maybe a new to me bike?

[oldgoat]

hello every one i could use some advice on a motorcycle.

as some people know i sold the 1984 venture royal.

now i heard from my lawyer that my workers comp case is over and should have a settlement check by august. or as early as july? it,s not a fourtune. but should help me get a nice bike and take care of basic needs for a few years. im thinking of going with a smaller bike. bad knees and seat hight on the venture made it hard to handle.

i heard about v stars? but do they make them larger then a 650cc. not that a 6500cc is bad. just want something that can get me down the highway,s and make trips with some comfort. someone said they made a 1100cc? or a 900cc?

i dont want to realy leave the yamaha brand. and im thinking in the $3000.00 to $3500 range if that can be done ? on a good vstar. or something else you all can think of? thanks

oldgoat

[GAWildKat]

The guys can chime in better than me on this one, but since 1st bike hunting is still fresh in my memory I'll take a poke at it...

 

Vstar: 650, 950, 1100, 1300cc cruisers All are pretty light to move around save the 1300cc

Suzuki: similar but with slightly more variety. Hubby got an 04 800cc Volusia Intruder as his 1st (only) bike. It's a nice bike and light enough I can move it around if needed given my cerebral palsy. It's also a shaft drive in case you prefer that.

 

Honda: same as above

[09RSTD]

Yes. Yamaha V-star comes in 250,650, 900, and 1100 all air cooled. The 1300 is a water cooled engine. I have owned a 2005 1100 Vstar and it is great motorcycle. A friend of mine has an 07 that he bought new and has over 50,000 miles on it. He makes real good money and is single with no big bills to pay and a house that is paid off. My point is he could have just about any motorcycle that he wanted but he absolutely loves his V Star 1100. Having owned one I can tell you that you won't be dissapointed in the power department. Plenty of power and get-up and go. I have noticed the rear suspension sags when riding two up. Doesn't feel like a heavy bike. Seems to handle well. One last thing in 2007 the final drive ratio was different than all the other years. If your interested in the 1100 try and find a 2007 as it will reduce your rpm at highway speeds.

 

I haven't rode a 900 but I would be very inclined to do so if I were to be looking at V Stars again. 900 is usually plenty of power and the 900's are fuel injected and belt driven.

 

I have also owned A Kawasaki Vulcan 800 now replaced buy the 900cc fuel injected belt driven version. I would suggest that you look at these as well. Very nice bikes. Probably not as many accessories available for the Kawi though.

 

P.S. In my neck of the country 1100 Vstar's are popular. You will be hard pressed to find one for less than $4000. They are usually priced at around $5000. The 650 Vstar's are more in the price range you are seeking. Hope this helps.

[Panjandrum]

My wife rides a V-Star 650. It is low, light, and easy to handle. But... we wish she had the 1100 version for the power needed when loaded in the mountains. You cannot feel any diffrence in weight between the two bikes. I think the reason there arfe so many 650's for sale is that so many owners find they want the extra power.

 

One problem with many of the smaller cruisers is... no hard bags, and soft bags are a PITA to open, close, and secure. Something to bear in mind if you are used to the hard bags.

[Brake Pad]

you might even consider a 1800 Road star

[BigBoyinMS]

Just more info:

The 650 and 1100 VStars are the older styled bikes and are carbureted and air-cooled.

The 950 and 1300 have the newer styling and fuel injection. The 950 is still air-cooled and the 1300 is water cooled.

 

My experience with the them: My wife has a 650 and my BIL has a 1300. Comments are from my riding their bikes.

 

I'm a good bit over 300lbs and I'm surprised at the power her 650 has. Pulls me easily up to cruising speed and it handles great but I'm a more than a little cramped on it since I lowered it 4" and cut the seat down for her. It's a perfect bike for any local riding.

 

BIL's 1300 I don't really care for. It has a cheap feel to it and the speedo hasn't worked right in a long time. It does have plenty of power. He kept up with the Venture really well when I took off on him once. I don't know if it's normal for them but it had more gear whine than my RSV and the clutch was jerky. I tried to do a friction zone turn and it was impossible. He bought it new (first bike) and says it was like that from the beginning. Maybe/maybe not.

 

Good luck on whatever you choose!

[BigBoyinMS]

you might even consider a 1800 Road star

 

The Roadies come as a 1600 from '99-'04 and 1700 '05-up. It's actually a good height but weighing only about 100 lbs less than a Venture it may not be the best choice for bad knees. I do like my Roadie tho!

[Condor]

I think it's what ever you're going to be able to afford.....

[abnormalwon]

however just to add food for thought. I have a good friend who has the Suzuki Volusia 850 and I would be suprised if you could not find one of these in your $ range. In my opinion these have also been a relatively sleeper around the cruiser world but an excellent bike. Very durable, pull strong and comfprtable with out being over built (meaning weight).

 

All the best,

Norm

[hillrider]

The Vstar 1100 I had was a great bike. Felt light, much easier to handle in the mountains than the Venture, but, no tupperware and buzzy at 70.

[playboy]

The Vstar 1100 hundred came in two versions Classic and Custom

mostly cosmetic things but if I remember correctly a minor difference in weight and seat height. I had the 02 classic 1100 it was a great bike just not for us. You should be able to find one in your price range maybe older with low miles. The classic also came in a Silverado edition with factory windshield, saddle bags, and pass. backrest. Pretty sure the classic has floorboards where as the custom had pegs and shorter fenders narrower front tire. Take your time and wait for the right one to come along.

[Carbon_One]

Good that life is taking a turn for the better for you Old Goat.

Like others have said take your time checking out all the various models, but don't disregard other brands either. Prior to getting my RSV I owned a 01 Suzuki Volusia. Great bikes and very light weight with a shaft drive and water cooled engine. The early bikes up to, I think, 04 were carbureted and from 04 or 05 had fuel injection. They are a very affordable bike as well.

Larry

[Sylvester]

Glad to see that your life may be on a high note soon. Think about a Triumph (Bonneville or America) they are great and easy to ride. If I could afford an America it would be in the garage now.

 

[PBJ]

remember the V star 1100 is basically the same engine as in the Virago 1100 thats been around a long time. the 1100 is a bullet proof engine and you can find one cheap with lots of extra's like highway lights Windshields and bags. Just something else to consider if price is part of the deal the virago 1100 were made up to 95 or 99 i for get which. But there are a lot around and even though they are more chopper looking they are fairly lightweight with one big torque engine.

 

Or if you want another V4 look into the Honda Magna's750. small light weight but very powerful engine.

[GAWildKat]

Good that life is taking a turn for the better for you Old Goat.

Like others have said take your time checking out all the various models, but don't disregard other brands either. Prior to getting my RSV I owned a 01 Suzuki Volusia. Great bikes and very light weight with a shaft drive and water cooled engine. The early bikes up to, I think, 04 were carbureted and from 04 or 05 had fuel injection. They are a very affordable bike as well.

Larry

 

The 04 Volusia Intruder is a carb, in 05 Suzuki went with fuel injection and renamed the bikes a Boulevard C50/T Mke got his bike last yr for $2700, it was valued at $4300. Been a great bike for Mike to learn on and does pretty good 2UP. We lucked up and found the bike on craigslist. And the guy selling it lived less than 5 miles away. We went over it well and found nothing out of sorts. It's light enough if I could get the hang of shifting I could ride it

[DanOh]

As others have said, the Suzuki volusia\boulevard (switched the name in 2005) is a great middle weight cruiser. 805 CC, just over 500 lbs. Put 60,000 miles on mine before moving to the RSV. Most of that was riding 2up. There is a reason that bike was chosen as best in it's class a bunch of years in a row by several motorcycle mags.

 

There are a ton of them on the road. You shouldn't have any trouble picking up one that will last in your price range.

 

Good luck and hope you are on 2 wheels soon.

[Stache]

I had a v-star 950 before I traded up to the RSTD. Great bike. Light, nimble, lots of fun, but with me at 260# and my wife at (well, never mind, I ain't that stupid) it just wasn't quite enough horse.

 

My son has a vstar 650 and loves it. Cheap to run, reliable.

 

Only real answer is to sit on a bunch of bikes and see what feels right.

[Black Owl]

You should be able to find a very nice, tricked out Virago 1100 in the price range you are considering

Great bike, plenty of power and very good handling for us old timers.

And, they trailer load real good....

[bjfunbear]

As someone said previously the Vstar 1100 has the same engine as the virago 1100. Looking at it from a mechanics point of view the 650 and 1100 where pretty close in size and specs. they both came in custom and classic and had plastic fenders if custom and steel if classic.

The 1100 had better brakes with dual discs up front and a single disc in rear as opposed to 650s single disc/drum combo.Either bike can be had for around 3k and obviously the 1100 makes alot more power.

The only negatives I have encountered on the bikes over the years are rear drive spines on the 650s (due to lack of proper grease) get stripped, and on the 1100 it has the same issue as the older Viragos starter clutches.If it grinds at all when first starting it up walk away from it.its an expensive fix unless you can do it yourself (hint:motor has to come out )

I personally would go with one of the newer 950s or 1300s as they have no known issues yet and hey both have cast wheels and fuel injection.

[jonesy]

dealer near me has a 09 vstar 1300 leftover for $7500, white, looked at it for wife to replace her vstar 1100, get back to me if interested.

[eusa1]

james,

 

the 1100 v stars are plentifull and easy to come by, let me know when your ready and i will help you locate one.

mike

[playboy]

found this just to show you whats out there I know it's kinda far but just and example. If link works cross your fingers

 

 

http://texarkana.craigslist.org/mcy/2934602466.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[oldgoat]

wow that is sharp so when i get that check? this looks like the kind of a bike i might want? thanks and they are out there in the right price range for me.

[bongobobny]

James, the real bottom line is how does the bike feel when you swing a leg over! There's been many a bike I thought I'd like but changed my mind the minute I mounted it. Of course you do want to research whatever make/model you consider for issues, etc and ride it before you buy it! You'll know when it's the bike for you!!

 

Glad you are able to get back in the saddle again, good luck!

[Uturn]

.......

 

Vstar: 650, 950, 1100, 1300cc cruisers All are pretty light to move around save the 1300cc

Suzuki: similar but with slightly more variety. Hubby got an 04 800cc Volusia Intruder as his 1st (only) bike. It's a nice bike and light enough I can move it around if needed given my cerebral palsy. It's also a shaft drive in case you prefer that.

 

.....

 

I'll add about the Suzuki 800. It is a great bike, with close gearing, but if you change out the final drive with either the 1400 or C90 final drive, that bike will cruise at 80+ mph. We updated my SIL's 2003 800 Volusia. At 90mph, he stayed with me on last year's trip to Bike Week. With better gas mileage than I got.

 

MIKE aka Uturn