Yamaha XV1900A Roadliner

There are some impressive numbers to Yamaha’s mother ship of a cruiser – the XV1900 Roadliner. Firstly, there’s the size of the engine – all 1854cc of V-twin propulsion. Secondly, there’s the price – expect a $24,000 hole in your bank account (add an extra $3300 for the screen and luggage on this test bike). And thirdly, there’s the size and weight. At nearly 2.6m in length, the 329kg (dry) bike is unlikely to fit in the garage alongside your car. So say hello to the kerb tin-top!

It’s clear that the Yamaha makes a big statement on so many levels. Circle around the stationary bike and the details come to you. The bars are the thickest, chromiest tubes you’ll ever see, the tank-mounted gauge cluster as modern as a Wurlitzer jukebox, and the clear indicator covers as conical as Madonna’s bra. Shy and retiring it’s not.

And the black beast leaves an impression on the road, too – literally. There wasn’t a corner in my neighbourhood that didn’t feel the kiss of the running boards as I chugged around during my two-week test period. As is common with cruisers this size, ground clearance wasn’t on the ‘to-do’ list and the bike suffers from premature touchdown.

Big cruisers are possibly the most divisive category of bikes out there. Riding this you’ll feel like a mix of Judge Dredd, Judge Judy, Poncherello from CHiPs or the ‘cop-in-hotpants’ from the Village People.

This is not a crossover motorcycle – if you like the performance, braking and handling that your sports bike offers, then you’ll find no excitement between the wheels of the Roadliner.

Having said that, you do appreciate it the more you ride it. It feels every kilogram of its weight at a standstill and has to be ridden quite fast for that feeling to completely disappear. Lane splitting is done at the mercy of the road as the big tyres (130-section front, 190 rear) are affected by uneven surfaces and can ‘steer’ the bike much more than a smaller, lighter bike. But this is a machine not designed as a commuter, more of a kilometre killer.

Get it on the highway and the outlook’s much sunnier. On smooth, gentle roads, the big Yamaha finds its lazy stride. I say lazy as a compliment here – at 2500rpm in top you’ll be doing 100km/h, the twin 100mm pistons gliding through their stroke like a Sunday afternoon drive.

With a 5000rpm top, you’ll be glad of the smooth belt-drive as you work the slightly clunky, but positive five-speed gearbox. Real kicks come at the traffic lights. Here’s the procedure: head of the queue, looking cool, clutch in. Lights change, full throttle, dump clutch.

There’s more danger of the Harbour Bridge rusting away overnight than you flipping this monster so the drive is horizontal and impressive as you rip through the first few gears before relaxing back into that deep saddle and just keep on trucking.

As you would expect from a bike this heavy, the suspension’s as hi-tech as a light bulb. It’s good as long as the road is – throw in a pothole or rough surface and your butt, shortly followed by your neck, will know about it.

But steer clear of those obstacles, settle in to the saddle, kick you feet forward to the front of the boards and relax your grip slightly on the bars and you’ll find XV country waiting for you.

The teardrop tank looks big but you’ll struggle to get $20-worth of fuel in there, that being enough for 250-ish clicks between servos.

The test bike was fitted with the leather-clad hard luggage kit (approx $2200) and the windscreen kit (approx $1000). The luggage is useful and maintains the lines of the bike well, though getting to the rear tyre valve involved a dance and crawl I don’t usually do sober.

The screen is less of a plus – on a hot Sydney Saturday caught in the slow-crawl of bred families, I would have gladly traded it for a bottle of water and air-flow.

Also, riding after dark, there was too much reflection from the dash lights in the screen’s top-edge – and that was exactly in the middle of my field of vision. The screen kit comes with a lock so owners can easily remove it when not required.

If you’re into the cruiser look and outlook, then it’s a bike worth considering. As usual with Japanese cruisers, the biggest battle they face is from Harley-Davidson. Yamaha knows this and you’ll hunt high and low for the ‘Yamaha’ name to be seen on the bike.

There is one – on the back under the saddle, but the Japanese know that to sell into the market largely owned by H-D, you have to fit in and not standout. And you do that with styling, not branding or technology. And as I had a ‘Nice Harley, mate’ comment on the bike, I’d say the XV1900 is playing the game.

Visit the XV1900A Roadliner in Bike Showroom.

ENGINE
Type: Air-cooled, four-valve V-twin
Capacity: 1854cc
Bore x stroke: 100mm x 118mm
Compression ratio: 9.8:1
Fuel system: Electronic fuel injection

TRANSMISSION
Type: Five-speed
Final drive: Belt
Clutch: Wet

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame type: Aluminium double cradle
Front suspension: Telescopic forks, 130mm travel
Rear suspension: Swingarm, 110mmmm travel
Front brakes: Dual 298mm discs
Rear brake: 320mm disc
Tyres: Front 130/70-18, rear 190/60-17

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Claimed dry weight: 329kg
Seat height: 735mm
Wheelbase: 1715mm
Ground clearance: 155mm
Fuel capacity: 17 litres

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: Not given
Claimed maximum torque: Not given

OTHER STUFF
Price: $24,099
Colours: Candy Red or Raven (black)
Bike supplied by: Yamaha Australia, www.yamaha-motor.com.au
Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres