Big Baggers: 2008 Yamaha Star Road Star Silverado S

Photography by Jeff Allen

And now to the Road Star, a perfectly nice bike that worked well enough but failed to excel in any one area and won few raves or accolades—except for its low price, which is never to be dismissed.

The Star's amiable but low-key 1670cc engine is larger than that of the Guzzi, Harley and Victory, yet it was the slowest bike in our group by a large margin. In almost every aspect of performance, the Star gets blown into the weeds, thanks to its making almost seven less horsepower than the smaller-engined, lighter Harley. Its quarter-mile and 0–60 times are both more than a half-second slower than the next-slowest bike, with the slowest top speed as well.

Seating position is comfortable, with bars that reach back to the rider, but the windshield seemed to produce more buffeting than any other bike—and it bothered riders of all sizes, regardless of windshield height adjustment or wind conditions. Controls, however, are refined, and the Star has a nice clutch and throttle feel and clicks through the gears quietly and succinctly.

Ride is good, though the bike shares the Kawasaki's tendency to rebound too quickly at the rear when hustling over dips in the road. Cornering clearance is just adequate—but probably no worse than the other cruiser-based bikes in this group. Floorboards drag early on both sides, but especially on the left.

On our hotter segments (and there were many), the Silverado S put out considerable heat, and the chromed triangular air-cleaner housing became so hot several of us had to ride with the right knee splayed out, as if setting up for a non-existent corner. In all fairness, however, we rode in heat that would send a saner bunch of tourists to an air-conditioned motel until sundown. Your temperatures may vary.

On the plus side, the Star has a certain charm in that it doesn't seem as large or cumbersome as several of the Japanese baggers (or the Triumph). It's the lightest of that lot, with the shortest wheelbase, and the fork feels close enough to the rider that you don't seem to be shouting orders to the remote front end with a bullhorn. It's a humane—and human—sized bike that will please a lot of riders because it feels user-friendly and manageable. It also has a good-looking engine (if you're into that radial aircraft thing), and we mustn't forget the $1000-to-$6000 savings over the rest of this mob.

The Star is a bargain that—when ridden in isolation—is a very nice motorcycle that will please most who buy it. But subjected to the close scrutiny of a comparison test like this one, it falls short.