Every dog has its day....that day was yours! Lucky dog!!

Okay, so I've just been thru my first tank of gas on this Strat I bought just one week ago.

First of all... there isn't anything wrong with it. For a near 61k mile bike, it's perfect.

For a further in-depth review. Yami spent more money on the suspension. It rides and handles better than a Road Star. I imagine the longer wheelbase helps, too. And, no doubt, the higher grade tires that were on it, are a true performance tire, as opposed to your typical cruiser tire... I don't know what comes standard on these. It feels bigger, but no heavier. If anything, it feels lighter!

Second, the torque is so much greater, it hardly cares what gear it's in. And, smoother, too, due to the counterbalancing in the motor.

Third, they spent more money on the lighting, too. The headlight beams are far superior to the R*. Night riding is not near as 'scary'.

The relationship between seat and bar is far more classic, as you sit higher up on the bike, than lower in it. And, the bar, in its right position, is a lower and wider bar, for comfort. The po had turned it up for a mini-ape appearance (felt like heck!).

All-in-all, I like the Strat a lot for precisely what it is... and what it is, is not a Road Star. I prefer my solo-rider R* because it's got more rumble and just enough more vibes, that it feels less tame, and 'tougher'. Of course, just about every R* owner on the Clinic has swapped out the stock exhaust for something else... and, the Strat has the stock pipes and muffler.

The Strat tells me it wants to be driven lazy and easy, as a real sophisticated means of transportation, even though it's certainly capable of more. My R*s want to be ridden just for the needless fun of it, and to be ridden harder and more for the challenge of stretching towards its limitations, just because they reward me with a gratification of the grittier, tougher, biker experience of it all.

In the end, there's more that can be done, and with, a Road Star just because there are more of them. They sold better, and for a longer stretch of time... '99 thru '15. The Strat had far smaller sales for a shorter run of time.

I already have a friend who says he'll buy it in the Spring. By the time I've detailed, serviced and re-tired it... I'm not so sure I'll sell!

The original seat is just as crappy as the RS tractor seat. You just think it's different because you're riding on an ultimate which seats you higher.
The suspension blows just as bad as the RS but is a little better because the frame is lighter and made from aluminum. It's like siting on a fat couch that is sitting on a wet sponge. Mine might be different since I have the extra weight from fairing, passing lights and 4 speakers and extra amp.
The exhaust looks mean but it also blows because it has a cat. I didn't remove my exhaust because I wanted the benefits of the EXUP system and removed the tailpipe (cat) and install a D&D.
I can't make a comment on the handlebars because I don't know which you have. The standard bar is fairly lame but I had the touring bar installed and it makes a world of difference.
As far as power, the stock bike can hold its own against almost every stock bike out there (in its class) with a few exceptions.

Green, I'm not sure the Ultimate is any taller than the stock seat, as I used to have one on my R*, and it was of a similar size... no higher, lower, forward or more rearward. Just superior materials.

I definitely thought the suspension better... but, it's a 60k mile bike, and has been distances. The po may have made substantial upgrades to it, that I would know nothing about. I've yet to look... but, I will come spring, when I go all through it.

The frame being lighter may not be all that much of a factor, to my mind, as the overall bike has got to be considerably heavier in its entirety, just lighter than it would have been, had the frame been steel.

It certainly does ride in the comfort of a good couch, but I did not at all think it had anything approximating a wet sponge... but, then, again, this may have suspension mods I know nothing about. It felt willing to handle, if I had demanded any of it.

I'm quite certain the bar is stock, and I don't find it to be lame, but turned to the comfortable position I set it, it takes me back to the nostalgic, classic or comfort bar kind of feel.

Finally, I did not know, when I agreed to buy, that the '06 was FI. But I saw the 02 sensor, and no petcock, and put 2+2 together. The exhaust is unobtrusive, but discernible, when you're out on the highway... which, for any serious traveling, is probably the way you'd want it to be. I don't actually do that much of that kind of riding, so, I still question my 'need' for this bike, and may sell in the spring.

On the other hand, though, as I strip the accessories off to clean, detail, service and re-tire it... I just might ride it sans accessories to see if I like the sensation of riding, what would essentially then be... a Roadliner.

Just snagged a complete '06 Strat service manual on CD off of eBay for $14.95.

I love having a disc. Anytime I need any page, I print it off, 3-hole punch it, and put it in a 3-ring binder in the garage for any future use as well.

Looking forward to turning my attention to it in the spring... this winter will be given over to ratting out a Road Star bobber.

Yep this just confirms it. We all still hate you.

Greatest catch of the year though. Hope you enjoy the ride.

Congratulations on your new ride Questcap !!!! if you can afford to keep your Roadstar, I suggest you do!!!

Kai, I have a very serious problem here... I have 3 Road Stars! 2 '01's and an '04.

I'm not sure, but I think this might be becoming... clinical!!!

Questcap wrote:
Kai, I have a very serious problem here... I have 3 Road Stars! 2 '01's and an '04.

I'm not sure, but I think this might be becoming... clinical!!!



Maybe you should sell the 01's !!!

No WAY!!! One '01 is set-up as my ride around local solo-rider, and is my favorite. The other is set up as my two-up, higher speed, longer distance runner. The '04 is currently being transformed into a rat bobber... and I really don't know what I'm going to do with the Strat! I don't do much of the kind of riding that it might be best suited for. It was just so darned cheap, I couldn't pass it up.

I'm enjoying what riding I am doing on it... and, in the spring, after I detail it, service it, and put 2 new tires on it... well, I'll make some kind of decision then... do I strip it and run it more as a Roadliner? I don't tour....

I'm just so torn...