I recently purchased an 06 Royal Star Tour Deluxe with the V-4.Art Friedman said in the December issue that he is not a fan. I dont know much about the motor and would like some feedback.Thank you  

I have a'97 RSTD and have never had a bit of trouglt lith it. I have put close to 90,000 miles on it and it does not use any oil between changes. At about 55mph I can get over 50 mpg two up. Put a narrower front tire on it and will handle better. PS, keep the rev's up a little, it is not a vtwin.
Gene Weir  

Like the previous poster I have a 99 Royal Star Boulevard. the v 4 makes its power from 3500 rpm up, so it likes to be run a little more than a larger displacement v twin. the diffrences between the pre 200 or 2002 model royal stars and the later ones were significant. while both had a 1300 cc v4, the major diffrences were carburation, timing, and gearing.
The early models had a 28mm carb setup, later ones a 32 mm, earlier models had 4th gear as a overdrive, as well as 5th. Later models have a more close ratio transmission (4th in the old is what 5th is in the new)

newer ones have stiffer valve springs, or possibly dual valve springs so they have a higher rev limit.

intake was just like the venture, and basicially the later models are venture less fairings, for the most part.

as far as the v4, 1985 it came out in the vmax, than it was modified for the venture royale, then the royal stars, then the venture. basicially bulletproof, and smooth.. but it makes power higher up in the rpm range.. just a little diffrent riding style.. great bike though..cornering clearance is more on the later models, as well as overall power in stock form.

primary gears are straight cut, so it will have a little transmission whine, there are diffrent clutch baskets that will move this around some. that is about the only negative thing I have heard..
valve adjust is shim & bucket and maintenance interval is 23K miles..
when the rear tire comes off, make sure to lube up the rubber bumpres in the hub..

I have 37K on my 99 model and if I were to replace it it would be with a Tour Deluxe..
not a rocketship, or a vmax, just a real comfortable, smooth tour/cruiser..  

I have a 2001 midnight road star with 10,000 miles on it...no problems here(knock on wood)it starts and runs at the touch of the starter. only issue was the transmission but that was covered by warranty (the dealer told me it was under recall as i never noticed a problem). An to top it off this was my first road bike. Yea i did have some time getting use to it (as this is a big bike) but have enjoyed every mile. Oh and the topper was the custom paint job about (4,000) I wanted... so I learned quickly. If I had to do it all over again I probably would have started out smaller. But the bright side is I won't outgrow the bike.  

I purchased my 2005 Tour Deluxe May of 2005. Have currently logged 33,000 miles trouble free which leaves me with more riding time & less aggravation. It delivers smooth power up and down the rpm band but most enjoyable in the upper rpms 3000-3500 rpms. I've installed the Baron 4-2-4 exhaust and get a thrill on decell down the mountains of GA. TENN. & NC. as well accelerating out of turns. The exhaust has a nice tone not too loud. The bike has been totally awesome. The 5-year unlimited mileage warranty makes it perfect for the rider that intends to ride. Having carbs ,I thought it might be a concern. However I had no problems, they have been operating flawlessly there is not even a whisper of concern