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Chrome Rush
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A Bold Trio of Baggers
Jeff Buchanan
04/01/2007
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Photography By Don Williams
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For a heavy cruiser, braking
is excellent. The twin front discs can howl the front tire without difficulty
and braking feel is positive, especially from the front. As with all three
machines, the sheer heft of steel naturally limits stopping power, but in an
emergency situation the bike can be brought to a halt quickly and in a stable
manner.
Despite the low chop of the windshield, the oncoming rush is
deflected remarkably well; open face helmet riding at speed was not torturous.
The dash houses a Harmon Kardon sound system with standard H-D instrumentation.
The flip-up backrest is a nice touch and really reduces fatigue on long hauls.
Being able to fold it down when parked or on short trips is an elegant solution
to something that would otherwise destroy the flowing lines of a great looking
machine. The floorboard placement and sweep of the bars, when combined with the
low-slung seating position, results in an extremely comfortable machine, which
is what a bagger is really all about.
With muted metallic custom
paint, billet aluminum wheels and artfully placed chrome, the Thunder Mountain
Frontier exudes the kind of flair and charisma traditionally reserved for a
personally built, one-off custom. Delivering a highly visceral riding
experience, Thunder Mountain has effectively extracted a traditional, yet
distinctive, expression from a machine that rides exceptionally well and oozes
cool factor at the same time.
Death Valley feels as remote and surreal as the
mountains of the moon. The sun, wind, and time have been eroding this place for
millions of years, transforming it into a harsh landscape of strange, savage
beauty. The valley itself is 12 miles wide and 130 miles long, running north to
south along the California/Nevada border. You’d think that a destination with
names like Coffin Peak, Funeral Mountains, and Hell’s Gate would be anathema to
tourism, but the park brings in a steady, but not overwhelming, stream of
tourists from all over the world and is ideal for road trips favoring solitude
and reflection. Manmade attractions are also present, if infrequent, including
the incongruous Scotty’s Castle at the northern end of the park.
Descending
toward Badwater, the lowest point in North America, I watched the elevation on
the Palhegyi Design Star Stratoliner’s GPS as it dipped to 0, then began a
steady fall to 282 feet below sea level. The metric cruiser of our threesome
was decked out with Performance Machine wheels and a Vance & Hines 2-into-1
exhaust. For those who may not know, Star Motorcycles is a division of Yamaha,
now weaned from the Japanese nomenclature to stand as its own brand. The Star
machines represent a serious plunge into the custom realm, managing to capture
the essence of the big-bore V-twin cruiser while retaining the sophisticated
engineering expected from the tuning fork company.
The Stratoliner is a big,
beefy machine, boasting 113 cu in from its fuel-injected, air-cooled 48 degree
V-twin. The motor delivers plenty of low-end torque to get the bike’s 700-plus
lbs moving, as well as some decent muscle in higher revs. The sweet spot arrives
at 3,200 rpm for peak performance, but for the most part the enjoyment comes at
a more sedate pace when you let the big bore metric soak up the highway with its
lumbering timbre. The 5-speed transmission has enough spread to accommodate stop
and go traffic or flat-out freeway cruising.
The Stratoliner’s weight
contributes to a planted, quality feel in straight-line riding as well as in
corners. Without question, it is the most stable of the three bikes—especially
at higher speeds. Still, the Star is surprisingly agile for a large cruiser,
but, although ground clearance is somewhat forgiving, you won’t be going slalom
racing without the floorboards acquiring their share of road rash.
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