Around a decade ago, Yamaha shuttered its Star Motorcycles subsidiary and gradually phased out all but two of its cruisers. What was supposed to be the motorcycling equivalent of Lexus turned into something of an embarrassing failure for the Japanese brand. A shift in consumer trends, an aging customer base, and a recession all conspired to eventually kill off this ambitious Harley rival.

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The cruiser we're going to talk about sits at the top of the power cruiser segment. These are not quite as popular as they once were some years back, but there is no shortage of options on the used market. Ducati developed the Diavel specifically to target this end of the market. It was criticized for feeling more like a naked bike than a cruiser, and Ducati subsequently responded with the XDiavel S. With a more raked-out front end and forward controls, nobody will be confusing this 150-horsepower monster for a naked bike.

Meanwhile, the previous generation Triumph Rocket III represents something of an alternative choice. Its monstrous triple has a character all of its own, but even seasoned cruiser fans will concede that its sheer size and weight make it a bit of a handful around town. This is a bike that is more at home on the highway, where you can make the most of its unending supply of torque. As impressive as these European bikes are, the Yamaha cruiser below has a way better balance of comfort and balance than its rivals. In fact, no other cruiser has come close to its output even after a decade of its debut.

With its perfect blend of usability, performance, and reliability, this MT is a must-ride for any rider looking for a versatile and affordable Yamaha

Yamaha has designed several cruisers over the years, and for the most part, you will expect them to be comfortable. The bike that might surprise you is the one cruiser that was always more interested in simply going fast in a straight line. With comfort-oriented mid-controls and a plush, wide seat, the second-generation VMax is a bike that can be ridden for several hours at a time without much fuss.

Initially conceived as an homage to drag bike culture back in the 80s, the first V-Max was astonishingly powerful for the time. By 2009, the model was finally brought into the 21st century and was even more powerful. While late model bikes hold their value, the 2016 model actually represents great bang for the buck. Trade value is currently sitting at $8,050, and retail value is just over $11k. Compared to newer models that are selling for as much as $20k, the 2016 model is something of a bargain.

While nobody can really say for sure, it stands to reason that Yamaha was interested in seeing how much power could be extracted from the V4, and if it was worth putting this heavy lump in another more sporty bike. Fuel injection was added, and so was Yamaha’s Chip Controlled Intake (YCC-I). This advanced system helped give the powertrain the best of both worlds' performance.

Torque is optimized when the longer intake tracts get selected at low RPM, and horsepower is optimized when the shorter intake tracts are selected at high RPM. While the second-generation VMax is monstrously fast in a straight line, its sheer weight means it is a handful in the corners, and it is easy to see why Yamaha decided to reserve this engine for the power cruiser.

With 123 pound-feet of torque, there is enough low-down grunt to satisfy any cruiser enthusiast. But, unlike other cruisers that eventually run out of puff, the VMax will just keep pulling all the way up to its 9,000 RPM redline, by which time it will be making just shy of 200 horsepower. More power than any production cruiser ever made, and more power than most superbikes currently on the market.

The Yamaha V-Max didn't just change the rulebook, it completely reinvented it.

The VMax is one of those bikes that really is all about its engine. You would be buying the bike for that sumptuous V4. There is no denying that fact. But, it is still a comfortable long-haul highway-friendly cruiser with plush, well-padded seats for both rider and passenger. With a wet weight of 686 pounds, it weighs around as much as any of the newer American V-twins yet has twice as much power. What you are getting for the money is quite incredible. Even though these bikes are a decade old, as long as basic maintenance has been taken care of, the level of risk involved in the purchase is low. Most riders are never able to explore the limits of a machine like this, and with everything overbuilt to handle the speed it is capable of, long-term reliability is not an issue.

The Harley-Davidson in context here has not only become more powerful and luxurious, but also cheaper in 2026

Naturally, you don’t get much in the way of modern tech features. While the engine is fairly advanced, with a ride-by-wire throttle, the rest of the bike is unmistakably from 2009. All you get is ABS, and thankfully, a slipper clutch, so downshifts are not as treacherous as they otherwise might be. With all this power on tap and no other electronics keeping things in check, this is not a bike for novice riders. It is also not a bike for modern riders looking for a feature-laden bike that can connect to your phone. If anything, the opposite is true. This is a bike that demands your full attention at all times; it requires you to disconnect from the world and simply ride. Which is exactly the way it should be, in our opinion.

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Source: https://www.topspeed.com/yamaha-cruiser-surprises-you-with-comfort/