The Road King exhibits the familiar Harley clunk during shifting, a characteristic the 2007 model's Cruise Drive transmission improves.
Back to back, the Star's transmission earned bit higher marks, with the King's five-speed gearbox featuring the all-too familiar Harley clunk between shifts. While its does take some effort to get the King from gear to gear in its wide-ratio tranny, there weren't any engagement problems and the motor doesn't struggle too badly getting you up to freeway speeds. Again, Harley's 2007-edition Road King has the uprated motor plus a smoother six-speed tranny.
H-D's new cable-actuated clutch contrasts the Star's hydraulic unit, but the King's lever offers an easier pull compared to previous models. Several test riders commented on how smooth the King's unit functions, although for riders used to the buttery feel of many Japanese clutch systems, the Harley's non-hydraulic unit may be stiffer than desired (effort is reduced by 7% on the 2007 FLH models).
With their laid-back riding styles, large windshields and comfort-first suspension settings, these bikes were built for the freeway. The twisty roads that lurked in the future would test the laudatory nature of the Star's and King's naming convention, but when the roads are straight and flat, the rider can sit back and enjoy. Looking around the cabins of our steeds pointed to the minimalist nature of cruising today.
The Harley mounts a traditionally large analog speedometer with a digital odometer on the gas tank, with only the absolute minimum of information lights residing below the dial. Its placement forces a rider to look down and away from the road. Riders used to a one-finger turnsignal switch will be fooled by the traditional H-D button at each thumb. You can cancel the blinker manually by pushing the button a second time or allow the dependable self-cancelling unit to take care of it. Ignition is handled by the flip-open round switch on the tank which locks and opens with a Kyptonite-style barrel key. Initiating the steering lock at unsavory stopping points will require the use of the key a second time, at the lock on the top triple clamp. The fuel gauge sits on the left side of the tank with a big label that reads, "DO NOT TWIST - Not a Fuel Cap." And even with that warning, everybody reaches for it at least once at the gas station. Thankfully, Harley notes that there is a patent pending on the fuel gauge design, so no other OEM can confuse us with something similar. Its running lights are activated by toggle switches at the base of the top triple clamp that are difficult to reach and its on/off status is not indicated on the dash. However, when activated, the Road King provides a much brighter swath of light than the Star's weak bulb.
With the King you know what you are getting, a classic American V-Twin cruiser that can pack on the miles.
Yamaha's approach to the Royal Star cockpit is similar to what H-D offers (with one notable exception), but the Japanese company takes a more modern approach by using a digital speedometer mounted at the handlebars that is reminiscent of a 1960's automobile. While the digital dashboard saves space and looks cool, it's odd adapting your senses to read speed left-to-right like an old Chevy. Fuel is tracked digitally by a gauge residing directly to the right of the speedometer, and the Star adds the conveniences of a clock and dual tripmeters not offered on the Harley (a clock is included for '07). The idiot lights reside directly under the horizontal speedo for a very clean and integrated look. The ignition key on the Star is identical to other Japanese motorcycles, and with a push and twist it also locks the steering. The biggest difference in features between the Star and King is found on the Yamaha's right handlebar: cruise control. This welcome addition has all the features you'll find on mom's minivan.
Since our freeway jaunts put us in the cruising mode, we needed to take note of the most important aspect of a successful cruise: rider comfort. Both these bikes with their La-Z-Boy ergonomics can be termed comfortable compared to a sport or even a sport-touring motorcycle. But even the most posh layouts can prove challenging to postures when the miles drag on.
The Yamaha's riding position is laid back with the rubber-mounted handlebars swept back toward the rider and the large floorboards pushed toward the front wheel. While the handlebars do reduce vibration, at least one of our riders, MCUSA graphics guru Brian Chamberlain, noted that their rubber mounting also seemed to slightly lessen steering feedback. Its seat is wide and relatively firm, with an upturn at the rear that helps lock the rider in place. Some of our testers complained of back pain on the Star while riding over extended periods of time, so requests for a rider backrest were heard from two of our more pain-sensitive colleagues.
The Royal Star's windshield features tool-less removal (like the backrest) and is both wide and tall, providing a good view of the road ahead until the inevitable massive bug splat hits directly in your line of sight. One problem we noted with the Star's windshield was its tendency to induce helmet buffeting depending on the direction and strength of the wind. At times, it was enough to give the afflicted rider reason to pull over and remove his helmet or beg to swap to a different bike. The oversized rubber-covered floorboards that adorn the Star were welcomed, especially on the shifter side where the heel/toe lever resides.
The Harley puts the rider in a more upright position and could even be described as compact when compared to the Yamaha. Labeling the King as sporty would be a stretch, however, as this bike is still built with rider comfort front and center. The plush H-D-embroidered seat is wide enough to support but still allows the King to feel narrow and gives a rider's legs a straight shot to the smallish floorboards. We could have used a bit more space for our feet especially since the up-shift lever tends to lock the rider's left boot in place which can make for an interesting situation at stoplights. The handlebars match the width of the Royal Star at 30 inches from grip to grip but they rise slightly higher and don't sweep back quite as far. Duke said the 'bars and the floorboards are a bit of a reach for his 5'8" body and caused some back pain after an hour in the saddle.
