Is a V-Star 650CC a good bike? (ride, drivers, motor)
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Im looking to buy a bike and I found a 650cc V-Star for $3800 and it was 4K miles on it. I didn't know much about them, this would be my first bike... upgrading from a scooter. I was wondering if it was a good deal? and how many miles I could probably get out of it?
Should be a fine bike if it's within your price range. Wouldn't worry to much about how many miles you'll get out of the engine, it'll likely outlast your interest in the motorcycle before you move onto something else.
Im looking to buy a bike and I found a 650cc V-Star for $3800 and it was 4K miles on it. I didn't know much about them, this would be my first bike... upgrading from a scooter. I was wondering if it was a good deal? and how many miles I could probably get out of it?
Depends on what you want to do with it.
In some ways, the 650 V-Star is almost the "worst of both worlds." It's kind of big to be a bang-around-town bike, but the small engine has to run high rpms at highways speed, so it vibrates badly.
If you want to rip around town with it, you're probably going to be happy - assuming you're fine with it having a "big" feel to it. If you want to go down the Interstate, this is not the bike for you.
It's a good transition bike to go to a full size motorcycle from a scooter with. But if your even slightly bigger than average it's going to be too small to be comfortable for very long. And it has shaft drive which is great for worry free maintenance but it also means you can't change the gearing (which it desperately needs) without a machine shop and an engineering degree.
It will do highway speeds, but it is really wound up at 70 and screaming "No Mas" at 75-80.
A sixth gear would work wonders for this bike and I'm dismayed why Yamaha has not taken this simple step to turn an average little bike into a more competent and capable mount.
If you plan on doing any serious riding then I suggest stepping up to the 800-900cc class.
Kawasaki Vulcan, Suzuki C50 or Yamaha V Star 950 will all handle more serious duties with a lot more ease.
So 650s are small bikes now, things have changed since I rode in the 70s and a 650 Triumph or BSA or 750 Honda was considered a big bike and my 850 Guzzi a monster.
Things haven't changed, Americans perceptions have. Just look at the McMansion craze, and SUVs... obviously bigger is better.
*rolls eyes*
I've worked on a Vstar 650s, and besides being horribly cramped in the rider ergonomics area (I'm 6'4", 34" inseam and my knees felt like they were up by my ears, and elbows behind my back), I sure as heck didn't feel the bikes were stressed at ALL on 65mph roads (so traffic in the 70's). But I've got a LOT of miles on 250cc motors, prefer small CC bikes and know that there's not a damn thing wrong with using the Entire RPM range. Sure isn't going to hurt the engine, or shorten the life.
I rode a '74 Honda 360 back in college. Never a problem going 70 mph. The problem was surviving the beating - even at that young age.
There IS a reason that virtually every motorcycle that's ridden on the Interstate and/or on long trips, is a heavy cruiser.
Really? When I was in college I rode a 79' Honda CM400T, great little standard. Commuted on that bike ever weekend about 100 miles round-trip on the interstate doing 70-80 mph with a backpack strapped to the rear seat, and the engine spinning 8,000+ RPM. No comfort issues from me.
I did take the bike on the larger interstate (I-70) once, and it felt a bit underpowered for that type of riding. When vehicle traffic was averaging 80-85 mph, I simply didn't feel safe anymore. The bike would do 85 mph, but that was all she had in her...and I didn't like the idea of being nearly topped out on the interstate if someone else came rolling up behind me.
My most recent motorcycles have ranged from 650-1000 cc, and none would have issue at highway speed. Granted, the only cruiser in that bunch was a Magna 750...I did have two V-twin powered machines, but both of those could rev to nearly 10,000 RPM, and made between 80-110 horsepower.
The reason is American psychology. Bigger is better regardless of what's enough to do the job. Virtually every motorcycle Sold in the US is a larger/heavier bike because that's what people Want, what they see in advertising, movies, TV ~ that right there is going to screw up any qualitative analysis (gee, look, I see mostly heavy bikes, therefor they must be the best!) There's no Functional reason why people are buying those bikes, you've even said yourself that a ~13hp motor (a CB200 on a good day) is plenty to do everything that you Need to do on all but limited access highways in the US. And I know from over a decade of personal experience, along with a decade of experience combined from thousands of online users, that 30hp (Ninja 250) is enough to not only break every speed limit in the US, but happily sustain whatever speed the "flow of traffic" is doing with power in reserve. And the bike can do that with no issues for right about 100k miles before the timing chain is stretched to the end of it's useful life (not easily replacable, cheaper to just buy another engine).
Switching from that 250 to a Concours 1000 (something else I have right now) yields me 2 things, a ton more weight to fight at city-speeds and a little more physical room for 2-up comfort (but I'm also 6'4" and 250lbs). It doesn't do highway any better, is decidedly Less enjoyable to ride, drinks substantially more fuel, would have been more expensive to buy new... it just doesn't have much going for it. The same can be said of all the bigger/heavier bikes. They May be a smidge more stable in really hairy cross winds, like what you find near the front of a semi at 80mph in 60mph cross-winds (I-80 in Wyoming, FWIW), but just having a relaxed riding position and not a death-grip on the bike virtually eliminates that difference.
Same is true of cars ~ mine came fro the factory with 90hp. It'll maintain 85ph, on cruise, uphill, over 8k foot passes without issue. What more is needed? It's comfortable, fits my large physical size (with room for 3 passengers and their stuff) ~ so why are SUV's and double-cab trucks such the rage? Yes, I know some are work vehicles ~ not taking about those, and that Some families have more than 4 people and need more seats, also ignoring those. I'm talking about the daily commuter, the single person, the couple without kids ~ you know, 90% of the drivers out there. It's just the mentality in the US.... what do I Want, not what's needed to get the job done. And even though you thought it was a stretch, I see the Exact same thing going on with McMansions. My dad was in a family of 5 and grew up in a house of roughly 1800 sq/ft, my wife is also from a family of 5 and grew up in a house of 1400sq/ft. According to recent trends, the US has recently set of a new record for new home sizes, of 2600sq/ft on AVERAGE.
It's just a pervasive issue... would you like to supersize that McMeal? Buy the All New 72" flat screen TV!! Come watch movies on the IMAX screen, it's Better! It's inescapable in the US, well it's inescapable for the sheeple who don't think about what they're buying and why. Once you meet the requirements needed to do the job you want done (in this case, the OP wanting a Vstar 650 for a first motorcycle, worst they could want to do is the Iron Butt Rally 2-up which is 11,000 miles in 11 days ~ bike needs to be able to sustain ~70mph, which it can do with the 35~40hp it puts to the ground), everything else is just a want. Yes, it'll be operating closer to the limits of its design parameters, but it's not like the bike would be on the ragged edge and how much overhead is needed?
I don't begrudge people who have the means to buy what they want and doing so. Everyone's free to make their own choice. But don't preach like that want is a need, it's just sad.
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