SPECIFICATIONS:
year: 2008
make: Yamaha
Model: Road
price: $ 13,599
Engine: Air-cooled 48-degree V-Twin; pushrod OHV, 4 valves per cylinder
Transmission: 5-speed, wide-ratio; multiplate wet clutch
Energy: Fuel Injection
Displacement: 1670cc L
Top Speed: 120 mph
The Road Star Silverado gets the look just right and brings along with it a reliable and powerful 102-cubic-inch air-cooled V-twin that’s built to pump out mountains of torque for years to come. For 2008, the engine gets electronic fuel injection for even more smooth, responsive power.
Introduction
The Road Star Silverado is legendary for its stylish and strength. It’s designed with casual touring comfort in mind, including a plush seat, full-sized floorboards, and soft leather saddlebags. For 2008, Yamaha made things even better by adding fuel injection.
Almost too beautiful to ride, this special machine blends classic styling with a deep rooted character and personality. A massive fuel injected 1,670cc V-twin delivers impressive torque and the kind of cruising performance you only get from a Yamaha.
It stands for uncompromised comfort and it’s dangerously close to being too damn beautiful to ride. The legend goes on.
History
The year 1999 had a positive impact on Yamaha’s way of building cruisers. By that time, the Japanese manufacturer had introduced the Road Star, their first model featuring belt drive and an excellent new starting point to a bright future of producing and selling cruisers.
The mechanical horse was based on a 98 cubic inch (1602cc) air-cooled, pushrod, 48-degree V-twin with 99 foot pounds of torque delivered at 2250 rpm at the crankshaft, and a five-speed transmission.
Those same features were implemented on the brand new 2001 Yamaha Road Star Silverado but the idea was to smoothly combine classic looks with technological advancements like four valves per cylinder, forged pistons and ceramic composite cylinder bore plating.
Simply a touring version, the Silverado presented another side of the same bulletproof built Road Star machine by being equipped with windshield, saddlebags, a low seat height and comfortable ergonomics.
In 2004 The Road Star Silverado has undergone a major update, and the engine’s displacement increased to 102 cubic inch (1670cc). The Silverado remained air-cooled for the simple fact that its buyers equate bare, functional fins with classic styling. This was how it became popular so why change it? It simply applied the “bigger is better” formula that always makes a hit.
Another big evolutionary step came with the model year that I am reviewing. Fuel injection is the key here.
Competition
Bigger in displacement and now fuel injected, the Yamaha Road Star Silverado is suitable to fight against the VTX1800T, which is an awesome cruiser built for the perfect road trip, combining a massive 106 hp 1795cc V-twin with all the touring touches you could ever need: roomy saddlebags, big windscreen, cozy passenger backrest.
Suzuki claims you’ve never seen or experienced a classic cruiser like this. Introducing the new C109RT, a machine combining classic cruiser styling with renowned Suzuki V-twin power in such a striking way that it becomes a true opponent of the Yamaha. Its most important feature is its 109-cubic-inch engine featuring Suzuki fuel injection which is the same basic powerplant used by the awesome M109R. Tracing its technological heritage to Suzuki’s championship winning GSX-R supersport bikes, it only requires one ride to make you notice that it boosts its own power characteristics, with more torque down low for extraordinarily acceleration.
