Yamaha V Star 1100 Cruiser reviews

When I was looking for a bike I just ran across this one for a great price. Looked at it and rode it once deciding this was the bike. Have put over 4000 miles on it since I bought it and have not had one single problem at all. Routinely take it on rides to NE Iowa and am never sore after a 3+ hour ride. Can't say enough good about this bike!!! Beautiful red paint job and pipes turn heads. I ride through ISU campus and make some noise and get a lot of looks all spring and fall! Plentiful parts in the aftermarket world! HAVE FUN MAKE IT YOUR OWN! Show less

Over 5K ridden since I got this bike last April (3 mos), I am really impressed with this bike! Other than a flat rear tire and oil change, the bike asks for nothing but gas! I have ridden this bike from South Carolina all the way to Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and it rides smooth, reliable. Unlike my previous Vulcan 1500, it does not backfire. It also has a better center of gravity... I am hooked! Show less

I just bought my third bike, the '99 VStar Custom, and it is the most comfortable, nicest looking and best sounding bike I've owned. It has slasher pipes, sissy bar, windshield, bags, floorboard pegs and heel toe shifter, and with 200+ pounds riding on it, there was power to spare. I've never owned a vtwin before, and I was impressed about how much power it has. I've had a 4 cylinder 1100, and it didn't compare to the VStar. I'd just like to know does anyone have a figure on it's mpg? Thanks! The Gunny Jacksonville, NC Show less

I own a 2003 1100 V Star classic and it is by far the best bike I have ever personaly owned. I put a set of "BUB" pipes on it and it sounds great, too! The bike also rides nicer than any other bike I've ever had. Added with a bunch of chrome goodies (some I've purchased and some I'm waiting to get)....I'm pretty dang pround of it! Show less

I have a 2002 Yamaha V Star 1100 and I have nothing but praise for my bike. I have added a mustang seat with concho and studds and the passenger seat is really nice and wide. The bike gets a lot of looks of admiration. Some would swear up and down that it looks very similar to a Harley. I love my V Star for the looks, the price and the ride and of course the low maintenance. Show less

I bought a 2002 1100 V-Star classic in June, 2002, and overall, I'm very satisfied with the bike. The Titanium and Platinum paint scheme looks great, and the overall styling, fit, finish, performance, and reliability are what we've come to expect from Yamaha. The engine has gobs of low and midrange torque, and is well-suited for cruising at "legal" highway speeds, though if you push it above 75, the engine vibration is very evident. My son has a Yamaha YZF 1000, and after riding my V-Star, said it's the best handling cruiser he's ever riden! I have to agree - it's no slalom rider, but I believe it will out-handle most, if not all, of the cruisers out there. It's efficient, too - I've got 4,000 miles on it now, and get 47-50 M.P.G. on the highway. Cons: 1)Oil filter accessibility is ridiculous...I'd love to chat with the engineer who designed the exhaust pipe to run smack in front of the oil filter! 2)Vibration through the seat is very noticeable. To cut down on seat vibration, I installed 1/8" thick rubber pads both above and below the front seat mounting bracket, using longer bolts and a little loctite, to compensate for the thickness of the rubber. Yes, it's a home-developed remedy, but it has made a noticeable difference in the seat vibration! Suggestion for Yamaha - Isolate the engine and/or seat mounting bracket with rubber bushings. Bottom line, though - compared to a Harley, it's twice the bike, at half the price! Show less

I use my V-Star for two purposes. Short jaunts in the city and multi state trips. I've taken the bike from Daytona to Philidelphia to Fort Wayne Indiana to Toronto and back. (With nothing but a switch out of oil.) It handled the beating superbly. On the highway with all the headwind the air-cooling works perfectly. It averaged around 40 mpg at standard driving speeds (70-80mph). It makes an excellent tourer if your clever with bungee cords and dufflebags. Draw backs to the bike is that it becomes lumbersome to take around town. I tried a 750 ACE the other day. I don't know if it was the liquid cooled motor or the age of my machine, but the get up and go of the V-Star didn't compare. Furthermore I'm begining to dislike the fuel capacity of the V-Star. A 140 mile range is good, but I would like more. Lastly maintenance is getting troublesome. Whoever put the pipes right over the oil-filter at yamaha should be shot! Show less

Just thought I'd post a follow up 3 summers into owning the 1100 Custom Still love it no problems, and just enjoying the heck out of it. Great bike! Show less

Great looks, excellent preformance, just a plain rush to ride. I traded in my 84 Aspencade of 16 years on it and I have no regrets. It's a totaly diffrent animal but I like the wildness of the 99 V-Star 1100 custom. The oil filters is a drag, but the recommended change interval is every 8000 miles, I can live with that. The bike has guts enough to set ya back in it's low slung seat, and you can twist it into some pretty hairy curves with no effort. If you are looking for an awsome bike at less then half the price of an HD, take one for a test ride you'll see what Im talking about. Show less

I got this bike in 8/99 and now have 30,000 km on it. It runs just the same as the day I bought it. I changed three back tires and one front so far and that's it man. Stuck on some Cobra's, cool paint job and the Harley guys rave about it, cause I still can have lunch and a beer every day. If anyone wants some info about the bike, feel free to write me at easy_rider46@hotmail.com Show less