V-Stars and Viragos let's see them

I don't think there has been a thread dedicated to V-Stars and Viragos. My wife had a Virago 750 once upon a time. I really liked that bike. Still see a few on the road. I am currently interested in the 1300 Tourer.

Let's see your Yama-cruiser and hear your opinions of the bikes...

First cruiser I ever owned, and only Virago. Bought it new in '83....

920 Midnight Virago....



My wife loved her 535 Virago.....




Next to the Victory Cross Country, the Yamaha Stratoliner is my favorite cruiser out right now...came close to pulling the trigger on this one, but still prefer an adventure touring bike for the riding I do these days...



If I was going to buy a new motorcycle right now it would probably be this Yamaha...

I just picked up the XVS1100 for a steal, once I get some k's on it I will let you know

Really happy with the brakes, aircooled engine, carbies and easy of servicing. rides very light too.

I've had an '11 1300 Tourer for about a 14 months now and have been really happy with it. Wasn't what I was setting out to get in a road bike but the wife really wanted to ride with me. Wasn't sure she would really like riding so I wanted to get something that wouldn't break the bank. It has been very satisfactory and she really likes it (a BIG plus) and a nice "other end of the spectrum" ride from my dual sport (Honda CRF230L) . It has been a win/win all the way around......course it has cost some coin as I've changed out the exhaust, airbox, added an aftermarket fuel management computer, etc. etc. But then again, don't we do that with every bike?

My first bike was an 81 750 virago. I bought it from my cousin who hadn;t ridden it in 15 years. I resurrected it, and this bike taught me how to turn a wrench as i had to make a few repairs over the years. It was a nice bike to cruise around town in as long as I didn't take it on the highway. It just didn;t have enough power at speeds over 50 be to a comfortable highway bike.

Bought my 2001 650 Custom last year, and she's been teaching me the ways of road and wrench ever since! It's fun learning to both ride and fix this bike. Definitely worth the sunburns, barked knuckles, and hours spent scratching my scalp wondering just how the hell that gets fixed. The clutch, especially, is a real trick for a new rider. Sensitive, with nearly zero friction zone and it's all out at the end of the lever's travel. A Clevver helped, but it's still a learning experience. My first 16 miles were bringing it home. The next five miles were all in a parking lot, learning to work that clutch.

So far, this V-Star is living up to my expectations. It's maneuverable, but not darty. Has plenty of power to give a new rider a good thrill, but not a scare. The brakes will make you stop rightthefucknow as long as the pads have meat on 'em. Fixing it is, for the most part, simple. There's a lot of stuff to strip before you get at the valves, though. As long as you remember to keep the pilot jets clear (Sea Foam) and lube the splines with every tire change, it's a lifetime bike. Gas, oil, swap the filter every other oil change, and go.

When parts do break, they're easy to get at and straight-forward to fix. Except the pick-up coil and neutral switch. The pick-up coil likes to kill itself, and you'll fight a war with that bastard's bolts to get it out. The neutral switch just needs a little O-ring, and a Chinese gymnast to reach it. They're just character quirks, really. On the road, it's a great little cruiser that will do most of what you ask it. Four honest gallons and 38-42mpg will take you to some fun places.

I am leaning real hard toward the 1300 Tourer. I like the looks, and it weighs less than the bigger bikes and has a bigger tank and better gas mileage. And if Mrs B will ride it, so much the better. She sat on one in a showroom and said she liked it.

Cool , another chance to show my , not a Virago , but it sort of is. 1981 XV920 , beaten with the ADV stick.

I have a 2002 V-Star 650, it's not the newer 1300 but I can tell you a few good and bad things about my bike.

+ Looks good
Easy to ride
Great sound
Torque on demand
No computers or catalytic converters
Pretty good suspension for bumpy roads
Decent power for one 150 pound rider (at least after modifying the intake, carb and exhaust a little)
Loves to cruise at 70-80 mph
Super easy to check / change the spark plugs and air filter

- Needs a windscreen or my back hurts
Finding a the right windscreen that doesn't buffet much and has good coverage
Not all that great with two people
Not a massive amount of power for getting around lots of vehicles on hilly, curvy roads
No huge top speed to outrun trouble
Not a great corner carver
Not good for any road much worse than a gravel road

Overall the bike is fine for me except when i try to ride it at anything greater than a 6/10ths pace. As in if I try to ride at 7-10 tenths pace (1 being slow, 10 being a race track winner) the bike disappoints. I suppose it is supposed to be a cruiser and not a sportbike but it is every kind of bike to me as I only own one bike.

Great county road exploring bike:



Not so great woods bike:

My 2007 VStar 1100. I've been all over the country on it, a lot of it with wifey on the back, turned over 50k miles this summer. I have an ADV sticker on the windshield, just to aggravate the haters. -al

Mine the day I brought it home after an 18 year stint in the corner of a garage:



After two months of wrenching and a couple months of riding:



1982 XV920R

I dig it. I get a bit of buffeting from the windscreen at highway speeds so I have removed it for the moment.

Hey BikeBreakerBaker, how do you like your windscreen? Mine seems a little short. Or maybe too tall. But definitely NOT just right.......

Here's mine, it's an 85 700.





I got it as a hand-me-down. FIL bought it in 85, it passed to his son, he rode it hard and put it away wet, then I got it and gave it the TLC the old girl deserved.

She got all new shiny bits, a Mustang seat, new suspension - WORKS in the rear and RaceTech valves and springs in the front. New windscreen, 8ga ground wire, sync'd the carbs, did the valves, new Metzler 880's, '96 vented front discs, stainless brake lines, new handlebars, clutch lever, stator, RR, and on and on.

Sold her a few months back and I do miss her.

I think that that style 700/750/1000 Virago is one of the best looking cruisers ever.

Thanks!

I agree, they had a finished, yet bad boy look and good paint.

Forgot to mention I had to replace the forks too. The stansions were pitted, so I scoured Ebay and got a nice set, polished off the ruined clear coat and shined 'em up, then new seals and then the springs and emulator valves. Uni air filter and cobra slip ons and a new header pipe.

She has a lot of pep. I almost got a written performance award on the highway for 70+, but the "presenter" was also a biker when not on duty and I was slipping through a group of cages and not doing numbskull stuff and he recognized it as such.

Sold it for 2K, so for a 'free' bike that means I only lost 2K in parts. :) New owner is a nice older guy and he appreciates it and that's good enough for me.

I had one just like this, an '82 RJ that I sold to bk brkr baker earlier this year. He wanted a sister bike for his red '81 RH. Mine came from the PO with a National Cycle Plexifairing III on it that I rode behind for about 30,000 miles. Better protection and less buffeting than the stock windshield on the PC800 I got to replace the XV. Highly recommended. Enjoy your new bike. I miss mine and may buy another if I can find a good one.

Really smooth ride.

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Puts a big smile on my face every time I ride. ​

This is a nice bike, however the seat is very low and as such makes it uncomfortable to ride any great distance
Decided to sell it and look for something bigger/ different
Shame really cause it has great engine, brakes, handling and looks.

Only Yamaha cruiser I ever owned was a 1983 XS650 Heritage Special, but I've always loved the Viragos. The V-Stars are ok, but I preferred the older styled Virago, especially the dual shock 750 and 1100. But if it's a cruiser it's ok by me.