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[snake]

  The motor:
 OK. I have a few miles under her belt, so I will do my initial evaluation. In looking for a possible stablemate or replacement for my VTX1800, and Honda not putting up any possibilities, I found that Yamaha makes a few bikes with X power... A 1854CC motor that is the platform of a few of their hottest rods, the raider, roadliner, and the stratoliner. I have seen stock Dyno sheets of 90 to 95 HP stock, which , had I not ridden one, I would have thought of as a exaggeration. Well, I'm convinced. They put a counterbalancer at both ends of the crank to smooth the vibes out. It is air cooled, but then, no radiator or water leaks!
   Yamaha came out with this motor to compete with the VTX1800, in my book. But they also went after the 1300 VTX lovers also, the Xv1900 motor having the single crankpin and Harlyesque sound in addition to the large jugs. They used the visual, chrome external pushrod look with the blacked out cylinder heads and sculpted polished end fins to pretty up the cylinder heads to emulate the old Harley look. At 113 CU IN, they succeeded!



   Of note, when Yamaha came out with this motor, Honda decided to drop their 1800 engine platform for the 1300 platform. COINCIDENCE? hhhhhHHHHHMMMMMM! I haven't seen it hinted at anywhere else, but ....really?!
next: sound system.

Now then...to the Strat deluxe. I like baggers! I coulda' got a Stratoliner with bags and a windshield. Instead I went full deal...whole tamale. This baby does not sport your Goldwing like dash. It has what first looks like a batwing type fairing with two speakers mounted in it and a deep center "pocket". The pocket has two functions. One is your ignition/steering lock located in the pocket "tunnel" directly over the top of the steering stem, the other being the Garmin Zumo 665 LM located on the top of the "pocket" until you rotate it down into the pocket and activate it. The GPS has standard GPS fare wizardry plus extras. Sirius radio, bluetooth technology. plays media such as pictures, music,reads books to you, bluetooths your phone into and the sounds out to your say...bluetooth speakers in your helmet, all this hooked into your bikes soundsystem, which hooks to a mp3 player, a IPOD or a Iphone in addition to the Garmin, which plays micro SDs and also plays your incoming and outgoing calls over the sound system, besides knowing where you are, are going,  been and...drumroll...Time! Yes, the Garmin has a clock on it! There is a small glove friendly Volume/track/channel pad just by your high/low beam switch on the left side handlebar switches, by the hydraulic easy pull clutch lever. The sound system can be used w/wo the Garmin.

  

[TheWatcher]

Good looking motor Snake

Glad it runs good.

 

[snake]

Next: the dash and Gas tank

   The dash is a large part of the tanktop



The dash tells speed, idiot lights, fuel gauge! CLOCK!!! 2 tripmeters, light blue illum at night, fuel cap on the right side forward on the tank, where it ought to be. The tank only holds 4.5 gallons, but at 40 mpg, you are talkin' 140-150 mile fillups. Oh, it takes premium. There went the fuel savings! It does have a idiot light for low fuel also. Going back to the garmin, you can get it to tell you when you are low on fuel also.

[matap]

When are we going to see actual photos of your bike Snake?!  Your killing us over here!!!!!!!

[Rocket67]

Very nice.  I am not ready to trade the Harley in just yet but if they would have had that when I was shopping.....who knows. 

[snake]

Back again. Handling/feel/comfort

   When I got my X, I didn't like the riding position at all. I immediately changed the handlebars (I hated those beachbars) to closer pullbacks (a la shadow bars) with a aeomach riser. This made controlling the big heavy beast harder on me, but I was comfier riding it. After 4 or 5 months I became comfortable enough to say I liked it and was glad I bought it. I barely touched both feet down...gravel and sand were worrisome adversaries. Getting on any regular sized bike since then made me think of a toy bike...a ridley type bike. All the guys at work with other bikes didn't park their harleys or Kawasakis or anything close to mine because it was so much bigger. This bike is a tank!
   I have ridden lots of other bikes since then, I always try the new ones. A few I liked the power of but not the price or noise (big dogs, Ultra, etc) The big 120 plus CU IN harley clones had good power but not much else besides looks. Wouldn't want to ride one far. The RUNE? just a fancy Valkerie, too many cylinders, too much money, and although I am sure it prolly could outrun the bigger VTX, it had no "GRUNT". When Yamaha put out this new engine they put it in a "custom" I liked, but couldn't figure how I would get it ready for longer trips...."bagger" it up. When the Stratoliner Deluxe came out, I thought they cost too much: 17240 msrp. it looked good though. Imagine when I saw the one I own now on the front of a thrifty nickel, a brand new 2014 for 11999. WOW. Wed before the BBT I went down and test rode it. Over BBT I was still on the fence, till the next Tuesday. I called the H&W in marshall and they had one for 10999!!
That was all I needed. I got my local H&W to give me this one for the same price. Less than the nada trade in price for a used one. Had to do it guys.
   The VTX with all my bags and tour pak weighs 880 lbs. The narrower handlebars, with the riser, my short legs, the higher tour pak raised  my C of G at least about 6 in higher than regular. On a 10 scale for difficulty, a 8 or 9 for me at slow speeds or moving it in the yard by hand, especiallly since that bad truck wreck in 09.
    The Yamaha, even with the aluminum frame, but without a trunk box yet, at 825 lbs on the same 10 scale at slow speeds or moving by hand....about a 3. That bike seems even more nimble than most sport bikes. I can cut a circle in about half the distance it takes the X. I expected a difference but dayum! Night and day. Anyone that goes down just to test drive one....let me know what you think about it. Especially with that price!

[matap]

really glad you are liking it but where are those pictures I keep asking for? huh?!   

[Rocket67]

That is more than I paid for my Glide....oh, wait...no it isn't.  That is a GREAT price on a really nice bike.  I could sell my bike for what I got in it easily and get one of those new and end up saiving some $$$$.  Hmmmm....