2005 Yamaha 1100 Cruiser reviews

My first heavy cruiser is like a big old truck. Good power to rear wheel and can pull out of 1st gear at idle speed ( like a big truck in 1st gear). Handling always suggest to (just Cruise at the posted speeds). Is capable of highway speeds with more to spare. The 1998 Yamaha 650 also I have preforms close to the 1100 and is very capable in the street and highway also! They are Not a dirt bike. Cross bike or sport bike . They have a quirky, fun and casual feel to them. Reminding me to Just Cruise and ( get there when You Get there). Whether taking a 100 mile trip or cruising around town it is reliable and casual! Outfitted with windscreen and saddlebags , it is a good fit for my riding style! Compared to larger Yamaha’s and other Brands of Cruisers, I am very satisfied with the Vstar 650 and 1100! Show less

Whether it's your first bike or you're an experienced rider, you will absolutely love this bike. It's very smooth and sounds great! It gets lots of compliments. The only upgrades I did were the exhaust, air box, risers and saddlebags. Show less

I purchased this bike in Aug of 2009 with 3500 miles on it, it was a one owner. The last time we rode was the last week of october 2009. 2500 miles on the bike and I love it! The only complaints I have is the seat sucks after about an hour or so and the oil filter changing headache is a poor design. I will be going to an oil filter relocation kit soon. We rode 650 miles on a trip with 5 bikes last fall and we did 75 mph+ almost the whole way, never a hiccup or an issue. I am averaging about 45-48mpg (215miles/4.5 gallon tank, 47.77mpg),at those speeds with 2 riders and gear. The best mpg I have had so far is 56.45mpg, 175 miles-3.1 gallons. I have Cobra pipes, Kuryakin hypercharger and the dealership said a jet kit. The mechanic at the dealership said he has dyno'd a bike like mine and it had almost 80hp. Not sure how close mine is but it is A LOT faster than stock!! You won't regret it if you add these items. With the mods this bike hauls pretty good and people notice you because they hear you. I have 3 friends with V Star 650's and they like theirs too. I would recommend this bike to anybody. My bike has been mistaken for a Harley Fat Boy. :):) Show less

Since purchase of my 05' VSC1100 on 05' Thanksgiving, I have put 10k miles on it. Engine has performed extremely well. Within these milages, me and my VSC1100 have travelled together through many regions of the western continent. We have been thru I-15 in 95 plus degree hot summer day from LA to Vegas and above 10,000 ft mountain on I-395, Pacific coast Hwy 1 to Seattle from Bay area under heavy pouring rain. It runs well too in Chicago's harsh cold winter windy day. It does take for a while for it to warm up on cold mornings. My VSC1100 always starts right up and performs well. It's been a pleasure to own this bike. If Yamaha could add a 6th gear for better Hwy cruising and fix the location of oil filter, VSC1100 would be a perfect bike to own forever. Ride on, Ride safe!! Show less

The 2005 V-Star Silverado is an excellent motorcycle for the options and the price. I have been riding for years and have totally enjoyed my V-Star. It sits low to the ground, as I am a tall person. The foot boards are great. The handling around corners is awesome. I traded in a 2001 Harley Sportster for this bike, and the dealer was great throught the entire sale. My girlfriend Susie has a 2005 V-Star 650 and she loves it. We do a lot of riding together and the Yamaha is our motorcycle of choice. The saddle bags are great and ready for touring. Show less

I bought a new 2005 in August, 2006. I quickly came to the realization that the bike was a quality product and handled as well as any bike I have been on. However, after a short while I realized the bike lacked power (approx. 51 HP from factory). I quickly installed new pipes and an air pod kit and the HP increased to close to 70. The bike is now a sweet ride. A lot of power and no fall off in reliability. I would recommend this bike to anyone and I would also encourage the pipe and air pod upgrade to really bring out the full potential of this bike. Show less

I have had a few bikes over the years from crotch rockets to cruisers and ridden many other types, but I will say this is the best I have been on. The power is great. The ride is great, and the style is flawless. We are looking to buy another bike very soon and it will be another Star!! Show less

I love my V-Star 1100 Classic. I get compliments wherever I ride. The quality of the workmanship and finish is first rate. Most people confuse my Classic with a Harley Davidson. We can smirk knowing our Classics cost about half of what we would pay for a HD. It performs like a dream at 70 mph on the interstate highways giving me extremely good gas mileage for that size of an engine. Show less

This is my 3rd and final review (see my 2 previous). I now have 6,400 miles on the beast and I still love this bike. Not a single problem from day one. I finally replaced the stock seat with a Mustang solo (wish I had done this on the first day). I've also added lots of chrome, but no more changes to the engine. For those of you who are wondering about cruising comfort and speed: at 75 mph the rpms are at 3,800; At 80 mph they're at 4,100. The rev. limiter is supposed to kick in at 6,400 rpms, so there's power here to spare (I've never even been near 5000 rpms). But I find prolonged rides at 75 and over to be quite taxing on me so I try to keep her at 70. The Roadstar would no doubt be more comfortable at these speeds, but that being said, I wouldn't hesitate for one minute to ride this bike cross country. Over and out. Show less

I bought this bike last may. So far not one single problem. Has plenty of power for both me and the wife. Have had several good comments about it from other riders. I have been riding for 35 years, and so far for a cruiser this is the best I've had. Show less