Now you can’t argue on that front even without our test figures. The XVS 1100 Drag star rolls quite serenely into victory lane which is usually the most popular coffee bar on main Street. For testing this big cruiser (when we got the bike we looked disparagingly on it expecting it to be a foul-tempered ill-handling mule but boy were we mistaken!) taking acceleration into account first, nothing comes close when you take in the Drag Star’s times: 0 to 60 Kmph takes just 3.34 seconds; 0 to 100kmph is achieved in a mere 7.54 seconds, while 0 to 150kmph takes 19.8 seconds. The payday loans standing quarter mile was achieved in a mind numbing 15.46 seconds at a terminal speed of 139.4 Kmph. Nothing and we mean nothing comes close to this performance and let us not forget the fact that there are only two huge cylinders doing the business in an unhurried manner.

The four thirsty cylinders are fed through four 37mm keihin carburetors. These carburetors have both sliders as well as butterflies. The butterflies open initially and after a certain rpm when the needle crosses 100 kmph, the sliders start opening up. The sliders in these carburetors are not the usual cylindrical type and are thin flat ones. Shifting through the six gears was a rather unpleasant grinding sound while engaging first and the second gear. Since the R6 has low mid range power is constant makes the gears to keep the power up. Since these bikes take off like slingshots they need equally good brakes to bring them to a standstill. The front is equipped with twin 298mm discs with the rear has a single 220mm disc.

Let’s get one thing straight at this point. Cruisers are normally spoken of as very comfortable armchairs on wheels which can be steered and leaned into corners some of the time at a very relaxed pace. As such one needs a beefy piece of kit to haul the born again biker who would very likely be large and overweight, in the mid-fifties (only then could the large have had accumulated enough money to have such a bike to show off alongside Merc and Cadillacs) and with agility to match. The frame of the XVS 1100 is a fairly conventional blend of steel twin-tube configuration into which is housed the engine. It comes with large non-adjustable raked-out front forks while the hard tail rear seems to do without any shock absorbers until you read the spec sheet and then peer even more closely into the tight crevice between the huge fat rear wheel and the inner wheel cover where you just about make out the bottom end of the vertical mono-shock.

Torque speaks louder than anything else anything else in this sphere and of the many fellow road users who would creep up alongside the Drag star at traffic lights, some enlightened gents did ask me (apart from the two typical question on what fuel efficiency does she deliver and what is the price) how many gears did the Yamaha have. But let’s get going in proper sequence. The bike is loaded with a gigantic 1063cc air-cooled SOHC 75-degree v-twin motor. The huge twin cylinder naked engine is fired by two Mikuni 37mm CV carbs. Keeping to the avowed aim of it being the resident Harley clone in Yamaha’s cruiser portfolio, the 1063cc mill features a simple two valves per cylinder layout but with tremendous attention to detail in the reciprocating parts. The bores are chrome composite-plated to reduce the friction, the piston are forged lightweight items and they are dynamically balanced along with the carbonized con rods to help reduce, may eliminate the one trait which scares the living daylights of non-Harley riders-vibrations.

It doesn’t get any more apt than that, does it? When Yamaha was trying to match up to the large piece of American crap they call Harley-Davidson (crap obviously is totally insane biker talk for the good things in life, in as much as the rap singers term ‘bad’ which is in fact cool!), they didn’t want to reinvent the wheel so it was an unashamed copy of umpteen Harleys through the decades, replete with copious chrome and a super standard of external finish. But there is no doubting its visual impact because that is what Harleys deliver in abundance and if the drag star couldn’t pull in the birds, see the looks, it wouldn’t have served its primary role, that of being a cruiser out there but the drag star will do nicely all around the world. The XVS 1100’s pulled-back handlebars, teardrop tank (complete with instrument on the top, what instrument when it is just a large round speedo with tell tales in it!), stepped seat and valanced fenders are all mightily clichéd in the Harley mould. In fact nothing takes the Harleyeque theme to ridiculous height than the large air-cooled vee-twin mill which sports a round air filter cover and shotgun pipes for that so-called ‘authentic’ look.

The R6 is absolute dynamite. If you know how to handle it right you can throw it widely into the turns and it is helped in no small measures by the fact that it weighs less than its contemporaries. There are times when the front feels a bit light especially when the rider can come out of a fast turn. But one gets used to this jerky feeling. Since the rider sits upfront, it’s almost an invitation to throw the bike around like crazy. The fine handling is also helped by the Dunlop tyres that feature a wide D207 180/55-17 at the rear while the front has D207 120/60-17. Yamaha sure knows how to promote their band. The R6 runs as well as it looks. The four cylinders develop a maximum power output of 102 bhp at 12500 rpm.

The gang of 600 is the most happening. This Super sports category has seen a pack of exciting motorcycles hit the road in the recent past and they are forever improving. All the major motorcycle manufacturers have their presence in this category. Bikes that have made their mark in racing like the Suzuki GSX R600, Kawasaki ZX 6R636, Yamaha YZF R6, Honda CBR 600 F and the highly improved Triumph TT 600. The road legal versions of these motors throttle all the way up. These bikes just scream to be pushed hard to touch the red line in almost every gear. The Yamaha YZF R6 is right up there with the leader of this aggressive pack, which at present seems to be the Suzuki GSX R600. Compared to other bikes in its category, the R6 looks kind of small. The sitting position is crouched and leaves you with very little space to maneuver yourself. The bike puts you pretty much where it wants to.

The Yamaha XVS 1100 Drag Star with its 1063cc air-cooled vee-twin mill mated to a five-speed tranny and a shaft drive has not just pose value but performance as well. And it is there devoid of quota, for every biker with some bucks to splurge on his big bike dreams! Roll on, roller drag on, roller star on; well this bike can do just about any and everything. The first part of this plan is being played out in the form of the massive XVS 1100 drag star which you see draped all over these pages and I would be most disappointed if this is not followed immediately by a flurry of models in the Yamaha. But after you have gone about the task of taking a sieve and checking out the Harleyesque style, pause and consider the superb build quality of the Drag Star which is absolutely fantastic.

India Yamaha Motor has released Yamaha Fazer in India. This 153cc motorbike with an extraordinary design concept has joined the FZ line-up. The cost of Yamaha Fazer 153cc will be Rs. 72, 000* may be vary in showrooms. The latest launched section from India Yamaha Motor is designed on the platform of FZ-16. It is 1,045mm in height, 770mm in width and 1,975mm in length. Yamaha Fazer has a 153cc air-cooled, 4 stroke, SOHC, 2-valve single cylinder engine that develops 14PS of maximum output at 7500 rpm and maximum torque of 14Nm at 6500 rpm. While the Yamaha Fazer motorcycle has a 1335mm wheelbase, it comes with 160 mm minimum ground clearance.

Maxam 3000 is huge. The 3000 in the name of the model gives it huge three meter length from the rear to the over-hung front. Rightly termed as the ‘Weekend leisure cruiser’ this bike is unique in its design and make. Instead of seeking out raw power or style, this concept design gives more emphasis to elegance and space. This model supports a low long body design with under-seat compartment space and luxurious seating giving Maxam a pleasure ride look and feel. Use of abundant chrome parts, pure leather for the seating, and vintage look for the frame and handle bars makes this scooter a royal looking one.