Yamaha XVS 950 A Midnight Star review
Star cruiser
As soon as it arrives in the shop windows of the Yamaha dealers, the new Midnight Star no longer feels like standing there. MOTORRAD has tested whether there are good reasons to free the mid-range cruiser by buying it.
What a name: XVS 950 A Midnight Star! The question arises: is the machine only in the spotlight at night? Then what does she do during the day? Sometimes you want to know what motivates marketing strategists when choosing a product name. To find a suitable name, in the case of the new Yamaha cruiser, all you really need to do is swing into the narrow saddle and jet off.
As soon as you sit up, you notice that even smaller people feel safe and secure, which is not only due to the low seat height of 680 millimeters. Because the dowsing rod format handlebars are pleasantly easy to reach, the waist of the bike is very narrow and the motorcycle is very well balanced. First gear in and off you go. Further shifting is more difficult, however, because the left boot barely fits between the footboard and the gear lever. This can be set higher using a linkage, but then the rocker switch will hardly work because the footboard and the rear lever are at the same height. Dear technicians in Japan, the average shoe size of adult Central Europeans is currently 43.7 and not 39. After just a few hundred meters, doubts arise about the weight: 276 kilograms! It’s unbelievable how well the Midnight Star hides her pounds. One of the big pluses of this cruiser, which by the way is a completely new development. The Japanese have given the air-cooled V2 many features that characterize modern combustion engines: four-valve technology, ceramic-coated cylinder liners, four-hole injection nozzles and forged pistons made of light metal. The valve drive takes place via roller rocker arms.
Artist
Dowsing rod feeling – the handlebars are wide and strongly curved backwards. Nevertheless, the driving experience is direct and the feedback is quite good.
The 60-degree Vau depends very well on the gas, always looks powerful and is also not overly thirsty: On the country road, the machine treats itself to a modest 4.2 liters per 100 kilometers. The robust power development of the drive just above idle speed is practically the first requirement for low-speed cruising. The maximum torque of 82 Newton meters is already available at 3200 rpm. In fifth and last gear, the analog speedometer then shows 100 km / h. That gives you a real big bike feeling. The two-cylinder delivers 53 hp at 5900 rpm. Sounds narrow-chested, but the transmission is relatively narrow. So the connections are optimal, the fifth gear is designed with theoretically 188 km / h even as overdrive. The maximum speed is measured at 154 km / h. After 7.3 seconds the clock shows 100 km / h. You can live with that.
Good vibrations
And what about the vaunted Good Vibrations? Yamaha has made an effort to let the driver share the pulse of the V2. The technicians have dispensed with a balance shaft. And the unrhythmic firing order of the 60-degree V2 should also generate a bang with a lot of character. The reward of the effort is a cool, pounding beat that you take note of and quickly become fond of. A rubber mounting for running boards and handlebars also ensures that hands and feet are largely spared from high-frequency vibrations. Only the ear is not massaged? the sound is unfortunately lost in the long two-in-one system mounted on the right. What remains is a modest bubbling that a 250 could also give off. A little gimmick on the side: A switch on the left handlebar fitting can be used to dimm a small LCD display in the speedometer and adjust it to different lighting conditions.
The Midnight Star swings easily through the landscape. Despite the sweeping wide handlebar, the motorcycle steers accurately and easily and remains relatively stable even on bumps. The shock absorber transmits short, hard impacts to the driver. The fork, on the other hand, works very comfortably without bottoming out. Caution is only required with the running boards that set up early, which quickly cause flying sparks. There is not much leeway left: just a few more degrees of incline and the sturdy outriggers sit down and lever the bike out. It is therefore best to choose wide arches as the ideal line for the 950s.
And if the going gets tough: You can rely on the brakes. The rear single-piston floating caliper is easy to adjust and the braking power is good. The front brakes appear dull when cold, and the pressure point is a bit spongy. When going downhill, when it is warm, it shows significantly more bite and decelerates more vehemently. Back to the initial question: Yamaha’s new Midnight Star definitely shines during the day too. Maybe he should have been called Allstar. A release from the shop windows is strongly recommended.
Technical data Yamaha XVS 950 A Midnight Star
Yamaha
engine
Air-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke 60-degree V-engine, one overhead, chain-driven camshaft, four valves per cylinder, rocker arm, wet sump lubrication, injection, Ø 35 mm, regulated catalytic converter, 460 watt alternator, 12 V / 18 Ah battery, Mechanically operated multi-disc oil bath clutch, five-speed gearbox, toothed belt, secondary ratio 2.333.
Bore x stroke 85.0 x 83.0 mm
Displacement 942 cm³
Compression ratio 9: 1
Rated output 39.4 kW (54 hp) at 6000 rpm
Max. Torque 77 Nm at 3000 rpm
landing gear
Double loop frame made of steel, telescopic fork, Ø 41 mm, two-arm swing arm made of steel, central spring strut with lever system, adjustable spring base, front disc brake, Ø 320 mm, double-piston floating caliper, rear disc brake, Ø 298 mm, single-piston floating caliper.
Cast aluminum wheels 3.50 x 18; 4.50 x 16
130/70 R 18 tires; 170/70 R 16
Tires in the test Bridgestone Exedra G 721/722 ?? J ??
Dimensions + weights
Wheelbase 1685 mm, steering head angle 57.8 degrees, caster 145 mm, spring travel f / r 135/110 mm, seat height * 680 mm, weight with a full tank * 276 kg, payload 212 kg, tank capacity 17.0 liters.
Two year guarantee
Service intervals every 10000 km
Colors red, black, blue
Price 8,850 euros
Additional costs around 200 euros
Readings
Top speed 154 km / h
acceleration
0 100 km / h 7.3 sec
0 ?? 140 km / h 16.6 sec
Draft
60 ?? 100 km / h 6.0 sec
100 ?? 140 km / h 11.4 sec
Speedometer deviation
Effective (display 50/100) 45/93 km / h
consumption
Country road 4.2 l / 100 km
Theor. Range of the country road 405 km
Normal fuel type
Noticed
more
+ Soft and cultivated performance effort
+ Chassis stable and relatively comfortable
+ Easy and direct handling
+ Consumption quite economical
minus
– Lean angle low
– Brake blunt when cold
– Shift actuation cumbersome
– Sounded quite modest
Related articles
-
Endurance test of the Yamaha XVS 650 Drag Star
Endurance test of the Yamaha XVS 650 Drag Star Our favorite lunch break motorcycle How nice the cafe rides were? 50,000 kilometers require greater…
-
Compare Yamaha Royal Star Classic Tour and Yamaha Drag Star Classic
Compare Yamaha Royal Star Classic Tour and Yamaha Drag Star Classic Star and asterisk How much cruiser does a person need? Two people who actually have a…
-
Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 Custom, Indian Scout Sixty, Yamaha XVS 1300 A Midnight Star
Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 Custom , Indian Scout Sixty, Yamaha XVS 1300 A Midnight Star Exciting experiences MOTORRAD cruiser tests. Then they will…
-
Endurance test Yamaha XV 1600 A Wild Star
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…
-
News – Motorcycle news 2013: Yamaha XV1900A Midnight Star CFD – Used YAMAHA
Motorcycle News 2013: Yamaha XV1900A Midnight Star CFD Among the rare 2013 Yamaha novelties presented at the EICMA motorbike show in Milan are the…
-
Yamaha XVZ 1300 AT Royal Star Tour Classic test shorts
Yamaha XVZ 1300 AT Royal Star Tour Classic test shorts Revamped Front window, chrome everywhere and leather case under Sissy’s bar at the back – the…
-
Review Yamaha XVS 1100 A Drag Star Classic
Review Yamaha XVS 1100 A Drag Star Classic Heavy in motion Cruiser. Isn’t that those sluggish motorcycles with bad brakes and dusty designs? Nice ?? but…
-
Review Yamaha YZF-R7 In a hurry While the racing version of the Yamaha R7 is already well involved in the superbike scene, the roadworthy model is…
-
Yamaha XVS 1100 Drag Star review
Yamaha XVS 1100 Drag Star review Moby Quick According to popular belief, cruisers are overweight, poorly motorized and have lousy chassis. Live on calmly…
-
Yamaha XVS 650 Drag Star review
Yamaha XVS 650 Drag Star review Tastes like more Yamaha brewed the XVS 650 Drag Star according to a new recipe with familiar ingredients: Bigger is…
Related articles
-
MotoGP – Moto GP Malaysia Qualifiers: pole record for Lorenzo –
Top test Aprilia SMV 750 Dorsoduro Supermoto or not? It’s easy to make a judgment: a raised fender, grim off-road headlight mask, long, stilted…
-
MotoGP – Moto GP tests in Catalonia: Suzuki 0.8 sec from Lorenzo –
BMW R 1200 RT, Yamaha XT 1200 ZE Super Tenere and KTM 1290 Super Duke GT A concept comparison of the 1200 two-cylinder tourer On the way through the…
-
MotoGP – Moto GP tests Sepang D-1: Lorenzo in boss mode –
Top test Yamaha XJR 1300 The original Yamaha took a lot of time with their debut, but the successful XJR series proves staying power. She has long been…
-
MotoGP – Moto GP: Lorenzo withdraws from Germany –
Review Yamaha YZF-R7 In a hurry While the racing version of the Yamaha R7 is already well involved in the superbike scene, the roadworthy model is…
-
MotoGP – Moto GP Aragon – FP1 practice: Lorenzo in the snatch! –
BMW K 1200 RS test We are we BMW motorcycles have always been idiosyncratic and down-to-earth characters who like to tread unfamiliar but sure-footed…
-
MotoGP – Moto GP Australia Free Practice 1 and 2: Lorenzo does not surrender –
Ducati ST 2 test Giro d’Italia ST 2: Sport Tourismo, second attempt. Driven by the fresh wind of the new management, Ducati dares to venture into the…
-
MotoGP – Moto GP Assen Practice 2: Marquez is strong … Lorenzo forfeits … –
Motorcycles that fall out of the ordinary, part 2 Outstanding bikes from Kawasaki, Honda, Triumph and Harley-Davidson It is not easy in life when you are…
-
Review Yamaha YZ 250 F Screech saw She hisses and roars ?? the small four-stroke crosser YZ 250 F soon wants to saw the aggressive two-stroke 125 cc with…
-
MotoGP – Moto GP Jerez – Qualifications: 26 years and 27 pole for Lorenzo! –
Triumph Rocket III review III-dimensional More displacement, more power , more torque: The Rocket III is preparing to break the usual dimensions of the…
-
MotoGP – Moto GP Italy Warm-up: Lorenzo and Crutchlow in front –
Review Suzuki GSX 750 Humming around the corner A lot of motorcycle for the hard-earned money: 11590 marks for a 750 four-cylinder is a word. Especially…