The Yamaha 950 - Size does matter!
"Freedom, freedom, freedom....." we're not talking about a song by Aretha Franklin - we are talking about the feeling you get when you wrap your legs around the Yamaha 950. This baby is Yamaha's answer to the BMW or the Harley Davidson road cruisers. Cruisers continue to dominate the market for motorcycle sales, almost doubling the sales of off road bikes.
The Yamaha 950 is powered by a fuel injected 944cc V-twin motor and although not as powerful as the higher end cruisers, it is enough power to give you that feeling of complete "freedom" when cruising down the open road. The Yamaha 950 fills a hole in Yamaha's cruiser offerings and it is a smaller and more manageable version of it's' competition. It has the style and looks of a big bike cruiser, but once you get on this baby you quickly learn that it may look like its big brother, but weighs less and is easier to handle. This would be a perfect bike for the beginner, as well as the more advanced rider.
We've talked about the size and the ease, in which it handles, but another great feature of the Yamaha 950 is the price, which comes in at $8,000; most of the other cruisers sell for about 10 k or above. The price may vary depending on the accessories, which include a whopping total of 87 goodies you can add, like a quick release windshield, leather saddle bags, chrome bag guards and engine shields, driving lamps, and decorative fender bright work, just to name a few.
We all know size does matter and the V Star offers a big bike look with a smaller, lighter frame. If you are a new biker, but want to keep up with the big boys, may we suggest you experience a test ride on the V star? The wide seated Yamaha 950 invites you and your passenger to climb aboard and take to the open road. The manageability gives the driver a feeling of confidence, while the passenger experiences a smooth a worry free ride. The freedom both driver and rider get while riding down the open road is shear bliss - the sound of the engine, the wind in your face, is there anything more liberating?
One has to look past all the positive features to find the one negative found by this writer. As mentioned the V Star 950 is smaller, so if you are over 6 feet, you may find this bike to be a little cramped for you long legged riders. However, if you consider the price as compared to other cruisers, this may be something you can deal with if you can't afford those big ticketed cruisers.
All in all, considering price, size, and manageability, the V Star Yamaha 950 is a good choice for the newbie or the more advanced rider. You may even have enough money left to by an iPod, so you can listen to Aretha Franklin.