Yamaha Star Eluder ‘Journey Further’ custom
With their retro-inspired XSR models, the fast and furious MT nakeds, the all-new YZ65 off-roader and radical Niken trike, Yamaha has been churning out some pretty interesting stuff of late. Most of the aforementioned models would be familiar, even if some, like the Niken, aren’t officially here yet. But in the North American market, there’s stuff that even we aren’t familiar with, like the new ‘Star Venture’ v-twin tourer and its bagger cousin, the ‘Star Eluder’.
Created specifically to feed the North American market’s appetite for baggers, the Star Eluder arrived there at the start of this year, with the likes of Harley’s Road Glide Special and Street Glide Special squarely in its sights. No doubt Yamaha hopes to pinch some sales off Indian’s Chieftain Limited and Dark Horse, the BMW K1600 B and Moto Guzzi’s striking MGX-21, too.
A cool-looking ride in its own right, the Star Eluder recently came into the hands of Cory Ness, who added his own flavour to it.
Highway Style
Simply put, there’s nothing like the Star Eluder in the Yamaha Motor Australia (YMA) lineup. While its massive 1854cc (113ci) air-cooled v-twin is the same powerplant used in the V-Star Roadliner, the Star Eluder extracts an extra 30Nm from that powerplant (170Nm vs 140Nm).
Initial road tests in the US have praised the all-new Yamaha bagger for its styling, rider comfort and range of modern features, including an impressive infotainment system and the option of GPS navigation, CB and satellite radio. That styling, of course, is the first thing you notice about the Star Eluder.
The broad fixed fairing looks like something you’d find on a fighter jet and packs four big LED lights, while the large vertical air inlets below remind this writer of the big ducts fitted to the Buell 1125CR, which remains one of the best-looking motorcycles from the past 15 years.
Beyond that striking front fairing, the fuel tank and side panels are more conventional, but things get interesting again at the back, where the panniers have been well-integrated with a tail that features a similar aggressive, prow-like treatment to the front end.
An interesting thing to note with the Star Eluder’s panniers is that they feature integral tail/brake lighting: if you didn’t know it, you’d think this back end, indeed the whole bike, was a custom job. But no, the Star Eluder is a full-factory product, with features like the bobbed windscreen and pillion backrest/top box delete providing the signature bagger look.
Continuing the bagger ethos, chrome is kept to a minimum, limited to the pushrod tubes and cooling fins on the cylinders, while bright trim on the panniers, footboards, rear lighting and a handful of other areas only features on the Impact Blue version (one of three paint choices offered).
Highway Tech
Standard fitment on the Star Eluder is an infotainment system that’s been described as one of the best in its class. A 7-inch, full-colour LCD display allows control via touchscreen, buttons on the switch gear and even by voice.
Flanked by conventional analog speedo and tacho gauges, the screen displays music and communication options, as well as bike control functions, like the traction control, ABS and ‘D-Mode’ throttle control settings. On-board Bluetooth, USB and AUX connections are standard. Flanked by conventional analog speedo and tacho gauges, the screen displays music and communication options, as well as bike control functions, like the traction control, ABS and ‘D-Mode’ throttle control settings. On-board Bluetooth, USB and AUX connections are standard.
Flanked by conventional analog speedo and tacho gauges, the screen displays music and communication options, as well as bike control functions, like the traction control, ABS and ‘D-Mode’ throttle control settings. On-board Bluetooth, USB and AUX connections are standard.The Star Eluder also features Yamaha’s own ride-by-wire system - ‘Yamaha Chip Controlled Throttle’ (YCC-T) - that claims to offer precise throttle control. The aforementioned D-Mode offers a ‘Tour’ setting for more relaxed throttle operation and a ‘Sport’ setting that provides a more immediate response to a twist of the wrist.
There’s also a clever Unified Braking System that automatically balances the braking between front and rear calipers. While these elements are new, more familiar tech features include an assist and slipper clutch, integrated cruise control and ABS.
Highway Comfort
Yamaha says that rider ergonomics were built in to the Star Eluder from the beginning, with a low 701mm seat height and heating function on both the rider and pillion seats. Long footboards for the rider are standard, with the pillion footboards being two-position adjustable. Levers are five-position adjustable.
As stylish as the Star Eluder’s fairing looks, it’s also designed to be functional, limiting the impact of wind and rain, while funnelling away engine heat. Also, being frame mounted, it doesn’t add extra weight and effort to the steering. Obviously, there are compromises with the bagger’s standard screen, but a taller windscreen is optional, as are heated grips.
Suspension is reasonably pliant, despite the slammed back end, with 129mm of travel on the 46mm front forks and 109mm on the monoshock rear with remote preload adjustability. The panniers and the three additional storage lockers in the front fairing are all electrically lockable, with the Smart Key system meaning you can lock/unlock the panniers, start and even ride the Star Eluder without the key leaving your pocket.
Ness Style
What started with Arlen and continued with son Cory and grandson Zach is now a motorcycle styling and accessories dynasty. Ness the Elder made his name with custom-built choppers and aftermarket dress-up parts for Harley-Davidsons, while all three generations made their mark on the Victory range of motorcycles.
Victory is gone now, and parent company Polaris seems unwilling to give their Indian range the Ness touch, so the family looked beyond the American manufacturers and found an open door at Yamaha. The Arlen Ness empire is now led by Cory and it was he who added the Ness touch to the Star Eluder, creating a series of bolt-on parts to suit the new model, as well as a one-off custom dubbed the ‘Journey Further’ Star Eluder.
The Journey Further tag comes from Yamaha’s slogan for the “transcontinental” Star tourer range in the US, and it’s a slogan Ness says he was conscious of upholding when creating this unique bagger. “There is nothing like the open road in the middle of nowhere to see the country,” Ness says. “This motorcycle just makes you want to ride, which is a key takeaway in any custom motorcycle.”
Once of the first things Ness says he noticed about the Star Eluder was its wide stance; a stance he nevertheless thought could be improved. So, the stock rim and its 130-section tyre was out and a new, wider billet rim on a 180-section tyre went in. Adding that meant the front mudguard and triple trees had to be altered to suit.
While that change isn’t immediately apparent, Ness’s work at the back end is, with the rear guard made lower and longer, while the tail-dragging stance has been enhanced by a pair of deeper custom panniers in place of the Yamaha factory units. Barely visible under those new panniers is another custom billet wheel, while a Corbin seat replaces the factory saddle.
Beyond that, there’s a highly detailed paint scheme and a bunch of bolt-on parts from the Arlen Ness Accessories range; parts which are also available to fit the standard Star Eluder bagger. “Sometimes, attention to little details makes the big details look even better, which makes it a great overall package,” Ness says.
Those “little details” include billet aluminium clutch, genny, cam and pulley covers, as well as speaker and instrument bezels, master cylinder covers and even a handlebar top clamp. All feature a combination of machined and black facings, with ribbed detailing, and while they’re designed to be noticed, Ness says they’re also designed to last.
“These accessories are not just about looking good, they are about longevity. This is what we pride ourselves on,” Ness says. “We put a lot of miles on motorcycles (and) use this experience to build parts that add to the riding experience.”
While the recently-released Yamaha Star Eluder Arlen Ness accessories range is limited to the North American market for now, other Arlen Ness bolt-on goodies are available to suit American (H-D, Victory) and selected metric cruiser models. Check out the range at good motorcycle accessory retailers, or go to: arlenness-motorcycles.com
Words: Mike Ryan Photos: Yamaha North America
