Riding the Roadliner S is a pleasure, no matter what the speeds or conditions. I was quietly exploring a shady canyon neighborhood at just over walking speed. The perfectly balanced Roadliner S was happy to step along gracefully, impressing with both its look and poise.

In town, the sound of the Roadliner S can be impressive, rather than oppressive, when the throttle is applied with authority. Acceleration matches, and if you catch a guy on a sport bike sleeping at a stop light, he'll end up watching the clear lens taillight disappear quickly down the boulevard. When you do back off the throttle after a quick burst, there's some satisfying backfiring, adding to the bike's personality. The previously mentioned suspension is unimpressed by potholes and uneven pavement. The 67.5-inch wheelbase keeps things steady, yet the low slung weight of the bike (claimed 705 lb dry) means it's highly maneuverable, even when parking.

Trips into the hinterlands are equally rewarding, even if there are fewer people to admire the S's chrome switchgear, front brake and clutch master cylinders and levers, belt guard, fork and fork covers, handlebar clamps, shifter, front pulley cover, various engine covers, rear fender stay and polished wheels, which differentiate it from the standard Roadliner. It feels firmly planted to the ground on high-speed sweepers, and there's that abundant low rpm acceleration when conditions allow. Tighter turns will result in dragging floorboards, but it happens less often than you'd expect. Handling is enhanced by the reasonable 190mm Dunlop rear tire, which is mostly hidden by the rear fender anyway. That fat rear tire that other bikes boast doesn't do much to look good if you're always following faster riders!

There are certainly more explosively styled cruisers out there. However, Star took the classic route and the result is a bike that combines elements of art deco with an unmistakable modern feel--this isn't a retro bike, by any means. I liked little touches such as the design of the turn indicators. Rather than putting on clunky units with the expectation that they'll be removed and replaced, Star styled the turn signals and made them an integral part of the package. It's that sort of attention to detail that makes the Star Roadliner S a high achiever in both the style and performance realms.