Yamaha Stratoliner reviews

I purchased my Roadliner in 2006 and after 5 years of riding I have yet to find another bike that comes close to this amazing machine. The strong engine and smooth shifting makes every ride a thrill. Reliability is head and shoulders above most manufacturers. The fit and finish is head and shoulders above anything in the cruiser class. I am 100% satisfied with this bike and after a test ride I think most anyone would be as well. Show less

I love my bike. I got it new in 2008. Two years and over 30,000 miles later, I love it. It handles like a sport bike and still cruises at 90 mph. There is no problem but now I feel a pop when I put it in first. This is the only bike I ever had. Is this normal after breaking in the bike? Show less

Not unlike most, I'm still on my quest to find the perfect bike! The Stratoliner S is a fantastic machine, but with some shortfalls. In the last year, I've ridden several multi-day tours including several 500+ mile consecutive days. The stock seat is terrible. It's incredibly light weight and, compared to a Mustang seat, is a joke. The passenger seat is even worse. Mustang seats were a must. Also, the handlebars, after a longer time riding, are really not positioned anywhere close to where they need to be. I like it that they're spread out wide, but they're too low and too far foward. I had to put raisers on to make the bike comfortable for long distance rides. Aside from these comfort preferences, the bike performs like a champ and improves with every mile. I started running Amsoil and the bike loves higher RPM's. Around 9k it was like a switch flipped and all of a sudden it really started running great. It loves to accellerate and sounds better and better all the time. Engine vibration seems to be less now too as the ride is noticably smoother as the bike was broken in. I test rode a Goldwing last week and, using the Wing as a basis for comparison, am very pleased with the power and smoothness of the Stratoliner. But remember, this is a cruiser that can do touring, not a tourer. I'm still test riding touring bikes, but can't get past this huge V-twin that is running smoother and better everyday. My answer to ths perfect bike? If Yamaha would mount this engine in their Venture model. Show less

Paint job and smooth lines sold the bike. I had to have it. It looks like a 1950s police bike. I love the looks. Now the ride. It's very smooth. I have all the power I need and can make a tailgater disappear. I love that. I get looks and thumbs up when passing people out on the street. The ONLY thing I can think of that I need to replace is the seat. The seat is cool for local trips and pretty good distance riding. But if I wanted to spend the whole day on this bike, I think I would want like a gel type seat. Other than that, the bike is awesome. I have not seen another bike on the road that looks better or makes me jealous. I have already had the insurance guy offer to buy it from me if I ever want to sell it. Great bike guys and the treatment I received thus far has been helpful and very cool. Thanks for the bike guys. Lovin' my new "Cop" bike. Show less

Great bike, big bike, easy and comfortable to ride and maneuver. Great power all the way through the RPM range. Gas mileage is the same as my ole Shadow 1100 which is the low 40s, not bad for almost twice the CCs. Show less

This is one great bike. I recently sold a Kawasaki Nomad because of my back and it hurting after a ride. The center of gravity, weight distrubution, and most important THE LOOKS. This is one mean machine. I spent thousands on my Kawasaki for chrome and this bike seems to have it all. There are some personalization that you will do but not a lot as Yamaha took care of it for you. As for the my back, no more riding pain due to that center of gravity and ease of control of the bike. Show less

I've got over 2,000 miles on my '07 Strat and can confirm that the reviews in this forum are an accurate description of the Star Stratoliner S. Yamaha put a huge amount of research and development into creating the Roadliner/Stratoliner and no significant improvements have been necessary since it's introduction in '06. Even though it's air cooled, the dry sump, oil cooler, and other internal innovations reduce heat so that the huge engine runs much cooler than one might expect. My dealer said you should get over 200,000 miles before needing any major engine work! One concept that hasn't been mentioned is that the Stratoliner could be viewed as two bikes in one. It's got huge amounts of torque for a very satisfying bottom end and that classic cruiser feel...cruising along at 2,000-3,500 rpm is a very relaxed, comfortable experience. However, if you want to hit the throttle, the bike wakes up and becomes a monster...extremely fast and agile for a bike this big/heavy! The adrenalin rush from 2,000 rpm to 5,000 rpm is immediate and significant...more like a high rpm sports bike than a cruiser. There may be faster motorcycles out there, but the Roadliner/Stratoliner has more power/speed than any sane person would ever want. For the rest of us...it's got just what we need! Show less

Great bike. Fit and finish is top notch. Gobs of power. Very well engineered. The seat is pretty darn firm and the reach to the handle bars is pretty long and I have long arms to begin with. Other than the seat and the reach, this is the perfect bike. The removable windshield and back rest come off and go on very easy and stay put when attached. Head light is bright and the chrome and attention to detail is fantastic. The gas mileage is comparable to the other bikes this size which is 33 mpg around town (would be better but I can't stop twisting the throttle wide open) and 42 highway. It would be great if the gas tank was 1 gal bigger so fuel stops would fall in-line with the rest of the pack but it is what it is. The windshield does a great job of blocking most of the wind. If I compare this to other comparable bike and rate on scale of 1 - 10 it would go like this. HD - 6, suzuki boulevard - 7, honda vtx 1800 - 8, victory - 7, Stratoliner - 9, no bike is a 10 so don't get your hopes up to see one listed here. They all have their faults. Show less

Man I can go on and on, but I won't, I'll keep it simple. This bike has great retro style, a beautiful shiny big engine, and has the kind of power that would satisfy any cruiser owner! I got exactly what I wanted: a big, beautiful bike that feels small to operate and that has almost endless power when operating on interstates. Gas mileage is about 35-36 average, although I did get about 50 once or twice, flaw? Gas tank a tad bit small, it would be nice if it had a 5+ gallon to push it to about 200 miles+ per tank full, but you can't have everything otherwise it would be 100% perfect, but I will take it as is! I promise, you will not be disappointed! 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