2003 Yamaha V-Max Cruiser reviews

The 650 Vstar is a wonderful bike. It gets 50 mpg, and is geared for commuting, or hilly twisty back roads. If you want to ride the interstate roads, this bike will do it, but you will want another gear for sure. It's handling is very tame and predictable. It does everything well, and super reliable. For sure it's a basic air cooled, carburated engine, but simplicity is good when you just want to fire it up and ride! Show less

The bike has been reliable since June, 2011. My upgrades are grips, passenger floorboards and a top rack. Show less

I bought mine in December of 2011 from a local dealer with 23,500 miles on it. I have right at 27K on it now and could not be happier with my choice. I love it overall, but that seat gets uncomfortable on long rides after several hours. Show less

This bike gives me the style, comfort and power I need. The stock exhaust are terrible sounding. I put a set of COBRA pipes on it and it sounds like a true bagger. I've ridden Suzuki, Hyosung, Harley, Honda and United Motors. This bike is better than them all. I love it! Show less

I only had the bike about four days now. I've put about 120 miles on it since I picked it up. I had an 2007 Virago 250 that I rode for years. It was a great starter bike. i just finally found a bike that I liked just as well that was bigger. Show less

This is my second Yamaha. I previously owned an 82 650 Maxim. I found this one in a line of new bikes and I thought it WAS new. It was in great shape and 3 years later it's still starts first time everytime (with choke on at 1/2 way point) and has never disappointed me. 6th gear would be great but not many, if any had a 6 speed tranny in 03. My only complaint is changing the oil filter. If you wrench your own, plan on at least 45 minutes start to finish. The filter change requires removal of the front exhaust. Show less

I bought this bike at age 36, fell in love instantly and don't regret it at all. While I do drive it back and forth to work quite a bit, the majority of the miles have been put on it with my wife on the back. She loves the bike almost as much as I do. The only complaint is the stock seat. If you intend to do any serious long distance riding, invest in a Mustang Seat, it will complete a work of art! Show less

I grew up with Harleys. Everyone in family rode a Harley. Unfortunately I couldn't afford a Harley so I started looking around and got the V-Star 650 this past September and fell in love. It is my first bike and it does everything I want it to. It handles well, is lightweight and easy to move around in. It is a great bike and I would recommend it to anyone. Show less

I got my license in Sept 2004. My first bike was a 2000 Classic 650. By the end of 2005 I knew I needed more power. I traded to the 2003 Classic 1100. Wow, what a plus. It handles great. It's very comfy. I have put on 7,000 miles of mostly weekend summer rides (MN resident). Love the style of the 2003. I took my first road trip this year; it was perfect - no problems. Winters are very lonely and I can't wait until spring. Show less

I have had this bike for a bit and will simply say that it is, for the money, the best cruiser you will find in it's class. Honda has a similar but still heavier version that I feel doesn't compare as far as handling is concerned. If you are looking to commute 'stop-go, stop-go' type traffic as I do, the bike handles incredibly well. If you just want that slow 2 hour ride it's as smooth and easy on your body as I have ridden. The power is there all the time, even when carrying a rider. The bike itself gets a lot of looks and people comment about how nice it is. I have done quite a few addtions to my bike but even as it was off the lot it will get people talking. The seat is the only issue that I could comment about in a negative sense and it would be slight. You need to personalize a seat that will fit you right and this stock with the bike one simply is that - a stock seat. It will never feel perfect like an addition of a Corbin or Mustang made. Overall I am impressed with the cost of maintenance compared to my old Gold Wing and Roadster. Both previous bikes took a small fortune to service and they constantly were having to be worked on. This bike, full service, is about $180.00 every 2000 miles or so and I have not had a repair to do yet. Show less