2000 Yamaha Virago 250 Cruiser reviews

Kadoos.... Looks great Handles excellent Has lots of power Excellent mileage, mine averages 75 mpg. Will run an honest 75 mph with windshield and a 300 lb. rider. plus (contrary to other reviews here) it feels good at this speed and the engine sounds fine like it will run all day at this speed if so desired. But a 1 tooth addition to the counter sprocket might be nicer yet. Negatives: Has excessive fine vibration at speeds between 50 and 65. Seems to get better again above 65. This vibration renders the mirrors useless for viewing traffic in rear. Maybe some vibration damping mirrors could be used to help. Summary: Overall this is a great little bike. Fun for the occasional jaunt to town or just easy crusing on back roads. A perfect bike for a beginner, low to ground, and easy to manuever. Seems to be bullet proof. Show less

Hell no it will go. I've ran thirty thousand miles on mine wide open (racing semi's) in fourth and fifth gear with Mobil 1 fully synthetic oil and I've never had a problem. I don't city ride I only ride on the highways, backroads, and interstates in which I have to keep at least 75 to 85 miles per hour just too keep from being ran over by the semi's. Do Not Be afraid to SCREAM this bike wide open, it runs better that way. Show less

I bought my Virago 7 months ago, paying $3900.00. In those 7 months I have spent over 2 thousand more just to keep it on the road. The problems I have been faced with are sprockets having brittle teeth...an expensive one-piece exhaust slip needing to be replaced after two seperate attempts to repair the loose baffles...tubed tires making it difficult for on-the-spot repairs...the choke cable snapping and falling out of place mid-ride, and the water release hole in the exhaust allowing carbon to escape and staining the lower pipe. Although I bought the bike from a dodgy shop, I also have to take into consideration that it is a 94 model and with no record of previous work or owner history, I may have been the only one to put any money into it. As horrible as all these repairs sound, suprisingly, I recommend the XV250 to any beginner. It has style and power second to none in the cruiser 250 range. Just have it looked at before purchasing, and MAKE SURE YOU GET YOUR WARRANTY!!! don't make the same mistake I did! Show less

At 5'3" and weight of 150, I find this bike to be very capable. It has done everything asked of it and more. I went to the MSF safety course (recommend it to anyone) this year and got my license, so far since June I have put 1340 miles on it. I topped out at 75mph going up a slight incline. I get 95 - 100 mpg even with a windshield. I have ridden this bike on the highway at 65 and on back dirt roads, it hasn't let me down yet. Since I want to do more highway riding, I will need to move up in size, I don't like having to keep this at the top of its performance level for any length of time. Its a nice little bike and I don't want to beat it up like that. Even though I yearn for a little bigger bike, I think I'll keep this around another year or so, nothing else out there has made me want to put out more money yet. I get many compliments, and since it doesn't say 250 anywhere on it in bold print, I get asked how big it is. Many people are surprised. The ride is fairly smooth because of the 60 deg. v-twin, with some vibration at higher rpm's. The rear shocks are adjustable. It has a passenger seat, but I feel it would have to be 2 very slight people to ride double on it. My only complaint is that it is nearly impossible to find accessories for it. Show less

This is the first bike I have ever owned. I am 50 years old and weigh 265 pounds. At 6 feet tall, the bike isn't too small for me. It has much more power than I thought it would. I have had it to 65 mph and there was still a little more available. I plan to practice for about a year and then trade up to the V Star Classic 650. As far as I'm concerned, the Virago 250 is the very best 250 available. Show less

The Virago 250 is an extremely fun ride. Has the looks of a bigger bike (always get asked how big and always get compliments). Great gas mileage, around 80 mpg and this is mostly in city driving. As for previous reviews on the top speed, I have been up to 65 mph and experienced no problems, but it is a bit buzzy which is to be expected. I haven't tried to see what it will get up to at full throttle yet, but will let you know when I do. That reviewer who said his bike "redlined" at 55 mph must have modified his bike as there is no tachometer as standard equipment on this bike, just a speedometer. I weight 149 lbs. and am 5'6". No problem getting both feet flat on the ground and very easy to maneuver in traffic or parking lot. Only wish it had another gear. Show less

A fun bike for one person. Mine is redlined at 55 mph and is really wound up above that speed. I don't see how you could get it to 70 or 80 without blowing the engine. Does anyone know if there are variations in the setup of the bikes? Two people really make the back end sag and starting the bike on a hill a chore. Show less

I did a bit of looking around for a starter bike and I finally decided on this one, a good choice. As a 250cc it won't be long before you'll be wanting more power, but this is a good starter bike or if you're looking for a 'just kicking around town' bike. There was quite a discrepancy between two earlier reviewers as to the top speed on this bike - I find that I (at 195 lbs) ride comfortably with the bike between 60 and 65 mph. It handles very nicely, looks good and is comfortable and fun to ride. A much better choice than the Honda Rebel or others in its class - at least as far as I'm concerned. Show less

I have a Virago. I learned on it and it gets me around. Soon I will have to get a bigger bike and it looks like it will be a Road Star. I just hope it's not too big. Show less

Contrary to the last review, the top speed is 55 mph (Yamaha recommended) with lots of engine vibration starting at that speed. 85 mph would probably blow the engine (if it could make it that high). Below 50 mph a beautiful bike with very low vibration, great handling, low weight, and good torque for a 250cc. The bike looks like a big bike. The passenger seat stinks. It is a one up bike really. Show less