Hands down the Stratoliner S. I test rode them all (Vulcan, Victory Kingpin, VTX) and I bought the Roadliner Midnight (same bike as the Strat w/0 the bags, windshield, and backrest). Incredibly lightweight handling for a bike this big. It rides like an 1100 with the power of jet. All I can say is test ride it and you will understand. There is no bike out there that is more comfortable as well.

My last bike was a Suzuki and I really wanted to buy American and I bought the Roadliner because I realized it was the best bike on the market at a ridiculousy low price. If you are going to buy a bike from a dealer, make sure you check out E-bay as you will find deals on brand new bikes at 25-30% off MSRP. Even if you don't buy the bike off e-bay you can use those prices as levereage which is what I did and walked out with a 0 mile '06 for $8900....list was $13,880.  

How about [air cooled] stratoliner vs the [liquid cooled ]vulcan 2000 .Which you think would give off more heat?  

Had the chance of sitting on both the vulcan 2000 and the stratoliner at the dealer. I weigh 235lbs my height 6 feet tall and 40 yrs old I felt rather comfortable on both bikes . However I felt the differnce ,the vulcan felt a bit more massive than the stratoliner , but still felt comfortable to me.I like both bikes but I am leaning towards the vulcan due to liquid cool but if anyone could give info on the air cooled stratoliner I would appreciate it very much thank you.  

Binky,

If you are concerned about reliability of this air cooled engine you can rest easy....this isn't an old Harley. One thing you will never hear about the Star Roadliner/Stratoliner is that the engine reliability is a problem. Does it give off heat? yes, but nothing that a biker cannot deal with and it is somewhat nice when you are riding in 50-60 degree weather. During the summer months you will only notice it when you are sitting at a long stop light or for a train. If you are running 45-55 or 80 MPH on the interstate you are not going to notice engine heat.

The main difference between the Vulcan and the Stratoliner is how light and nimble the Star feels. You REALLY need to ride these 2 bikes to understand the difference.....a difference in feel that is noticeable. Your dealer needs to catch up with the times and offer test rides. I will tell you that just sitting on the Roadliner alone would NOT have been enough to sell me on the bike but once I rode it I felt the difference. It is a superior bike to anything on the road today and this is coming from someone who wanted to buy a Victory Kingpin....which is an outstanding bike in it's own right.  

I HAVE A 2007 STRATOILNER S AND NO PROBLEMS WITH HEAT AT ALL. I HAD A 2007 HERITAGE SOFTAIL CLASSIC WITH THE 96 CI MOTOR WHAT A PIECE OF *** WENT THRU OIL AND RAN SO HOT IT WAS HARD TO RIDE IN SUMMER TIME.  

I bought my Strat in oct 06,Love the bike,just put on new cobra xtra long exhaust for a great sound and installed th O2 sensor in the communication area between the pipes ,Runs great no popping , they want to sell a fuel mapping unit for this but it's not really needed.saves 200 bucks too. had a seat modification from Pacific coast star .It's great!! now I feel like riding on a saddle instead of a kitchen padded chair. good luck  which ever you get,  

I am torn between buying a new Honda VTX1800 or a new 2007 Stratoliner S.  
I currently ride a Vstar 1100 Classic.  Any thoughts?  

You aren't going to get anyone who has ridden a Stratoliner to suggest buyng anything else.  This bike is one of the best cruisers on the road today and a great value. I rode mine 11,000 miles in 47days this August - Sept.  It rode like a dream in all elevations and I was leaning it so far over I was dragging the boards and ripping off the chicken strip. I handled fantastic - I was keeping up with a hard ridden Triump Tiger and dusting Harleys. The only down side is the gas milage I had to stop and fill up about every 120-140 miles.  

You aren't going to get anyone who has ridden a Stratoliner to suggest buyng anything else.  This bike is one of the best cruisers on the road today and a great value. I rode mine 11,000 miles in 47days this August - Sept.  It rode like a dream in all elevations and I was leaning it so far over I was dragging the boards and ripping off the chicken strip. It handled fantastic - I was keeping up with a hard ridden Triump Tiger and dusting Harleys. The only down side is the gas milage I had to stop and fill up about every 120-140 miles.