Yamaha V Star 1100 Classic Cruiser Reviews on Cycle Insider (39)
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I just rode my aging 1100 V Star from New Brunswick to Ohio then down to West Virginia, Virginia and the Blue Ridge Mountain Parkway back home. WOW what a fantastic ride! The Star did not miss a single beat and was loaded up to the hilt with gear. Ideal cruising speed is 100 KMPH. where you get about 55 MPG. imperial. The bike would sit on 150 KMPH. all day if asked to but the problem is that you get a little vibration over 110 KMPH. I was sitting all day on the Interstates at 120 KMPH. - the engine works a bit harder at that speed but can absolutely without doubt handle it - and I mean for 12 hours non-stop except for food and gas. Vibration at that speed is a little tiresome for the rider though as stated - but that is the only negative. Ironically it seems to smooth out again over about 130 KMPH. but then who wants to chat to the State Troopers about it? All in all these are great bikes (only known fault is the starter motors fail until replaced with a kit which has some improvement). I highly recommend if you want a cheap very reliable bike you can go anywhere on!

This is my second 1100 V Star Classic. I sold my first one after a year because my wife likes to ride and caught too much air on back. I bought an HD Ultra to solve that issue. I ended up buying another V Star to ride single because I truly love the ride. Especially nice is the low seat and low mass of bike that gives you the comfort of lower to the ground. The low seat at about 27 inches is great for those with short legs compared to the bigger cruisers. Quality for price is outstanding. The retro-like bicycle handle bars are just plain cool and comfortable to ride for shorter runs of 150-200 miles. Longer rides get a bit tiring, especially with the stock seat. You might want to upgrade there with a Mustang seat for comfort. I have a set of Krome double Ds for noise and power, Kurayakan filter for pep and a set of Yamaha passing lights and Iron saddle bags to set it off. I love this bike. PS: The oil change is still a pain with the need to remove exhaust, but once you've done it a couple times it gets easy.

Bought bike used 2 weeks ago. First day out, ran over a nail...my fault. The next day, battery dead. Dealer replaced and since then, this is by far the best bike I have ever owned. I've been riding 20 plus years and owned all different bikes. This bike rides better and handles better than any. Great mileage too!!! I would tell anyone who is looking for a reliable fun ride to buy one of these.

After owning two other bikes that broke down all the time, I decided to pay half the price and go with the V Star 1100 Classic. It is the best choice in motorcycles I have ever made. The shaft drive is smooth, the balanced V-twin is smooth, I put Cobra exhaust on it, jetted it, and it sounds and runs perfectly. I added some chrome detailing on handle grips, fenders, running lights, windshield, etc. I love this bike and I would keep it over any other brand any day.

I have had my V Star for 3 weeks. It had 348 miles on it! I got an unbelievable deal on it. It was on the showroom floor for 1 day. I lost my dear sweet honey to cancer 8 weeks ago and truly believe it was her that guided me to the shop that day. I could not be happier with the ride and performance of the V Star. I have just got to 1000 miles so it is just broken in. I have not had any valve tic as of yet. It is the best deal for the money and ride that I found. If you are looking for a bike you have to try a V Star. If you get lucky you might find a new 02 in 08 like me! But I had help from my honey. There was a guy looking at it before me and had gone home to get his wife to look at it and did not make it back in time. I bought it 5 min. before he got back.

I purchased my 2002 V Star in 2004 with 9800 miles. It has been a great bike this last year. No problems except when the brake pads needed to be replaced. I would recommend this bike to all. Yamaha sells tons of aftermarket parts that really make the Bike light up with chrome like a christmas tree. I have had many compliments everywhere I've been. This Bike really turns heads. The only complaint I have is that the stock exhaust is weak, but with some drag pipes to replace them I rate this bike at 100%.

If you're considering buying this bike - DO IT!!! This bike has been SO reliable. Regardless of the weather, be it pouring rain, long stop lights in ragged heat or fridged cold it always starts right up and stays running like a pro. Best money I ever spent and I plan on purchasing another possibly bigger bike. This V Star is perfect for the beginner or an experience rider.

I like this bike a lot. With my weight and a girl on it there is never a need for more power, even at high speed. The weight is fine making it an easy bike to push yet still have a good size engine. The only problem that I have experienced is the rear brake is a little touchy and has locked up a couple times but that's probably my fault. I wish that this bike was a little stretched out though so it was more comfortable for tall guys like me. It would probably be better if this bike was slightly thinner and longer. I like it a lot, but because of the size I am looking for bigger bike (size wise not engine wise)

I bought this bike two weeks ago. It was actually bought for my girl friend, who is taking the saftey course in October. She originally wanted the 650, and maybe I'll get her one because she is not getting this bike. Now that I bought it, I want to keep it for myself. I sell Yamaha and Suzuki products for a living so I'm familiar with the ticking that comes from the valve train. It is normal and does not effect performance or longivity of the engine, as can be seen in the Virago 1100's that are still running strong. I plan on keeping this bike for a long time as it has a great combination of size, weight, performace and good looks. I've put 1200 miles on it in the two weeks I've had it. The one complaint I've heard is the placement of the oil filter. This engine was designed for the Virago 1100, which routed its exhaust differently. I changed the oil and filter in about twenty five minutes. If you can't spare a few extra minutes to do this for the bike, you don't deserve it.

Bought my 1100 Classic last year used, believe it or not, from a Harley dealer that didn't want it on his lot (great deal for me). The bike had 2200 miles on it when I got it and was and still is immaculate...it is the best ride for around town and short touring trips that I've ever owned and I've been riding for 20+ years. Only drawback is the short maintenance intervals of 4,000 miles for valve adjustments, the inconvenience of oil changes due to the exhaust pipe in the way (Jardine fixed that with their super relocation kit product; highly recommended) and the fact that I can't ride it as often as I'd like due to my traveling job (maybe I'll start riding the bike instead of taking the plane). Yamaha could improve the near perfect bike by installing fuel injection, hydraulic lifters, and fixing the oil filter location problem. Other than that, you can't find a better value anywhere. I highly recommend it for first time or seasoned riders and by the way, did I say I own a Yamaha Road Star too!

I have a V-Star 1100 Classic, onyx in color. I have ridden to Idaho in 2002, 2800 miles and to Canada in 2003, 3200 miles. My bike has had a slight tick, tick, tick, to it at idle since I bought it in February of 2001. I have ridden it for 3 years with no problems at all and am still on the original battery. I am completely blown away by the performance, reliability, handling and appearance of this bike. It is the most awesome performing bike I have ever ridden. If anyone is considering buying a V-Star, I highly recommend it. For the price, you cannot go wrong. Ride on.

Paula and I wrote our first review at 300 miles, now we have over 8500 miles and have had no problems what so ever. We just keep it serviced regularly and enjoy riding it. Recently we added $2500 worth of accessories and chrome items. This bike has always turned heads, but now it occurs everywhere we go. Our Harley friends are outraged at how much attention our black and chrome V-Star 1100 gets and at half the cost of a Harley.

I've put over 5,000 miles on my V-STAR in less then a year. It handles great and rides even better. I've installed some Vance & hines Dual classic II slip-ons and man they bring the V-twin to life as far as sound goes. I've bolted on over $3,000 of goods on it so far and there's more to come. If I had to pick on the V-STAR it would be the valves tapping in the front cylinder (which I'm told by certified Yamaha mech. that it is not a problem) but yet a little annoying at times. Also the rear brake peddel. After a few washings and a few thousand miles the peddel didn't want to return to the full upright position. I called the dealer and was told that at some point the grease has been washed away and grit has been allowed to seep in and cause friction. I had to dismount the brake peddel and regrease the housing (no grease fitting). Other then those two things after 5,000 miles, not so bad.

I bought a VStar 1100 Classic last year and I have been on several rides over 300 miles a day. Very comfortable ride and Plenty of Power. I weigh almost 300lbs and it has no problems.

I PURCHASED THE 2002 V-STAR 1100 CLASSIC SILVERADO IN FEBRUARY OF 2002 AFTER HAVING A HONDA VLX 600 DELUXE. THERE IS NO COMPARISON. THIS BIKE HAS A SMOOTH RIDE AND MORE CRUISE-ABILTY WITH THE LARGER GAS TANK AND IS VERY COMFORTABLE FOR A LARGER, OLDER MAN. THE VALVES ARE A LITTLE NOISY, BUT NOTHING A GOOD SET OF PIPES CAN'T TAME.

Got my new V-Star 1100 last thursday. I have been out of riding since the 80's. Looked at bikes for almost 2 years and finally bought a V-Star. It was a toss up between the V-Star 1100 and the FZ1. I used to ride a GPZ 750 and I am used to sport bikes but now 20 yrs later at 41 maybe the cruiser is better suited to me. Little shakey not riding in so long. Need more time to get used to riding again. Love the new bike, especially the looks and sound. Got a whopping 21 miles on it so far. Maybe I will go back later and buy an FZ1 so I can have both! Got a great deal kept going to all of the dealers in town and telling them that I was not going to buy unless I found a deal. I think I became an honorary employee at some dealers. After 4 trips to the local dealer in my town they found what I wanted. I wanted a V-Star 1100 Silverado but they are hard to find so someone had order a Classic and added all of the Silverado gear plus a jet kit pipes and air filter and then they never picked up the bike. Got it for 9999.00 with the 2000.00 worth of accessories. Works for me!

After having my V-satr for just over 2 weeks and 300 miles I have to say its Fantastic !!!! My dealership recommended changing oil at 200 miles which I did ( what a pain to get to the oil filter ) but I havent had any problems with Valve noise as some other riders have. Im not sure if this has anything to do with it, just a tip. I would recommend this bike to anyone considering a cruiser, especially when its a third of the price of a Harley or Indian !!!!!!

2002 V-Star 1100 Classic / Onyx 90 days - 7600 miles Modifications; Yamaha sissy bar and rear rack Yamaha saddlebag rails Some Billet dress pieces Tourmaster slant saddlebags National Windscreen F-15 (not intended for this bike - they say it will not work I used the JG mount for their Heavy Duty for my bike and mounted the stock F-15 bracket to the JG bracket.) 1.25 inch longer preload on front fork and Bel Ray 15 weight fork oil to stock levels I have been riding for 35 of my 40 years - and just after my 40th lap around the sun (it is called the human RACE after all) my wonderful wife said lets get a new bike (is she great or what?) I have always had dirt or sport bikes. I was looking for a bike for two up cruising. This was my choice for 3 main reasons. 1 Price, barely over 8K list price and 9K out the door with helmets and rear rack - it kicks butt against HD's and was not as expensive or heavy as the 1400 - 1600CC super big bikes. Has triple disk brakes - many over 10k do not. 2. Performance - Air cooled V-twins are not known to eat up a R1 anytime, but this one has great torque off the line and enough to make it run with anything that is not in danger of going to jail speeds. I was mostly interested in handling and this beats every cruiser I have ridden so far except on "quickness" of handling. But if you are willing to work it- it will hold speeds and tracks like it was on rails. It will change lines mid-corner and accelerate out more than enough to let my buddies on sport bikes know I am there and ready to ride 3. Simplicity - I like to work on my own bike - this having a no maintenance shaft drive and air cooled with only 2 valves per cylinder takes away many hours of maintenance. And I can do it myself saving valuable cash for road trips and accessories. As to the down side - It was way soft for cruising across town in extreme comfort- But I live in the Sierra Nevada's and spend my tine above 5000' and in corners. I cranked up the rear shock and modified the front fork (see above). This had the effect of raising the bike about ﾽ inch, which helped the dragging floorboards on the corners. Yamaha gets kudos' here for making an easily replaceable drag corner on the floorboards as to keep damage from spirited cornering. The only real complaint is - changing the oil filter is a headache - you must drop the pipes and loosen brake parts to get to it. Jardine makes a spin on adaptor I plan on installing next year when out of warranty. I wish it had a tachometer and more top end. I plan on adding a Hypercharger, jets and a Dyna ignition this winter. I will let anyone interested know how it went. I do not plan to make it louder the sound has deepened some in the last few thousand miles and sounds much better than when new - I want to hear my mp3 player though my chatterbox. Anyone know of a pipe that increases top end power and not make it much louder? As far as looks go, it stops traffic in gleaming black and chrome. I really appreciate the windshield at 50 mph and up. It looks different than the HD style I see on most cruisers. I plan on modifying this more - and to create a new category for bikes, "sport cruiser- look good / drive fast and far. O' would I recommend this bike to anyone looking for style performance and value. Mike

I've put 1000 miles on my new V Star 1100 Classic so far, and I'm still like a kid on Christmas morning whenever I walk in the garage and see it hulking in its bay. For me this bike is perfect - stops really quick (gotta love those 2 disks up front) and is light enough to go through corners but big enough to pull hard to pass or cruise on the highway if I want. I have NOT had any excessive valve noise, and I have a windscreen to cut wind noise way down so I'd hear it if it were there. One lesson learned for me - I added aftermarket pipes (Hard-Krome Straight Shots) and a BAK kit, and the huge increase in volume level wasn't fun, and in fact spoiled the ride for me. Yes, the bike pulled harder and cleaner in 4th and 5th above 3000rpm. I believe the reports of 15% more horsepower. I just didn't like the raucous volume, and immediately arranged to have everything taken off and returned the bike to stock. I know some folks get off on the big sound, but I guess its not for everyone. I wish there was an option in the middle - you either get wimpy factory pipes or aftermarket pipes that just scream. I'd like a little more beef, but still want the pipes to stay in the background when I ride. My Mustang seat is still on order, but I'll post a review after I get it.

I have 900 miles on my V and I dont hear anything that I should'nt be hearing from an air cooled V twin engine. My suggestion to everyone is to go ride a 18 or 20k Harley air cooled 88ci or bigger with stock pipes. listen to the clicks clacks and ticks they have to offer at twice the price. My V walks all over my friends harleys on roll on's to so thank your lucky stars!!

The V-Star 1100 Classic is a great riding Bike. I have a 2002 model and have taken it to two different dealers, and independent bike shops. They all agree its just a typical V- Twin noise. Just like to say if anyone has found out any thing different please let me know. RIDE IT LIKE YOU STOLED IT.

Am still getting some good looks for my V-Star each time I ride. I now have about 3500 miles on my custom and the engine noises seem to be getting louder. Has anyone out there got experience with earlier years of this model engine and how to repair/solve the noise problem? I don't want to accept the "it's normal, live with it." philososphy. Someone has a fix out there but we just have to find it. Solved some of the shift clunking by getting into the habit of preloading the shifter each time. I have also finally ordered a replacement for the stock seat. Like this bike a lot, especially for the price. Just gotta fix these small things. Good cruisin everyone.

hello i have rode yamahas for a long time. i have an 83 xv920 virago..it has the same valve/pushrod chatter as the vstar. and it has since it was new...the bike has never failed me.just bought my new vstar..beautiful bike. i can ride or stare at it for hours on end. wear ear plugs the noise isnt that bad..excellent buy..killer bike

I bought mine last Saturday and I love it. A friend bought a Road Star a few weeks ago and gave me the fever. After reading the reviews here and other places, I decided the V-Star Classic was the bike for me. I bought the black and love it. I have gotten nothing but stares and compliments. I rode my friends Road Star the other day, and I must say I like the Classic better. The rubber mounted engine takes away a lot of the vibration. If you set the two bikes side by side, I would probably still take mine, even at the same price ( I saved over $3000 ). The Classic is awesome. I have a windshield, back rest and passenger floor boards ordered as part of the deal. My wife and kids love it, so I can see us getting a lot of riding out of it. Even my friend with a Harley talked about how sharp it was, how well it handled and how it is much more comfortable. You can't go wrong with the Classic.

I now have over 700 miles on my 1100. This is one of the best bikes I have ever owned or rode. It's very smooth for a V-twin, lots of power, handles great, and looks great. I investigated several bikes and did a lot of research. I'm very happy with this bike and I plan on keeping it for a long time. My suggestion for all new riders--- take a class on how to ride.