At the Las Vegas Yamaha dealer extravaganza this week, the tuning fork company announced a couple of new versions of its popular V-Star models, both displacing 950 cc instead of the 1,100 cc of their predecessors.
The motor is an all new 942 cc, air-cooled, SOHC, 4-valves per cylinder, 60° V-twin which according to Yamaha "produces outstanding low- and mid-range torque — maximum torque is reached at only 3,000 rpm — for exceptional cruising performance."
Four-valve heads and fuel injection certainly make the technical side good, plus belt drive provides the power transfer to the rear wheel.
A steel frame and 18-inch front tire combined with a 16-inch rear (that "look" thing, you know) are claimed to provide nimble handling, and Yamaha also says that it has tuned the rigidity of the chassis in the longitudinal, lateral and torsional directions.
With one of the lowest seat heights around, the V Star 950 should be an unintimidating ride for the "inseam challenged" with a seat height of only 675 mm (26.6 inches).
Yamaha Canada’s website only shows one model, the "naked" (vs the touring model available in the States as well). Canadian MSRP is $9,049.00 and it’s available in red, blue or black.
