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Boston Motorcycle Attorney

The Yamaha Warrior is still a Beast among Cruisers
November 26, 2009

Not all metric cruisers are created equal. As a general class of motorcycles, metric cruisers offer fantastic performance for far less than Harley Davidson motorcycles. This fact alone makes metric cruisers attractive among cruiser buyers. Metric cruisers are also much cheaper to maintain.

Since 2002, the Yamaha Roadstar Warrior has been one of the most original, most powerful, and most highly sought after metric cruisers. While it has never been a huge seller like the Honda VTX line, the Warrior has been a favorite in the used motorcycle market.

There are several distinctions that make the Warrior very different from most metric cruisers.

• Style for Miles: The 2010 Roadstar Warrior is a stunning motorcycle with performance to match. Since the Warrior is not as big a seller as Honda and Suzuki, the Warrior provides a stylish options opposed to ‘ordinary’ metric cruisers.

• Air Cooled Engine: Most metric cruisers have liquid cooled engines and feature a large radiator in front of the engine. The Warrior is air cooled giving the motorcycle a cleaner, more streamlined look.

• Belt Driven:  Some of the early Honda Shadow motorcycles were chain driven but most current metric cruisers have maintenance free shaft drives. Shaft drives are great due to the zero cost of maintenance but the belt driven motorcycles have very low maintenance costs and much more flexibility. The fat tire look is very popular and the Warrior can achieve that look much easier than other metrics.

• Race Bike Inspiration: The Warrior has always been billed as the bike for the person who can’t decide between and race bike and a cruiser. The Warrior has low weight for a 1700cc motorcycle, lots of power and torque.

• Customization: The main benefit of the Warrior is its ability to be customized. As a platform for creating a radical custom motorcycle, the Warrior does not need to be re-invented. With a few changes, a Warrior can look like a completely custom bike; not a stock bike that has been enhanced.

It’s not surprising that the Warrior is one of the best cruisers on the market. Yamaha’s R1 race bike has been one of the best performing sport bikes for years and clearly the same level of performance has been built into the Warrior. Warrior’s also have great resale value. Frequently, 2002 Warriors sell in excess of $5000.