Voted most helpful review
Reviewed on August 6, 2010
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...
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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.
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