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Old biker, new to Yamaha

3K views 24 replies 11 participants last post by  Myvalk 
#1 ·
Hi all. I’ve been riding for 52 years, almost always Honda’s. Had a Yamaha on / off road years ago and a few Suzuki crotch rockets. I have a Honda Valkyrie Interstate now but want a cruiser. My sister had a V-Star 1100, and I liked it. I AM NOT going to pay what Harley wants for their bikes. So I’ll be scanning these pages for information on Yamaha cruisers. So any input is welcome.
 
#2 · (Edited)
#3 ·
Welcome from Houston Texas. The Vstar 1100 is a great bike. Only a few things to watch out with the 1100, starter clutch and axle spine nut are the top 2. Other than that, great all around bikes. So pull up a chair and read away. Keep us informed on your search. Here's a few interesting threads to check out when you get a chance.

https://www.starbikeforums.com/forums/7-starbikeforums-bike-month/

https://www.starbikeforums.com/forums/49-v-star/5655-yammy-ya-got.html?highlight=Yammy

https://www.starbikeforums.com/forums/36-lounge/110258-where-you.html

https://www.starbikeforums.com/forums/11-general-bike-talk/25113-how-experienced-you.html

https://www.starbikeforums.com/forums/36-lounge/113714-how-mature-you.html

For a first time 1100 owner here is some great info.

https://sites.google.com/site/vstar1100kb/home/new-owner-must-do-list
 
#4 ·
Welcome from Atlantic Canada. I agree with what the others have said, and having an 1100 I can say they are indeed a nice bike. Other than the issues Les mentioned they're pretty much bulletproof and if you make sure the spline nut can't come loose and use the proper starting technique (no throttle) you'll get lots of life out of the starter clutch. I believe they corrected that issue around 04 with a more heavy duty setup - someone correct me if I'm wrong.
 
#6 ·
First of all congratulations and welcome to the Star family! The 1300 is a beautiful bike and that sounds like a good one. I can't recall hearing of any issues with them. Having a two year warranty would give you some peace of mind but it's pretty much a new bike so it's a tough call. I guess if it were me I'd have to weigh how much they'd be willing to come down with the shorter warranty period against the possibility of an expensive repair in 2 years. Kind of like deciding whether or not to buy the extended warranty on a new bike.
 
#7 ·
I have one too



I too have had a bunch of bikes...Zukes, Kawas and now my Yammy...I love my 1300...Lots of power...nice low center and if you are into highway cruising...it really can't be beat. There some mods that can be done...most for next to nothing....I just did the O2 sensor fix...have more resisitors that any man has a right to own...PM me and I;ll sent you one...

Toymaker
 
#12 ·
PO issues are items the Previous Owner (PO for short), has changed, modified or neglected and the new owner must fix to get the bike back to a road worthy state. Having a safe and reliable bike is a must, so the PO issues must be addressed to accomplish this. Sometimes trying to figure out what the PO did is over half the battle.
 
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#19 ·
What was it that put you off, compared to the other bikes you have owned?

I was in my late teens then the Goldwing first came out. I was always impressed with them, the boxer engine, the quiet power, and thought about getting one for a long time.

I took an '83 for a ride a few years ago, original owner with only 16k miles on it. It just didnt feel right. I kept putting my feet on the cylinder heads (instead of the foot pegs) when I picked my feet up. It seems awkward and heavy, and the fairing seemed like it was floating out in space unattached to the bike.

I got a 2000 Royal Star last month, which is also a 4 cylinder water cooled shaft drive solid long distance bike, and I love everything about it. Very similar to a vintage Goldwing, but the few differences make it a very different ride.
 
#20 ·
Welcome to the forums from the Netherlands, MyValk!

Sounds like a great deal on the 1300, let’s hope you do manage to get it indeed. Great bike, I owned one until I fell in love with a 1900 :).

The Valkyrie is a bike I am smitten with as well, but I could not part with my Roadie, and my wife thinks 1 bike is

BTW, Yamaha is considered to be the best bike brand worldwide, from a troublefree ride POV, Honda comes a very close second, and hD unfortunately comes way down on that list, so even from that POV it si a great choice :).

Kind regards, Wim
 
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#21 ·
I recently bought a XVS1300A because it was a too good a deal to pass up, but I was not loving this bike and last weekend I took a 1700cc touring bike for a test ride, loved a lot of things about the test bike, but when I got back onto the vstar I really started to appreciate its qualities and am now going to make some effort to change those things I do not appreciate so much ....
 
#22 ·
KCW. what put me off was that at speed, when I released the throttle, the bike slowed as if I had applied the brakes. Also whenever I gave it gas or released the gas, there was a SLAP for lack of a better word. Almost as if there was an internal chain that was slack, and reacting to the acceleration or deceleration.
As I mentioned, I’m spoiled by the Valkyrie and never had a v twin. Maybe that’s how they are. I’m taking a 2004 Honda VTX 1300R for a spin this Friday. I’ll see then the difference or similarities.
 
#23 ·
Unfortunately the way it slows down when closing the throttle is due to the limits on exhaust emissions these days, in combination with the fact that it has fuel injection. However, that can still be tuned to some degree, and if you add an external UEFI like the Power Commander, it can be made extremely smooth.

The Valkyrie has the advantage that it still has carburetors with no restrictions, and that also is its disadvantage :).

Kind regards, Wim
 
#24 · (Edited)
The compression braking of the engine when you let off the throttle is a combination of things.

A 1300 engine is going to be a strong compression (jake) brake on any bike. How the idle speed is set is a factor too.

For about a year I had turned down the idle speed on my VS 650 from 1200 to about 1000 rpm (because it sounded like it was idling too fast). I really noticed the difference when I let off the throttle, esp in the lower gears. With the idle set higher it felt like the bike was coasting more than braking. BTW I learned later the idle needs to be at 1200 rpm for the 650 to maintain the oil pressure when the bike is idling, so I turned it back up to 1200 (factory spec).

That is one of the things I like about motorcycles, the HP to weight ratio is so hi, if you ride the bike easy you hardly ever need to touch the brakes. From one bike to the next getting the feel for the throttle and compression braking will take a few hundred miles before it becomes subconscious. When I want to coast I pull in the clutch.

The backlash on the drive train is similar - every transmission and final drive is going to have a bit of slack. Also going from the shaft drive on your Honda 6 cylinder to the belt on the 1300 is going to feel different. Some people like the belt, and say it feels smoother. Personally I like the near zero maintenance of a shaft drive.

One of the things to keep in mind when you take a motorcycle for a test ride, after all the miles you have put on your bike you have acquired a feel for everything - the throttle, the clutch, the brakes, the gears... When you are riding your bike if something changes you feel it subconsciously and it feels like something is wrong, simply because something has changed and its different now.

When you take another bike for a ride, everything is different, and your brain is telling you everything is "wrong".

What Wimg said about the power commander on the VS1300 is something I have heard before - some people dont like the way the bike is tuned from the factory, its a bit too lean, and if you tweak the fuel injection maps the bike feels 'smoother', without any real changes in the HP. Some people get the FI remapped even if they dont have aftermarket exhaust or intake pods on the bike.
 
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