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Its been a while since my wife and I talked about motorcycles…at least since she cried when I sold my Valkyrie. I replaced that bike with an Aprilia Caponord which she absolutely hates the looks. The Capo is a great bike for all around riding including the commute. Its quiet, efficient, comfortable, and can go off-road with much less guilt than a normal street bike.

I was having a conversation with gothicbeaST a while back and was inquiring if he knew of a cruiser that met the following conditions:

• Must clean up reasonably quick since I want to commute on it - my Valkyrie was a bitch to clean with all that chrome.
• Must have at least a 220 mile range per fill-up - three days of commute.
• Must be cool - alright, that’s a little subjective
• Must be over 1500cc if its a twin
• Must have cool parts OE

He mentioned the Star Warrior in the “Midnight” color scheme (all black). Take a lookie:

Star Warrior

A very cool looking bike if you ask me…here are the specs:

MSRP* $12,399 (Candy Red) Available from September 2005
$12,499 (Cobalt Blue w/Star Silver Flames) Available from September 2005
$12,699 Midnight Warrior (Onyx) Available from September 2005

Engine
Type 102 cubic-inch (1670cc), pushrod OHV, air-cooled, 48° V-twin
Bore x Stroke 97mm x 113mm
Compression Ratio 8.3:1
Ignition Digital TCI
Transmission 5-speed, close-ratio, w/multi-plate wet clutch
Final Drive Belt
Fuel Delivery Twin-bore Electronic Fuel Injection, w/throttle position sensor

Chassis
Suspension/Front 41mm Kayaba inverted telescopic fork, 5.3″ travel
Suspension/Rear Single shock, link-type w/adjustable preload and rebound damping; 4.3′ travel
Brakes/Front Dual 298mm Discs
Brakes/Rear 282mm Disc
Tires/Front 120/70-ZR18 Radial
Tires/Rear 200/50-ZR17 Radial

Dimensions
Length 93.9″
Width 36.8″
Height 43.9″
Seat Height 28.1″
Ground Clearance 6.1″
Wheelbase 65.6″
Dry Weight 606 Lbs.
Fuel Capacity 4 Gallons

Other
Warranty 1 Year (Limited Factory Warranty)

It meets all the needs if the black cleans up easy and it gets about 55 per gallon. I am a little worried that the fuel economy just won’t meet my needs. Its not the mpg, but the days between fill-ups. 220 miles makes it less than twice a week which is acceptable. Anything less would be uncivilized.

The good thing is I have a year or twop before I’ll want to get another cruiser (when whe’s ready to get back on the passenger seat). By then, hopefully there will be a decent selection of used models.