipers in the front and a 320 mm rear disc with a four-pot caliper
stop this big baby very quickly.
I can’t be a good judge for wind protection; most bikes offer
minimal wind buffeting for me, but then again I’m only 5’8”.
On the other hand, the comfort level is excellent on this cruiser.
The windshield does an outstanding job of keeping wind pressure off
your chest at highway speeds, and the large set of fairing lowers
(which also shields the bike’s twin airboxes, which by the way,
is the reason for the boost in performance) keeps your legs much warmer
and very comfortable in a pocket of still air that makes long trips
a pleasure, especially in cold weather.
The floorboards (both for the rider and the passenger) isolate vibration
well, and add to the comfort equation. And the bike’s 29.1-inch
seat height makes it easy to balance the big bike at stops.
I really like the new hard bags with great luggage capability and
one-handed opening. They’re able to hold enough for a long weekend
for two with careful packing. Yamaha also offers a tankbag and a backrest
bag that further enhance carrying capacity. And let’s not forget
the cruise control, great for extended cruises. All in all, an excellent
long distance machine.
The RSTD wears H-rated Bridgestone Exedras - a wide 150/80-16 in the
front and a 150/90-15 in the rear, with a chassis that uses the rigidly
mounted engine as a stressed member.
And last but not least, as with most Yamaha cruisers, the new RSTD
offers plenty of customizing options. And I mean plenty folks, (look
out Harley!) because with more than 100 accessories that include seats,
different sizes windscreens and a multitude of chrome dress-up items,
not to mention the matching apparel, it becomes fun and easy to personalize
this machine your own way.
And with Yamaha’s impressive five-year, unlimited-mile
warranty that includes roadside assistance, what else can we ask for?
Except what color to get… let’s see – the Charcoal
Silver and Raven or Raspberry Metallic and Raven… it really
doesn’t matter, for this new cruiser from Yamaha with an MSRP
of $13,999 is a ‘grand’ winner!
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