In the Flesh: The 2008 Yamaha Star Raider
Several months ago, I sat in a sterile hotel conference room and watched a PowerPoint presentation extolling the virtues of a previously unseen custom style cruiser, the Yamaha Star Raider. Yamaha execs finally pulled a satin sheet off the bike and unveiled it before the assembled moto scribes, and I promptly published a photo gallery showcasing a series of glossy, manufacturer-supplied studio shots and high budget action photos.
Fast forward a few months, and Yamaha has lent us a real, live Raider to test and photograph. Our resident cruiser fanatic and SUV expert Jason Fogelson's full review is coming real soon, but in the meantime check out our updated Star Raider photo gallery, which includes details like the bike's angular mirrors, custom-style handlebar clamps, and big, bad 113 cubic-inch V-twin.
Photo © Basem Wasef
Comments
At first glance, it looks a lot like a Harley Night Train that didn’t quite make it. Nobody can beat the Japanese for clever engineering but they never quite get the style thing.
That doesn’t even come close to looking like a Harley. They have been trying to copy the Harley for years and they should give it up. IT AIN’T A HARLEY!!! Call it a Japley or something and leave Harley Davidson out of it.