Yamaha is typically known in the motorcycle world for Supersports and liter-class machines. Although venturing into making cruiser bikes, Yamaha lost track despite a promising lineup. One of their most noticeable creations was the Road Star Warrior 1700.
Though the name seems to be a rip-off of the term ‘Roadster’, the bike was by no means a phony. In fact, the Warrior 1700 was one of the more sought-after power cruisers available at the time. Being a successor to the XV1600 Road Star, the Warrior 1700 had significant changes that made it modern while maintaining a retro vibe.
The Warrior 1700 had a sophisticated chassis that was quite uncommon for a cruiser. As you may know, the Warrior represented Yamaha’s engineering marvel and in many ways was quite ahead of its time; the tubular chassis, high-performance suspension, and brakes based off of the flagship R1 all made it a promising package.
Fast forward a few years and the Yamaha Warrior 1700 is a rare sight on the roads with prices creeping every passing day. The Warrior 1700 with its thumping V-twin 1670 cc motor made a lasting impression among enthusiasts. Let’s go around the ins and outs of Yamaha’s power cruiser.
What Powered the Warrior 1700
Yamaha took to the effort of revamping the old 1602 cc unit of the XV1600. For starters, Yamaha bored the unit to 1670 cc and decided to dump it between the newly designed frame. The engine is an air-cooled old-school pushrod V-twin mated to a slick 5-speed gearbox with belt-drive; true cruiser credentials. Power stands at 84.3 horsepower and a whopping 99.5 lb-ft of torque; a 15% increase in power and 8% in torque over the XV1600.
The Warrior 1700’s engine saw incremental upgrades like 2mm larger pistons, revised header, new cam profiles, revamped exhaust, and a new airbox. Thanks to all this, the engine now gets more grunt and a 5700 rpm redline as opposed to 4200 rpm of the XV1600’s mill.
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The Good
The Warrior 1700 is by no means a slouch, ripping the quarter-mile sprint in 12.71 seconds. The adoption of an aluminum frame has helped reduce weight by 71 pounds over the XV1600. Moreover, the Warrior employs Kayaba 41 mm upside-down forks lifted from the R1 with all adjustments except spring preload.
The chassis is the best you’ll find in any cruiser, period. With the wide handlebar, there is plenty of leverage to create light steering response, which makes the Warrior very handy in low-speed corners, tight traffic, and crowded parking lots.
The ride is effortless with pegs set forward and the relaxed seating position. In addition to that, with its torquey motor and long wheelbase, the Warrior carries speed with utmost stability. Though spirited riding is never really the concern with cruisers, Warrior has it covered even if you have a slippery right hand.
Being a Japanese power cruiser, one of the important things to note is the reliability on offer; things don’t break as frequently as compared to Italians. With a growly engine note and performance bike levels of handling, the Warrior 1700 will most certainly deliver more kinetic thrills per mile.
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The Bad
It’s good to touch on some of the niggles that cruisers are riddled with. Though the Warrior has a fair share of pros, it does come with a few shortcomings. Chief among which is the ridiculously designed two-to-one exhaust which stands out like a sore thumb; quick fix, get an aftermarket unit. Secondly, the seats are not the comfiest and nor is it the most spacious if you’re riding two-up. The lack of a 6th gear can be frustrating when you’re cruising along the motorway.
If you intend on doing long journeys, it’s advised to get a windshield upfront for better air resistance. Some riders did complain about the stock handlebar being awkwardly placed and if you feel you’re one among them, get an aftermarket swap. Being a high compression engine, the Warrior can have a delay in startup, much like Harleys. Though it usually happens when fitted with aftermarket free-flow exhausts, it can be fixed by an ECU re-map.
Another important thing to touch on is the availability of spares, since Yamaha stopped making them around 2012, not a lot of dealers would have spares available. It’s better to consult a specialist when it comes to bikes like these as they might hook you up with places that have them.
As Rare As Hen's Teeth
While this may seem an exaggeration, not a lot of Warrior 1700s are there which are mint, or at least stock. Even though there were different iterations of the Road Star Warrior, it’s quite hard to get your hands on one.
Even if you managed to get one, you may have to cough up a premium given that most of them are selling at around $5,000- $8,000. According to Cycletrader.com, there are plenty of ‘03-’05 Warrior 1700s in the market for under $4,000, but it’s always better to go for the later models since they’re better sorted.
Sources: Visordown.com, Motorcyclecruiser.com, youtube.com
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October 12, 2020 at 02:45AM
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Here's What You Need To Know Before Buying A Yamaha Warrior 1700 - HotCars
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