Paying some sportsbike-type attention to wheels has played another part in enhancing the feel of the XV. If you really want to max it out, you might squeeze an undignified 115mph from the bike, but that's not cruising any more, is it? Instead, savour the seductive, thumping rhythm of the big cylinders in the lower half of the rev range. At 60mph it's turning at 2650rpm, mellow and muscular, and top gear is all you need. Let the clutch out at walking pace and the torque does the rest, shoving the bike forwards with satisfying disregard for hills or headwinds. The result is a massively grunty motor which has less of the nasty, buzzy vibes than before and more character.

The engine changes have been made with usability in mind too: 2mm larger pistons traverse new cylinders beneath revised heads, taking capacity up to 1670cc, which with new cam profiles, a revised exhaust and a new airbox have increased peak power by 15% and maximum torque is up 8%. Possible but unconfirmed European debut, late 2004. Road Star XV1700 introduced in USA only, based on 1600. This model continues unchanged over here for now A completely new bike featuring the company's biggest ever motorcycle engine, it arrives in the UK the following year as the Wild Star 1600. The XV1600 Wild Star is introduced to the USA. And it's only when controls stop imposing themselves on you that they start being fun. But the important thing is you don't have to concentrate to get the brakes to do what you want. Now there is - there's a bit more power, although not a great deal extra. Made you look a bit of a prat at times, and even when it didn't, there was no satisfaction to be had from using the brakes, detracting from a cruiser fundamental. On the old 1600, caressing the (skinny) lever had little obvious effect, up to a point where the brakes grabbed, the suspension pogoed and you stopped jerkily short of where you wanted to be. With the new brakes the lever action is progressive and predictable - if you want to trickle to a halt you caress the lever, the pads brush the discs and the bike glides smoothly to a stop. But they will notice a transformation in how the bike feels, even if they don't stop any quicker than before. Now a Road Star rider will never want to pin his or her bike's nose to the ground with the front rubber scrabbling for grip as the back end of the bike sways side to side, before peeling off towards a difficult apex. Only a little more dosh has been thrown at the braking system, where the front calipers are now the same as those on the Road Star Warrior performance cruiser, which in turn are the same design as the stoppers on the R1. The brake and clutch levers for example are 5mm wider than those on the old XV1600, which might sound like the most trivial of updates, but because these are one of the most conscious points of contact between bike and rider, it lends the entire machine a chunkier and more substantial feel. The new XV1700 Road Star shows that Yamaha has taken this view on board and acted on the idea in a range of subtle ways. And as any FireBlade owner knows, a fine handling bike feels really good even when you're using it gently. The irony is, along with its looks, it's a cruiser's feel that determines rider satisfaction.

Yamaha road star 1700 horsepower