At its launch last September, the all new Raider immediately earned high marks from enthusiast magazines conducting road tests and comparisons. Now it has won another important victory by taking the "2008 Metric Cruiser of the Year" award at the 9th Annual V- Twin Expo in Cincinnati, Ohio on Feb. 2-4, beating out a host of competitors in the process. What's more, this makes it three years straight that a Star Motorcycle model has won an award at the V-Twin Expo as the Roadliner took the "Metric Cruiser of the Year" award both in 2006 and 2007.

The Annual V-Twin Expo is an industry-only event that draws attendees from across the United States and overseas. The award is presented by V-Twin Motorcycles magazine, a leading US publication focusing on the cruiser market. "We couldn't be more excited about receiving this award from V-Twin Motorcycles magazine," explains Derek Brooks, Product Planning Manager for Star Motorcycles. "Winning it for our all- new Raider means a great deal to us. Of course, we feel the Raider is a home run with its aluminum frame, 113 cubic-inch (1854cc) engine, and radical styling. However, it's always nice to have such a leading publication feel the same way."

Achieving such an important award is a great validation for Star Motorcycles, because it shows how powerful and effective it is to lead the cruiser field with new designs and engineering – rather than simply copying what others have done. "It's easy to make a bike look good, but the Raider handles and rides as good as it looks," Brooks continues. "This truly reinforces Star's vision to be a leader in the cruiser market and not follow convention."