Yamaha V Star review. The affordable custom-cruiser
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ก.พ. 2025
- I take a spin on a Yamaha V Star, the affordable end of the custom/cruiser bikes.
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I got a v star 1100 classic and I feel like it's such a perfect ride for me. Basic details as to why is the amount of upgrades for them and storage, pretty good mpg compared to my truck, didn't break the bank, doesn't vibrate itself to death like a harley, all that low end torque.... But then again, Srkcycles is the actual youtube channel that helped me finalize my decision. I saw this video also but decided I love the oldschool carb life. Mine runs lean but if I could brace myself to tear it apart after riding for half a year....Tune it up. Been riding dirt bikes since I was 7. The v star 1100 was kind of interesting to get used to at first but I instantly fell in love. It's easy to ride as far as I know from riding 4 stroke dirt bikes my whole life. I Just remember going from a honda 50 cc to a yamaha 90cc, yamaha 125 cc, and finally a yamaha 230 cc which is an amazing trail bike. So going to an 1100 classic as my first street bike was kinda overwhelming but wow, It worked out for me. I was never into super crazy dirt performance bikes and enjoyed wheelie-free trail rides and the 02 1100 classic was more than anything I could ever ask for.
You never mentioned how beautiful *CRUISERS* are
so annoying, keeps saying "custom" bike. The style is "cruiser". This Vstar just happens to have a classic and custom models. that's just the name of them.
It was like watching a train wreck for me.. i was horrified by what was happening, but i couldn't look away. very cringe worthy. also this bike isnt even a custom.. its a classic
Dahump286 definitely cringe worthy. But this model is actually a Custom. You can tell by the duckbill tail, small front fender and no covers on the forks. The classic has a large front fender, fat forks and a long swooping tail that goes down half way past the height of the rear tire.
Dahump286 definitely cringe worthy. But this model is actually a Custom. You can tell by the duckbill tail, small front fender and no covers on the forks. The classic has a large front fender, fat forks and a long swooping tail that goes down half way past the height of the rear tire.
you know what, you're right. i just watched it again and the pic in the beginning tells all.. it's a custom. i'll retract my statement lol
vstars come in two models..custom which has the high rear fender, and the classic which has full fenders
I bought a 2007 Yamaha V Star Classic with 5300kms on it as my first bike this summer from a private seller. It's an excellent bike for a new rider especially if you're a smaller guy like me. Personally, I like the full fenders a lot more than the high rear fender on the customs. The previous owner modified the exhaust a little bit (baffles are further inside the exhaust pipes) so it has a better sound than stock. I adjusted the clutch cable a bit to tighten up the feel and it shifts nice and smooth. Overall, I'm very happy with my purchase and I'm amazed that so many people comment on it. All that chrome catches their eyes I guess.
I’m a 5ft 4 rider, do you think this bike is still accessible at my height?
@@CosplayLane Hope all is well.Best would be to go and sit on one.I am toying with the same idea about height vs what bike to purchase.
How many cc?
The Yamaha VStar is without a doubt the best bang for the buck bike on the market
Agreed. And they last a long time too. Yamaha's are rated the highest for reliability.
This guy doesn't know bikes as well as he thinks
His 'gear' will be wanting.
Not that fast for a bike yes, I’m gonna say this rn all motorcycles are fast
Albert Go in a straight line yes
And around a turn
He knows helicopters though.
4:07 he finally starts the motor.
Thanks
No offense, but squids lane-splitting everywhere on 600's is far more annoying to me than the sound of a cruiser bike.
lane splitting is a normal thin on a motorcycle its better to move the bike or it will overheat
You are joking, right
GTOAviator + its safer to get away from other cars. They are bigger and can easy oversee you
+klabaut56 What the hell are you talking about - lane splitting isn't even legal here.
+GTOAviator legal here is bad to say i am from a different country here its legal
Nice ride haven’t ridden a bike before but I’m think about getting this one as a beginner
gorgeous helmet.
He isn’t wearing one
I would have expected more helmet related comments
sotiris.bos I am kind of shocked by that as well. I guess as I was only doing 40 MPH in a parking lot people are not so freaked out.
Dude, if you don't know what a cruiser bike is, or that a custom bike is a bespoke crafted bike, then you are not qualified to review a motorcycle since you don't know what it should be compared to, or how it should perform in its market segment.
And the reference to riders reving the engine at stop lights...way more often done by crotch rocket riders and sports bikes!
This is the Custom variant of the Vstar.
If you don't like that sweet sound there is something wrong with you
+waffleXD1 It sounds... not bad...
loud pipes save lives.
Damn straight. Main reason why I bought a V-twin this year was because of the sound. I'm still not happy with it though so I've ordered a set of Vance & Hines pipes :p
Haha, I guess I've seen this video before. I'm most likely trading one of my bikes for one of these today :P
Jeez, I've spent way too much time on TH-cam.
Loud pipes are for jerks.
Man I honestly think this is an actual piece of gem
Waiting for more!
I love my V Star I just hope I don't kill myself on it.
Mike Volpe
2 years later.... did you live?
@@robotbjorn4952 😂😂 I shouldn't have laughed but that's funny
Me to ha ha ha ha
Robot Bjorn I think he died
Yup he's not around anymore.
I was a paramedic back in the day for about 9 years, it makes me cringe to see anyone ride without a helmet. At any speed. Helmets are easier to replace then heads my friend.
I personally own a 2006 vstar 1100 classic, i love it, my review is they are nice easy beginning bikes. The floor bordes move so you can take corners fast "i should know took a sharp corner and my friends only response was you know your on a cruiser right? Lol" they are great for long distance un like sports bikes where you hurt after 300 miles, they can pick up speed fast great low weight doesn't make it feel extremely heavy, and it's loud enough for me because id like people to hear me, unlike when im on a sports bike i can maneuver them a lot quicker to get out of the way on my cruiser its not that easy so loud pipes help for better understanding of where i am to other drivers, head light is great very bright and has the classic look, seats are comfy the only thing im changing is getting handle bar risers becasue if you go to long with short handle bars on a cruiser your slumped over and your back will kill you, other than that anyone can ride a vstar they are amazing bikes! And a great ride, going from Washington to sterges next year on mine!
Price ?
Great review..love mine as well..are you still riding it ?..I see your post was 3 years ago
makenzie martin
Xxoo
Agree on most counts (I also own one, and the xvs650 that I upgraded from), the 650 is obviously lighter and lacks power, my 1100 headlight was not that bright, I replaced with LED and now it's bright, but you can hear the fan running inside it. The seat is OK, but for 500 mile plus trips, I'm seriously considering a Mustang. I don't have much meat on my backside and the stock seat creates pressure points after a couple of hours. this is mostly anatony so I can't say the stock seat is bad, it's just not optimal for me. I did have a problem with the shift drum screw backing out and losing all the gears except first, other than that the bike has been reliable the last 14K.
Try leaving the parking lot.
Ya.
I could see that you were really enjoying riding the cruiser...I could see it on your smile:-)
I just got my license and I myself bought myself a cruiser as a first bike..I love it..
A bike review with some good perspective. I am getting interested in what other content you may have on the channel.
Good job
why dont i see any helmets anywhere in this video?
+j zones Because I am just in a parking lot doing 25 Mph.
+Nick Murray oh. i thought a helmet is somethng you wear as soon as you ride and operate a motorcycle. i guess i was wrong.
+j zones yup you're wrong
***** wow. thats a very compelling argument.
Ken Ward it should not really matter what country youre in. safety should always be the priority. to anyone watching this video, drunk or sober, gay or straight, slender or fat, dork or not, rich or poor... wear your gears. everytime.
Just got my 2007 this afternoon, after having my XT600. Totally different ride, and yes, it is a very nice ride. Can't wait to go for a long spin. Thanks for the review. Good job :)
I definitley think you should do bike reviews as well. Keep them coming Nick.
Dude I was wondering if you ride and you answered my question, so awesome looking forward to more motorcycle reviews! I have a Yamaha FZ1
As much as he says he hates cruiser bikes. He absolutely couldn’t hide his joy in riding this one!
Thank you, I'm considering buying one from a friend. It'll be my first bike in 20 years!
PUT COBRA HEADERS ON A 1100 VSTAR ,,, THE SOUND IS INCREDIBLE
ANG GOOMBBA my 1100 vstar has them and it sounds amazing!!
I've owned the Yamaha V Star Silverado for several years now...
An "08 year model...
It's a great cruiser and a load of fun...
I'm in the process of rebuilding to further customize it to fit the look I'm wanting.
Which in turn will also lighten it's overall weight. Adding custom pipes, rejecting the carbs and upgrading the air intake will increase the HP somewhat.
Overall, it will look and perform much better...
Ride Safe Everyone
Keep the Shiny Side Up 👆
Blessings from Georgia, USA 🙏
🪶🪶🪶
Hey Nick, huge fan of your content! Keep up the good work! and a happy new year from VikingBags!
i have a 08 vstar 1100 and it loved being hurt on a regular basis gear changes are usually on the rev limiter love it
I have a 2010 Vstar classic this is my second one they are the most reliable bike on the market.my first bike i road 700ks not one problem on my first trip, mine has vance and hines pipes white wall tyres windsheild saddle bags and its the candy apple red love it
I'll give you a review, The yamaha 1100 v star is a damn good motorcycle, the good, it's reasonably quick, it's light handling, looks good, sounds good, Rides good, shifts great, brakes well, it's fun, and easy to ride.... the bad you pull pipes to change oil filter.... not so bad you can give your pipes a good cleaning. And for $200 bucks for oil filter relocation kit... another soso is paint is too generic, dot matrics flames, and limited colors, not bad just nothing special... buy this bike for say $2800 put a $400 paint job, a $200 oil filter kit, and you'll be happy as a jay bird...
I'm borrowing my brother's atm. It's a great LAMS cruiser. I'm currently on my L's & ride a CBR250R. I don't wanna give the V Star back lol
I bought one and it had drilled out baffles so I bought a set of OEM pipes so much happier with it
By custom he means cruiser. In the US, custom means it's not just factory, but has added things on it.
Thank you for putting the effort to show all the different views and great angles. All your videos are done so much better than others, and I notice all the work you put into editing. Yes, there might be much better reviews of the V Star bike, but your video and editing is 10 times better and that is all I care about in the end. Pleasant travels. :)
....cruiser*....not...not custom...
At least in Finland cruisers are generally known as custom bikes, for some reason, whether they are stock or not.
Swagger Level : Nick Murray
we twist the throttle at the lights because it sounds freaking amazing!
Hi. Which kind of pipe were you using on this bike? I loved the sound.
Mostly, revving at a stop is to keep the bike from stalling, especially carborated engines. Also, they enjoy the sound.
Cool vid. buddy of mine had a Vstar. nice clean bike. I have an r6 and always preferred sports /race style bikes but that Vstar is a nice easy way to cruise around town or road trip.. you have a badass channel we have similar interests. I have been a huge bmw fan and have been wanting to own a bmw sports/luxury car since my first experience driving the 96 328is. hooked. anyway just subbed looking forward to more badass shit! -Mark
hi Nick ... tQ for your 1st bike review .. you can review anything with good clarity .. take care
the noise is necessary to let other people texting and animals know you're there.
Wes thisdoesntmatter no it's not, and stop pretending.
you talk to much.
Great video! Plan to get a V-star/drsgster 1100 when I have learned on my virago 535 😊
I liked this a lot. Refreshing and honest. No bullshit!
I don’t really care too much for speed, Cruisers are my favorite type of bike! IMO they look the best, and ride better than any other type of bike I’ve seen, but that’s just MY opinion
Nick Murray... Test flies helicopters, motorcycles, definitely a cool dude. Nick Murray should play Nick Murray in a Nick Murray action movie !!! Ha ! I'm just having fun. You're OK in my book Nick.
I love mine after my springer softail rusted out in 2 years
You call that sweet sound "noisy"? Man, get out of this world!
Apparently the sound may be disturbing to some people
@@keremoner3420 This guy in the video knows nothing about motorbike.
In my experience with carbs ( light aircraft was where I first learnt then bikes) sitting at idle with an engine thats running towards rich will leave fowling on the plugs. So keeping the engines revved in anticipation of the lights going green, I suppose the idea is to try and keep the plugs relatively cleaner by keeping the air coming. In planes its super important because you could put it up to take off power and the fowling could cause the engine to falter, especially if one of the plugs/ a magneto dies. Its why before we take off we done 'run ups' where we take the rpms into a certain range and switch the mags to make sure they're both working and that the plugs arent fowled, if they are, you definitely notice and you take the rpms higher to try and clear it before checking again. So I imagine that low end torque you get on a cruiser wont be there to help you if you're sat there for too long and your plugs end up getting fowled to shit. I have no idea if this is true its just how I justify it to myself, it also helps alert distracted drivers if I'am watching the lights and they're about to change.
Very well done vid! A buddy of mine has the VStar 1100 Custom. I rode it quite a bit and aside from the clearance issue, it's a great ride. V-twins are so satisfying. Oh and I also ride with no helmet when test riding a bike after repairs...Lets you hear what's happening.
The New Zealunnnd Steeve Mee Queen. Was waiting for you to jump the funce, Opps sorry my kiwi spill check is on. Wockeed review Nick,
I am surprised you dont like these style cruisers as much, Nick. You can find exhaustst that are very quiet unless you accelerate very hard so they can be pleasant.
This was very good! It'll be awesome to see more of these! Keep up the great work.. Cheers :)
Obviously compared to crotch rockets they're slower but they still go well above highway speed and they get there real quick.
if you've ever been hit you will appreciate a loud bike
Yes Yamaha calls it a custom. I can see how people get annoyed. I own a classic myself that I literally plan to customize.
Two models available, custom or classic. Actually they are neither. Stock from manufacturer and new in years....just saying.
Yamaha Star VStar bikes really are easy to ride. Center of gravity is so low on those bikes. Harley's are very top heavy. Night and day difference between the 2.
Cool video!! Ducati huh, that would be awesome! Any ideas on what model you would consider purchasing? Nice to see a motorcycle review, short but not much to review on a bike.
"Completely different style of riding than a japanese and...." rides a yamaha.... lol
Very cool video. I have the small older sister hahaha 535 virago
Hey, I know, somewhat late. I want to get into motorcycling, I somewhat hate sport/streetbikes, I love cruisers, I wanted the Virago but unfortunately I have annoying tall legs and it just doesn't fit right, so I'm looking to purchase the VStar (Or Dragstar how it' called herr in Europe). The one thing I'm concerned it's that I live in the middle of the city, so I'll be going through traffic a lot, I don't live in a nice empy rural area. Are these cruisers a chore to drive through traffic? Or does cornering make it very bad compared to a streetbike? Should it work fine as a normal-driving through the tight streets kind of motorcycle?
my ex bike :( i missed a lot very nice review Nick keep it going with beautiful bikes
whats the off bike video camera your using ?..a dslr? or camcorder?
Finally you made a short review !!! :-)
remgb At last!
Lazyboy recliner. I love it.
Nick man, you've done one! Good lad. More bikes...
I have owned the 2003 classic 1100 since new. One dependable motor. Ceramic coated cylinders make this bike last for many miles/km. Only thing ever needed are the personal attachments. e.g.. mustang seats, rear trunk. and a upgraded rear coil for the shock.. If you really wanted some kick try out the Road Warrior 1700, it will chase down a VRod with just a few mods.
That Yamaha actually looks really cool, knowing nothing about bikes but cool is cool. How do you get your videos and images so rich with colour?
sukiaki96 I eat a lot of fruit.
Nick Murray Here I thought it was lsd
Woah; no helmet! Your a true road warrior. I have been on a bike a few times, only as a passenger. Not much fun. But I like the idea of riding a "Lazy-Boy" in the open air. You gotta find a T-REX 16S to review!
They aren't for speed mate, they are to cruise and are safer to ride. Can already tell about your taste if you sat on street bikes your whole life and want a Ducati because "Brand".
Thank you for not wasting time.
Nice video! I’m worried about your safety though. I understand that you were just riding it around a parking lot, but a helmet would definitely protect you.
Dads got a ZZR 1000. Exact same colour as your old one!
I have to say I am kind of confused with your use of the word 'custom'
When I think custom bike I think something specially built like a one off from a bike builder not a manufacturer. You seem to refer to all 'cruiser' bikes as custom. Is that just me? Or is that a nz thing?
Agreed. I was a bit thrown off at first but I'm sure it's just a cultural nomenclature thing
Josh Murray just dont think that everybody in youtube is from the same place or country ...etc...as you are :D
It is a custom bike. Look again...
awesome! I want one so bad now! I have recently got my motorcycle license, I just need to buy my first bike!
Because speed limits are always above 100 mph, so i can use it
I'm looking to hear what it sounds like with the stock exhaust
Obviously aftermarket, but still not that loud. SRK has several videos with stock exhaust
nice job mate . please do a review of the Yamaha Phantom & UM Renegade Commando
Thanks for the video. You mentioned confort over and over. In my opinion, the comfort of this style of bike is a myth. Most of your weight is passively on the base of your spine with no way to "post" (horse term) and take weight off the saddle. It is also difficult to balance your torso against the pressure of the wind at higher speeds. Thank you.
What mic setup are you using? The audio when you were riding sounded great!
discipleofhate Edutige Uni-Directional Microphone ETM-008 work really well.
Nice review, Nick. Thank you to see my first brandnew bike again, ZZR 600, 1995. But more than 10 years I hold and enjoy my Suzuki GSX-R 750 Injection, built 1999 in blue & white. I found faster (HP) but not better bikes for me still now. :-)
Try to get it there, but Injection (!), I promise an amazing ride and review!
What's the definition of custom up there in Yankee land?
Jarrett Williams that was a xvs custom model compared to myself having the xvs classic model. i think thats what he was meaning, but im in AUS.
also, most cruiser drivers that drive the Harley's are idled low and running lean. If they don't blip the throttle, the bike will stall. My Yamaha idles about 1200, alot faster of an idle. In my own, and alot of others opinion, a loud and low idle sounds better if you are gonna go big on the exhaust.
Your channel doesn't have any hovercraft reviews: unacceptable.
A.T.1357 Luna rovers also missing : (
Nick Murray Yeah those lunar rovers have a pretty crappy 0-60. Also no cup holders.
That 'noise' is music, a symphony! I can get annoyed by people just revving up their engines at a stop sign, too, but this is music :-)
wow that 5 guys on 1 bike looks really fun.....the riding position looks really wow...did you enjoy that? :D
Where did you get that Hair covered Half helmet. I've searched every where and bloody cant find one. Good review though.
Yup, comfortable!
Can they put airbags on cruisers?
Would it be sensible to buy this model in 2022?
What cameras are you using to shout this video?
Hi mate, just wondering what your height is?
didn't realise Jared from Subway rode bikes
loud pipes saves lives dude
+THOMAS POLYCHRONIOU Hmmmm this dubious claim seems to be the justification a lot of people with straight pipes try to use.
+Nick Murray I have a cheap Chinese 250cc and a Yamaha Dragstar, which is the 650 model. I have had more people cut me off and pull in front of me with the 250 than the 650. Its not only making sure that cars know your there but also if you sound like you going to leave a big dent, then people think twice about being an ass and cutting you off.
You will notice the same thing when you go from driving a small city car to a big 4x4.
Can I ask how tall you are? Some Japanese bikes are a bit on the small size
Info seems kinda off but great shots, and good rolling with the punches in the comments
Not gonna hate, but Ive seen MANY sportbike riders over the years who like to rap their pipes and gun their engines at lights.
Will this bike accomodate a 6'2 rider nicely?
Is the term "Custom bike" a New Zealand word? In the US we call them Cruisers. Calling a bike custom just means you have customized it.