2008 Yamaha reviews

This has to be one of the smoothest most comfortable riding bikes ever. It is built for the road and boy can it gobble up the highway. The V4 engine is ultra smooth with loads of torque and HP to back it up. It likes to rev and so do I. I can't say enough good things about this bike and I got an awesome deal. Show less

This is a great bike. It starts easy and runs great. You can do just about any thing with it, jump, race, or trail ride. It goes pretty fast too. I am sort of a beginner so it's easy to learn on. I got it six months ago and had no problems. It's perfect for my size and I plan to have it for a long time! Show less

I'll start with the negatives: mirrors are not wide enough, small friction zone, well, that's that. Now, the good stuff: great riding position, fast or slow - you'll enjoy the ride. It's always turning heads too. I've taken it up past 110 mph and it did not feel like I was going that fast and I wasn't even tucked behind the windscreen. It's mild mannered or a beast, take your pick. Touring or twisting, it's all good. IT DOES IT ALL WELL, WHAT MORE CAN I SAY? Show less

The more my wife and I ride it the better it gets. For a 250cc sized bike it is pretty peppy. I've had it up to 81mph and can cruise ALL day at 65mph with me on it. Also I often get 65 mpg. The best was 71 mpg. When going fast, it really doesn't vibrate like my V-Twin motorcycles. With the long wheelbase and low height - this bike is very stable. Show less

I absolutely love my Yamaha Stratoliner. This baby handles like a dream. I have worn out 3 sets of tires and 3 sets of grind pins on the floorboards. This baby handles! I haven't found a Harley yet that will run with it. (see you on Floyd hill) I did call the service manager, complaining about the clock adjustment(daylight savings time). It took him 30 seconds over the phone to fix while he laughed at me for not reading my manual. I will definitely buy another from the dealerhship, but this one stays. I rode the crap out of this bike and I have never had one single problem. I'd like to say that I put the bike together, but except for the seat, it's exactly the way I found it on the showroom. This baby pulls like a locomotive and I'm a big guy who rides year round. When you own a biker bar and you ride Yamaha, it better be a good one. The echos of their HD laughter go away after the first stop light and since then, I sure see a lot more Road Liners and a ton of Raiders. One ride and you'll be just like me. Show less

Now that I have put 6000 miles on it, I thought I'd share some more. This is my sixth bike and it would be hard to beat this one. The motorcycle is very well balanced, fun to ride and looks great. I have not had any trouble with the motorcycle so far. Two oil changes (600 mi, 4000 mi, with tune ups) and a rear tire replacement is all I have done so far. Show less

I bought my 2008 Stratoliner S as a leftover in May 2009. As of October 2009 I have 14,000 miles on it including an 8000 mile cross country trip. This is the best bike of the 30 I have owned over the years. It handles superb, rides smooth and has plenty of power. This one is a keeper for a long time to come. 500 mile days are a breeze....actually very enjoyable. I ride it every chance I get. Now my HD sets in the garage although I did put 100 miles on it in the last 6 months. Show less

This is the first Yamaha I have owned in my 30+ years of riding and I must say it has proven to be the best I have ever owned. Show less

I just picked up this new '08 Warrior yesterday. Is this the best cruiser-sports bike hybrid out there? I don't know, some people think so. I traded in a Kawasaki Ninja 650 on the bike specifically to find out, so I guess I'll be in a position to decide on a personal basis. After 84 miles (freeway, busy 2 lane and moderate rural twisties), the thing handles great, amazingly light and quick for its size. These Yamaha aluminum frames really make a difference, tested a Raider in the spring (also aluminum) and the handling for both bikes this size is almost shocking. But I'm not powering it through turns yet due to break in (2500 rpm/500 miles, 3500 rpm/500-1000 miles), so can't really compare it to a sport power delivery (quarter mile specs are very similar to the Ninja 650). But for its size, this bike is very easy to ride, and comfortable so far, seating feels wide when sitting, but when you're feet address the forward controls, the seat feels pretty good. The seat to grip distance is just a little long for me, but I've noticed that the bike is comfortably controllable with just your fingertips wrapped around the grip, which increases my reach about 2in, the perfect distance! The other thing that really stands out so far is the low end wide power band. Riding 55-60, I'm often in 3rd gear (really the do everything notch at moderate speeds), 4th feels like an overdrive at that speed without throttling up, 5th is an afterthought. But if you goose it, 4th/5th yield immediate power. Very responsive! At the same time, 5th is usable at 1000-1500 rpm. It's on the edge of lugging, which I don't even want to bump up against during break-in. I don't think I'm going to miss a 6th gear on this bike, it'd probably just add unnecessary weight! Can't wait to get that 1000 miles so I can feel right about winding it out and also play with high gears at low speeds. There seems a real wide power band in every gear, with immediate torque response anywhere in each gears band. One downside, there's so much 1st gear torque, very low speeds can be a little jerky cos throttle is very responsive, but I'm sure familiarity with the ride will fix that. I've not experienced a bike with such low frequency rumble, not volume, the bike is quiet, but rumble you can feel more than hear (in classical times, the sensation of feeling the engine in your bowels might have been an apt description). IIIII like it! And cosmetically, that big can of a muffler really is growing on me, outside of the showroom floor. My wife's been riding behind me, reminiscing about Mad Max, and says there's something a little frightening about the big shiny can. Bottom line, I like this bike a lot. Great 1st impressions, and seemingly huge potential for exciting discovery in the days ahead. This ride is smooth as silk. Looking forward to writing again later on more impressions. Show less

The 08 R6's have taken on Almighty status in my garage. I'm completely happy with the choice and really feel the track in them. They are not kind around town but get in a spirited situation and it's on!!! Not much out there does it all so well. Buy two, like I did. You won't be disappointed. Excellent job YAMAHA! Show less