Went to a Yamaha day at the local dealership Saturday. 20% discount on all merchandise. Hot dogs, cool brown bottles and a dyno run free and so on. Thought I may buy a new pair of gloves and perhaps a nice Yamaha shirt. Then I saw this oh so beautiful Warrior just standing there and waiting for me to come closer. Special at 20% off. Salesman says lets look at the numbers just for interest so he goes off to check my Stryker and I throw a leg over the Warrior. I can see what's happening here but do not have the power to walk away. The Warrior is talking to me reminding me about the struggle I'm having coming to terms with the age thing and the change in my life from the GSX R to the Stryker. Now I know I'm loving my Stryker but I'm struggling a bit to stay with my buddies on the breakfast runs. The transision from full on superbike to Cruiser has been too sudden for me I'm not really ready to let go of the sport ride just yet and this Warrior has foot on both sides of the fence. I'm thinking, no, don't do this, walk away now before it's too late. Then the saleman comes back with this knowing smile and says, have I got a deal for you. He whispers the numbers in my ear and I'm lossing it. I have this old jelly tin in my workshop and stash all my spare change and the money I make from doing small private jobs on the side and I know there is enough there for these numbers. My brain says, no, say no thanks, please pass me one of those nice brown bottles, but my mouth says sure lets do it. So it's a done deal the Stryker is traded and I'll be riding a Warrior in a few days time. Regrets, yes a lot, started to really like and enjoy the Stryker, but it's a Warrior!! Now how to break this news to the wife?
Traded my Stryker
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i took a test ride on a Warrior before I bought my Stryker, I liked the power but the Stryker was just more comfortable to me, enjoy your new ride and congrats
I liked the worrior since the first time I saw them. The only 2 things I didn't really care for was the spedo and exhaust. From what I've been told you should like the worrior since you rode sport bikes before, this thing is a cruiser that thinks its a sport bike..... Have fun bro and we expect a review on it 
Warrior's a good solid bike...and fits most people coming in from a sport bike much better....and yes there are lots of deals since they stopped making the bike...I've worked on em..customized em and its a solid bike...but yes plenty of things to change..doing a raked tripple tree is a great way to change her..but if you like the snappy turn of a warrior then just ride and enjoy...do the intake and exhaust and she will really get up and go. Enjoy the ride.
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My last bike was a 2002 Warrior. It was fun and fast and had all the extras you could get. Always got complements on it I miss it but the Stryker is definatly a much more comfortable ride and more stylish. Enjoy it. I have a couple pictures in my album.
Well it’s sure been a bit of an experience. The Dealer let me know the Warrior was ready on Tuesday, midday. I took the rest of the afternoon and yesterday off work and shot home. The Dealer would not offer any extra on the luggage rack and the screen so I removed them, then I also took out the resistor that I had put into the O2 white wire, gave the Stryker a last wipe down and was ready to go.
It was a bit sad for me thinking this was the last ride on the Stryker. Going through the slower traffic I realised just how much that resistor had done its job, smoothing out things. Then onto the highway and I noticed how much that little screen worked in keeping the wind pressure down. At the dealer I parked her and said my thanks and goodbye. The Stryker is a very nice ride.
They were waiting for the plate so I had a short wait while it was fitted, signed the papers and got ready to leave. The Warrior was standing out on the forecourt and my thoughts were that the bike looked so small and short compared to the Stryker. I took a walk around felt the tyres and just did a quick visual. Man that silencer is huge. I got onto the bike and adjusted the mirrors. The front did seem very short especially without the screen fitted. The seating is a bit higher and I don’t get as much feet down as I did and also the feeling is I’m sitting up on the bike and not in the bike as on the Stryker. I’ll be struggling to paddle this bike around and will do a lot of parking lot pushing. That’s ok too because I’ve had to do that with most of my bikes for many years.
Turned on the ignition and noticed that the gauges are a bit far and a bit small. Really not easy to see, especially with my bifocal specs which made them out of focus. I have to drop my head forward and look over the reading lens to focus on the gauges. Ok that works. Bike was in gear so flicked the lever up to get neutral, and it popped through to 2nd. Flicked it down again and it popped back into 1st. This is a bit tricky but I’ll get the knack.
Thumbed the starter, sure sounds like there is a whole lot of compression there and the starter is struggling a bit, then the compression seems like it’s released the motor swings and fires up sweetly. The idle is strong, the mirrors and the reg-plate shake and the thumping of the pots can be seen and felt through the whole bike.
I flick into 1st and ease away heading for home. The clutch is quiet a bit stiffer than the Stryker. It will get a bit tiring in slow traffic but engages nicely. The gearbox feels slick and less chunky. Once the revs pick up the bike smoothes out really nicely. The power of the motor is awesome and it revs so easily I need to take more care. The bike drops into the corners so sweetly that I’m starting to relax a little and enjoy the ride. The brakes feel like they need a bit more bedding in but they are very strong and the feedback in the lever is good. Stopped at the light, I can feel there is way more heat coming off the bike than I’m used to but that is the nature of the air-cooled beast. I need to adjust the levers for my small hands and bring the bars back just a little and set up the suspension. All in time.
I get home safely, a bit sweaty and tense but grinning like a kid. It will take some adjustment and there are some negatives like the gauges and the silencer. I’ll live with the gauges but the silencer, I don’t think so. I’m not much of a customiser, all I need is some luggage and that silencer must go, the rest I’m ok with. Over all it’s a great ride that is clearly way more aggressive and sporty than the Stryker. That was what I was wanting and I love it. I have had no complaints about the Stryker in its world it is a great bike and the Stryker forum community is also a great group. I’m grateful for the privilege on being a part of the group. I’ll take some pics and post them soon for those who are interested. Regards from Durban RSA.
It was a bit sad for me thinking this was the last ride on the Stryker. Going through the slower traffic I realised just how much that resistor had done its job, smoothing out things. Then onto the highway and I noticed how much that little screen worked in keeping the wind pressure down. At the dealer I parked her and said my thanks and goodbye. The Stryker is a very nice ride.
They were waiting for the plate so I had a short wait while it was fitted, signed the papers and got ready to leave. The Warrior was standing out on the forecourt and my thoughts were that the bike looked so small and short compared to the Stryker. I took a walk around felt the tyres and just did a quick visual. Man that silencer is huge. I got onto the bike and adjusted the mirrors. The front did seem very short especially without the screen fitted. The seating is a bit higher and I don’t get as much feet down as I did and also the feeling is I’m sitting up on the bike and not in the bike as on the Stryker. I’ll be struggling to paddle this bike around and will do a lot of parking lot pushing. That’s ok too because I’ve had to do that with most of my bikes for many years.
Turned on the ignition and noticed that the gauges are a bit far and a bit small. Really not easy to see, especially with my bifocal specs which made them out of focus. I have to drop my head forward and look over the reading lens to focus on the gauges. Ok that works. Bike was in gear so flicked the lever up to get neutral, and it popped through to 2nd. Flicked it down again and it popped back into 1st. This is a bit tricky but I’ll get the knack.
Thumbed the starter, sure sounds like there is a whole lot of compression there and the starter is struggling a bit, then the compression seems like it’s released the motor swings and fires up sweetly. The idle is strong, the mirrors and the reg-plate shake and the thumping of the pots can be seen and felt through the whole bike.
I flick into 1st and ease away heading for home. The clutch is quiet a bit stiffer than the Stryker. It will get a bit tiring in slow traffic but engages nicely. The gearbox feels slick and less chunky. Once the revs pick up the bike smoothes out really nicely. The power of the motor is awesome and it revs so easily I need to take more care. The bike drops into the corners so sweetly that I’m starting to relax a little and enjoy the ride. The brakes feel like they need a bit more bedding in but they are very strong and the feedback in the lever is good. Stopped at the light, I can feel there is way more heat coming off the bike than I’m used to but that is the nature of the air-cooled beast. I need to adjust the levers for my small hands and bring the bars back just a little and set up the suspension. All in time.
I get home safely, a bit sweaty and tense but grinning like a kid. It will take some adjustment and there are some negatives like the gauges and the silencer. I’ll live with the gauges but the silencer, I don’t think so. I’m not much of a customiser, all I need is some luggage and that silencer must go, the rest I’m ok with. Over all it’s a great ride that is clearly way more aggressive and sporty than the Stryker. That was what I was wanting and I love it. I have had no complaints about the Stryker in its world it is a great bike and the Stryker forum community is also a great group. I’m grateful for the privilege on being a part of the group. I’ll take some pics and post them soon for those who are interested. Regards from Durban RSA.
Fantastic write-up. You should work for a Cycle magazine. This is the kind of review you have to respect because each of us has to evaluate what lights our fires. Sure, there are always compromises but in the end all that matters is what you, the rider, feel and how a particular bike fulfills you. Having said that, it is possible to worship two Gods....maybe you should have bought the Warrior but kept the Stryker for those times when you wanted to impress the women. For that, the Stryker has no equal.
Congrats on the new bike. I am also struggling with the stryker. I traded in my 2007 GSX-R 750 for a 2011 Raven Stryker this past December. Dont get me wrong, I am enjoying the comfort of the stryker especially with the 3" Scootmods extension, but I sure wish this bike had more power. I have been contemplating trading it in for a Raider. (or the new Kawi ZX-14R) lol.
Hi Roadlaw, yep I know exactly where you are with that. I was truly sorry to let my GSX R750 go. That was a very sweet bike. I just had to accept the age and health was making it too painful to ride. By the way, on the day the warrior caught my eye they were having the biker day and had the dyno set up as well. I was watching that when the guy who bought my 750 turned up and put the bike on the dyno. Up to that point they had run about 8 1000cc superbikes which showed an average of around 159 to 170 bhp and top speeds of between 260 and 290 km/h, then there was a Hyabusa that ran 211bhp and 311km/h then the 750 ran a 150bhp and top speed of 288km/h. That was awsome. I can't say how acurate the dyno was and the bikes were in different states of tune and so on but that 750 was amazing. I have always said I did not need a 1000cc super, that balance between the power and the handling of the 750 was my sweet spot, unfortunately I had to let her go. I never did my homework when I chose the Stryker and found that out with my buddies, who mainly ride super and sport bikes, they were always waiting for me and I was always trying to push the Stryker into the sport world I was used to. That was wrong, and made the Stryker look bad. When out on my own that's when the Stryker magic was at it's best. Cruising those country roads at around 100-120 km/h, and sometimes even less, was magic. Enjoying the bike, the weather, the view and the farm smells was the best of that world. It would have been nice to have kept the Stryker and bought another sport bike to replace the GSX which was a more comfortable ride but alass economics prevail. I'm at retirement age and the company is struggling, we are on short time so I have to compromise and fortunately for me, the Warrior is a real fine compromise.
Hey Bryan,
I couldn't agree with you more. You hit the nail on the head when you said "When out on my own that's when the Stryker magic was at it's best. Cruising those country roads at around 100-120 km/h, and sometimes even less, was magic. Enjoying the bike, the weather, the view and the farm smells was the best of that world" That is something I could never do on the gixxer. I felt I had to ride the bike for how it was made and race around everywhere.
I do ride the stryker to work sometimes and it is all 6 lane highway. The bike really seems to struggle at highway speeds, but out on the country roads on the weekends, I couldnt be happier.
Enjoy the new Warrior and ride safe.
I couldn't agree with you more. You hit the nail on the head when you said "When out on my own that's when the Stryker magic was at it's best. Cruising those country roads at around 100-120 km/h, and sometimes even less, was magic. Enjoying the bike, the weather, the view and the farm smells was the best of that world" That is something I could never do on the gixxer. I felt I had to ride the bike for how it was made and race around everywhere.
I do ride the stryker to work sometimes and it is all 6 lane highway. The bike really seems to struggle at highway speeds, but out on the country roads on the weekends, I couldnt be happier.
Enjoy the new Warrior and ride safe.
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