"Luxury 2009 Yamaha V-Star 950 Review"

"Enter the V-Star 950, a new cruiser that is appealing for its combination of manageable size, big-bike style and reasonable price. The new 950 fills a hole in Yamaha’s Star brand of cruisers, slotting in between two long-in-tooth models: the V-Star 650 and V-Star 1100. Star’s design goals for the bike were to offer an easy-to-use platform for all skill levels and rider sizes while providing a full-size cruiser feel with comfort, attitude and image.
To find out how this new entry performs, we accepted Star’s invite to ride it in the hilly backroads of north Georgia. A phalanx of 950s glistened under the morning sun in its four colors and two iterations: a standard version and the Tourer, the latter with a windscreen, leather-wrapped hard saddlebags and a passenger backrest.

Seeing the bike in the flesh, its styling isn’t revolutionary but is a fresher take on the traditional cruiser profile. Its proportions are nicely balanced, especially on the right side where the two-into-one exhaust anchors the flowing silhouette. Cast-aluminum wheels with polished rims are an attractive touch, with the front hoop extra visible on the right side due to the single front brake rotor. Upper fork leg covers add some butchness to the 41mm Kayaba unit, while an intentional gap in the frame below the steering head offers the impression of lightness. The 4.4-gallon fuel tank is curvaceous, and a large chrome airbox cover juts out proudly between the two cylinders. It’s all tastefully done if not ground-breaking.

Thumbing the starter button ignites the fuel-injected 942cc V-Twin without employing a choke lever. The twin-cylinder mill is air-cooled for simplicity and aesthetics, with its 85 x 83mm cylinders arranged 60 degrees apart. A single overhead cam and roller rockers actuate four valves per cylinder. Modern technology comes in the forms of ceramic-coated cylinders for improved heat dissipation and forged-aluminum pistons and connecting rods for durability. The compression ratio is 9.0:1, allowing the use of non-premium fuel. The exhaust note from the single-pin-crank motor is adequately deep but probably not loud enough to save lives. It sounds good but a bit flaccid from the cockpit, so you’ll be happy to know that fitting aftermarket slip-on mufflers is made simple by the ECU’s oxygen sensor being located just ahead of the mufflers.

It helps if you grunt when lifting the V-Star 9"