Voted most helpful review
Reviewed on April 18, 2012
I have had the bike for about six months and will have 4,000 miles on it after this weekend. Construction/fit/finish are excellent, as expected from a Yamaha. The ride is comfortable; power ample for two-up on the freeway and fabulous for solos; exhaust note is quiet but still throaty. The...
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I have had the bike for about six months and will have 4,000 miles on it after this weekend. Construction/fit/finish are excellent, as expected from a Yamaha. The ride is comfortable; power ample for two-up on the freeway and fabulous for solos; exhaust note is quiet but still throaty. The saddle is comfy up to about six hours, and I'm not sure anything is comfy beyond then. Bags and windshield are wonderful, although full-size helmets won't fit and the helmet hook is so inconvenient as to be worthless. The looks are macho, but not quite "Sons of Anarchy." She sits low, so I've got solid foot placement even on slanted roads and parking lots. I'm an old street biker (also Yamahas) who loves the twisties, and the 950 Tourer scrapes her floorboards when I get excited and toss her side-to-side. It was scary at first but is now just a little annoying. My riding partner says it gives off sparks at night -- so maybe that's cool. The ignition key placement is poor: keychain rattles against plastic trim, and there's little room for mounting GPS, iPod, etc. Overall, this bike is great for almost anyone with a few month's experience: easy to ride, well-balanced, nice power. I highly recommend it.
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