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Comparison test between Harley-Davidson Road King Classic and Yamaha XV 1600 Wildstar

IG Metall

Hard times for Harley-Davidson. In the tariff poker of the heavy metal industry, Yamaha comes up with heavy artillery: the Wildstar 1600.

I bet that in Milwaukee they keep their bellies laughing and almost wet themselves in the process. For the good of the Harley-Davidson company, then they drink ?? self-satisfied and of course in proper style with ice-cold Miller beer. Every time the Japanese have tried again to copy their sanctuary in order to swim along on the cruiser and chopper wave.
But the epitome of the Big Twin, which still only comes from Wisconsin, the keepers of the Grail from Harley-Davidson and a fan base who are firmly loyal to the brand agree. Should they only come, the plagiarism from Japan. This species experiences its annual Waterloo in Daytona at the latest, where every evening »Japanees Bike Bashing« is a good thing.
Sometimes it would be really worthwhile to think outside the box. Then, for example, to discover a Yamaha XV 1600 Wild Star. Just because of the appearance of this 335 kilogram heavy chunk. A real eye-catcher, pure heavy metal, guaranteed. No plastic. And that for a price that, compared to that of a Harley, must be considered unrivaled: 19,990 marks.
There is no place for false modesty. So the Wild Star cheekily stretches the huge headlight towards the US original, in this case a Harley-Davidsion Road King Special. Undoubtedly the model of the Yamaha designers. The mother of all cruisers, if you will. The Road King did not need a facelift for the 1999 model year. But a new engine, they said at Harley. And donated her the new Twin Cam 88 with now 1449 cm³, two unregulated catalytic converters and ?? in the case of the special ?? even with gasoline injection.
Here, more displacement also means more power. It is around eight hp compared to the old Evolution engine. This is really good for the king of the road, given his 345 kilograms of live weight. With his driving performance he doesn’t have to hide behind the Yamaha. Their eight-valve engine, trimmed for nostalgia, has even more cubic capacity, but despite these huge combustion chambers only presses 65 hp on the test bench roller. In return, it offers what cruiser drivers need: mountains of maximum torque. But the trump card of 141 Newton meters does not really stand out in driving practice. In the first three gears, the appealing twin pushes powerfully, but at the latest in the wretched fifth gear, the start from the lower speed then seems a little powerless.
Now, at the latest, it should be said again that both V2 engines are a long way from the ideal of casual cruising. Because of that, put in the last gear and then just accelerate: If you don’t want to move on country roads like a roadworks, you have to change gears more often than you would like. An undertaking that is more fun with the easily switchable Yamaha, even if you have to keep lifting your foot to operate the rocker switch. The gnarled gear of the Harley is noticeably reluctant, and also needs to be operated carefully so that the gears lock cleanly.
Not an unimportant topic, especially for cruisers: the unofficial sound competition. Harley even advertises it. Potaeto, Potaeto, this is how the original is beautifully unmistakable. And that should also be the case with the new Twin Cam. Are you kidding me? Are you serious when you say that. The good news for the accessories industry: Build more Twin Cam end pieces as the golden age is ahead. Nothing with potatoes, potatoes. Maybe in the USA, but in Germany it sounds mercilessly tied up. The legally compliant Harley sound is a bit disappointing.
They did better at Yamaha. Wonderfully cozy, but by no means obtrusive that babbling that can be heard from the two end pieces. It’s just a shame that the proud Wild Star owner doesn’t hear too much about it as the speed increases. A similar picture applies to vibrations. Thanks to the V2’s rubber mountings, the Road King driver hardly gets any of its vibrations. Somewhat uneventful, the whole thing. A bitter disappointment for sworn fans. The Yamaha engine is a little closer to the ideal of "good vibrations". It hums to itself in the lower speed range, without annoying at higher revs when driving overland in the long run.
Faster speeds, that means a maximum of 130 km / h for these two cruisers. The Wild Star driver is already fighting with the elemental forces at this speed. And the Harley driver can enjoy the good protection of the huge windshield, but gets a huge roar around the ears. If you don’t like it or prefer to let the wind blow around your nose, no problem, because the sign can be removed in seconds. One thing should be considered with a faster pace: Both V2 then come out as immoderate drinkers, with the Yamaha shooting the bird at 130 km / h with almost eight liters.
The chassis of the Wild Star would be stable enough for a more lively driving style. Your fork responds relatively fine, but can also pick up rough hits without any problems. The hindquarters are in no way inferior to it. With its air-assisted suspension elements, the Road King is more comfortable than the Yamaha. On poor roads or in ruts on the autobahn, the very underdamped Harley develops a formidable life of its own when driving faster. She twists noticeably and suddenly wants to find her own way. Which is usually not in line with the objectives of your driver and leads to voluntary self-control using the accelerator.
The Harley cannot be said to be particularly easy to handle either, as the slightly lighter Yamaha has the edge. On the other hand, praise has to be paid to the Road King for its seating comfort. Simply casual. The American is clearly ahead of the Wild Star. Their wide saddle also suggests comfort to the rider at the beginning, but on longer tours the wide-legged sitting posture and a painful buttocks are annoying.
Ob that really interests the true Harley fan? He probably doesn’t care that Yamaha has put together a truly great cruiser. At best, he would get himself the title "Best Harley Copy", but under no circumstances would he allow himself to test drive this Japan cruiser. At least not in public. Adherence to principles. Or maybe yes?

Data Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Road King Classic

Air-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke 45-degree V-engine, transverse crankshaft, one underneath, gear-driven camshaft, two valves per cylinder, hydraulic valve lifters, bumpers, rocker arms, dry sump lubrication, electronic intake manifold injection, contactless transistor ignition, uncontrolled catalytic converter, electric starter 384, alternator 384 W, battery 12 V / 30 Ah, boron x stroke 95.3 x 101.6 mm, displacement 1449 cm³, compression ratio 8.8: 1, rated output 49 kW (67 hp) at 5400 rpm, max. Torque 109 Nm (11.1 kpm) at 3500 rpm Power transmission Primary drive via duplex chain, mechanically operated multi-disc oil bath clutch, five-speed gearbox, toothed belt. Chassis Double-loop frame made of tubular steel, telescopic fork, standpipe diameter 41 mm, two-arm swing arm made of steel profiles, two spring struts, air-assisted, double disc brake at the front, single-piston Ø 292 mm, rear disc brake single-piston caliper, Ø 292 mm, cast aluminum wheels 3.00 x 16; 3.00 x 16 tires 90HB16; 90HB16 Chassis dataWheelbase 1592 mm Steering head angle 64 degrees Caster 156 mmSpring travel f / h 117/76 mmDimensions and weightsL / W / H 2400/960/1230 mmSeat height 740 mmTurning circle 6000 mmWeight fully fueled 346 kg Permissible total weight * 571 kg 47 / h tank capacity / reserve capacity 53% v / h 18.9 / 3.4 liter guarantee one year with unlimited mileage Vivid Black, Metallic: Lazer Red Pearl, Aztec Orange Pearl, Cobalt Blue Pearl, Sinister Blue and Diamond Ice Two-tone: Mystique Green / Black, Lazer Black / Red, Aztec Orange and Diamond Ice Price including VAT 33,260 Mark * Manufacturer information

Data Yamaha XV 1600 Wild Star

Air-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke 48-degree V-engine, transverse crankshaft, two underlying, gear-driven camshafts, four valves per cylinder, rocker arm, hydraulic valve clearance compensation, wet sump lubrication, a Mikuni constant pressure carburetor, Ø 40 mm, double ignition transistor, no exhaust gas cleaning, E-starter, three-phase alternator 294 W, battery 12 V / 18 Ah. Bore x stroke 95 x 113 mm, displacement 1602 cm³, compression ratio 8.3: 1, nominal output 46 kW (63 PS) at 4000 rpm, max. Torque 134 Nm (13.7 kpm) at 230 rpm power transmission Primary drive via chain, mechanically operated multi-disc oil bath clutch, five-speed gearbox, toothed chain gear, toothed belt, secondary ratio 70:33 with lever system, double disc brake at the front, double-piston calipers, Ø 298 mm, rear disc brake, four-piston caliper, Ø 320 mm. Spoked wheels 3.0 x 16; 3.5 x 16 tires 130/90 H 16; 150/80 H 16Chassis dataWheelbase 1685 mmSteering head angle 58 degreesCaster 142 mmSpring travel f / h 140/110 mmDimensions and weightsL / W / H 2500/1100/1200 mmSeat height 720 mmTurning circle 6250 mmWeight fully fueled 335 kgPermissible total weight * 528 kgPayload 193 kg 47/53% f / h Tank capacity / reserve * 20 litersGuarantee two years with unlimited mileageColorsBlack, green / grayPrice incl. VAT 19,625 Marks Additional costs 365 Marks * Manufacturer information

place 2

You have nothing to do with plagiarism, only one thing counts for you: the original. That’s why you don’t mind the high price of the Special in the least. Because they always wanted to ride a Harley, maybe to fulfill a lifelong dream. Then don’t let that dissuade you. You are exactly right with the Road King Special. Fully equipped, well made. A comfortable cruiser for the leisurely kilometer guzzling, in this point it is clearly ahead of the Yamaha Wild Star. Of course, you don’t really take offense at the Harley’s suspension weaknesses. Because for you, the journey is the goal.

1st place

You don’t give anything to names, one thing counts above all: You want as much cruiser as possible for your money. Then you can’t ignore the Yamaha Wild Star. The 1600 doesn’t have to hide in awe behind a Harley. The appearance of this big ship is convincing almost all along the line. A little more pressure for lazy shifting driving pleasure would have been wished in view of their enormous displacement. For more convenience, there are windscreens and panniers in the accessory trade, or ?? briefly ?? a full dresser variant with the nickname Silverado for 23,490 marks.

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