1st April 2003: SCOOP!!! RoadStarMagazine.com has sourced an image of a new paint scheme for the Road Star in 2004!  We immediately contacted the Head of Road Star Sales and Marketing, Itsah Lark, at Yamaha Motor Corporation in Cypress California to quiz them on the new paint!  The short interview is as follows:

RSM: Wow, that is certainly a different kind of paint scheme!  Is it aimed at any particular market (like we need to ask)?
Itsah: Absolutely.  We here at Yamaha Motor Corporation recognise the lady's need to ride as much as anyone else, but so far all the cruisers on the showroom floor are typically sporting more "manly" colors and they are definitely targeted at the male market.  We decided we needed to help women empower themselves to ride, so we produced a paint scheme that would make them WANT to get their own Yamaha Road Star.

RSM: That's fantastic that Yamaha want to be so politically correct by providing a more feminine version of the Road Star, but do you think it will hurt sales to male riders?
Itsah: Definitely not.  We believe that today's male rider is much more sensitive to women's needs, and extensive market research shows us that men actually want to see more women astride a big v-twin cruiser.  In fact, the amount of requests we get from men in regards to Yamaha Motor Corporation featuring women in Road Star calendars is amazing, so we know we are on the right track.

RSM: We noticed that the bike is not unlike this year's Anniversary Edition which comes with the studded seat, tank bra, chromed front end and fender tips, is there a reason for that?
Itsah: Again our market research tells us a lot about what we need to know so we can meet women's needs.  As you are no doubt aware, today's woman enjoys shiny and glittery items, so the studded seat along with the chrome front end and fender tips fit that bill perfectly.  We also decided to keep the tank bra because it has a pocket and is ideal for the ladies to store their lipstick and compacts.  This way when they come to a stop outside their favourite department store, or even at a set of traffic lights, they are able to quickly apply a touch of makeup so they feel at their very best, and I'm sure I don't have to tell you that all cruiser owners are only too aware that image is everything.

RSM: We can't argue with that.  Now in the year 2000 Yamaha had the white "Millennium" Edition Road Star, and from 2001 till now there has been the "Midnight" Road Star, and naturally there is the 2003 "Anniversary" Edition, are you going to dub this new paint scheme something for 2004?
Itsah: As it so happens Yamaha Motor Corporation is well aware that the Yamaha Road Star is affectionately known as the "Roadie" amongst enthusiasts.  In response to this we are putting some very serious consideration into calling this new style the "Roadette" which we feel has just the right amount of feminine undertones.  I must admit our market research isn't quite back on that one yet, although at this time we believe that the name will fit the image for the Road Star advertising that we are looking at for 2004.  We will be heavily promoting cruisers to the female market in the lead up to next year's models, and we have also come up with a great slogan which we feel will be quite fitting for a BIG V-twin cruiser and the ladies, "I am Woman, Hear me Roar".

RSM: So this is all obviously an attempt to gain market share with the ladies, will the same paint scheme be applied to the 1100 and 650 Stars?
Itsah: Actually we have gone over the sales figures for the last few of years and have found that quite a large number of women are purchasers of those smaller model Yamaha Stars and that they tend to shy away from the much larger Yamaha Road Star.  We have every confidence that with this marketing drive we will show everyone that Yamaha Motor Corporation believes the Yamaha Road Star to be as much a Lady's bike, as it is a Man's.

RSM: Thank you for your time today.
Itsah: It was my pleasure.

So there you have it, one of the most radical moves from a motorcycle manufacturer in a long time!  Naturally we can't just hand out the Head of Road Star Sales and Marketing's email address or phone number, but if you would like more information or wish to comment on the new initiative from Yamaha Motor Corporation, then send us an email at this link and will be sure to forward it on for you.  And make sure you stay tuned to RoadStarMagazine.com for further developments!