Test | 2009 Yamaha Royal Star Tour Deluxe

If you're just joining us, I was the founding editor of this fine publication back in 2007, but life parked in an office (or commuting to one) just doesn't suit me, so I'm not any more. In any case, I've always thought that baggers are baggers regardless of place of origin, but acknowledge the fact that most of them are Harley-Davidsons. Still, that doesn't mean you need to ignore the ones that aren't.

Baggers is all about touring bikes you customize, or custom bikes you ride, but here at the magazine we typically test stock bikes that can be modified, and do feature photo-shoots of custom bikes that we aren't allowed to ride. So when Star (that would be Yamaha's cruiser brand) offered up this completely pimped Tour Deluxe, Toph (he would be the current editor) jumped at the chance...and kept it for a year.

Slathered in billet bling and chrome chotchkies, Star still found space and budget for some useful performance and touring amenities on this Royal Star Tour Deluxe. With $5,339 worth of Genuine Star Accessories, there was definitely a large contingent of flash, but the bike had some notable functional stuff as well. It was converted to a solo seat style, forsaking the pillion pad for a small luggage rack. Braided cables were probably mostly added for flash, but braided brakes usually deliver superior feel. A pair of K&N air filters (nestled under billet covers, of course) serve to improve airflow to the engine and performance behind the large fairing lowers. There might be some argument over the wisdom of this, but a tinted, cut-down windshield keeps most of the wind from the rider's chest, while leaving head and shoulders in the breeze.

The big girl may look a little like a Road King clone, but differs in many distinct ways. A liquid-cooled V-four motor derived from the '80s Vmax powers the Star. It delivers comparable torque down low, but has a much stronger midrange, and pulls into the top end pretty well. The exhaust note is pretty tame in stock form, but under load it honks like a V8...or at least half of one. Unfortunately those extra two cylinders and water-cooling system add close to 100 pounds more than a King, so in lower-speed situations it doesn't have the same snap that a Harley would. It also sits higher and carries its weight higher up.

But in some ways it is rather King-ish. Rather than a built-up cruiser as many Japanese light touring rigs are, it's a stripped-down variant of Star's full-boat Venture model, right down to the muscle car-inspired swept needle dash. On the open road it shows its happy spot is highway riding and faster back roads...but not too fast. Somewhat similar to pre-'09 Harleys it wiggles a bit over 80 mph, only from the front, not the back. It might only have a five-speed transmission, but the gears are well spaced and the motor smooth, so you don't really miss having a Sixth. In fact, Fifth gear is geared as an overdrive and purrs at interstate velocities. The transmission is buttery smooth in shifts, both positive in engagement and very low effort. Like the King, the suspension is air adjustable, but not just in the back, the forks are adjustable as well. However, in our testing all it did with a decent load on was raise the ride height and make it stiffer. Even loaded down it was fine with no added air.

Technically, this is the oldest Star in the lineup. Introduced in 1997, it was not even a Star, it was a Yamaha, predating the vanity brand by a couple years. But the Royal Star it was originally based on was a bust, getting replaced by the Road Star. But then it got an update, based on the touring mods of the Venture, such as a bigger motor, outboard airboxes (instead of hidden under the tank), and a larger fuel tank. With a longer range close to 200 miles, and claimed crankshaft horsepower more than 90, it found its niche as a stylish touring mount.

Our tester takes it all to the next level with modifications skewed to the solo tourer, but we did have a few complaints. The bags are decently wide, but not too deep, and the latch tends to catch on stuff in a fully loaded bag. Our tester had rails on the saddlebag lids but they were strictly ornamental, not set up to carry any extra load. In the end, the solo-configuration is purely a style thing as a luggage rack could have been fitted even with a back seat. Cruise control is fairly rudimentary, with a sensor to disengage if you roll off the throttle, but besides that works like a charm. Speaking of rudimentary, after years of fuel injection, a choke is interesting to get used to again. Instead of fuel injectors, the Tour Deluxe sports a quartet of 32mm carbs that delivered an average of 37 mpg during our (admittedly, high-speed) testing. The mushy Bridgestone tires were not the best I've tried, and were very sensitive to irregularities in the road surface.

Unlike many Star models, the Royal Star Tour Deluxe does not have an issue with ground clearance. Sure, you can get the boards to touch down, and easier than, say, a Road King, but it doesn't interfere with cornering for a majority of riders. There's a low-fuel warning odometer that pops up on the display when you get low to let you know how far you've gone since hitting reserve. And we noticed that if it was a false warning, the gauge will actually automatically reset itself so you don't worry prematurely.

Despite being a bit tall for shorter riders, the riding position of the Tour Deluxe is pretty neutral, with a reasonable reach to the bars and boards. The heel shifter is positioned off the end of the board to give more foot space, and the aftermarket boards were some of the most comfortable we've tried, a good mix of style and solid footing. The replacement seat is firm like I like, but oddly shaped. After even moderate trips (150ish miles), it got pretty unyielding causing various body parts best not discussed here to fall asleep.

So if you're getting that this bike is a mixed bag, you'd be spot-on. When introduced, it was a huge savings over the comparable Road King, but the gap is closing at just about $1,500, down from $3k when introduced. But the water-cooled mill still sports a five-year unlimited mileage warranty, which is still the best in the motorcycle industry, so if you're into piling on the miles, it might be a good choice.