 |
| |
|
Around Australia on a Yamaha Road Star
|
|
In October 2010 I’ll be taking part in the Steven Walter Foundation Ride Around Australia - a journey that will take five weeks and around 14,000 kilometres/8,700 miles. All participants are being asked to raise at least $2,500 to donate to the Steven Walter Foundation that goes to the "Answers for Kids Cancer" program. I'll be riding my '99 Yamaha Road Star for the trip and in the lead up to, and during the journey I'll be maintaining a blog of what it is like to go on a five week whirlwind tour of this country! You can read more about my adventure at www.metricrider.com.au and if you would like to donate to the Answers for Kids Cancer program you can do so at the following link http://www.everydayhero.com.au/martin_5
|
|
Have done some cleaning up recently. Gone is the Owner's Gallery and some news stories that are not relevant. This site has not been updated since late 2006 with the most recent posting from November 22 2006. The site remains as there are still a couple o' hundred visitors every day to RoadStarMagazine.com reading articles, following links and checking our garage tips.
|
|
If you have a Road Star that is about to go in for the new
transmission recall then a service by
NoPork.com might
interest you. NoPork.com has put up a page where people can rate
their dealer's performance. If you have multiple dealers in your area it
may help you make a decision as to which one gets to tear your baby down to its
barest essentials before buttoning it back up again. Like anything on the
web be careful of taking it at face value, instead use it as one of your tools
to gather information you may not have been able to find before. Click
this link
to check out NoPork.com's Rate Your Dealer page.
|
|
More Transmission Recalls
|
|
A couple/few years ago a number of 1600cc Road Stars were recalled for issues with the transmission - a search on this site for recall will bring up the past stories. Initially this recall only affect a small band of bikes manufactured around 2001/2002. News has recently come to light that this recall is now being expanded to all 1600cc bikes from 1999 and onwards. Dealers in America are already aware this is in the works, and there are reports out of Germany that similar is going on. As we get more information we will be sure to make it available.
Might be time to give your dealer a call...
|
|
Motorcycle Land Speed Record Broken
|
|
Bub Enterprises are the
new holders of the motorcycle land speed record.? Bubs, who make great
exhausts for the Road Star plus other cruisers, cracked a huge milestone with a
run of 350.884 MILES per hour!? The record has been taken by
Chris Carr who piloted streamliner Seven and broke the new record of
342.797mph set by the Top 1 Ack Attack piloted by Rocky Robinson a couple of
days prior.? Rocky's 342mph run actually nailed the record set by the EasyRiders
streamliner 16 years ago. Unfortunately for Rocky his record was only to
stand a very short while.? They really do say
Seven is a lucky number.
|
|
Sophie's Motorcycle Works - Closed for Business
|
|
It's with sincere regret that we announce the closure of Sophie's Motorcycle Works.?
These great people were responsible for the Sophie's Motorcycle Works Light Bar
reviewed here on RoadStarMagazine.com back in December 2002.?
Jim Harmon at Sophie's have given RoadStarMagazine.com permission to make
the announcement of their business closure.? Unfortunately ill health
prevents Jim from giving his customers the time and attention that he wants to,
and he genuinely will miss all the fine customers he has met and dealt with.?
Good luck, Jim and look after yourself.
The light bar review will stay posted on
RoadStarMagazine.com as an example of what we can provide to
vendors.
|
|
Star Motorcycles 2007 Calendar Winners
|
|
 On
the Official Star Motorcycles Website you can on find the six winners of
the 2007 Calendar Contest.? And three of them are Road Stars!?
The other three bikes were a Warrior, Stratoliner and V-Star 650. Star
Motorcycles held a competition until May 31st 2006 for owners to submit pictures of
their bikes for possible inclusion in the official Star Motorcycles 2007
Calendar.? The lucky winners get a free trip to
Star Days (27-31 July
06) where they will have their bikes professionally photographed.? Click
the following link to go to the
Winners of the Star Motorcycles 2007 Calendar Contest.
|
Just to give you fair warning the hosters of RoadStarMagazine.com are migrating us to new servers on the 17th of July. Now whilst we are assured everything should be in hand, if you come back on the 17th and we are off the air, well don't worry too much, hopefully we will be back soon. Did anyone remember to pay the electricity bill..?
|
|
Link to RoadStarMagazine.com
|
|
Just a quick one today for those of
you who have your own Road Star website and would like to link to
RoadStarMagazine.com Click Read More... for the
step by step instructions and details.
|
|
 Just
in case you didn't know there is a 1/12th scale size Yamaha Road Star model that you can build
available from Tamiya (14080).? Tamiya is well recognised for their quality
and attention to detail and anyone who enjoys their Road Star will get a kick
out of building one!? The red model pictured is one made here at
RoadStarMagazine.com a few years ago and still holds pride of place on the
bookshelf. The Yamaha Roadstar model is available from many toy outlets
including Amazon.com at this link.
|
|
Complete RoadStarMagazine Road Star Links
|
|
Lots and lots and lots of links.? That is what you'll find in the
RoadStarMagazine.com Links section.? Currently around 250
links actually!? Vendor links, manufacturers, other Road Star sites
and forums, there is just HEAPS of them!? In the Links section you can also
submit your own links so don't be shy and let us know your other
favourite Road Star websites. Link
|
|
Star Motorcycles 2007 Models Announced
|
|
 On
June 25th at 9pm USA Pacific time the
Official Star
Motorcycles Website was update with the new Star 2007 Models!?
Now for those of you who have thought the new 2006 Roadliner of
Star Motorcycles was going to spell the end of the Road Star you can breath a
sigh of relief, it looks like we have another year ahead of us at least.?
Although there seems to be competition appearing from the rear with the newly
announced V-Star 1300!? Click Read More...
for the rest of the info.
|
|
Full List of Garage Tips on RoadStarMagazine.com
|
|
Due to a quirk in the software used for this site, a lot of
the Garage Tips are unable to be found using the Search function.?
This update is just being used so that in the future if you search for something like
Re-Jet Carburetor you will at least find yourself at this page with the
full
list of articles.? Also, while we have your attention, it should be noted the majority of the Garage Tips are made possible by the incredible generosity of the Road Star community who
are willing to share their knowledge and ideas. If you have a Garage Tip
you would like to share with other Yamaha Road Star riders then let us know by using the
feedback
form.? Otherwise you can click Read More... to see
them all for yourself now.
|
|
Free Star DVD from Star Motorcycles (Yamaha)
|
|
While supplies last, and only if you are a resident of the U.S. (excluding Hawaii),
Star Motorcycles want to send you a free DVD featuring the Star line-up of bikes including the new Roadliner and Stratoliner motorbikes. Naturally here at RoadStarMagazine.com we're hoping it will also include the awesome Yamaha Road Star! All you need to do is go to the
Official Star Motorcycles website and enter your info and if they have
any left your very own Star Motorcycles DVD will be sent out to you.?
Thanks to Yamaha and Star Motorcycles for this great offer.
|
|
What do you want to see more of on RoadStarMagazine.com?? That's
right, we want to know what you like and we want to provide more of it.?
Currently RoadStarMagazine.com sports upwards of 1,000 visitors every day so
there must be something you enjoy about Roadies.? Use the poll to let us
know what you think and see if we can't bring you more Road Star news you would
like.? Click
this link to go to the poll.
|
|
TomTom Rider GPS Designed for Motorbikes
|
|
 TomTom,
makers of portable GPS systems, have released a new GPS designed specifically
with motorcycle riders in mind.? Funnily enough they are marketing it as
the TomTom Rider.? Having a GPS on a motorbike is nothing new, but
they do involve getting custom mounting arms and the vibration of some bikes can
be detrimental for the units more designed for car use, not to mention also
being exposed to the elements.? Plus who wants to be looking at a GPS
screen while navigating their bike through city traffic?!? Well the
TomTom Rider overcomes these issues so click Read More... for some
more info.
|
|
Road Star Patches and Caps
|
|
 Until sold out the Road Star patches and caps are again
available
The patches are 2.5" x 2.5" and are perfect for
leather jackets and vests. The cap is made from 100% cotton, is a "one
size fits all" and is adjustable via a Velcro strap at the back.
 The price is in $US and includes shipping anywhere in the
world. Payment strictly via PayPal (apologies to people who don't
have PayPal).
Road Star Patch
$10.00 |
|
Road Star Cap
$25.00 |
|
|
 Have
you ever been amazed at the skill of Highway Patrol Officers on their big
Harley's when they are put through the training course? You know the one,
basically you get to see footage of the Officers handling their bikes through
amazing slow speed manoeuvring as if they were riding some dinky little post
bike. Well Jerry "Motorman" Palladino saw that kind of footage and
despite being on two wheels for 25 years and considering himself a pretty
competent rider, Jerry realised he had a lot to learn. So after completing
the 120 hour Highway Patrol course Jerry also then knew that every
motorcycle rider could benefit from that type of training regardless of how long
they had been riding, but he also knew few would be able to put in that type of
time commitment. Well fortunately for motorcycle riders all over the world
Jerry Palladino has now released the fourth in the Ride Like a Pro
series called funnily enough, "Ride Like a Pro IV" Jerry created
the learning course based on the Highway Patrol training he received but
modified it to suit typical rider use. Perfect for owners of big cruisers
such as the Yamaha Road Star you would be well advised to check out more
information of the Ride like a Pro video (and now DVD!) at
this link.
|
|
RoadStarMagazine.com Photo Submission Site
|
|
The Frapr mapping site has been going great with over 250 people now entered.?
There is almost 100 photos of owner's Roadies but unfortunately people can only
enter one picture.? Because the photos appear quite popular, for the next
few weeks we are going to be trialling a new photo submission service here at
RoadStarMagazine.com where you can have your OWN gallery.? You
can upload a number of photos, with all sorts of info, and if you wish people
can leave comments about your bike.? You can also link to your photos from
forums etc so if you don't have hosting for your pics at the moment this might
be the ticket.? To upload your photos you do need to register on the system
which is separate to the login you might have for either RoadStarMagazine.com or
Frapr.? So if this sounds like something your interested in get across to
this link and
start uploading now!
|
|
How many Road Stars in the US?
|
|
 Well lets find out! Found a very cool site today thanks to "Scraper" on the
Road Star Riders Forum. Basically it is a map of the US and you,
as a Road Star owner, can put in your zip code to show where in the US you are
located and it will show with a little sticky on the map. The best part,
is you DON'T have to sign up your email to enter your location or your bike!
Plus, you only enter your zip code, you don't put your actual address which
wouldn't be too good an idea... Seeing as winter is already upon some of
you with the white stuff on the ground I thought this would be really
interesting to see if there is any pattern of ownership for Road Stars in the
US. So anyway, get yourself over to
this link and
put in your location and lets see how many Roadies are out there! Oh and
did I mention you get to upload one picture of your bike for free? Cool
huh...
|
|
Dynamic Imports First Dyno Results On The Roadliner S!
|
|
A Road Star Fan writes "Dynamic Imports has just given the new Roadliner S a first look on the dyno. Here is a a couple of results from those first dyno runs. The numbers look great and the bike has even more potential. First run came in at
86.5hp and 109.1 torque, then we removed the air box and ran it open air which increased the numbers to
94.4hp and 112.6 torque. This is good because it gives us an idea what the bike will do with a quality air kit installed. We will keep you up to date on some new products as they come out. You can also find us at
www.DynamicImports.net"
|
|
And now for something completely different! Mike VanDenburgh has sent me a link
to a song he has released, all about his Road Star, "Ride Roadie Ride".?
It's a bit of a rockin tune with and you can download it at the following
link (scroll down to the first song and select either High or Low quality). According to Mike, "Riding motorcycles, especially a RoadStar,
is probably the most fun you can have with your clothes on!? Special thanks
to Kim Riemer, Jim Wish, Cash Retail and Stan Arthur for helping me make this
happen! I owe you guys!!! Dedicated to my brothers and sisters on the
Road Star Rider's Forum. You guys are tops!"
?
|
|
Thanks to Kimbo we have seen a couple of early ride reports on the
upcoming Yamaha, sorry, Star Roadliner due for release between about now
and the end of the year.? Looks like that 1850cc fuel injected donk is
getting some pretty big thumbs up!
AMA News 2006 Star Roadliner
...the big, single-crankpin mo' manages to achieve two seemingly
contradictory goals: It has tons of character yet doesn't vibrate you to death.
The power is prodigious right off idle, as you'd expect with a cruiser of this
size (also thank the EXUP valve for that) and the torque curve is appropriately
flat. Yet the motor doesn't sign off as quickly as you'd expect. Twist the
throttle and hold it, and the bike just keeps accelerating up the rev range,
long past when other machines may have signed off and required an upshift.
Motorcycle Cruiser: First Ride on the 2006 Yamaha Star Roadliner
You can feel that muscle when you drop the hydraulic clutch and pull away.
The power and the clutch come in smoothly, so it's easy to pull away without
jerking your passenger. Shifting is also smooth, and neutral is easy to find.
Except for some take-up in the driveline dampers when you decelerate, the drive
train is quite smooth. Power is strong and seamless from 2000 rpm. The beat of
the exhaust is satisfyingly deep and solid.
|
|
2006 Models Announced with new Roadliner!
|
|
 Hold onto your hats, folks, the new
Star Motorcycles (Yamaha) 2006 models have been announced and there are BIG changes for the Road Star!Introducing the
Star Motorcycles "Roadliner". Based around the Yamaha Road Star,
the Roadliner has gotten bigger at 113ci (1854cc) and is now
fuel injected! Lots of other changes with this bike including: higher
compression at 9.5:1 v's 8.5:1, hydraulic brakes front and rear, fatter rear
wheel at 190 v's 150, curiously smaller gas tank at 4.5 gallons v's 5.3.
And of course the price, RRP of $13,580 v's $11,099.
The bike also has decidedly nostalgic lines and it will be very curious to see
how it will be accepted by Road Star aficionados. Click
Read More... to see a larger picture of the bike.
The is also a Star Motorcycles "Stratoliner" which would appear to be
the new Silverado sporting windshield, pillion backrest and saddle bags
The Road Star as we know it (1670cc carburetted) appears to still be
available in the 2006 lineup.
Get yourself over to the
Star Motorcycles Website for ALL the goss on the new bikes! Once
you have checked out the specs and pics come on back and take part in our new
poll, "What
do you think of the Roadliner?"
|
|
Yamaha to Create ''Star Motorcycle'' Brand
|
|
Thanks to MOTOSTAR of the
Road Star Riders Forum we have been alerted to some of Yamaha's plans for 2006. As you all know there are numerous Yamaha "Stars" out there: V-Star 650, V-Star 1100, Royal Star, Road Star and the Road Star Warrior. And most of them have numerous iterations for each bike: Custom, Classic, Silverado, etc. What Yamaha now plans to do in 2006, according to Motorcycle Cruiser Magazine, is move to an actual "Star Motorcycle" branding. Your Yamaha dealer will still hold
the bikes, but they will have Yamaha's AND Star Motorcycles. This could mean big things for Star owners with the hint of an expanded product line and a brand definition unto itself.
Yamaha's release says, "As a true brand, and not just a
model line, Star Motorcycles has turned onto its own road. The focus is not just
on creating great motorcycles, which we do, but on creating an overall Star
lifestyle experience. Or, to put it another way, it's not just about the
motorcycles... it's about motorcycling."
So quite possibly interesting times ahead.?
The full article can be read via the Motorcycle Cruiser Magazine website at
this link.
|
|
American Chopper Complete Series 1 & 2 on Amazon
|
|
  Was having a look around Amazon.com and discovered both complete seasons 1 and 2 of American Chopper are coming out May 10th on DVD for just over $20 each! Now this is very surprising as the Discovery Channel DVDs have priced in the region of $150 for a complete season. Has Amazon made a misprint? I don't know, but I do know I have my pre-order in for Season 1 and hopefully the price will be honoured! Click this link to check it out for yourself.edit update: My order shipped on the 11th of May and the price hasn't been updated. So if you have been waiting for Season 1 and/or 2 at a reasonable cost then now is the time to buy! Description
Welcome to Rock Tavern, New York, home of the AMERICAN CHOPPERS, the legendary custom motorcycle shop of the feisty father-and son team of Paul & Paul, Jr. Teutul. The highest rated show on the Discovery Channel, AMERICAN CHOPPER captures the excitement , setbacks and triumphs of Team Teutul, as they race against the clock to fabricate and build a mind-blasting battalion of motorbikes and choppers especially designed to kick some serious butt in the nation's hottest trade shows and races. Contains all thirteen episodes from the hit series' first outrageous season.
|
|
Yamster Visits Toasty in Australia
|
|
 My
good friend Garrett in the US has a daughter who came up with the idea of
sending a bear called Yamster (named after the
Yamsters
Forum) on a tour of the US via fellow and fellowette Star riders. Not
content with that I offered to have Yamster come to Australia for a quick look
before he started on his US journey and the following short article is what was
printed in Yamster's journal. Click Read More... to have a look for
yourself.
|
|
Awesome Road Star on eBay
|
|
 My
good friend Ted Lassiter has his immaculate Millennium Edition Road Star
for sale on eBay and let me tell you, the person who gets this bike gets a
beauty!? The list of goodies on this bike really is too long to tell (I'm
not exaggerating), but if you can find something to do to this bike AFTER you
have bought it then I would be amazed.? It has sleek looks, looooooots of
chrome, hidden power in the engine and it's ready to go!? Get over to
this link at eBay and check it out for yourself.
|
|
Yamaha 2005 Lineup Announced
|
|
Motorcycle Cruiser has published a write-up of Yamaha's plans for
2005.? Nothing ground breaking for Road Star owners like 2004's 1700cc Road
Star, but there is a Midnight version of the Warrior and it looks like the Royal
Star Tour Deluxe has taken a bit of a revamp.? Check out the article at
this link.
|
|
Full list of recalled XV1600 / XV1700
|
|
MidnightThunder writes "THIS LIST IS FROM THE ORIGINAL **2004** RECALL. IT HAS SEINCE BEEN EXPANDED IN 2006. SEE
THIS POST FOR FURTHER DETAILS
For those of you reading this who aren't in the USA and are unsure about your bike... be it imported or bought through an official Yamaha dealership, here's the full list of affected bikes from Yamaha's own documentation."
|
| |
 |
Old Articles |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
| Sunday, February 15 | | · | New Road Star Chapter -- Ft. Lauderdale, Florida |
| Saturday, January 17 | | · | Road Star Transmission Recall Widened |
| Thursday, December 11 | | · | 2004 Delphi Road Star Riders Calendars! |
| Monday, December 01 | | · | Time For A Break |
| Tuesday, November 25 | | · | Order Now for Christmas (Caps & Patches) |
| Monday, November 24 | | · | Lack of Updates |
| Wednesday, October 29 | | · | October Edition of StarCruiser |
| Sunday, September 21 | | · | Indian Motorcycle Close Their Doors, Again. |
| Sunday, August 31 | | · | Locating Your Manufactured Date |
| Thursday, August 28 | | · | NHTSA Announces Yamaha Recall of 01 Road Star Transmissions |
| Monday, August 25 | | · | New FAQ, ''What Is That Sound?'' |
| Wednesday, August 20 | | · | Awesome Roadie For Sale |
| Tuesday, August 19 | | · | Sobig Virus |
| Monday, August 11 | | · | Road Star Patches and Caps are Back! |
| Tuesday, August 05 | | · | New Poll ~ What Exhaust Are You Running? |
| Thursday, July 17 | | · | How Much Have You Spent Customising Your Road Star? |
| Saturday, July 12 | | · | Site Update |
| Monday, July 07 | | · | New Poll ~ How Old Were You When you Bought Your First Road Star |
| Friday, July 04 | | · | Happy Birthday America! |
| Tuesday, July 01 | | · | HEAPS of 2004 Road Star Pictures! |
| Tuesday, June 10 | | · | Speed Used In This Area |
| Wednesday, June 04 | | · | 2004 Road Star Review by Motorcycle Cruiser |
| Sunday, June 01 | | · | RoadStarMagazine 1st Birthday! |
| Monday, April 28 | | · | Gonzo Needs a New Tire |
| Tuesday, March 25 | | · | DFW Roadies Garage Day |
| Monday, March 24 | | · | Road Star Riders Forum Benefit Raffle |
| Saturday, March 15 | | · | Over $13,000US raised in the Road Star Riders Benefit Raffle |
| Tuesday, February 04 | | · | Big Toasty Burnout |
| Saturday, February 01 | | · | Space Shuttle Disaster |
| Thursday, January 30 | | · | Short Visit to Baron's Factory |
Older Articles
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
