Road Strikers

SPECIFICATIONS: year: 2015 price: $ 13790 Engine: Liquid-cooled V-twin; SOHC, 4 valves/cylinder Transmission: 5-speed Energy: Fuel Injection Displacement: 1304 cc Top Speed: 124 mph (Est.) Touted as the only casual full-dress touring bike in the mid-displacement class, the 2015 V Star 1300 Deluxe from Star Motorcycles hits the streets with a majority of its technology and style already present in the V Star 1300 and V Star 1300 Tourer. No surprise there. Just as I was wondering what "casual full dress" meant, I found an explanation by Yamaha’s Senior Product Planner, Aaron Bast, that it’s a phrase to describe trunkless touring cruisers with fork-mounted fairings and are generally lighter in weight and with fewer amenities than their fully full-dressed brethren. So, it’s a lighter tour bike with less storage, fewer bells and whistles and a smaller engine? Yeah, that’s what I got out of it, too. Spec-wise, it’s the same bike since 2013, though you cou...

SPECIFICATIONS: year: 2015 price: $ 15790 Engine: Air-cooled V-twin OHV, 4 valves/cylinder Transmission: 5-speed Energy: Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) Displacement: 1854 cc Top Speed: 125 mph (Est.) Spec-wise, the Raider S hasn’t changed much since 2008. The Raider S from Star Motorcycles is a chromed-out version of the Raider and is available in Crimson Red for 2015, which I like better than the Galaxy Blue offered in 2014. Components such as the triple clamps, fork sliders, air box and engine covers, headlight housing and handlebar risers get a little bling that distinguishes it from the base Raider. With a 39-degree rake, low seat height, a fat rear tire and a tall front tire, it has just enough stretch to give that bad-boy chopper look that gets attention. It takes more than looks to impress buyers, though. Design The low 27.4-inch seat height and an almost 71-inch wheelbase give the Raider S a long, low profile. The tank-mounted instrumentation includes analog spe...