So the Kawasaki I am not going to say what I say here is 100% accurate but there are some connections. Kawasaki's first effort into the cruiser market came in 1980 with the 440 LTD that went until 84 from 85 to 90 the bike became the 454LTD which was the Kawasaki Ninja 900 (908cid) four-cylinder with two cylinders cut off. ( I am a Honda person but the 454LTD is a bucket list bike for me) The 454 in 1991 became the Vulcan which is in my opinion a shit bike! A friend of mine had one with the plastic or nylon gear, I think it was an oil pump gear? There was a silent recall on it and only a fraction of the bikes ever got fixed and all this happened because Kawasaki wanted to save a few cents per bike and use a plastic or nylon gear deep in the motor (that required splitting the case to replace) instead of steel?! I digress ,The point, the eliminator was the Ninja motor without taking two cylinders like the 454LTD did and I think that is the connection they figured it worked for the 454LTD so lets do it again but not cut the motor in half? Also the eliminator was more of a naked bike in my opinion along the lines of the Honda V65 (which was the fastest production motorcycle of that time period) I do not dislike the Eliminator although to me it looks someone elongated it and does look weird? The yamaha Virago was not a bad bike it had the same styling as the Kawasaki 454LTD or the Yamaha 650special, I would say in that time period the seca 550 was a worse bike it was a sports bike at a time when that meant no suspension, and I mean no suspension, it looked good but rode like shit and the front end would wooooobbbbblllllee really bad under heavy breaking.
@@stewart8127 I never said the Vulcan was slow I said it was or is a shit bike and gave the company a image of being unreliable that in Central America where I am continues to this day. I did, however, make a mistake in that I thought the two years of production for the eliminator was around 87-88 it was not it came out 85-86 so the connection to the 454 is not really there as I surmised, because the 454 came out the same year. In 91 when the Vulcan line started, in America some dealerships actually put LTD emblems on them to sell them so they were called "Kawasaki Vulcan 500 LTD" in some areas of the country. Under the circumstances, I am not sure the bike is as bad as we all think? I think it was Kawasaki cutting corners to save a buck like the plastic or nylon gear I spoke about that made the bike a problem child. It is not a bad design, it is actually a really good looking cruiser but the penny pinching of Kawasaki has tarnished the bike not the bike itself persay.
This is not a list of bad bikes, but a list of bikes this guy just doesn't "get". The Virago was yamaha's cash cow in the 1980s and it's reliability is legendary.
I agree with you. If you have the patience, I posted a rather long reply with my experiences from various dealer workshops and ownership of various bikes in the last 55 years. I only watch these video's to point out where he's wrong or totally wrong
Bought a factory new 1983 Virago in 1985. It was shaft drive and cruised really well. One of my favorite bikes. Only sold it because I was raising my kids alone and needed the money. Edited to not confuse trolls.
Two wheel therapy! It worked. I did that too with a 1997 Buell S1 Lightning. Incredible what riding can do for one's soul. 😊 Jesus man, that almost put a lump in my throat!
I had a virago 1100 and it was a total solid rock of reliability and was fine. The transmission wined on decel - for 12 years with no problems. A bit buck toothed but I came to like that too. Saved my sanity at the time like a Labrador.
I liked my 750 Virago. I considered it an updated Vincent and tricked out the Virago with black everything accordingly. I later traded it for a barely street legal FZR 750R which gave me backaches but was really fast and a head-turner.
"Worst" is not a aesthetic exercise.... Worst - means the poorest reliability , the most recalls, the worst safety record. It means bikes that never sold and were killed in a single year. It means bikes that killed companies, or result in major financial losses.
At times this gentleman appears to define “worst” according to matters of safety, design (ergonomics), and mechanical integrity. Those are the definitions I can agree with. When “worst” happens to be based on aesthetics and ‘cool appeal’, however, he’s lost me. Each of us can recall those less-than-cool automobiles and bikes that were extremely reliable, and never broke down, and those extremely popular and “sexy” ones which spent more time in the garage than on the motorways. In my area, during the 1970s, every teenager wanted a Honda CB350. They might not have been as cool as some of the other bikes, but these “plain Janes” were freaking reliable and fun to ride. As this video is said to be done in the spirit of fun, I take it as such, and won’t use it as a major buying (or riding) guide.
@@harrybrooks8514 His whole gripe about bmw was its looks. HP also has nothing to do with "worst", by that logic 80-90% of bikes can be classified as crap. Quality-wise, nothing about that bike was bad. And no, I don't own one.
Considering how many viragos Yamaha sold and how many years they built them and how great a bike they really were and you picked it as the worst bike they made really is a compliment to Yamaha in general
Haha! The Virago…. Ran forever, inexpensive, kept up to, or outran a huge portion of other bikes of its day, handled and cornered quite respectably … Yamaha must have done awesome, if it’s the worst!
I used a 96 Virago, as a commuter bike in L A. for many years. Put 84,000 miles on it, and never did anything but maintenance to it. Reliable, comfortable and decent handling bike. Great bikes!
Yes I had a 1994 Virago 750 got it in 2000 sold in 2018 always looked terrific . I wish now I had kept it it was a great cruiser only let me down once a minor wiring issue caused by original owner.
The first bike I learned on was a 1984 yamaha virago XV700 that I bought for $1100. Since then, 4 motorcycles later, the virago will always start when I want it to, it will always ride well and I have not put more than $150 into repairs for it. Oil change, new battery and fork seals. I could romp on it endlessly, pin the throttle at full down the highway (85mph), lean it to kingdom come, it has been the most impressive bike ever, especially for being almost 40 years old. Y'know what you really did by making this video? You brought a family of Virago owners together again.
I learned to ride on a Triumph 650. Took my biggest leap ever, 7 to 10 ft in the air, from jumping a center curb, on my first solo. No oncoming traffic. I did better the second time. That bike handled so sweet. At ANY angle. When I had learned to ride.
I had the same bike back in the day ('85 model year). other than the engine assembly being the "frame" of the bike and me waiting for it to fold crossing train tracks or crack the blocks, I loved that bike. wannabee looks were badass, too
I honestly love the Virago. It was actually my first bike and what got me in to building custom cruisers, so maybe I'm a bit biased, but the fact is they are incredibly cheap bikes that you don't have to be afraid to cut and weld to make whatever you want it to be
So, the main thing you judge are still looks. It's clear you have not own nor ridden most of the bikes you judge. "This one looks just weird to me -giggles like a kid-"
This guy knows nothing about motorcycles or the history of motorcycles. Every video of his that I have seen has glaring inaccuracies that lead me to believe that he might not have ever even ridden a motorcycle during and he spends about five minutes poorly researching the topics.
The Virago still looks good to me. I owned the 1981 750cc version, which was my introduction to motorcycling. Loved the bike. Had to sell it to pay rent in 2003 during graduate school, but got the 1993 750cc version in 2004, and I still own it. The Virago was made for a long time, and its style is still evident in the V-Star 250. The Viragos (loud, overbearing women) have a reputation for anvil-level reliability, and they're fairly easy to work on. Their performance was competitive relative to the later V-Stars. They don't leak oil in my experience. That old Yamaha ad is awesome, and women today still dig the bike, but hey, to each his own.
The XV920R was the one I wanted and never got. Chain driven with the chain in an enclosed case, mono-shock, narrow, torquey but smooth and handled like dream. They never caught on because so many buyers wanted more 'choppery' looking bikes. '81 and '82s were all there were.
Yes, like a lot of folk here I found the Virago a particularly nice looking cruiser. Mine was a 1995 1100. It ticked all the boxes. It was comfortable for both myself and my wife. It look amazing amongst the more modern bikes on the cafe runs. The original two tone paintwork was awesome. It was reliable, easy to maintain and cheap to purchase. I don't like the look of most Harleys. I much prefer an old Norton or something of that nature, but the Virago was a beautiful looking machine. The features it was accentuating took the aesthetics a step further than the bikes it was inspired by. Well done Yamaha!
And the Virago XV 535 is basically a 90's wet dream. I don't get why its bad...The only bad bit was the tiny fuel tank and aftermarket had that covered.
A Virago looks like a Chinese knock-off of a Harley that's been rear-ended and shortened 2 foot. It maybe a nice "cheap" bike, but it doesn't look good.?
@@mickb4691 Yes. A perfect case of beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Most Harley's to me look clunky and awkward with the exception of the VRod, which is a long way away from the traditional conception. I do remember the time when Japanese machines were considered cheap knock offs of established brands and appreciate the disgust that we had towards them for that reason. I doubt Chinese machines will gain the kind of respect Japanese ones have but time will tell.
on my sixth Guzzi ! from 1978 Spada 1001 to latest V7 . Superb bikes , reliable , big mileages and a distinctive ride . Hand built in the original factory for a 100 years. This guy is taking out of his rear
I have a 900 Eliminator I bought brand new in high school and still have, with almost 160,000 kms (100,000 miles) on it! I love it, it still gets looks every time I have it out, and had many offers to buy it over the years! It's not meant to be the same as a V-Max. It's an all out drag bike on the street!
The Virago handles fantastic for a cruiser. Enough ground clearance to make tight turns yet thin enough to slip through lines of traffic. It's a damn shame modern cruisers don't adopt the shaft drive as it makes the virago as resilient as a cockroach (even if some would say it shares the likeness of one as well). Despite having ridden several cruisers since my Virago, none have impressed me nearly as much. Keep up on your maintenance and this bike'll outlive you
45thousand km on the engine still starts first press. still has all the power it needs and has not let me down yet. virago 535 and up are great motorbikes.
Shaft drive is a think I like about my 1983 Honda Shadow 750, also I would love to try out a 1985 Kawasaki Eliminator 750 which also has shaft drive, I think. 13:09
Despite the Virago 1100 being the bike of my dreams in my teens, today I agree it's one of the ugliest bikes ever, but the engineering is great, and the engine looks great, so it's the perfect base for a custom. I've seen some really good looking Virago Bobbers. Lots of bike for dirt cheap. Caviat: The small Virago 250 is actually the best looking and sounding of them all. I kinda want one for the small curvy roads around here.
I owned a burgundy 1989 Virago 1100 when I lived in Austin, Texas and loved it. Of the dozen or so bikes I've owned, it was my favorite street bike. By 1989 the look had been refined, the shaft drive was low-maintenance and bulletproof, the power was smooth and linear, it dripped with chrome, and the Corbin seat I put on it made it comfortable to ride two-up all day. I got constant comments on how great it looked and even had girls I didn't know climb on behind me at the stoplights on Austin's 6th Street asking for rides (no, not THAT kind of girls), so I have no idea where that appearance criticism comes from, especially regarding the final design. When I sold it a guy from Mesa drove several hours to Austin and paid me more than book for it. I only sold it because the Air Force sent me to Alaska and I couldn't move all of my toys. The bike was out of production when I arrived in Alaska regretting my decision, so I bought a 2004 HD 1200XL Sportster in the same color and added the Corbin seat in a futile attempt to duplicate my Virago. While my Sportster with the Screaming Eagle package was quicker and faster, the range sucked, it would beat your tailbone into submission on all but the smoothest roads, and if I want raw butt-puckering power I just throw my leg over my Commander-tuned ZX-14R and avoid the bright light at the end of the tunnel with grandma and Elvis. Outside of power, the Virago was a better bike than the Sportster in every aspect, and I never had a complaint about the Virago's ability to accelerate into and through heavy traffic even with another adult on the back.
Ouff my heart! As a Yamaha Virago XV535 owner this hurts because I think my little Virago is a fantastic looking little bike and as a first bike it was a fantastic choice! It goes and handles surprisingly well! The V-twin sounds incredible as well! I can't recommend it enough!
@@jean-claudemoledo1488 It depends, they look a lot more bulky and also they look a bit too short for my eyes. To me, the Virago 250 looks best actually hahah
I had a 535 I rode from Nevada to Indiana, met up with a cousin who had an old Guzzi, and we rode together(on our own bikes), back to Nevada via the longer southern route. That little bike was bulletproof the entire trip, and wasn’t really uncomfortable to cruise on at highway speeds. I think all of the Viragos were well engineered, and that their looks are completely subjective.
Interesting so many of us here love our Virago's. I am on #3, not because of reliability but waited until I could get a very low klm XV1100 (1997)Black Special (spoked Rims and other minor enhancements). Still has only 18,000 Klms on it, has a load of torque and power and to me still looks amazing, and reliable. Started in the late 70's with the Honda 750 Four then the Kwaka 9, and a few years back a Honda Firestorm VTR1000, great bike but I knew it had to go before I killed myself, so the XV1100 remains, truly fantastic bike and looks. So don't know what this reviewer see's as bad....
I had a R1200C. I completely disassemed it, tricked it out, two-tone paint, custom seat. It was comfortable, handled well, and (despite your claims) sufficiently powered. And it fit me well since I'm only 5' 6" many ikes don't. I really liked it, no one else had one, and it sold instantly for a good profit.
gotta say, the Kawi Eliminator was not about being a cruiser or a sport bike. It was an homage to Kawi's absolute dominance on the quarter mile in that era. It was structured just like any period drag bike, but with all the weight that comes with being on the street. I get what it represented, and respect it, and it was NEVER meant to be accepted by either cruiser or sportbike guys. It was all about the light-tree.
Exactly right it was a drag bike for the street. I had one when I was in the US Army stationed in Ft. Hood Texas. The only thing that could consistently beat me in the 1/4 mile was a V65 Magna my friend had.
The existence of the Eliminator that has this guy so confused can be explained with one word: V-max. Yamaha radically tuned up their big touring bike motor and shoved it in a cruiser frame to make one of the most iconic '80s bikes ever. Honda took their exotic sport V4 and did the same with the Magna. Kawasaki didn't have a V4, but they did have one of the other iconic '80s bikes, the Ninja 900 (i.e. "Maverick's" bike in Top Gun), so they used that motor to make their power cruiser. It's anyone's guess what Suzuki was thinking with the Madura. And yes, Kawasaki had the drag chops to back their bike up, even if it never got as popular as the V-max or Magna.
I had a zl900 neat bike. Big downfall was the 3 gallon tank. At 32 mpg filled up every day at the same gas station on 60 mile round trip commute to work everyday.
I've had a few of these listed 🏍 bike's, a 1000 Eliminator, a worked over v65 Sabre, and a 75 Z1/900e, and a XS1100cc Yami Venture royal convertible from a highway cruiser to a muscle bike by removing the fairings and luggage 🧳!..from Wyoming USA 🇺🇸 👋🤠
Not liking the Yamaha virago shows that you have no taste at all,,, I am absolutely shocked that you would say they were trying to look like American bikes.... The Yamaha virago is what every American bike wishes it was..
I own 2 of the bikes on this list! LMFAO BMW R1200C, One of the most planted and best handling cruisers I've ever ridden in my 32 years on 2 wheels. The telelever front end is superb and I can't believe more companies don't use it. The looks are 100% unique and those of us who love it, bought it for that reason. It's original, it doesn't look like anything else. That's the point! Also the R1200C was one of four BMW motorcycles in The Art of the Motorcycle exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City in 1998.... and it was in a James Bond movie. The Yamaha Virago: This was the bike that made Harley go around and lobby congress to literally change importation laws and taxes in the US on Japanese imports. This was the bike that scared the sh*t out of Harley AMF because it was borrowing from their V-Twin design, but doing it in a better way. That fact alone makes it cool. Then you add the bullet proof engines and overall good performance for a bike from the era. The Gen 2 Viragos are my favorite. In fact my 1997 750 gets more attention when I am out on it than any other bike I have ever owned, especially from the ladies. I am still shocked every time a beautiful woman comes to say " I really like your bike" because I pair $800 for the thing.
In 1998 I rode from Boston to NYC on my Kawasaki Concours and spent 4 days straight at that amazing "Art of the Motorcycle" exhibition. Just such an awesome show. So cool how the bikes were all displayed on that spiral ramp going up the inside. I especially remember a totally bare aluminum 60s Ducati. Gorgeous. I paid out $100 for the huge hardbound book that they produced with pictures of every bike in the show,. Sadly, it was destroyed in a later basement flood.
The first time I saw the telelever suspension system on the internet, I thought it was genius, I mean we're talking about mass production motorcycles, besides, from engineering standpoint, I always respect any company who dare to came up with different idea.
It wasn't the Virago that changed the tax, but the Honda Magna. I own one and I understand why. It's a cruiser with a 750cc engine that puts out 86hp. Harley was nowhere near those numbers.
I have one of the royal enfield classic 500s mentioned. the appeal for me was the bike made me think "how can that be sold still today?". it was completely anachronistic in a world of lean angle ABS and anti-wheelie launch control It looks old, sounds very old, and performs old. It shakes more than a Harley and gets outpaced by smart cars. I love it taking off from a standstill is a whirlwind of noise, vibration, drama and clunky gear changes and it makes me smile every single day because of it. it's also very comfortable which is nice, those sprung saddles are fantastic and should return on modern bikes imo
Your description reminds me of a 1948 sprung hub 500 single triumph. Same seat as yours to .i had a lot of fun on that bike .i was really involved every second of the ride unlike any other bike i ever owned .it was like rideing a horse.you feel a part of the experience . I miss that bike to this day
I drove one when in India, and I have to say that I liked it. It was like a brand new vintage bike. Not a vintage looking bike, but actually vintage. But then again I like vintage stuff, as well as new.
Could not agree more with your post... just bought two RE's this year... new Classic 350 and a 650 Interceptor. Though these two bikes are modern and do not have the vibrations of the Classic 500, they do still retain that odd, inexplicable appeal that is impossible to put into words. Somehow that company figured out some weird mix of cycle voo doo... whatever the hell it is... I dig it and in a way that no other bikes even come close...
Yeah, I don't get it - "ugly"? I get compliments on my Virago (xv1100) all the time. I didn't like the design before 1985 much but '85-'99 (I think '99 was the last year for the bigger model) are pretty cool. I especially like the 535.
@@jerrybriardy Mine was a 1986 700cc, and I got compliments on it often! Of course, being so old, I spent a lot of time fixing it too. But the bike looked good!
@@jerrybriardy XV535 had weird design with frame being used as part of the intake system. Yamaha originally gave 12 hours for carb work as 'they' said you needed to almost remove engine to get carbs out. It didn't take me long to figure out a 30 minute 'fix' for carb removal. Shop made a 'killing' on warranty work until 'we' put in a claim for doing 8 bikes in one day so they sent someone to see how it was possible (it wasn't fraud, just a bit of thinking) the Allen head bolts holding manifolds to head get removed, the tubes connecting to frame slid down and carbs slide right out. Next service bulletin, revised time and procedure. Yamaha never gave me a penny for saving them thousands though (Honda never recognised the work I did on CB/CJ250/360 fixing their engineering disaster either)
Maybe this guy thought the Virago was ugly, but I had an '83 500 cc that cagers would roll down their windows at stop lights to make admiring comments. I was 19. It was a chick magnet. Loved the shaft drive! No idea why the guy called them ugly. Those would have been fighting words to me back in the day!
I personally liked the Virago. It must be a generational thing. And it turns out those old Virago's make incredible looking café racer conversions. The only bike of that type from that era that I think had a better aesthetic was the original Suzuki Intruder 700.
In Europre there was a "Euro-Tourer" version of the 1st gen XV series called the TR1. It had BMW-ish styling, but bizarrely adopted an enclosed chain final drive instead of a shaft. This did, however, make it _much_ easier to put the engine into serious custome bikes, and I suspect that's where most of them ended up. There was a 1950/60s tradition in the UK of putting a TRiumph engine (best engine) in a NorTON "Featherbed" frame (best frame) to make a "Triton", widely regarded as the ultimate cafe racer of the period. At least one builder in the '80s/'90s put a TR1 motor into a featherbed, painted it up in the classic style, and called it a "Tr1ton". On the subject of jokey UK custom bike names, I remember another cafe racer with a Honda CB750 motor in a featherbed frame that was called a "NotOne", and a Harley-style frame & styling job with a CB750 motor that was called a "Honda-Davidson Pearl Harbour Special"...😈
The 650 Special and the Virago ARE Yamaha to me. Yeah, this is not a list of bad bikes, it's a list of bikes the author doesn't like. The Virago personified Yamaha in the late 80s/90s
Very interesting! I am British, and 72 years old so I saw the “Golden age” of British bikes come and go. Triumph were always in competition with BSA, and became the top sport bike when the Bonneville came out. BSA bikes were mainly sidecar luggers, the hard suspension and long wheelbase made them ideal for the post-war days when the average family could not afford a car, so the got a bike with a “pram” sidecar. The simple single 500 engine was serviceable at home so cheap to run. British Enfield was exclusively sidecar pullers, but a few special racers for the TT races did well. The British market was very sluggish untill the mid ‘60’s until the Italian scooters arrived and basically killed the smaller British motorbikes, and then Honda arrived with the Honda 50 and 90 with leading link suspension and leg sheilds and took over the “ride to work” market.
I grew up in a British colony. In 1978 when I got my license I went to the Triumph dealership to ogle the beautiful Bonnevilles. I noticed that there were spots of new oil under ever display model. I accepted that as normal. Across the street I saw a guy parking his Yamaha XS 360 and it caught my eye. The owner of the Triumph dealership came up to me watching the guy and offered an venomous "Japanese sh***e. look at this tank" he said pointing to a Bonnie, "that's hand painted pin stripes!" Too late, that XS 360 looked so new and modern, and when I saw one in red and gold, I was smitten. Some months later I pulled in to the parking lot of the popular local hang out on my Red XS 360. He was there sitting on one of his Triumphs. I think he would have spit on my 360 if no one was looking. Eventually most of the crowd decided to make a run to the beach. As they drove or rode off, he started trying to kick start his shiny Triumph. Half an hour later he's practically undressed with his sweat soaked helmet and jacket on the wall, still kicking. Baruup, Baruup." He looked at me scowling. I could have been snarky and said something like "those are some amazing hand painted pin stripes on that tank." Instead I remained silent, hit the electric start button my Yamaha, and slowly cruised away. His bike was still there when I passed the place not much later. One of my friends eventually bought a Bonneville from him. I rode the bike. It handled beautifully and those pin stripes looked great with the dated design. However, his oil leaking crankcase never got better. I think what killed British motorcycle and car brands was arrogance, and belief that tradition must never be questioned. When Lucas caused my Cortina to catch fire and burn, It was replaced by a Datsun that never broke for as long as I had it. Further, where I lived, price was never the deciding factor as there was not that much variation, cost of keeping the machinery running was. Even a Renault was a more reliable product than a Morris or Hillman.
Point of order Howard. Triumph had the top sport bike from 1954 when the Tiger T110 ruled the earth. The Bonneville is just a twin carb Tiger named in honour of the Tiger's land speed record achieved at the salt.
The modern Triumphs are great bikes. I have buddies with Bonneville and speed twins and they are great. I personally have a 2020 Rocket 3 R and I love that bike. Such a good looking bike and so much fun to ride. The British bikes are back in force!
I recently got my 92 Virago 1100cc. And it's honestly just great. I've read about older people's experiences with them lasting for years without much issue and I can honestly say it's a pretty comfortable and beautiful ride
Regarding the Ducati Diavel, Harley didn't invent the power cruiser market with the V-Rod or even with the Fat Boy. Yamaha did that when they built the V-Max to answer Honda's V65 Magna and the V-Max way overshot the mark.
My first bike was a Virago, never had a problem with it. It handled like a dream, and I thought it was beautiful, but I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder
I certainly don’t think they’re ugly. I got a 99 535 a month ago. I can’t say i love the look and it’s really a beater to me, but i find myself getting off sometimes and stopping to just look at it for a while
@@averydavis4758 i have a 535 as well and it looks aweosme as a bobber i get complements and people looking at it all the time. everyone who has seen it says it looks awesome. this dude has no clue.
82 Virago 750 was my first bike. Put about 45k on that before upgrading. Lived through the starter issues, valve adjustments, and one cylinder sleeve that just started banging around inside the engine and dealt with the dual fuel petcocks. I had no choice but to polish my motorcycle mechanic game on that one. Have now owned a 1500 Vulcan A (with the 4 speed) and now a Vulcan 1600 nomad. Wife still has her 800 Intruder. Guess I am literally hitting on about all cylinders of "goofy bikes". Put over 115k on the Vulcan A, and I am just under 90k now on the Nomad. Maybe loving the quirky is just part of my personality. Thank you for the list!
I would like to contribute to your assessment of Triumph. I owned a 1966 Bonneville that I purchased with low mileage in 1967. The first thing to go was the clutch. Never before had I lost a clutch on a motorcycle. The second thing to go was the main bearing. Triumph mechanics told me that these were common problems and that there was no reason to believe the previous owner or I had been negligent. So, my love affair with the Triumph lasted the best part of one season and included approximately 4000 miles (remember miles?). I sold it for a considerable loss as I was going back to school and couldn't afford to fix it. Today I look at Triumphs and have ridden a few. I find the power merely satisfactory and the looks could use some help. Mind you, if I could bend my 74 year old body around a Speed Triple 1200RR and reach the ground when on top of it, I might feel quite different
My all-time favorite bike was a 1990 Virago 1100. I still miss it. I wish I had pictures of how I changed it to fit me: forward controls, lowered seat, raised handlebars, changed mirrors, all the blinkers, a windscreen. I still miss that bike, everyone that saw it, loved it. Different strokes for............ Great video, thanks for sharing. 😎
I had a 1982 Virago 920 and now I have a 1996 Virago 1100. I thought the early 920 and 750 were nicely styled compared to the later models. The mechanicals were well designed and easy to service, except for the poorly designed starters in the first few years.
I have a 535, and it is a great machine. I agree the stock design can seem a bit clunky depending on the angle you're looking at. Personally I'm not a big fan of the front appearance of the bike. But the profile is stunning imho. Meh, to each their own I guess, but Viragos are a prime example of how bikes change from photo to real life. I did not like them at first, but saw one live and I had to buy one!
i absolutely loved my virago,(1993 1100) and if they made one today id buy another, my issues werent with the crunchy sounding starter, my issues were with the charging system. i got mine because i had 2 friends with em, always gawked at them......anyways i got mine, and started hearing the warnings. they were right. at about 30-45k miles the stator will go out, the regulator goes first, overloading the stator, cooking off the laquer. anyways i heard that the replacement oem ones dont last, then i found it out, i was replacing both every 2500 miles. after asking around i hear the same thing about 3 out of 5 times, the problem is stator and regulator. i replaced 2 stators 3 regulators, and got rid of mine, but i really loved that bike, and wish they would update them, and make them again.......i had the chance to get another about 3 months ago was dead set, cash in hand, but once i saw it i remembered my aggrivation, and declined.
Enjoyed the video. I was sponsored by a Suzuki dealership in the early 70s for Motocross Racing. Rode the dreaded TM400 for 3 years. Won a lot of races on TM400s, so they can be raced competitively. I also broke my collar bone on a TM400 when it went into tank slappers under hard acceleration on a rough section of track. Fortunately, I picked up a MAICO sponsorship a year later and went from the worst, to maybe the best open class motocross bike every made.
I wouldn't say Moto Guzzi's are intrinsically unreliable, their electrics being perhaps the exception. They're very easy to maintain, even periodic valve clearance checks are straight forward. It's the lack of a wide coverage dealer network that's a liability to some. Their longitudinally mounted V-twin gives them a "soul" compared to other engine designs in owner's eyes.
In my experience with Guzzi, when they switched to Bosch electrics they were pretty reliable. The linked brake system probably saved hundreds of lives, particularly in USA where riders are 'taught' to use rear brake instead of front (probably a legacy from 1920's and dirt roads?)
I agree completely. Yeah, some of the switch gear was horrible, and the early Marelli stuff was pretty poor, but super easy to work on and parts are relatively cheap and available- if you know where to look.
They went through a bad patch in the late '80s/early '90s, towards the end of the de Tomaso era, when "old man Alexandro" couldn't or wouldn't invest in the factory but wouldn't let it go either. Then he died and Piaggio took them over and everything started getting better. Me and my mate had both owned '70s Guzzis and loved them deeply, Italian Working Hours Electrics (stops at 3pm on Fridays and through all of August...) notwithstanding, but we both bought late de Tomaso bikes and got badly, BADLY bitten by them, especially me, since I was trying to use a 750SP for despatch riding, so my income depended on it. We both moved over to the air-head BMW world after that. I'd buy a modern Guzzi if I didn't have to depend on it for sole transport, but only if there was a dealer nearby, which there isn't (there used to be).
I have two Royal Enfields, a 500 Classic and an Interceptor, and whilst the Interceptor is a vastly more capable bike there's something really special about the 500. For cruising around at sub highway speeds it's hard to beat, with a super comfortable riding position and a lazy, torquey engine that encourages you to relax and just enjoy the ride. It's easy to ride and has amazing slow speed handling and fuel economy. Some people just don't get it and I understand why, the stats don't make for pretty reading, but if you ever get a chance to ride one do it, it can change your ideas about what a motorcycle should be.
correct, here in India RE classics 350s are selling like hot cakes, they have aged well and RE have introduced 3-4 new bikes as well so classics are not the only ones they are selling
@@Spartansrule118 I haven't had any problems with the Interceptor at all. Also many of these have been sold now over the last three or four years and I'm not aware of any serious issues surfacing in online discussions about the bike, so I think the record suggests it's a very reliable machine. I think it's a great package, it looks and sounds great, it has enough power, it handles really well, it's easy to service and maintain as long as you have some basic mechanical skill and it's a bit of a bargain for the price. There's a reason it has been so popular, it's a really nice bike.
@@Biggus63 thanks. i started riding this past summer (Canada) and i’m think of getting an interceptor as my 2nd bike and selling my Kawasaki ZZR250 in a season or so once i get more comfortable.
@@Spartansrule118 I think it's a good bike for a relatively new rider, it's in that 'Goldilocks' zone, enough power but not too fast, and the slipper clutch makes it very forgiving of less that perfect gear changes, in other words it's an easy bike to ride, probably easier than the bike you're riding at the moment in a lot of ways. I'd loved to have had one when I started riding, even at 59 years old now I reckon it's a great bike. Just don't buy one if you're uncomfortable talking to strangers because everyone wants to talk about it, I have the one with the chrome and red tank and I can't park it anywhere without people coming up wanting to have a chat about it.
I owned a 95 Yamaha Virago that thing took the most punishment ever and still kelp going it finally gave up a few years ago because the wiring went bad from sitting out side uncovered in Chicago winters
@@jamesadams2334 I Love my Guzzis.I own 8 of them and none of them ever gave me problems that weren't a simple fix.I'm glad they're not a bike for everyone,as I'd hate to see every other bike on the road a Guzzi.I like having something a little Unique.
I still have my 1995 XV1100 Virago. I have taken it everywhere with my wife sitting behind me. It has faced down a huge bull bison on the highway in North Dakota. It has been along the Canadian border, through Glacier National park along the road to the sun as well as down the west coast , up to the glacier on top of Mount Rainier, around Crater Lake, up to the giant Sequoia trees in California, through Yellowstone Park, to the top of Pikes Peak twice including once in the snow, to the top of Sandia Peak over looking Albuquerque, down the Texas gulf coast, down the Florida Keys and most recently we rode the rather unimpressive Dragon in Tennessee, plus every major destination in the Midwest. We have had many adventures on this bike including some that would rival a James Bond opening scene. It never missed a beat and I still ride it today on a regular basis. It may be a V-twin clone of a Harley but it is everything a Harley wanted to be at about a third of the price. I don't think that there was a better motorcycle made than the XV1100 Yamaha.
I bought an R1200C in 2002. I've had many other bikes during these years, including a 1200 GS ADV LC. I really love this bike, like many other. It has character. It's not the fastest. It's not the most comfortable. It's not the most agile. But the engine is sweet, it's brakes are very good, and the design is unique, modern look and classic heritage together. Since it's appearance it's been said that "you love her or you hate her". We love her. You hate it. Long life to liberty.
I have the r1200c. I loved it from my childhood in 1999 when 1st time saw. It was wow. And now when Im aged I got one fiew years now. Love each time looking and driving with r1200c. Its one of the best in moto history
It may have had only 61 HP, but it did it at 5,000 RPM. I had a (tweaked) Road Star 1600cc that dynoed at 70 HP at 3900 RPM. These torque monsters are the ultimate road burners. I used to ride the thing hundreds of miles a day and change gears maybe twice. Love them tractors.
Bought a 750 Virago cheap from a friend..he bought it used and kept it in great shape... didn't hate it...didn't love it..was a great commuter bike but to little/ light for long distance touring..got almost double what I paid for it on trade for a Honda VTX retro...love that bike..many comfortable trips, interesting experiences...
When I got my commuter bike I essentially had a choice between purchasing a '96 Virago XV 750 that ran (didn't run very well, had a tuning issue that stopped it at about 53 mph), or a non-running '81 Suzuki Gs-650L. Hardest choice I think I've ever made. I absolutely love the comfort and handling of the Virago, but the 650 despite having a smaller engine makes more power and torque as well as better fuel economy. Ended up getting the Suzuki, less comfy to ride and still gets blown about by the wind and trucks but I still think I made the right choice between those 2 specific bikes. If the Virago was in better shape and/or was an 1100 (heavier, more powerful and similar economy to the 750), I 100% would have sided with it instead.
The Virago 500 was my first motorcycle. At the time I thought it was an ugly bike, but only because there was no way to make it into a Cafe Racer which was what I wanted. Looking back that bike was amazing. It was insanely easy to ride, very nimble, and quick too. The look is even growing on me as I get older haha. They don't look like a cruiser, but they don't look like the normal UJM either. I miss that bike. I would buy another one if a cheap one came up for sale near me.
I still have my original eliminator and it is the most under appreciated bike I think ever built. It still rocks off the line and beats all the street hooligans of today.. The only thing I don't like is the 3 gallon tank Ellen tank. Other than that it's pure awesome
The Royal Enfield 350/500 mentioned in this video are the Ladas of the motorcycling world. However, despite being outdated they sold like hotcakes in India and dominated market share in their class. TBH Royal enfield never had a reason to update any of their motorcycles for decades as they had quite the loyal fanbase.
Again, they only dominated India because of the Indian gov't. I'm glad that RE is doing well now, but they would have been bankrupt a long time ago if Japanese and other European bikes could properly compete in India. It's most likely why the bike didn't change at all for the 40 years that existed. They got complacent with the idea that no one could compete anyway.
As an Italian, I have to say, my people make some of the best performance machines the world has ever seen, BUT it is not a reliable machine. There's a reason Mario and Luigi were Plumbers and not Engine Designers. But realistically speaking, regardless of the brand, the more power and performance gets added to the machine, the more unreliable it becomes. But yeah, speaking for Italy as a whole, if you want speed and heritage, you got it. You want this speed and heritage with it being reliable? HA!!! Get out NOW!!
I loved my street 500 as my first ever motorbike. Also it was an entry into the whole Harley Davidson world and culture and once I got my full licence, I traded it in for a new softail. So it served it’s purpose well for a learner who wanted a Harley and I never had a single mechanical problem with it.
Man, I remember trying to start my 441 Victor in 1969, in a field somewhere. On one exhausted kick, the stop tab on the kickstater broke, allowing the foot rod to swing inboard on the return. It punched a hole in the fiberglass oil tank. I walked home, and never went back for that monster.
I respect your opinion and thank you for producing the video. I ride a 98 BMW R1200C and I truly love riding her and I especially love when as I walk towards her she is a most beautiful motorcycle. We differ in opinion but and that's okay. Keep producing videos good videos.
I have the r1200c. I loved it from my childhood in 1999 when 1st time saw. It was wow. And now when Im aged I got one fiew years now. Love each time looking and driving with r1200c. Its one of the best in moto history
In the early 90s, I had a friend with a 750 Virago with 160k miles on it. Maintained by neglect. It burned a bunch of oil and he lost count of starters installed (Many used). But it ran and ran...
If you have not, I would highly recommend taking a ride on a Kawasaki Vulcan 2000. Yes, it has some pretty notable mechanical issues but let me tell you, the handling and low center of gravity combined with the comfort and very good performance have made the Vulcan 2000 my favorite bike I have ever ridden or owned by quite a lot.
I will agree. Picked up a 2006 '2000 this spring for $4500 with 19,000 miles and put $1500 in it (tires, brakes, tach, etc.) I've never owned a bike this fun. I could have spent $25,000 on an Indian or Harley and not loved it like this magical machine.
I'm a lazy biker and my vn1500 Vulcan was my ha harley substitute....loved the bike torque monster so loud so effortless.......heavy though. Cost little top fun
@@johnbiggins4864 Yep, had a 1988 VN1500 bought used from a neighbor. Have a 2009 VN900 now and I like it but man, I miss that 1500. I just turned 70 so a nice little ride that's fairly comfortable like the 900 is good enough for me. That being said, I don't agree with the Virago being an ugly bike either.
Mate I had a 1998 1100cc Yamaha Virago Special and I loved the beast. It was so forgiving when put into tight spots and I being a small fellow and a very heavy bike I never felt unsafe on it. If I had any concerns about it was the very loud induction noise and the need to regularly change the tyres, especially the front one. One feature of the old girl was that she was shaft driven which meant no messy chains and the need for constant maintenance. I spent many happy hours touring on the old girl though these days I cannot ride because of my age and the cost of keeping a bike, especially the insurance which was more than my Mazda 6 sports hatchback car.
I had an '84 750cc Virago and looking back I have to agree with you. I now hate the look of it and the seating position was crap, my tailbone was complaining after 15 minutes into a ride. It was reliable alright but even back then I knew it just didn't look right. What was I thinking?
The late 80's Viargo's were great Bike's. The Rear Monoshock Mounted inside of the Frame with the Gas Tank in front of it under the Seat to make Room for the Downdraft Intake. But it also lowered the Center of Gravity improving Handling.
The statements in that Virago section were wild anyway. Like - Japanese cruisers are subjectively and objectively miles ahead of anything the MURICANS ever put out. Yamaha's Star line is top notch. Honda produced great cruisers - incl the Virago. Kawa as well. It's just rage bait.
Fun video, some of the bikes in the list I have not seen before. I do have some comments on Moto Guzzi as I own two of them. For what ever reason I stumbled into a 2004 California 1100 Stone Touring last winter down in Arizona. It had been sitting for 7 years and was in need of lots of love, but at a purchase price of $900.00 I could not leave it at the sellers house. Well after all the tank cleaning a new in tank EFI fuel pump and injector cleaning, rubber lines, new tires, etc, etc, I got the bike on the road! Well it turned out that I love it! I have owned many bikes and still own a large number , I will put my current list of bikes at the bottom of this. The California 1100 was just amazing on the road, it handles like all the weight is 3 " off the ground, you would just need to look where you want to go and it would go, very stable at high speeds and the best wind protection I have ever had on any of my bikes. Handling is very much like the BMW horizontally opposed bikes do. After the winter season riding the 1100 I left Arizona in May and went back to Canada, and guess what I was missing the Guzzi 1100 so I went looking for another Guzzi! Well sure enough I found a great deal on a 2014 Moto Guzzi California Custom 1400 our local Kijji sales web site, seller was now 80 years old and could not ride anymore, he purchased the bike brand new and yada yada so I purchased it. It has all the flavour I liked in the Cali 1100 and even more HP and a Torque curve as flat as a table top, just gob's of torque and dead smooth power band, the engine is a jewel! The big mill cranks out 96 ponies at 6,500 rpm, not bad for a V-twin, but the real news is in the torque numbers. At a mere 2,750 rpm, it generates 87 pound-feet of torque that it maintains right up to near redline. That is power you will definitely feel in the seat of your pants, and it delivers as the bike is not that heavy making it more than a match for off the line events with Harleys or other cursers, even my buddies 1996 FJ1200 can't shake me off his back side off the lights and down the highway! Build quality is amazing as well. Anyway there is my two cents on the Moto Guzzi's. More info on the 1400 Guzzi; www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/moto%20guzzi/moto_guzzi_california_1400.htm My current bikes from oldest to newest; 1970 Honda CT70, 1973 Honda XL350, 3x 1977 Yamaha DT400, 1982 Yamaha XT550J, 1984 Yamaha XJ750RL, 2004 Moto Guzzi California Stone 1100, 2014 Moto Guzzi California Custom 1400, 2016 BMW R1200RT, 2019 Kawasaki z900rs Café Eddie Lawson edition, 2020 Honda Africa Twin CRF1100
Only bikes mentioned that had me going...Huh?!?!? were the mentions of the Virago and the Vulcan. They are both beautiful AND reliable as a motorcycle gets. Their popularity and longevity prove this out.
I rather hear somebody’s worst motorcycle list, from someone who has actually ridden the bikes instead of someone who probably hasn’t ridden many or any of them.
I am sorry but I drove a Virago XV1100 for 8 years and more than 60.000 Km WITHOUT any trouble, not even an oilleak. So, or I was lucky or they unlucky.
Put 125,000 km on my Virago 1100 with basic maintenance and a clutch pack at 85,000 and that's it. The engine was a bulletproof torque monster. I put stickies on it and the few Harleys I couldn't outrun disappeared in the mirrors on the corners. It danced. I had no problem with the looks and it had its share of pretty girls on the seat behind me so it couldn't have been that bad and on a five foot wheelbase it was extremely nimble. You seem to be using Harleys as a sort of benchmark which is hilarious imho.
I owned a 1997 Virago 1100XS. I drove it for six or seven years without any issues whatsoever. I found it very similar in performance, handling and sound to my 1973 Triumph Bonneville T120R.
Love my R1200c. At the time I bought it I was trying to decide between it and a Softail Springer . Salesman at the Harley Dealer called me a RUB since I went there in a suit after work. Made my decision for the R1200c easy. I dig that retro look. Bought mine brand new in 01 for .07% financing. Still have it. Still ride it. Never let me down. Bike was way ahead of its time when you look at the suspension and braking. Yes, I would like more hp but it's a torque monster. Great bike to cruise all day on the highway. I also love the fact that it looks like nothing else out there. Till this day I get comiments no matter where I go with. Great video bro.
I ride an 01 R1200c Phoenix. Living in the southwest I have the ability to ride year round and avidly do so. The bike handles beautifully with its low center of gravity and feels to me powerful enough. I don't expect it to accelerate like a crotch rocket. I love the feeling of power flow it provides. It reminds me somewhat of the old Norton 850 Commando.
I have a 2004 r1200c. It's got enough power for me. It's got a nice power band 60-90mph. I did see another video where the owner put mods from a gs bike and got 100hp out of it. Keeping 61hp keeps the engine cooler than forcing more power out of it.
Never owned a Virago, but always liked their take on the "Motor Company's" theme. Especially when the gold rims & ornaments were added. A lasting tribute to the conspicuous spending of the 80's! They did backfire quite a bit. I also enjoyed the first Honda 1100 Shadows, owning a 1986. It was a different looking cruiser, much like the Virago. It was was bullet proof with hydraulic valve adjusters and shaft drive. Put over 75,000 trouble free miles before selling it to purchase my first Harley in 2004. One MC that was actually a good MC, but just so sterile in appearance & performance was the Honda PCH. A friend of mine and I test rode them when they were first introduced. It was absolutely the most bland MC we'd ever ridden.
Yes you nailed it with the Honda Pacific Coast Highway. It might have been decent from a longevity standpoint but it reminded me of a woman who was quite attractive but had this great big booty to always haul around. Sorry to all Fat Bottomed Girls that the band Queen seemed to have a penchant for but the Honda Pacific Highway aka the PCH isn't something I found to be particularly attractive with it's oversized rear end. Each to their own of course whether it be motorcycles or women.
I owned the R1200C for a while. People seem to have a love/hate POV on the aesthetic. However, it was featured in the Guggenheim's "Art of the Motorcycle" and of course was featured in James Bond: Tomorrow Never Dies. In terms of ownership it was very comfortable and as unorthodox as it looked, was super pragmatic. Heated grips, removeable bags, great riding position. Also, horsepower-schmorsepower. Tons of great bikes have lower hp to weight ratios but are brilliant. I've had very fast motorcycles too, like many of you and while the R1200C was no race-winner, it terms of performance it was sort of the Toyota Camry of motorcycles. Finally, just search for one and you'll find the resale is holding up nicely.
I loved the 535 Virago. It handled well , was comfortable and great fun to ride. once when travelling home from Germany I met some Dude in a B.MW motorcar who claimed to have overtaken me five times.
10:20 Personally I think that 1981 Yamaha Virago 750 is one of the best-looking 750s ever built. My first bike was a new 1978 Harley Davidson FXS 1200 Low Rider. The dealer recommended it as a good bike for a beginner since it had such a low seat. I traded it in for a new 1980 Honda Goldwing. Then I bought a second new Honda Goldwing in 1985. I bought a third new Goldwing in 1990. In 2018 I was in a car accident and sold all three of the Goldwings because of medical bills. If I had know back in 1978 how much nicer Japanese bikes were than Harley bikes my first bike would have probably been a new 1978 Yamaha XS 750SE Special.
I remember on summer holidays in Spain that the little Virago 535s were absolutely everywhere during the late 80s and into the 90s. Still a lot around now. They hit a sweet spot in the market, and that’s for sure!!
Completely wrong with the Kawasaki Eliminator. I owned one, bought used in the early 90's. Got a good many compliments on that bike and it was a great runner. I'd gladly buy another if I could find one in good shape and low miles. You obviously missed the point on that bike.
I used to hate how the 999 looked, nowadays every time I see one it turns my head, I think it's aged unbelievably well .I'm willing to admit that although it was a big visual change at the time, I didn't give it the chance it deseved, it's actually quite a beautiful bike. EDIT: You forgot the Virago came in a 250cc model lol, all the same looks with 1/3 of the capacity.
@Biker I somewhat agree in principle, but I have ridden some 250cc and smaller bikes and feel like that's very situational. I'm a big guy and on highways or open country roads it can be legitimately difficult to keep up with traffic, let alone get away from it, on bikes like that. Maybe I'm not seeing the beginner perspective these days but I think most people could easily handle one of the gently tuned 400s and would be safer on the road.
Well off beam with the Virago. I had one with wire wheels that transformed the look of the bike. The brakes weren't exactly sharp, but the rest of the machine was excellent. I rode it as a commuter bike every day on a 120-mile round trip and it never failed me, in any weather. Sure do miss her.
Funny enough, I love the R1200c. I love the looks. I did upgrade it to at 6 speed from an R1200RTP, and modified the intake from the same bike. I transferred the guts of the transmission over, so now it is a 6 speed, on that high ratio rear end, with the extra 6th gear. The high ratio rear end takes away from the initial speed, but the bump in Hp from 60 to the 92 advertised on the RTP is really fun. ❤
I got a 2004 r1200c at the end of 2022. It's been a great bike. It's the most comfortable bike I've ever had. The engine purs around 3,500 rpm at 80mph. The back seat folds up into a backrest for the driver.
i bought my R1200c new in 98 and still ride it daily at 64 years old , handles great and if you take care of maintenance has never stranded me except 1 flat tire in 25 years.
You are right on so many but, like so many people said in these comments, the VIRAGO doesn't deserve it. It's way better than the American cruiser designs. Lots of torque, really reliable. People are STILL buying them. I have 3 friends with them. Yamaha made many way worse bikes. And the Eliminator was sooooo cool. It was a giant middle finger to the Honda V65 magna and just a straight up drag bike
I have a 2006 Kawasaki Vulcan 900 classic. I just turned 70,000 miles on it a couple day's ago. No engine work has been done on it so far. Very well balanced for me and I've ridden in multiple States with it. I'm hoping it will last another 30,000 miles.
@@tedb7402, I completely agree.. Reliable, easy to maintain, easy to drive, long lasting, not expensive, not small and looks really nice! What more could you ask for from a motorcycle? There is probably a reason why it has been produced for so long and unchanged🙂
Come on the Virago??? The Virago was the best and reliable Japanese Cruiser. I own one myself with a 125 VTwin and my neighbor got a 535 that i am going to buy next. Yeah the 750 and 1100 are kinda ugly but the 125, 250 and 535 are true beautys, you cant lie about that.
Total miss on the 1100 Virago , learned to ride in 1991 on a jet black Virago after a couple of years moved on to other bikes but in 2001 came back to that engine with the XV 1100 Classic what a machine!
Wow, there must be something wrong with me. My 2 favorite bikes was the Verago and the ‘71 triumph tiger. My ‘71 tiger was a single carbed Bonneville and one of the coolest bikes I ever owned
Finally got around to watching this video! Always enjoy your stuff... I raced a TM400 back in the day. I didn't realized how death defying I was. The first ride out behind the shop I worked for we had a little test track. Going about 40 MPH across some whoops I got a full lock tank slapper. I slowed down with no damage but Wow. It was also the loudest bike among all the open expansion chambers in the world in use back then. 130 or 135 DB I think. Louder than a jet taking off... When anybody would complain about I would say "WHAT?" I had a sponsored ride so we made it work... Wider handlebars, inch shorter Curnutt shocks on the rear and a Basani low pipe for a somewhat different powerband. Nobody other than Maico was really making anything in the open class that would handle anyhow and that thing would fly when opened up... I was a big fish in a small pond but I won a lot of races on the old girl. I raced open class in a state series after a while and could get top 10 every once in a while out of a slew of riders. Those were the days, my friend, raw horsepower, loud pipes and no fear...
I loved the Virago. Didn't get one but I did get a 650 yamaha special. Great little bike. Bikes came complete with tach and self canceling turn signals back then.
X2 on the self cancelling turn signals!! I just don't understand the bike companies dropping that option. Merc switch, perhaps?? I had an 81 650 Special in silver for my first bike. Paid 400 bucks for it back in 87. Great first bike, and will always looks back fondly on it. The Virago was in line to be bike #2, but an 83 CB650SC Nighthawk stole my heart instead.
I really loved my 920 Virago, had to fix ignition issues in the wet & starter bolts that would twist. But reliable as a hammer, clean shaft drive & easy to tune and balance. Some possible entrants: Honda PC800 Pacific Coast / Kawasaki Concours14 ABS / Suzuki 380GT
My favorite is the YamahaXS 650. I don’t know why but you could have a lot of fun with them. Trackers, Bobbers 325 lb widowmakers with a 750 kit. And they were great to put on the center stand in neutral and rev them up and down and have kickstand races from the vibrations, I think with a little more should I say focus on the female market and the correct seating arrangement it could have been a really great idea!
I saw someone who'd stuck a XS650 engine in a plunger suspension BSA frame. The rear wheel spindle had snapped. Somehow the guy had NOT shat himself & didn't throw it down the road either. The OE XS650 was said to handle badly. Imagine a XS650 engine in a Nickel-plated Metisse frame.
Gordon here I owned & droved 3 XS 650 and they were super fast 145 mph and nobody could touch me in a drag race or even in in quarter mile in its day them bikes super pleased me and then I went on the 750 Virago a super cruiser it took me everywhere without breaking down like oil leaking gas gushing crap hardly ride LMAO passed more of them on the highways with my 750 Virago than I could believe. And still got it 1986 750 Virago and NOT for sale. Cause it is MINE. Old reliable Old faithful . Then road never ends. 70 years old here . Bought that bike 1986 when it a new old stock and STILL going.
@@Gortok1 I put a Ford truck alternator on with a belt and I welded trusses on mine changed the front fork rake a degree and internally balanced it as a 750 ported the intake and welded a floor in the exhaust. I got it to 138 in the 1/4. Oh and I put Virago intakes in from a 920 and closed the sides of the chamber for some quench. 72 hp on a dyno at the rear wheel. Are you one of those guys who likes to ride with your rear in the air? Men aren’t very aerodynamic, women on the other hand generally are like one of the spoilers that lift when you twist the throttle.my xs2 was the bike I have ever ridden. Did I modify it? Yes. That is how you bond with your bike or car. Also if you hand an Alternator and belt, make sure you have the same weight on both forks and a steel fork brace. Mine was 375 lbs on coilovers with a steel pipe welded as a stability control. To learn to ride is to learn to design and build. The XS2 was the best of 72-84.
That BMW was ridden by Pierce Brosnan as 007; that's enough reason for me to like it, and probably it was for the other 30000 buyers who watched the film too.
I had 81 Virago 750, it was a fun bike with a top seed of about 85 even after the jer dine slip-ons, it handled ok but you could feel a wobble from the frame flexing when hitting a bump in a corner and crossing the centerline to pass you felt the frame flex with the change of pavement angle. I ended up getting rid of it due to the endless starting issues it had as the internally mounted starter bendix was mounted in rubber. Then about a year after that some aftermarket company came out with a fix for it but It was then a part of my history. I enjoyed it while I had it and moved on to something bigger.
Yeah, The Virago was the only bike I've ever had in my shop where a worn out starter drive would total out the bike. It literally cost more to fix it than to buy another one!
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So the Kawasaki I am not going to say what I say here is 100% accurate but there are some connections. Kawasaki's first effort into the cruiser market came in 1980 with the 440 LTD that went until 84 from 85 to 90 the bike became the 454LTD which was the Kawasaki Ninja 900 (908cid) four-cylinder with two cylinders cut off. ( I am a Honda person but the 454LTD is a bucket list bike for me) The 454 in 1991 became the Vulcan which is in my opinion a shit bike! A friend of mine had one with the plastic or nylon gear, I think it was an oil pump gear? There was a silent recall on it and only a fraction of the bikes ever got fixed and all this happened because Kawasaki wanted to save a few cents per bike and use a plastic or nylon gear deep in the motor (that required splitting the case to replace) instead of steel?!
I digress ,The point, the eliminator was the Ninja motor without taking two cylinders like the 454LTD did and I think that is the connection they figured it worked for the 454LTD so lets do it again but not cut the motor in half? Also the eliminator was more of a naked bike in my opinion along the lines of the Honda V65 (which was the fastest production motorcycle of that time period) I do not dislike the Eliminator although to me it looks someone elongated it and does look weird?
The yamaha Virago was not a bad bike it had the same styling as the Kawasaki 454LTD or the Yamaha 650special, I would say in that time period the seca 550 was a worse bike it was a sports bike at a time when that meant no suspension, and I mean no suspension, it looked good but rode like shit and the front end would wooooobbbbblllllee really bad under heavy breaking.
I rode both the Kaws you have it backwards.
@@stewart8127 how so?
@@engir63 Vulcan slow
@@stewart8127 I never said the Vulcan was slow I said it was or is a shit bike and gave the company a image of being unreliable that in Central America where I am continues to this day.
I did, however, make a mistake in that I thought the two years of production for the eliminator was around 87-88 it was not it came out 85-86 so the connection to the 454 is not really there as I surmised, because the 454 came out the same year.
In 91 when the Vulcan line started, in America some dealerships actually put LTD emblems on them to sell them so they were called "Kawasaki Vulcan 500 LTD" in some areas of the country.
Under the circumstances, I am not sure the bike is as bad as we all think? I think it was Kawasaki cutting corners to save a buck like the plastic or nylon gear I spoke about that made the bike a problem child. It is not a bad design, it is actually a really good looking cruiser but the penny pinching of Kawasaki has tarnished the bike not the bike itself persay.
This is not a list of bad bikes, but a list of bikes this guy just doesn't "get". The Virago was yamaha's cash cow in the 1980s and it's reliability is legendary.
I agree with you.
If you have the patience, I posted a rather long reply with my experiences from various dealer workshops and ownership of various bikes in the last 55 years.
I only watch these video's to point out where he's wrong or totally wrong
Yep!
And if the Virago is ugly it's because it was "meant to look American".
my favorite of my bike was a Road star I've owned two
Agreed, this guy is a clown!
Agreed I owned 2 virago a 700 an 1100 still have my 1100
Bought a factory new 1983 Virago in 1985. It was shaft drive and cruised really well. One of my favorite bikes. Only sold it because I was raising my kids alone and needed the money. Edited to not confuse trolls.
A good bike is one that makes you feel good. Nothing else matters.
Two wheel therapy! It worked. I did that too with a 1997 Buell S1 Lightning. Incredible what riding can do for one's soul. 😊
Jesus man, that almost put a lump in my throat!
One of the best things I've read on TH-cam.
I had a virago 1100 and it was a total solid rock of reliability and was fine. The transmission wined on decel - for 12 years with no problems. A bit buck toothed but I came to like that too. Saved my sanity at the time like a Labrador.
I liked my 750 Virago. I considered it an updated Vincent and tricked out the Virago with black everything accordingly.
I later traded it for a barely street legal FZR 750R which gave me backaches but was really fast and a head-turner.
"Worst" is not a aesthetic exercise.... Worst - means the poorest reliability , the most recalls, the worst safety record. It means bikes that never sold and were killed in a single year. It means bikes that killed companies, or result in major financial losses.
At times this gentleman appears to define “worst” according to matters of safety, design (ergonomics), and mechanical integrity.
Those are the definitions I can agree with.
When “worst” happens to be based on aesthetics and ‘cool appeal’, however, he’s lost me. Each of us can recall those less-than-cool automobiles and bikes that were extremely reliable, and never broke down, and those extremely popular and “sexy” ones which spent more time in the garage than on the motorways.
In my area, during the 1970s, every teenager wanted a Honda CB350. They might not have been as cool as some of the other bikes, but these “plain Janes” were freaking reliable and fun to ride.
As this video is said to be done in the spirit of fun, I take it as such, and won’t use it as a major buying (or riding) guide.
@@harrybrooks8514 low profit=bad
@@harrybrooks8514 His whole gripe about bmw was its looks. HP also has nothing to do with "worst", by that logic 80-90% of bikes can be classified as crap. Quality-wise, nothing about that bike was bad. And no, I don't own one.
Well that's your opinion. See how opinions work?
No no. It means "I think it's funny looking."
Considering how many viragos Yamaha sold and how many years they built them and how great a bike they really were and you picked it as the worst bike they made really is a compliment to Yamaha in general
Smooth, faster than i wanted it to be... Truly ahead of its time.
This guy airs himself as an expert when he makes glaring mistakes all the time
to me the appeal of virago is like the katana, it's so ugly yet so appealing
The Virago might have been a good bike, i wouldn't know, but my god it was ugly.
It's not the most beautiful bike for sure, but it's such a comfy bike to ride, and sounds great.
Haha! The Virago…. Ran forever, inexpensive, kept up to, or outran a huge portion of other bikes of its day, handled and cornered quite respectably … Yamaha must have done awesome, if it’s the worst!
This video is basically sewer level content
true
@@MybeautifulandamazingPrincess EXactly
I used a 96 Virago, as a commuter bike in L A. for many years.
Put 84,000 miles on it, and never did anything but maintenance to it.
Reliable, comfortable and decent handling bike.
Great bikes!
I love Virago !
Yes I had a 1994 Virago 750 got it in 2000 sold in 2018 always looked terrific . I wish now I had kept it it was a great cruiser only let me down once a minor wiring issue caused by original owner.
The first bike I learned on was a 1984 yamaha virago XV700 that I bought for $1100. Since then, 4 motorcycles later, the virago will always start when I want it to, it will always ride well and I have not put more than $150 into repairs for it. Oil change, new battery and fork seals. I could romp on it endlessly, pin the throttle at full down the highway (85mph), lean it to kingdom come, it has been the most impressive bike ever, especially for being almost 40 years old. Y'know what you really did by making this video? You brought a family of Virago owners together again.
I wish I still had mine
I learned to ride on a Triumph 650. Took my biggest leap ever, 7 to 10 ft in the air, from jumping a center curb, on my first solo. No oncoming traffic. I did better the second time. That bike handled so sweet. At ANY angle. When I had learned to ride.
I had the same bike back in the day ('85 model year). other than the engine assembly being the "frame" of the bike and me waiting for it to fold crossing train tracks or crack the blocks, I loved that bike. wannabee looks were badass, too
Every Japanese manufacturer makes bulletproof bikes, but Yamaha makes bombproof bikes.
He didn’t say it wasn’t a good runner. It is just hideous, I can’t argue that.
I honestly love the Virago. It was actually my first bike and what got me in to building custom cruisers, so maybe I'm a bit biased, but the fact is they are incredibly cheap bikes that you don't have to be afraid to cut and weld to make whatever you want it to be
Probably the best looking of the bikes in this video
So, the main thing you judge are still looks. It's clear you have not own nor ridden most of the bikes you judge.
"This one looks just weird to me -giggles like a kid-"
This guy knows nothing about motorcycles or the history of motorcycles. Every video of his that I have seen has glaring inaccuracies that lead me to believe that he might not have ever even ridden a motorcycle during and he spends about five minutes poorly researching the topics.
This guy should be practising “do you want fries with that” as he is clearly way dumb
@@thegrinch7989 what's a better youtube channel for stuff like this?
@@brianwarner308 barebonesmc
The Virago still looks good to me. I owned the 1981 750cc version, which was my introduction to motorcycling. Loved the bike. Had to sell it to pay rent in 2003 during graduate school, but got the 1993 750cc version in 2004, and I still own it. The Virago was made for a long time, and its style is still evident in the V-Star 250. The Viragos (loud, overbearing women) have a reputation for anvil-level reliability, and they're fairly easy to work on. Their performance was competitive relative to the later V-Stars. They don't leak oil in my experience. That old Yamaha ad is awesome, and women today still dig the bike, but hey, to each his own.
I had an 81 920 Virago. Loved the bike, thought it was a great looking and great riding bike
@@michaelfeucht1911 I'd like to find one.
The XV920R was the one I wanted and never got. Chain driven with the chain in an enclosed case, mono-shock, narrow, torquey but smooth and handled like dream. They never caught on because so many buyers wanted more 'choppery' looking bikes. '81 and '82s were all there were.
Yes, like a lot of folk here I found the Virago a particularly nice looking cruiser. Mine was a 1995 1100. It ticked all the boxes. It was comfortable for both myself and my wife. It look amazing amongst the more modern bikes on the cafe runs. The original two tone paintwork was awesome. It was reliable, easy to maintain and cheap to purchase.
I don't like the look of most Harleys. I much prefer an old Norton or something of that nature, but the Virago was a beautiful looking machine. The features it was accentuating took the aesthetics a step further than the bikes it was inspired by.
Well done Yamaha!
And the Virago XV 535 is basically a 90's wet dream. I don't get why its bad...The only bad bit was the tiny fuel tank and aftermarket had that covered.
Yup...best looking V-Twin of all time.
A Virago looks like a Chinese knock-off of a Harley that's been rear-ended and shortened 2 foot. It maybe a nice "cheap" bike, but it doesn't look good.?
@@mickb4691 Yes. A perfect case of beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Most Harley's to me look clunky and awkward with the exception of the VRod, which is a long way away from the traditional conception.
I do remember the time when Japanese machines were considered cheap knock offs of established brands and appreciate the disgust that we had towards them for that reason. I doubt Chinese machines will gain the kind of respect Japanese ones have but time will tell.
Virago and the Eliminator were the worst? Oh boy. I guess you just had to be there...
on my sixth Guzzi ! from 1978 Spada 1001 to latest V7 . Superb bikes , reliable , big mileages and a distinctive ride . Hand built in the original factory for a 100 years. This guy is taking out of his rear
I have a 900 Eliminator I bought brand new in high school and still have, with almost 160,000 kms (100,000 miles) on it! I love it, it still gets looks every time I have it out, and had many offers to buy it over the years! It's not meant to be the same as a V-Max. It's an all out drag bike on the street!
The Virago handles fantastic for a cruiser. Enough ground clearance to make tight turns yet thin enough to slip through lines of traffic. It's a damn shame modern cruisers don't adopt the shaft drive as it makes the virago as resilient as a cockroach (even if some would say it shares the likeness of one as well). Despite having ridden several cruisers since my Virago, none have impressed me nearly as much. Keep up on your maintenance and this bike'll outlive you
45thousand km on the engine still starts first press. still has all the power it needs and has not let me down yet. virago 535 and up are great motorbikes.
My '86 xv1100 needs tires and oil changes, that is pretty much it. I've had it for 20 years now. It runs great. Starts right up.
Love my 95 750 Virago after swapping to a more conventional handle bar
Shaft drive is a think I like about my 1983 Honda Shadow 750, also I would love to try out a 1985 Kawasaki Eliminator 750 which also has shaft drive, I think. 13:09
Despite the Virago 1100 being the bike of my dreams in my teens, today I agree it's one of the ugliest bikes ever, but the engineering is great, and the engine looks great, so it's the perfect base for a custom.
I've seen some really good looking Virago Bobbers. Lots of bike for dirt cheap.
Caviat: The small Virago 250 is actually the best looking and sounding of them all. I kinda want one for the small curvy roads around here.
I owned a burgundy 1989 Virago 1100 when I lived in Austin, Texas and loved it. Of the dozen or so bikes I've owned, it was my favorite street bike. By 1989 the look had been refined, the shaft drive was low-maintenance and bulletproof, the power was smooth and linear, it dripped with chrome, and the Corbin seat I put on it made it comfortable to ride two-up all day. I got constant comments on how great it looked and even had girls I didn't know climb on behind me at the stoplights on Austin's 6th Street asking for rides (no, not THAT kind of girls), so I have no idea where that appearance criticism comes from, especially regarding the final design. When I sold it a guy from Mesa drove several hours to Austin and paid me more than book for it. I only sold it because the Air Force sent me to Alaska and I couldn't move all of my toys. The bike was out of production when I arrived in Alaska regretting my decision, so I bought a 2004 HD 1200XL Sportster in the same color and added the Corbin seat in a futile attempt to duplicate my Virago. While my Sportster with the Screaming Eagle package was quicker and faster, the range sucked, it would beat your tailbone into submission on all but the smoothest roads, and if I want raw butt-puckering power I just throw my leg over my Commander-tuned ZX-14R and avoid the bright light at the end of the tunnel with grandma and Elvis. Outside of power, the Virago was a better bike than the Sportster in every aspect, and I never had a complaint about the Virago's ability to accelerate into and through heavy traffic even with another adult on the back.
Ouff my heart! As a Yamaha Virago XV535 owner this hurts because I think my little Virago is a fantastic looking little bike and as a first bike it was a fantastic choice! It goes and handles surprisingly well! The V-twin sounds incredible as well! I can't recommend it enough!
I agree with you, the bigger viragos were not so pretty though; just my opinion, I ride a 1100 V star
@@jean-claudemoledo1488 It depends, they look a lot more bulky and also they look a bit too short for my eyes. To me, the Virago 250 looks best actually hahah
The 535s and 250s look alright
I had a 535 I rode from Nevada to Indiana, met up with a cousin who had an old Guzzi, and we rode together(on our own bikes), back to Nevada via the longer southern route. That little bike was bulletproof the entire trip, and wasn’t really uncomfortable to cruise on at highway speeds. I think all of the Viragos were well engineered, and that their looks are completely subjective.
The first bike I ever rode was a 535 virago.
Interesting so many of us here love our Virago's. I am on #3, not because of reliability but waited until I could get a very low klm XV1100 (1997)Black Special (spoked Rims and other minor enhancements). Still has only 18,000 Klms on it, has a load of torque and power and to me still looks amazing, and reliable. Started in the late 70's with the Honda 750 Four then the Kwaka 9, and a few years back a Honda Firestorm VTR1000, great bike but I knew it had to go before I killed myself, so the XV1100 remains, truly fantastic bike and looks. So don't know what this reviewer see's as bad....
I think this guy just doesnt like cruisers
frr
I had a R1200C. I completely disassemed it, tricked it out, two-tone paint, custom seat. It was comfortable, handled well, and (despite your claims) sufficiently powered. And it fit me well since I'm only 5' 6" many ikes don't. I really liked it, no one else had one, and it sold instantly for a good profit.
I had the same experience. Great bike
gotta say, the Kawi Eliminator was not about being a cruiser or a sport bike. It was an homage to Kawi's absolute dominance on the quarter mile in that era. It was structured just like any period drag bike, but with all the weight that comes with being on the street. I get what it represented, and respect it, and it was NEVER meant to be accepted by either cruiser or sportbike guys. It was all about the light-tree.
Exactly right it was a drag bike for the street. I had one when I was in the US Army stationed in Ft. Hood Texas. The only thing that could consistently beat me in the 1/4 mile was a V65 Magna my friend had.
Amen brother. love the eliminators.
The existence of the Eliminator that has this guy so confused can be explained with one word: V-max. Yamaha radically tuned up their big touring bike motor and shoved it in a cruiser frame to make one of the most iconic '80s bikes ever. Honda took their exotic sport V4 and did the same with the Magna. Kawasaki didn't have a V4, but they did have one of the other iconic '80s bikes, the Ninja 900 (i.e. "Maverick's" bike in Top Gun), so they used that motor to make their power cruiser. It's anyone's guess what Suzuki was thinking with the Madura. And yes, Kawasaki had the drag chops to back their bike up, even if it never got as popular as the V-max or Magna.
I had a zl900 neat bike. Big downfall was the 3 gallon tank. At 32 mpg filled up every day at the same gas station on 60 mile round trip commute to work everyday.
I've had a few of these listed 🏍 bike's, a 1000 Eliminator, a worked over v65 Sabre, and a 75 Z1/900e, and a XS1100cc Yami Venture royal convertible from a highway cruiser to a muscle bike by removing the fairings and luggage 🧳!..from Wyoming USA 🇺🇸 👋🤠
Not liking the Yamaha virago shows that you have no taste at all,,, I am absolutely shocked that you would say they were trying to look like American bikes.... The Yamaha virago is what every American bike wishes it was..
I own 2 of the bikes on this list! LMFAO
BMW R1200C, One of the most planted and best handling cruisers I've ever ridden in my 32 years on 2 wheels. The telelever front end is superb and I can't believe more companies don't use it. The looks are 100% unique and those of us who love it, bought it for that reason. It's original, it doesn't look like anything else. That's the point! Also the R1200C was one of four BMW motorcycles in The Art of the Motorcycle exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City in 1998.... and it was in a James Bond movie.
The Yamaha Virago: This was the bike that made Harley go around and lobby congress to literally change importation laws and taxes in the US on Japanese imports. This was the bike that scared the sh*t out of Harley AMF because it was borrowing from their V-Twin design, but doing it in a better way. That fact alone makes it cool. Then you add the bullet proof engines and overall good performance for a bike from the era. The Gen 2 Viragos are my favorite. In fact my 1997 750 gets more attention when I am out on it than any other bike I have ever owned, especially from the ladies. I am still shocked every time a beautiful woman comes to say " I really like your bike" because I pair $800 for the thing.
In 1998 I rode from Boston to NYC on my Kawasaki Concours and spent 4 days straight at that amazing "Art of the Motorcycle" exhibition. Just such an awesome show. So cool how the bikes were all displayed on that spiral ramp going up the inside. I especially remember a totally bare aluminum 60s Ducati. Gorgeous.
I paid out $100 for the huge hardbound book that they produced with pictures of every bike in the show,. Sadly, it was destroyed in a later basement flood.
The first time I saw the telelever suspension system on the internet, I thought it was genius, I mean we're talking about mass production motorcycles, besides, from engineering standpoint, I always respect any company who dare to came up with different idea.
Great comment.
It wasn't the Virago that changed the tax, but the Honda Magna. I own one and I understand why. It's a cruiser with a 750cc engine that puts out 86hp. Harley was nowhere near those numbers.
I have one of the royal enfield classic 500s mentioned. the appeal for me was the bike made me think "how can that be sold still today?". it was completely anachronistic in a world of lean angle ABS and anti-wheelie launch control
It looks old, sounds very old, and performs old. It shakes more than a Harley and gets outpaced by smart cars. I love it
taking off from a standstill is a whirlwind of noise, vibration, drama and clunky gear changes and it makes me smile every single day because of it. it's also very comfortable which is nice, those sprung saddles are fantastic and should return on modern bikes imo
Your description reminds me of a 1948 sprung hub 500 single triumph. Same seat as yours to .i had a lot of fun on that bike .i was really involved every second of the ride unlike any other bike i ever owned .it was like rideing a horse.you feel a part of the experience . I miss that bike to this day
I drove one when in India, and I have to say that I liked it. It was like a brand new vintage bike. Not a vintage looking bike, but actually vintage. But then again I like vintage stuff, as well as new.
Could not agree more with your post... just bought two RE's this year... new Classic 350 and a 650 Interceptor. Though these two bikes are modern and do not have the vibrations of the Classic 500, they do still retain that odd, inexplicable appeal that is impossible to put into words. Somehow that company figured out some weird mix of cycle voo doo... whatever the hell it is... I dig it and in a way that no other bikes even come close...
Well said!
Awesome take on the RE
I actually gasped when you said "Virago"! Blasphemer!
I love my Virago! It was extremely comfortable, easy to ride, and I liked the look. I think they were under rated. : )
Yeah, I don't get it - "ugly"? I get compliments on my Virago (xv1100) all the time. I didn't like the design before 1985 much but '85-'99 (I think '99 was the last year for the bigger model) are pretty cool. I especially like the 535.
@@jerrybriardy Mine was a 1986 700cc, and I got compliments on it often! Of course, being so old, I spent a lot of time fixing it too. But the bike looked good!
Only real issue with the Virago's was the starter system.
@@jerrybriardy XV535 had weird design with frame being used as part of the intake system.
Yamaha originally gave 12 hours for carb work as 'they' said you needed to almost remove engine to get carbs out.
It didn't take me long to figure out a 30 minute 'fix' for carb removal.
Shop made a 'killing' on warranty work until 'we' put in a claim for doing 8 bikes in one day so they sent someone to see how it was possible (it wasn't fraud, just a bit of thinking) the Allen head bolts holding manifolds to head get removed, the tubes connecting to frame slid down and carbs slide right out. Next service bulletin, revised time and procedure.
Yamaha never gave me a penny for saving them thousands though (Honda never recognised the work I did on CB/CJ250/360 fixing their engineering disaster either)
Maybe this guy thought the Virago was ugly, but I had an '83 500 cc that cagers would roll down their windows at stop lights to make admiring comments. I was 19. It was a chick magnet. Loved the shaft drive! No idea why the guy called them ugly. Those would have been fighting words to me back in the day!
I personally liked the Virago. It must be a generational thing. And it turns out those old Virago's make incredible looking café racer conversions. The only bike of that type from that era that I think had a better aesthetic was the original Suzuki Intruder 700.
I have a 2002 535 Virago. I don't have anything bad to say about it. The worst yamaha in my opinion is the Niken GT
In Europre there was a "Euro-Tourer" version of the 1st gen XV series called the TR1. It had BMW-ish styling, but bizarrely adopted an enclosed chain final drive instead of a shaft. This did, however, make it _much_ easier to put the engine into serious custome bikes, and I suspect that's where most of them ended up. There was a 1950/60s tradition in the UK of putting a TRiumph engine (best engine) in a NorTON "Featherbed" frame (best frame) to make a "Triton", widely regarded as the ultimate cafe racer of the period. At least one builder in the '80s/'90s put a TR1 motor into a featherbed, painted it up in the classic style, and called it a "Tr1ton".
On the subject of jokey UK custom bike names, I remember another cafe racer with a Honda CB750 motor in a featherbed frame that was called a "NotOne", and a Harley-style frame & styling job with a CB750 motor that was called a "Honda-Davidson Pearl Harbour Special"...😈
The 650 Special and the Virago ARE Yamaha to me. Yeah, this is not a list of bad bikes, it's a list of bikes the author doesn't like. The Virago personified Yamaha in the late 80s/90s
Very interesting! I am British, and 72 years old so I saw the “Golden age” of British bikes come and go. Triumph were always in competition with BSA, and became the top sport bike when the Bonneville came out. BSA bikes were mainly sidecar luggers, the hard suspension and long wheelbase made them ideal for the post-war days when the average family could not afford a car, so the got a bike with a “pram” sidecar. The simple single 500 engine was serviceable at home so cheap to run. British Enfield was exclusively sidecar pullers, but a few special racers for the TT races did well. The British market was very sluggish untill the mid ‘60’s until the Italian scooters arrived and basically killed the smaller British motorbikes, and then Honda arrived with the Honda 50 and 90 with leading link suspension and leg sheilds and took over the “ride to work” market.
British bikes were popular in the early 50s so you mean from when you were a baby .
I'm just a few months younger and I think you nailed it.
I grew up in a British colony. In 1978 when I got my license I went to the Triumph dealership to ogle the beautiful Bonnevilles. I noticed that there were spots of new oil under ever display model. I accepted that as normal. Across the street I saw a guy parking his Yamaha XS 360 and it caught my eye. The owner of the Triumph dealership came up to me watching the guy and offered an venomous "Japanese sh***e. look at this tank" he said pointing to a Bonnie, "that's hand painted pin stripes!" Too late, that XS 360 looked so new and modern, and when I saw one in red and gold, I was smitten. Some months later I pulled in to the parking lot of the popular local hang out on my Red XS 360. He was there sitting on one of his Triumphs. I think he would have spit on my 360 if no one was looking. Eventually most of the crowd decided to make a run to the beach. As they drove or rode off, he started trying to kick start his shiny Triumph. Half an hour later he's practically undressed with his sweat soaked helmet and jacket on the wall, still kicking. Baruup, Baruup." He looked at me scowling. I could have been snarky and said something like "those are some amazing hand painted pin stripes on that tank." Instead I remained silent, hit the electric start button my Yamaha, and slowly cruised away. His bike was still there when I passed the place not much later.
One of my friends eventually bought a Bonneville from him. I rode the bike. It handled beautifully and those pin stripes looked great with the dated design. However, his oil leaking crankcase never got better. I think what killed British motorcycle and car brands was arrogance, and belief that tradition must never be questioned. When Lucas caused my Cortina to catch fire and burn, It was replaced by a Datsun that never broke for as long as I had it. Further, where I lived, price was never the deciding factor as there was not that much variation, cost of keeping the machinery running was. Even a Renault was a more reliable product than a Morris or Hillman.
Point of order Howard. Triumph had the top sport bike from 1954 when the Tiger T110 ruled the earth. The Bonneville is just a twin carb Tiger named in honour of the Tiger's land speed record achieved at the salt.
The modern Triumphs are great bikes. I have buddies with Bonneville and speed twins and they are great. I personally have a 2020 Rocket 3 R and I love that bike. Such a good looking bike and so much fun to ride. The British bikes are back in force!
I recently got my 92 Virago 1100cc. And it's honestly just great. I've read about older people's experiences with them lasting for years without much issue and I can honestly say it's a pretty comfortable and beautiful ride
It was too cramped for me and sold it shortly after I got it
Regarding the Ducati Diavel, Harley didn't invent the power cruiser market with the V-Rod or even with the Fat Boy. Yamaha did that when they built the V-Max to answer Honda's V65 Magna and the V-Max way overshot the mark.
My first bike was a Virago, never had a problem with it. It handled like a dream, and I thought it was beautiful, but I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder
I certainly don’t think they’re ugly. I got a 99 535 a month ago. I can’t say i love the look and it’s really a beater to me, but i find myself getting off sometimes and stopping to just look at it for a while
The original 1000 was two XT500 's.... I thought it was great and wanted one as I loved the XT500's... it had issues with carburation I recall.
@@averydavis4758 i have a 535 as well and it looks aweosme as a bobber i get complements and people looking at it all the time. everyone who has seen it says it looks awesome. this dude has no clue.
unless you want to be like this soyboy, I'd just ignore his soy advice on bikes. lispy
@@nottogood415 Yep. Zero sense of aesthetics! Had an '83 500 cc, and even cagers would admire her!
82 Virago 750 was my first bike. Put about 45k on that before upgrading. Lived through the starter issues, valve adjustments, and one cylinder sleeve that just started banging around inside the engine and dealt with the dual fuel petcocks. I had no choice but to polish my motorcycle mechanic game on that one. Have now owned a 1500 Vulcan A (with the 4 speed) and now a Vulcan 1600 nomad. Wife still has her 800 Intruder. Guess I am literally hitting on about all cylinders of "goofy bikes".
Put over 115k on the Vulcan A, and I am just under 90k now on the Nomad.
Maybe loving the quirky is just part of my personality.
Thank you for the list!
I would like to contribute to your assessment of Triumph. I owned a 1966 Bonneville that I purchased with low mileage in 1967. The first thing to go was the clutch. Never before had I lost a clutch on a motorcycle. The second thing to go was the main bearing. Triumph mechanics told me that these were common problems and that there was no reason to believe the previous owner or I had been negligent. So, my love affair with the Triumph lasted the best part of one season and included approximately 4000 miles (remember miles?). I sold it for a considerable loss as I was going back to school and couldn't afford to fix it. Today I look at Triumphs and have ridden a few. I find the power merely satisfactory and the looks could use some help. Mind you, if I could bend my 74 year old body around a Speed Triple 1200RR and reach the ground when on top of it, I might feel quite different
My all-time favorite bike was a 1990 Virago 1100. I still miss it. I wish I had pictures of how I changed it to fit me: forward controls, lowered seat, raised handlebars, changed mirrors, all the blinkers, a windscreen. I still miss that bike, everyone that saw it, loved it. Different strokes for............ Great video, thanks for sharing. 😎
I had a 1982 Virago 920 and now I have a 1996 Virago 1100. I thought the early 920 and 750 were nicely styled compared to the later models. The mechanicals were well designed and easy to service, except for the poorly designed starters in the first few years.
I have a 535, and it is a great machine.
I agree the stock design can seem a bit clunky depending on the angle you're looking at. Personally I'm not a big fan of the front appearance of the bike. But the profile is stunning imho.
Meh, to each their own I guess, but Viragos are a prime example of how bikes change from photo to real life.
I did not like them at first, but saw one live and I had to buy one!
I remember seeing that 920 while doing research for my 535.
I had a 920, and I freaking loved it.
i absolutely loved my virago,(1993 1100) and if they made one today id buy another, my issues werent with the crunchy sounding starter, my issues were with the charging system. i got mine because i had 2 friends with em, always gawked at them......anyways i got mine, and started hearing the warnings. they were right. at about 30-45k miles the stator will go out, the regulator goes first, overloading the stator, cooking off the laquer. anyways i heard that the replacement oem ones dont last, then i found it out, i was replacing both every 2500 miles. after asking around i hear the same thing about 3 out of 5 times, the problem is stator and regulator. i replaced 2 stators 3 regulators, and got rid of mine, but i really loved that bike, and wish they would update them, and make them again.......i had the chance to get another about 3 months ago was dead set, cash in hand, but once i saw it i remembered my aggrivation, and declined.
I had the 1100. Really regret losing it (hit by drunk driver outside my house) it was a fantastic bike after a few tweaks.
Enjoyed the video. I was sponsored by a Suzuki dealership in the early 70s for Motocross Racing. Rode the dreaded TM400 for 3 years. Won a lot of races on TM400s, so they can be raced competitively. I also broke my collar bone on a TM400 when it went into tank slappers under hard acceleration on a rough section of track. Fortunately, I picked up a MAICO sponsorship a year later and went from the worst, to maybe the best open class motocross bike every made.
I wouldn't say Moto Guzzi's are intrinsically unreliable, their electrics being perhaps the exception. They're very easy to maintain, even periodic valve clearance checks are straight forward. It's the lack of a wide coverage dealer network that's a liability to some. Their longitudinally mounted V-twin gives them a "soul" compared to other engine designs in owner's eyes.
In my experience with Guzzi, when they switched to Bosch electrics they were pretty reliable. The linked brake system probably saved hundreds of lives, particularly in USA where riders are 'taught' to use rear brake instead of front (probably a legacy from 1920's and dirt roads?)
"their electrics being perhaps the exception": Yes, the two most feared words in the motorcycle world.....MAGNETTI MARELLI !!! LOL
I agree completely. Yeah, some of the switch gear was horrible, and the early Marelli stuff was pretty poor, but super easy to work on and parts are relatively cheap and available- if you know where to look.
@@rixretros Yep, make LUCAS look ultra reliable. 😄😄
They went through a bad patch in the late '80s/early '90s, towards the end of the de Tomaso era, when "old man Alexandro" couldn't or wouldn't invest in the factory but wouldn't let it go either. Then he died and Piaggio took them over and everything started getting better. Me and my mate had both owned '70s Guzzis and loved them deeply, Italian Working Hours Electrics (stops at 3pm on Fridays and through all of August...) notwithstanding, but we both bought late de Tomaso bikes and got badly, BADLY bitten by them, especially me, since I was trying to use a 750SP for despatch riding, so my income depended on it. We both moved over to the air-head BMW world after that. I'd buy a modern Guzzi if I didn't have to depend on it for sole transport, but only if there was a dealer nearby, which there isn't (there used to be).
I have two Royal Enfields, a 500 Classic and an Interceptor, and whilst the Interceptor is a vastly more capable bike there's something really special about the 500. For cruising around at sub highway speeds it's hard to beat, with a super comfortable riding position and a lazy, torquey engine that encourages you to relax and just enjoy the ride. It's easy to ride and has amazing slow speed handling and fuel economy.
Some people just don't get it and I understand why, the stats don't make for pretty reading, but if you ever get a chance to ride one do it, it can change your ideas about what a motorcycle should be.
correct, here in India RE classics 350s are selling like hot cakes, they have aged well and RE have introduced 3-4 new bikes as well so classics are not the only ones they are selling
how reliable has the interceptor been?
@@Spartansrule118 I haven't had any problems with the Interceptor at all. Also many of these have been sold now over the last three or four years and I'm not aware of any serious issues surfacing in online discussions about the bike, so I think the record suggests it's a very reliable machine. I think it's a great package, it looks and sounds great, it has enough power, it handles really well, it's easy to service and maintain as long as you have some basic mechanical skill and it's a bit of a bargain for the price. There's a reason it has been so popular, it's a really nice bike.
@@Biggus63 thanks. i started riding this past summer (Canada) and i’m think of getting an interceptor as my 2nd bike and selling my Kawasaki ZZR250 in a season or so once i get more comfortable.
@@Spartansrule118 I think it's a good bike for a relatively new rider, it's in that 'Goldilocks' zone, enough power but not too fast, and the slipper clutch makes it very forgiving of less that perfect gear changes, in other words it's an easy bike to ride, probably easier than the bike you're riding at the moment in a lot of ways. I'd loved to have had one when I started riding, even at 59 years old now I reckon it's a great bike. Just don't buy one if you're uncomfortable talking to strangers because everyone wants to talk about it, I have the one with the chrome and red tank and I can't park it anywhere without people coming up wanting to have a chat about it.
I owned a 95 Yamaha Virago that thing took the most punishment ever and still kelp going it finally gave up a few years ago because the wiring went bad from sitting out side uncovered in Chicago winters
The Vrod didn’t start the power cruiser segment….the Vmax, V65 Magna and 1200 Madura were made in the 1980’s and started the Power Cruiser segment.
Yes indeed. The VMax was unreal.
Kawasaki Eliminator
Yes I own a Vmax 1700 and it is the original king of the road!!!
The v65 really was the beginning. What a crazy bike.
My experience with Moto Guzzi? Just put 2200 miles on my '08 Sport 1200 in a week. Ran perfectly, handles great, love that bike.
Moto Guzzi is probably the most reliable engine in this list. The engine was originally made to power an Italian Army Jeep type vehicle.
@@jamesadams2334 I Love my Guzzis.I own 8 of them and none of them ever gave me problems that weren't a simple fix.I'm glad they're not a bike for everyone,as I'd hate to see every other bike on the road a Guzzi.I like having something a little Unique.
@@cota2472000same here. Started with V85tt and now i have a small collection of 3 guzzi's :D
My Guzzi has class and I like it 😁
i always wanted to try out the 1200 sport or the breva 1100. I had a breva 750 and loved that bike was just a bit small for me.
248000 touring Australia on an 1100 Virago & compression 155 per cylinder, as it was leaving the factory. I've owned four of them.
I still have my 1995 XV1100 Virago. I have taken it everywhere with my wife sitting behind me. It has faced down a huge bull bison on the highway in North Dakota. It has been along the Canadian border, through Glacier National park along the road to the sun as well as down the west coast , up to the glacier on top of Mount Rainier, around Crater Lake, up to the giant Sequoia trees in California, through Yellowstone Park, to the top of Pikes Peak twice including once in the snow, to the top of Sandia Peak over looking Albuquerque, down the Texas gulf coast, down the Florida Keys and most recently we rode the rather unimpressive Dragon in Tennessee, plus every major destination in the Midwest. We have had many adventures on this bike including some that would rival a James Bond opening scene. It never missed a beat and I still ride it today on a regular basis. It may be a V-twin clone of a Harley but it is everything a Harley wanted to be at about a third of the price. I don't think that there was a better motorcycle made than the XV1100 Yamaha.
I think that BMW 1200s is beautiful. It's a cruiser, it doesn't have to be fast. It just looks cool.
I bought an R1200C in 2002.
I've had many other bikes during these years, including a 1200 GS ADV LC.
I really love this bike, like many other.
It has character.
It's not the fastest.
It's not the most comfortable.
It's not the most agile.
But the engine is sweet, it's brakes are very good, and the design is unique, modern look and classic heritage together.
Since it's appearance it's been said that "you love her or you hate her".
We love her. You hate it.
Long life to liberty.
I have the r1200c. I loved it from my childhood in 1999 when 1st time saw. It was wow. And now when Im aged I got one fiew years now. Love each time looking and driving with r1200c. Its one of the best in moto history
It may have had only 61 HP, but it did it at 5,000 RPM. I had a (tweaked) Road Star 1600cc that dynoed at 70 HP at 3900 RPM.
These torque monsters are the ultimate road burners. I used to ride the thing hundreds of miles a day and change gears maybe twice. Love them tractors.
Bought a 750 Virago cheap from a friend..he bought it used and kept it in great shape... didn't hate it...didn't love it..was a great commuter bike but to little/ light for long distance touring..got almost double what I paid for it on trade for a Honda VTX retro...love that bike..many comfortable trips, interesting experiences...
When I got my commuter bike I essentially had a choice between purchasing a '96 Virago XV 750 that ran (didn't run very well, had a tuning issue that stopped it at about 53 mph), or a non-running '81 Suzuki Gs-650L. Hardest choice I think I've ever made. I absolutely love the comfort and handling of the Virago, but the 650 despite having a smaller engine makes more power and torque as well as better fuel economy. Ended up getting the Suzuki, less comfy to ride and still gets blown about by the wind and trucks but I still think I made the right choice between those 2 specific bikes. If the Virago was in better shape and/or was an 1100 (heavier, more powerful and similar economy to the 750), I 100% would have sided with it instead.
The Virago 500 was my first motorcycle. At the time I thought it was an ugly bike, but only because there was no way to make it into a Cafe Racer which was what I wanted.
Looking back that bike was amazing. It was insanely easy to ride, very nimble, and quick too. The look is even growing on me as I get older haha. They don't look like a cruiser, but they don't look like the normal UJM either.
I miss that bike. I would buy another one if a cheap one came up for sale near me.
First NEW bike was a Kawasaki Eliminator....looked like a drag bike, fast, comfortable.... created a looking gallery everywhere I went.
Loved it.
I thought the Eliminator was pretty cool.
I always thought the Eliminator was an answer to the V- Max
I've got two ZL1000 Eliminators! I love 'em! They're a blast to ride!
(We didn't get the ZL900's here in Australia)
I still have my original eliminator and it is the most under appreciated bike I think ever built. It still rocks off the line and beats all the street hooligans of today.. The only thing I don't like is the 3 gallon tank Ellen tank. Other than that it's pure awesome
@@TheDaringRiposte VMax doent need an answer :)
The Royal Enfield 350/500 mentioned in this video are the Ladas of the motorcycling world. However, despite being outdated they sold like hotcakes in India and dominated market share in their class. TBH Royal enfield never had a reason to update any of their motorcycles for decades as they had quite the loyal fanbase.
The harley davidson of india. Why change something that sells?
Again, they only dominated India because of the Indian gov't. I'm glad that RE is doing well now, but they would have been bankrupt a long time ago if Japanese and other European bikes could properly compete in India. It's most likely why the bike didn't change at all for the 40 years that existed. They got complacent with the idea that no one could compete anyway.
yup. If i''m gonna buy an enfield again the shifter has to be on the right side.
@@grenzviel4480 correct. RD 350 had a more loyal fan base. if yamaha brings it back today classic350 will be gone.
If honda had built a 350 version of the cg125 it would have been a different story for Enfield in India.
As an Italian, I have to say, my people make some of the best performance machines the world has ever seen, BUT it is not a reliable machine. There's a reason Mario and Luigi were Plumbers and not Engine Designers. But realistically speaking, regardless of the brand, the more power and performance gets added to the machine, the more unreliable it becomes. But yeah, speaking for Italy as a whole, if you want speed and heritage, you got it. You want this speed and heritage with it being reliable? HA!!! Get out NOW!!
I loved my street 500 as my first ever motorbike. Also it was an entry into the whole Harley Davidson world and culture and once I got my full licence, I traded it in for a new softail. So it served it’s purpose well for a learner who wanted a Harley and I never had a single mechanical problem with it.
I think the worst Harleys were the ones with reliability problems like the Twin Cams.
@@n.mcneil4066 can you pls educate me on these reliability problems with the twin cam Harleys
My Yamaha V-Star 250 (Air cooled, no fuel injection) is faster than a Street 500, and it has half the displacement.
Man, I remember trying to start my 441 Victor in 1969, in a field somewhere. On one exhausted kick, the stop tab on the kickstater broke, allowing the foot rod to swing inboard on the return. It punched a hole in the fiberglass oil tank. I walked home, and never went back for that monster.
The beemer r1200c is a future classic! Mark my words.
Was featured in a Bond movie and didn't sell well, which is great for future value.
Yes, future value of an oddity / failure
A had two Virago's, put on over 60,000miles. Great bikes on every level.
I respect your opinion and thank you for producing the video.
I ride a 98 BMW R1200C and I truly love riding her and I especially love when as I walk towards her she is a most beautiful motorcycle.
We differ in opinion but and that's okay.
Keep producing videos good videos.
I have the r1200c. I loved it from my childhood in 1999 when 1st time saw. It was wow. And now when Im aged I got one fiew years now. Love each time looking and driving with r1200c. Its one of the best in moto history
In the early 90s, I had a friend with a 750 Virago with 160k miles on it. Maintained by neglect. It burned a bunch of oil and he lost count of starters installed (Many used). But it ran and ran...
If you have not, I would highly recommend taking a ride on a Kawasaki Vulcan 2000. Yes, it has some pretty notable mechanical issues but let me tell you, the handling and low center of gravity combined with the comfort and very good performance have made the Vulcan 2000 my favorite bike I have ever ridden or owned by quite a lot.
I will agree. Picked up a 2006 '2000 this spring for $4500 with 19,000 miles and put $1500 in it (tires, brakes, tach, etc.) I've never owned a bike this fun. I could have spent $25,000 on an Indian or Harley and not loved it like this magical machine.
"notable mechanical issues" from kawasaki these days makes it unacceptable imo, even if it has other redeeming features
I'm a lazy biker and my vn1500 Vulcan was my ha harley substitute....loved the bike torque monster so loud so effortless.......heavy though. Cost little top fun
@@johnbiggins4864 Yep, had a 1988 VN1500 bought used from a neighbor. Have a 2009 VN900 now and I like it but man, I miss that 1500. I just turned 70 so a nice little ride that's fairly comfortable like the 900 is good enough for me.
That being said, I don't agree with the Virago being an ugly bike either.
Mate I had a 1998 1100cc Yamaha Virago Special and I loved the beast. It was so forgiving when put into tight spots and I being a small fellow and a very heavy bike I never felt unsafe on it. If I had any concerns about it was the very loud induction noise and the need to regularly change the tyres, especially the front one. One feature of the old girl was that she was shaft driven which meant no messy chains and the need for constant maintenance. I spent many happy hours touring on the old girl though these days I cannot ride because of my age and the cost of keeping a bike, especially the insurance which was more than my Mazda 6 sports hatchback car.
I had an '84 750cc Virago and looking back I have to agree with you. I now hate the look of it and the seating position was crap, my tailbone was complaining after 15 minutes into a ride. It was reliable alright but even back then I knew it just didn't look right. What was I thinking?
The late 80's Viargo's were great Bike's. The Rear Monoshock Mounted inside of the Frame with the Gas Tank in front of it under the Seat to make Room for the Downdraft Intake. But it also lowered the Center of Gravity improving Handling.
Lol. You seem to have struck a nerve by adding the Virago to the list 🤣
Every comment on here is about it
The statements in that Virago section were wild anyway. Like - Japanese cruisers are subjectively and objectively miles ahead of anything the MURICANS ever put out. Yamaha's Star line is top notch. Honda produced great cruisers - incl the Virago. Kawa as well. It's just rage bait.
I owned an Ivory BMWR 1200 C. PUT 95,000 troublefree miles on it, cruising/camping America. I loved it. Never lacked power, comfort. I'd buy another.
Fun video, some of the bikes in the list I have not seen before. I do have some comments on Moto Guzzi as I own two of them.
For what ever reason I stumbled into a 2004 California 1100 Stone Touring last winter down in Arizona. It had been sitting for 7 years and was in need of lots of love, but at a purchase price of $900.00 I could not leave it at the sellers house. Well after all the tank cleaning a new in tank EFI fuel pump and injector cleaning, rubber lines, new tires, etc, etc, I got the bike on the road! Well it turned out that I love it! I have owned many bikes and still own a large number , I will put my current list of bikes at the bottom of this.
The California 1100 was just amazing on the road, it handles like all the weight is 3 " off the ground, you would just need to look where you want to go and it would go, very stable at high speeds and the best wind protection I have ever had on any of my bikes. Handling is very much like the BMW horizontally opposed bikes do.
After the winter season riding the 1100 I left Arizona in May and went back to Canada, and guess what I was missing the Guzzi 1100 so I went looking for another Guzzi! Well sure enough I found a great deal on a 2014 Moto Guzzi California Custom 1400 our local Kijji sales web site, seller was now 80 years old and could not ride anymore, he purchased the bike brand new and yada yada so I purchased it.
It has all the flavour I liked in the Cali 1100 and even more HP and a Torque curve as flat as a table top, just gob's of torque and dead smooth power band, the engine is a jewel! The big mill cranks out 96 ponies at 6,500 rpm, not bad for a V-twin, but the real news is in the torque numbers. At a mere 2,750 rpm, it generates 87 pound-feet of torque that it maintains right up to near redline. That is power you will definitely feel in the seat of your pants, and it delivers as the bike is not that heavy making it more than a match for off the line events with Harleys or other cursers, even my buddies 1996 FJ1200 can't shake me off his back side off the lights and down the highway! Build quality is amazing as well.
Anyway there is my two cents on the Moto Guzzi's. More info on the 1400 Guzzi;
www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/moto%20guzzi/moto_guzzi_california_1400.htm
My current bikes from oldest to newest;
1970 Honda CT70, 1973 Honda XL350, 3x 1977 Yamaha DT400, 1982 Yamaha XT550J, 1984 Yamaha XJ750RL, 2004 Moto Guzzi California Stone 1100, 2014 Moto Guzzi California Custom 1400, 2016 BMW R1200RT, 2019 Kawasaki z900rs Café Eddie Lawson edition, 2020 Honda Africa Twin CRF1100
Only bikes mentioned that had me going...Huh?!?!? were the mentions of the Virago and the Vulcan. They are both beautiful AND reliable as a motorcycle gets. Their popularity and longevity prove this out.
I rather hear somebody’s worst motorcycle list, from someone who has actually ridden the bikes instead of someone who probably hasn’t ridden many or any of them.
I am sorry but I drove a Virago XV1100 for 8 years and more than 60.000 Km WITHOUT any trouble, not even an oilleak. So, or I was lucky or they unlucky.
At no point did he say that it was unreliable though.
I love the R1200C and CLC looks, they are different and don’t care much about the 60 horses.
Put 125,000 km on my Virago 1100 with basic maintenance and a clutch pack at 85,000 and that's it. The engine was a bulletproof torque monster. I put stickies on it and the few Harleys I couldn't outrun disappeared in the mirrors on the corners. It danced.
I had no problem with the looks and it had its share of pretty girls on the seat behind me so it couldn't have been that bad and on a five foot wheelbase it was extremely nimble.
You seem to be using Harleys as a sort of benchmark which is hilarious imho.
I owned a 1997 Virago 1100XS. I drove it for six or seven years without any issues whatsoever. I found it very similar in performance, handling and sound to my 1973 Triumph Bonneville T120R.
Love my R1200c. At the time I bought it I was trying to decide between it and a Softail Springer . Salesman at the Harley Dealer called me a RUB since I went there in a suit after work. Made my decision for the R1200c easy. I dig that retro look. Bought mine brand new in 01 for .07% financing. Still have it. Still ride it. Never let me down. Bike was way ahead of its time when you look at the suspension and braking. Yes, I would like more hp but it's a torque monster. Great bike to cruise all day on the highway. I also love the fact that it looks like nothing else out there. Till this day I get comiments no matter where I go with. Great video bro.
yep if you are wearing a suit you definitely are a bmw type of guy.😀
Me too have a 2000 r1200c. Received ton you compliments
I ride an 01 R1200c Phoenix. Living in the southwest I have the ability to ride year round and avidly do so. The bike handles beautifully with its low center of gravity and feels to me powerful enough. I don't expect it to accelerate like a crotch rocket. I love the feeling of power flow it provides. It reminds me somewhat of the old Norton 850 Commando.
I have a 2004 r1200c. It's got enough power for me. It's got a nice power band 60-90mph.
I did see another video where the owner put mods from a gs bike and got 100hp out of it.
Keeping 61hp keeps the engine cooler than forcing more power out of it.
Can’t take a guy seriously that is sponsored by a toy company
You would prefer Raid: Shadow Legends I presume, your highness?
Never owned a Virago, but always liked their take on the "Motor Company's" theme. Especially when the gold rims & ornaments were added. A lasting tribute to the conspicuous spending of the 80's! They did backfire quite a bit. I also enjoyed the first Honda 1100 Shadows, owning a 1986. It was a different looking cruiser, much like the Virago. It was was bullet proof with hydraulic valve adjusters and shaft drive. Put over 75,000 trouble free miles before selling it to purchase my first Harley in 2004.
One MC that was actually a good MC, but just so sterile in appearance & performance was the Honda PCH. A friend of mine and I test rode them when they were first introduced. It was absolutely the most bland MC we'd ever ridden.
Yes you nailed it with the Honda Pacific Coast Highway. It might have been decent from a longevity standpoint but it reminded me of a woman who was quite attractive but had this great big booty to always haul around. Sorry to all Fat Bottomed Girls that the band Queen seemed to have a penchant for but the Honda Pacific Highway aka the PCH isn't something I found to be particularly attractive with it's oversized rear end. Each to their own of course whether it be motorcycles or women.
"Widow maker, widow maker..."
I have never seen a motorcycle that is not a widow maker. Is there even such a thing?
I owned the R1200C for a while. People seem to have a love/hate POV on the aesthetic. However, it was featured in the Guggenheim's "Art of the Motorcycle" and of course was featured in James Bond: Tomorrow Never Dies. In terms of ownership it was very comfortable and as unorthodox as it looked, was super pragmatic. Heated grips, removeable bags, great riding position. Also, horsepower-schmorsepower. Tons of great bikes have lower hp to weight ratios but are brilliant. I've had very fast motorcycles too, like many of you and while the R1200C was no race-winner, it terms of performance it was sort of the Toyota Camry of motorcycles. Finally, just search for one and you'll find the resale is holding up nicely.
4:45 I would consider the Yamaha Vmax the first power cruiser, wasn't it? It wasn't labeled like that but in essence it was.
The Honda V65 Magna beat it by two years.
@@biggest23 I still have visions of the big smoky burnout from the commercials!
I loved the 535 Virago. It handled well , was comfortable and great fun to ride. once when travelling home from Germany I met some Dude in a B.MW motorcar who claimed to have overtaken me five times.
10:20 Personally I think that 1981 Yamaha Virago 750 is one of the best-looking 750s ever built. My first bike was a new 1978 Harley Davidson FXS 1200 Low Rider. The dealer recommended it as a good bike for a beginner since it had such a low seat. I traded it in for a new 1980 Honda Goldwing. Then I bought a second new Honda Goldwing in 1985. I bought a third new Goldwing in 1990. In 2018 I was in a car accident and sold all three of the Goldwings because of medical bills. If I had know back in 1978 how much nicer Japanese bikes were than Harley bikes my first bike would have probably been a new 1978 Yamaha XS 750SE Special.
the power cruiser segment wasn't kickstarted by Harley's V-Rod.
Harley built the V-Rod in response to yamaha's VMAX.
Yep and harleys heap of shit couldn’t even come close 😂
Probably the worst bike Harley had made.
@@jamesadams2334 i would say they are all as bad as each other
I remember on summer holidays in Spain that the little Virago 535s were absolutely everywhere during the late 80s and into the 90s. Still a lot around now. They hit a sweet spot in the market, and that’s for sure!!
Those are ace !
Completely wrong with the Kawasaki Eliminator. I owned one, bought used in the early 90's. Got a good many compliments on that bike and it was a great runner. I'd gladly buy another if I could find one in good shape and low miles. You obviously missed the point on that bike.
I used to hate how the 999 looked, nowadays every time I see one it turns my head, I think it's aged unbelievably well .I'm willing to admit that although it was a big visual change at the time, I didn't give it the chance it deseved, it's actually quite a beautiful bike. EDIT: You forgot the Virago came in a 250cc model lol, all the same looks with 1/3 of the capacity.
@Biker Oh gods, is the 125cc also a 4 stroke? Even the 250 struggled to pull the skin off custard.
@Biker I somewhat agree in principle, but I have ridden some 250cc and smaller bikes and feel like that's very situational. I'm a big guy and on highways or open country roads it can be legitimately difficult to keep up with traffic, let alone get away from it, on bikes like that. Maybe I'm not seeing the beginner perspective these days but I think most people could easily handle one of the gently tuned 400s and would be safer on the road.
I own a 2006 999s. I love it EXCEPT for the mirrors are fucking useless and replacing the air filters are a pain in the ass! Besides that great bike!
I love my virago. Preforms and more reliable than a 90s sportster and costs half as much.
Respect YOUR opinion, in which this list seems to be exactly that...many of the bikes you mentioned were absolutely revolutionary in their time
Well off beam with the Virago. I had one with wire wheels that transformed the look of the bike. The brakes weren't exactly sharp, but the rest of the machine was excellent. I rode it as a commuter bike every day on a 120-mile round trip and it never failed me, in any weather. Sure do miss her.
Great hayday trip.Respect.
Funny enough, I love the R1200c. I love the looks. I did upgrade it to at 6 speed from an R1200RTP, and modified the intake from the same bike. I transferred the guts of the transmission over, so now it is a 6 speed, on that high ratio rear end, with the extra 6th gear. The high ratio rear end takes away from the initial speed, but the bump in Hp from 60 to the 92 advertised on the RTP is really fun. ❤
I got a 2004 r1200c at the end of 2022. It's been a great bike. It's the most comfortable bike I've ever had.
The engine purs around 3,500 rpm at 80mph.
The back seat folds up into a backrest for the driver.
the R1200c had the coolest front end ever put on a stock cruiser. anyone who rode one, while leaned over in a bumpy corner knows what i mean
A man in our professional group has one and all the rest of us are jealous of him
i bought my R1200c new in 98 and still ride it daily at 64 years old , handles great and if you take care of maintenance has never stranded me except 1 flat tire in 25 years.
You are right on so many but, like so many people said in these comments, the VIRAGO doesn't deserve it. It's way better than the American cruiser designs. Lots of torque, really reliable. People are STILL buying them. I have 3 friends with them. Yamaha made many way worse bikes. And the Eliminator was sooooo cool. It was a giant middle finger to the Honda V65 magna and just a straight up drag bike
I have a 2006 Kawasaki Vulcan 900 classic. I just turned 70,000 miles on it a couple day's ago. No engine work has been done on it so far. Very well balanced for me and I've ridden in multiple States with it. I'm hoping it will last another 30,000 miles.
Mine is 2008. I love it 🤘
@@MrBijeloplavi I've been told it's one of the best bike's put out by Kawasaki and I believe it!
@@tedb7402, I completely agree.. Reliable, easy to maintain, easy to drive, long lasting, not expensive, not small and looks really nice! What more could you ask for from a motorcycle? There is probably a reason why it has been produced for so long and unchanged🙂
Love my 900 classic. Thought the guy in the video was very dismissive of them.
2009 LT here, love it. Had a 1988 VN1500, I do miss that bike.
Come on the Virago??? The Virago was the best and reliable Japanese Cruiser. I own one myself with a 125 VTwin and my neighbor got a 535 that i am going to buy next. Yeah the 750 and 1100 are kinda ugly but the 125, 250 and 535 are true beautys, you cant lie about that.
Der Typ hat recht 🧢
@@kacperrogala8128 Delete this you Bicycle rider and Bus passenger xD
Total miss on the 1100 Virago , learned to ride in 1991 on a jet black Virago after a couple of years moved on to other bikes but in 2001 came back to that engine with the XV 1100 Classic what a machine!
Wow, there must be something wrong with me. My 2 favorite bikes was the Verago and the ‘71 triumph tiger. My ‘71 tiger was a single carbed Bonneville and one of the coolest bikes I ever owned
Slight correction ED, the Bonneville was a twin carbed Tiger.
Finally got around to watching this video! Always enjoy your stuff... I raced a TM400 back in the day. I didn't realized how death defying I was. The first ride out behind the shop I worked for we had a little test track. Going about 40 MPH across some whoops I got a full lock tank slapper. I slowed down with no damage but Wow. It was also the loudest bike among all the open expansion chambers in the world in use back then. 130 or 135 DB I think. Louder than a jet taking off... When anybody would complain about I would say "WHAT?" I had a sponsored ride so we made it work... Wider handlebars, inch shorter Curnutt shocks on the rear and a Basani low pipe for a somewhat different powerband. Nobody other than Maico was really making anything in the open class that would handle anyhow and that thing would fly when opened up... I was a big fish in a small pond but I won a lot of races on the old girl. I raced open class in a state series after a while and could get top 10 every once in a while out of a slew of riders. Those were the days, my friend, raw horsepower, loud pipes and no fear...
Many people raced that bike and won money or trophy's. It wasn't the best motocrosser but not bad.
The RM 370 was also pretty dangerous and had an unpredictable power band.
It would yank the sprocket off of the back wheel.
Guzzi most underrated brand imo. They do the same engine because it works and it lasts a long time. Same like Subaru and their boxers.
I liked how the Virago looked. I don't think it was at all ugly.
I loved the Virago. Didn't get one but I did get a 650 yamaha special. Great little bike. Bikes came complete with tach and self canceling turn signals back then.
X2 on the self cancelling turn signals!! I just don't understand the bike companies dropping that option. Merc switch, perhaps?? I had an 81 650 Special in silver for my first bike. Paid 400 bucks for it back in 87. Great first bike, and will always looks back fondly on it. The Virago was in line to be bike #2, but an 83 CB650SC Nighthawk stole my heart instead.
The Royal Enfield Bullet is one of the most iconic motorcycles ever built. It stood the test of time and then some.
I really loved my 920 Virago, had to fix ignition issues in the wet & starter bolts that would twist. But reliable as a hammer, clean shaft drive & easy to tune and balance. Some possible entrants: Honda PC800 Pacific Coast / Kawasaki Concours14 ABS / Suzuki 380GT
PC 800 was my favorite of 30 bikes next to 2-stroke road screamers. Haaa
My favorite is the YamahaXS 650. I don’t know why but you could have a lot of fun with them. Trackers, Bobbers 325 lb widowmakers with a 750 kit. And they were great to put on the center stand in neutral and rev them up and down and have kickstand races from the vibrations, I think with a little more should I say focus on the female market and the correct seating arrangement it could have been a really great idea!
I saw someone who'd stuck a XS650 engine in a plunger suspension BSA frame. The rear wheel spindle had snapped. Somehow the guy had NOT shat himself & didn't throw it down the road either. The OE XS650 was said to handle badly. Imagine a XS650 engine in a Nickel-plated Metisse frame.
Gordon here I owned & droved 3 XS 650 and they were super fast 145 mph and nobody could touch me in a drag race or even in in quarter mile in its day them bikes super pleased me and then I went on the 750 Virago a super cruiser it took me everywhere without breaking down like oil leaking gas gushing crap hardly ride LMAO passed more of them on the highways with my 750 Virago than I could believe. And still got it 1986 750 Virago and NOT for sale. Cause it is MINE. Old reliable Old faithful . Then road never ends. 70 years old here . Bought that bike 1986 when it a new old stock and STILL going.
@@patriciahibbert6139 WHAAAT???? 145mph..... are you a fisherman?
BS
The XS650 had serious charging system issues...and parts were impossible to find. Scrapped mine for $100...good riddance.
@@Gortok1 I put a Ford truck alternator on with a belt and I welded trusses on mine changed the front fork rake a degree and internally balanced it as a 750 ported the intake and welded a floor in the exhaust. I got it to 138 in the 1/4. Oh and I put Virago intakes in from a 920 and closed the sides of the chamber for some quench. 72 hp on a dyno at the rear wheel. Are you one of those guys who likes to ride with your rear in the air? Men aren’t very aerodynamic, women on the other hand generally are like one of the spoilers that lift when you twist the throttle.my xs2 was the bike I have ever ridden. Did I modify it? Yes. That is how you bond with your bike or car. Also if you hand an Alternator and belt, make sure you have the same weight on both forks and a steel fork brace. Mine was 375 lbs on coilovers with a steel pipe welded as a stability control. To learn to ride is to learn to design and build. The XS2 was the best of 72-84.
That BMW was ridden by Pierce Brosnan as 007; that's enough reason for me to like it, and probably it was for the other 30000 buyers who watched the film too.
I had 81 Virago 750, it was a fun bike with a top seed of about 85 even after the jer dine slip-ons, it handled ok but you could feel a wobble from the frame flexing when hitting a bump in a corner and crossing the centerline to pass you felt the frame flex with the change of pavement angle. I ended up getting rid of it due to the endless starting issues it had as the internally mounted starter bendix was mounted in rubber. Then about a year after that some aftermarket company came out with a fix for it but It was then a part of my history. I enjoyed it while I had it and moved on to something bigger.
Yeah, The Virago was the only bike I've ever had in my shop where a worn out starter drive would total out the bike. It literally cost more to fix it than to buy another one!