Endurance test Yamaha XV 1600 A Wild Star

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Endurance test Yamaha XV 1600 A Wild Star
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Endurance test Yamaha XV 1600 A Wild Star

Hard alright

Good things take time. The six and a half quintals cruiser took three years to complete the long-distance test. On the other hand, the Yamaha XV 1600 A Wild Star survived the 50,000-kilometer distance with virtually no problems.

The Wild Star is and has not had an easy time of it. First, weighed 335 kilograms. Second, he had to endure curses and ridicule from sports motorcycle riders in the logbook like the jungle a monsoon rain. MOTORRAD reader Fredy Falbe from Berlin, one of around 3900 German fans of the 1600s, put it ironically in his letter: »Objectively speaking, the Wild Star is a cucumber. But when I’m on the road with her, the world is so fine, I don’t care. ”
The Harley community registered the fat man on her debut in 1998 with a mild smile around the corners of her mouth and raised eyebrows and dismissed it as a cheap copy of a Harley-Davidson Road King Classic.
Cheap? Okay, with a sales price of 19,990 marks at the time, the XV was almost 15,000 marks cheaper than the American model. But imitations? No, Yamaha not only hid elaborate engine technology in its cruiser clothing, but also created the largest-capacity two-cylinder series of motorcycles in 1999 with the XV 1600. With a piston stroke of a massive 113 millimeters and a crankshaft weighing 21.8 kilograms.
Dimensions as one would expect from smaller marine diesel engines and not from two-wheelers. MOTORRAD was curious to see whether the big ship would stay on course for over 50,000 kilometers.
The first person who finds this quite difficult in the truest sense of the word is tester Christian Vetter. Exactly four weeks after approval on April 27, 1999, he wrote at 2345 km: “It is impossible to drive a clean curve with this cart. If you’re not busy shifting gears, you have to be careful not to let the goat touch down at the slightest incline. ”Which explains where the term step-board surfing comes from. What is still funny for the driver in view of the scratching noise and the spraying sparks soon turns out to be a trap. Because the foldable ones
Running boards of the XV 1600 quickly reach their stop and, in the worst case, lever the six and a half quintals out of the curved path. The Wild Star is like animals: you can only really enjoy it if you keep it appropriately. So always drive straight ahead if possible.
The point of criticism of frequent switching is not only often noted in the driver’s log, but also appears frequently in letters from the readers. Yamaha chose the gear ratio of the Wild Star rather untypical for cruisers. Has translated the fourth and fifth gear for a long time and thus prevented the last gear from being used for comfortable gliding. If you do not want to be considered an obstacle in the flow of traffic on the country road, you will inevitably give your shifter an excessive workout.
Not much happens in the first ten thousand kilometers, apart from strange noises from the headlight housing and the brief refusal of the steering lock. And the sports driver faction has still not made friends with the fat one. Excerpts from the logbook: “Idle noises like a stationary diesel, light-footed like a hippopotamus, successful attempt to combine the disadvantages of a car with those of a motorcycle.” Dear sports drivers, you are not open-minded. Sharpened knee pads are as popular with Wild Star owners as Mr. Bohlen is with Mrs. Feldbusch.
Summertime, travel time. From the Yamaha accessories range, the Wild Star was upgraded in July 1999 with leather panniers, a luggage rack and a windshield, which were also very expensive at a price of 2124 marks. If the practical panniers are gladly accepted by most of the XV drivers, the windshield is subject to severe criticism. This ranges from distorted vision and irritations caused by the instrument lighting reflecting in the window at night to massive turbulence. These are particularly annoying when it rains. Because the raindrops buzz around the driver’s upper body like a swarm of frightened bees and are sometimes even pushed into the helmet from below by the vortex.
MOTORRAD employee Peter Badtmann is someone who can make friends with the cosiness of fat people. He pays homage to her: “When the stress of everyday life is shaken off by the full blow of the V-Zwo without vibrating, it is a very special kind of driving pleasure.” The managing editor Harry Humke can only agree with this. He takes on the sponsorship of the Wild Star, piloting it over 13,000 kilometers in exactly three years that it needs for the test distance of 50,000 kilometers. Use them as a trip steamer, to relieve stress, as a mean means of transport. Is completely enthusiastic: “Refuel and drive, what more do you want?”
Harry’s baby is extremely easy to care for, never asks for oil outside of the inspections, only twice for new brake pads, needs an average of 6.5 liters of gasoline per 100 kilometers and now and then a new rear tire. Here, the Dunlop D 404 proves to be the longest-lasting with an average of 9,300 kilometers, closely followed by the Bridgestone Exedra and the Pirelli Route 66. The Pirelli leads the Wild Star slightly more precisely than the competition. There was no significant deterioration in the driving characteristics of any of the mounted tires. The driving behavior, which many pilots get used to, results on the one hand from the weight of 335 kilograms and on the other from the underdamped suspension. In addition, there is the peculiarity that the handlebars quickly tend to collapse in tight bends and when turning. All of this nips the stokers’ dreams in the bud.
Technically, the thick ship struggles with relatively minor problems over the entire distance. Except for a leaky tank at 26,960 kilometers? he is exchanged on guarantee? the logbook notes a slipping clutch and a broken exhaust bracket 10,000 kilometers later. The clutch plates are exchanged, the holder replaced under warranty. Again, clues about a mysterious clatter from the headlight appear in the logbook. The 1600er steers single-mindedly towards the end of the long-distance test.
And unfortunately also a traffic island. Harry, the godfather, is himself the one who brings his foster child down in the pouring rain and slides against a concrete plinth. The exhaust muffled, the front rim and the brake disks bent, the manifold crushed. The fat man comes to the two-wheeled clinic, Harry gets away with the shock.
The final spurt is announced. The Wild Star defends itself against the upcoming dismantling once or twice with sporadic misfires. It’s no use. After exactly three years of driving, and therefore twice as long as sports bikes, she made it. Is dismantled, measured and admired. Because: The engine is in almost perfect condition. Only the exhaust valves, with strong traces of fire on the seats, indicate that the valve clearance is too tight, probably a service error by the workshop. They definitely need to be renewed. The seat surfaces of the inlet valves are slightly hammered in, but can still be used after a revision. The beginning of pitting can be seen on a cam on the camshaft. The clutch disc spring has set, it must be replaced. The gearbox is in absolute top condition, there are hardly any signs of running or wear. The connecting rod bearing play is still within the tolerance range, but the first layer of the bearing is slightly attacked. They should also be exchanged. The same applies to the worn steering head bearing.
I.Overall, the fat cruiser leaves a very satisfactory impression. Although not everyone was able to get used to the high weight and the seating position straight away, one thing has to be forgotten about the Wild Star: It was very much in order.

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