Yamaha XV750G Virago 750 Cruiser Reviews on Cycle Insider (3)
Avg. Rating

I bought her new in 1995. She is getting old now. So I want to write about her virtues. Brilliant design... engine is part of the frame. Proof of brilliance... she took a 35-40 mph head on impact... wiped out the front end... the frame and engine not only survived... they are as good as the day I drove her out of the showroom. Offset V-Twins means that the rear cylinder is not starved for cool air as straight line V-Twins are. Low slung chopped frame style/seat is comfortable and accessible to shorter riders. Shaft drive means reliable power transfer and no maintenance. Good tachometer and instrument positioning. I have been lucky to have no real starter problems... the one area that some people have had trouble. As far as handling goes, I have had this bike up in the 90s on the highway without any vibration or shimmying even after a major collision. As far as comfort goes... the seat is a dream... The bike does not vibrate you to sleep like a Sportster or Softail. I did replace the stock pipes with Cobras and they have given her a very throaty roar. All in all the Virago is one of the longest running and greatest bikes made. I plan to retire her soon and hop on a Dyna Wide Glide but I know that I will miss her.

I had a 1987 XV700 for 5 years, then sold it to a relative. This bike had personality & got respect even from Milwalkee V-Twin riders. I liked many things about this bike, but especially the high reliability & low maintenance costs. Engine power was great and she would cruise nicely @ highway speeds all day long. Handlebars felt comfortable and steering was stable. Dual-disc brakes gave her plenty of stopping power. The seat was comfortable, especially being only 5'6". Changing the oil filter is a pain because of the filter cover, the 3 Allen-head bolts & O-ring. If you overtighten the bolts, you WILL crack the billet cover, so be careful! I had some carburetor problems, but they were fixed thanks to a K&N jet kit. All Virago starters are famous for grinding noises. Even though mine never failed, I know many that have. Thumbs up to Yamaha for designing a V-Twin cruiser that was almost perfect out of the box when they designed it over 20 years ago! Thumbs down to Yamaha for those bulky, personality-lacking 650 & 1100 V-Stars that replaced the Virago.

Bought this bike in early April, re-entering the sport after 25 years. Logged about 2000 miles of early northern Ohio spring weather. This bike is light and forgiving enough to allow a few rookie mistakes with downing it. Added a windshield and Mustang seat, the stock seat tends to push the passenger forward all the time. This bike seems to have enough power to move two people around town but I wouldn't want to spend too much time on the freeway. Have to keep the RPM's up around 4000 to maintain 60mph. It's a great entry/re-entry bike and if I were to do this again, I would make the same choice.