Thanks for the short, no frills, just the facts, noise free, informative video! 57 years young getting back on the saddle starting with motorcycle safety training next week. I've always loved the V-Star line and the 650 is definitely on my watch list.
Excellent overview! I bought a used but obviously loved V-Star 650 Custom (my first bike) for only $3k. It had only 7k miles and a ton of (after market) added chrome. That was 8 years ago and I still love and ride her today!
Spot-on review. I love this bike and highly recommend it. It's actually my *second* cruiser, after I upgraded from a 2009 Vulcan 500 Ltd. (which I also pretty much loved). This bike, the Yamaha, is just super-smooth in all respects and incredibly easy to ride and operate. There really isn't much that I can think can be improved upon for what I use it for. I live in New York City and use it for trips to the suburbs and on urban highways, paired with a stablemate even more maneuverable Kawasaki W800 for in-city riding. Thanks for making this video. It's a very accurate recap of the bike.
Bruh my last motorcycle was a 2003 Kawasaki 500 LTD that I loved to bits! And I wanted to find a comparison between the 500 ltd and the vstar 650! I was thinking that maybe the 500 was faster than the 650. What do you think? How do they compare? My 500 LTD felt faster than what this 650 looks in videos. But then again I’m 140lbs.
@@juanbarroso332 It is a little hard for me to exactly recall the acceleration since it's been quite a few years since I was on the Kawi, but I recall being very impressed during my first rides on the Yamaha by how smooth and easy it felt. I'm 148 lbs and 5'11" and to me the biggest difference is the V-Star is a lot more comfortable to sit in for longer rides. After I'd owned it for a few years, the Kawi had been starting to hurt my tail bone on longer rides (not sure why it took a few years for me to notice that), but the V-Star doesn't have that effect at all. The dealer wouldn't let me do a test ride due to insurance purposes, so buying it was something of an act of faith. I've been extremely pleased!
You do not have to let it warm up for a few minutes pull the choke all the way out to start it, push it in half way right after it starts, and ride off about a half mile down the road push it in all the way. the bike holds 4.2 gallons, the stock bike gets almost 60mpg unless you are riding in 3rd gear all the time (or its badly out of tune). The range is 240 miles to empty. The Road Star and Stratoliner have 1700 cc engines. The Royal Star has a very unique 1300 V FOUR engine.
Miles per tank is average of 160 and an average of 40 miles per gallon at highway speeds, that’s a US gallon, it might do 60mpg on an imperial gallon, UK, Canada and the rest of the western world but here in USA it 40-45😊
@@chappy4944 uh yeah.. no... last time I checked NY state is in the USA I got 59mpg consistently when the bike had less than 20k miles on it now its up to 55k miles and its dropped off to about 54 to 56 mpg, depending on where Im riding (how fast) if you are riding WFO all the time, and cruising 60mph in 3rd gear, you might pull it down to 40 or 45 or you lug the hell out of it, shift too soon, and then hold the throttle WFO all the time or if you put some crap after market pipes on and 'fixed' the jets so the bike is super rich or you are running premium gas for no reason (its not a high compression engine, it runs on regular) or you got a giant batman windshield, or you weigh 360 lbs but a factory stock Vstar 650 in good tune driven at a steady 50 to 65mph gets 58 to 60mpg. 1300 Royal Star or 1700 Road Star will get 45mpg if you are getting 40 to 45 you need to pay a professional mechanic to fix your bike, someone effed it up.
They are underpowered but handle like a dream. Just get the correct tires listed for the bike. The front is different than the classic or silverado. I had a tire 10mm wider than spec on the front for a while. Changed it to the correct size and it handled like a Porsche. Had this exact same bike. Also, had to run 30W fork oil in the ftont to keep it from nose diving during braking. You can also do the golf tee mod from the forums and the exaust popping on decelleration will go away... It is a great beginner bike for around town. It does not do well in headwinds on the highway or steep hills. It also scrapes easily when leaning. The good news is that once you master this riding style and position all skills transfer to the 1300. Feels like the same bike only more powerful and with better ergonomics, especially if you are a tall rider.
Hello, I also have and even two 400 and 650. Of course I like the 650 better and it has the name Brown. And 400 is just called dragon and if in Russian then Drakosha. Since I am Russian and if there are mistakes in the letter, please forgive me.
I have an '04 650 custom with a full cobra exhaust system and rejetted carb. The intake was swapped for a performance cone and repositioned vertically under the gas tank. Even put the thing on a dyno. She definitely has a lot of get-up-and-go, to the point where I can feel the front tire trying to lift off the ground. I'm looking for other ways to squeeze a few horses out of the old v twin. She needs a valve adjustment, too. Has a soft tick when she's hot and bothered. Awesome bike. Perfect for a project.
get the o rings for the valve covers, they are a few bucks and you need 4 if you put it all back together and one leaks, its two hours to tear the carbs off again and replace the oring
If you want to upgrade from the lackluster brakes. Get a 1999 - 2001 R1 or R6 right front caliper And rotor (only need one) Then put full sintered pads on it. Be mindful of panic grabs while turning afterwards or you will meet the ground quickly
Does it overheat in stop-n-go traffic? I've got a short commute, but at least once a week some knucklehead jams things up for the rest of us and it's a crawl. Not a problem for my liquid cooled FZ6, but always wondered about an air-cooled cruiser.
That is normal for this bike, and a little strange feeling. The clutch lets out close to the end, and the actual "window" where it lets out is very narrow. But, you do get used to it. It is strange when coming off of another motorcycle though. First time I rode it, I actually stalled it - and I've been riding almost 50 years. Great bike though.
I had that issue with my bike when I first bought it. That can be a little tricky if you're a new rider like I was. Turns out that can be easily adjusted, so talk to your mechanic.
Speed was never the draw on a Harley 45 flathead or the 80" flatty for that matter! 40 ponies is plenty for a bike! Why would anyone complain? A 45" HD Flathead has 20-25 hp at best!?!?!! This bike reminds me of a 45 Flathead... no p Great power but reliable!
the only drawback for the VS650 is the spoked wheels require tubes in the tires. if you get a flat you cannot fix it with a plug like you can with cast wheels and tubeless tires the Vstar 650 is a highly reliable 100,000 mile motorbike that is pure joy to ride, esp a naked bike at 50 to 60mph on a 2 lane road
Thanks for the short, no frills, just the facts, noise free, informative video! 57 years young getting back on the saddle starting with motorcycle safety training next week. I've always loved the V-Star line and the 650 is definitely on my watch list.
I have two. 650 and 400 Very cool but I like 650 more and it has a name Brown
I've had my 03 V star custom for 10 years with absolutely no trouble. Added classic handlebars classic mirrors and the classic seat.
Cool
Excellent overview! I bought a used but obviously loved V-Star 650 Custom (my first bike) for only $3k. It had only 7k miles and a ton of (after market) added chrome. That was 8 years ago and I still love and ride her today!
😮😮😮
Spot-on review. I love this bike and highly recommend it. It's actually my *second* cruiser, after I upgraded from a 2009 Vulcan 500 Ltd. (which I also pretty much loved). This bike, the Yamaha, is just super-smooth in all respects and incredibly easy to ride and operate. There really isn't much that I can think can be improved upon for what I use it for. I live in New York City and use it for trips to the suburbs and on urban highways, paired with a stablemate even more maneuverable Kawasaki W800 for in-city riding. Thanks for making this video. It's a very accurate recap of the bike.
Bruh my last motorcycle was a 2003 Kawasaki 500 LTD that I loved to bits! And I wanted to find a comparison between the 500 ltd and the vstar 650! I was thinking that maybe the 500 was faster than the 650. What do you think? How do they compare? My 500 LTD felt faster than what this 650 looks in videos. But then again I’m 140lbs.
@@juanbarroso332 It is a little hard for me to exactly recall the acceleration since it's been quite a few years since I was on the Kawi, but I recall being very impressed during my first rides on the Yamaha by how smooth and easy it felt. I'm 148 lbs and 5'11" and to me the biggest difference is the V-Star is a lot more comfortable to sit in for longer rides. After I'd owned it for a few years, the Kawi had been starting to hurt my tail bone on longer rides (not sure why it took a few years for me to notice that), but the V-Star doesn't have that effect at all. The dealer wouldn't let me do a test ride due to insurance purposes, so buying it was something of an act of faith. I've been extremely pleased!
@@TheInterloafernothing hurts me. I drive both 400 and 650
I've had my 2000 V star 650 custom for 5 years with absolutely no trouble.
You do not have to let it warm up for a few minutes
pull the choke all the way out to start it, push it in half way right after it starts, and ride off
about a half mile down the road push it in all the way.
the bike holds 4.2 gallons, the stock bike gets almost 60mpg unless you are riding in 3rd gear all the time (or its badly out of tune). The range is 240 miles to empty.
The Road Star and Stratoliner have 1700 cc engines. The Royal Star has a very unique 1300 V FOUR engine.
Miles per tank is average of 160 and an average of 40 miles per gallon at highway speeds, that’s a US gallon, it might do 60mpg on an imperial gallon, UK, Canada and the rest of the western world but here in USA it 40-45😊
@@chappy4944 yeah when I had mine I would have never seen 200 miles on the tank lmao. I remember topping out at 90 mph while going down a hill.
@@chappy4944 uh yeah.. no... last time I checked NY state is in the USA
I got 59mpg consistently when the bike had less than 20k miles on it
now its up to 55k miles and its dropped off to about 54 to 56 mpg, depending on where Im riding (how fast)
if you are riding WFO all the time, and cruising 60mph in 3rd gear, you might pull it down to 40 or 45
or you lug the hell out of it, shift too soon, and then hold the throttle WFO all the time
or if you put some crap after market pipes on and 'fixed' the jets so the bike is super rich
or you are running premium gas for no reason (its not a high compression engine, it runs on regular)
or you got a giant batman windshield, or you weigh 360 lbs
but a factory stock Vstar 650 in good tune driven at a steady 50 to 65mph gets 58 to 60mpg.
1300 Royal Star or 1700 Road Star will get 45mpg
if you are getting 40 to 45 you need to pay a professional mechanic to fix your bike, someone effed it up.
They are underpowered but handle like a dream. Just get the correct tires listed for the bike. The front is different than the classic or silverado. I had a tire 10mm wider than spec on the front for a while. Changed it to the correct size and it handled like a Porsche. Had this exact same bike.
Also, had to run 30W fork oil in the ftont to keep it from nose diving during braking. You can also do the golf tee mod from the forums and the exaust popping on decelleration will go away... It is a great beginner bike for around town. It does not do well in headwinds on the highway or steep hills. It also scrapes easily when leaning. The good news is that once you master this riding style and position all skills transfer to the 1300. Feels like the same bike only more powerful and with better ergonomics, especially if you are a tall rider.
My first bike was a Vulcan 900 custom with Sisi bar and custom ferrings
Hello, I also have and even two 400 and 650. Of course I like the 650 better and it has the name Brown. And 400 is just called dragon and if in Russian then Drakosha. Since I am Russian and if there are mistakes in the letter, please forgive me.
I'm really thinking about getting this v- star 650 as a starter bike... Umm
Your beautiful Yamaha V-Star 650 is the best.😀
У меня тоже есть Drag 650 и ещё 400 есть. У меня их два. И они тоже лучшие. Особенно 650 и даже имя у него есть Браун. 😂
About to get one tomorrow hopefully
Got it, mate?
I have an '04 650 custom with a full cobra exhaust system and rejetted carb. The intake was swapped for a performance cone and repositioned vertically under the gas tank. Even put the thing on a dyno. She definitely has a lot of get-up-and-go, to the point where I can feel the front tire trying to lift off the ground. I'm looking for other ways to squeeze a few horses out of the old v twin. She needs a valve adjustment, too. Has a soft tick when she's hot and bothered. Awesome bike. Perfect for a project.
get the o rings for the valve covers, they are a few bucks and you need 4
if you put it all back together and one leaks, its two hours to tear the carbs off again and replace the oring
If you want to upgrade from the lackluster brakes.
Get a 1999 - 2001 R1 or R6 right front caliper
And rotor (only need one)
Then put full sintered pads on it.
Be mindful of panic grabs while turning afterwards or you will meet the ground quickly
4:40 love the mountain shot. Skull shot 💀 ✌️
Just got one ...great vid
Just picked up my 01 today
I’d buy that for sure
I bought not one, but two. 400 and 650 . I ride both. Cool
Great looking bike. Thanks for the vid.
And I have two. 400 and 650.
I love writing in English so much it's so funny. I don't know how to stop. And the bike in the video is cool. Yes, I love all bikes.
Thanks. Simple and informative. Nice ride
Nice hike. Chop it Bob it make it cool and it's great fun
Bro didn't know you where local just saw your bike for sale!
The one I have will fly definitely do better than 11 seconds it will smoke my Harley seems like it's had some work done to it for a 650 it's a beast
That bike can 0-60 in 7-8 seconds
Great review !
Does it overheat in stop-n-go traffic? I've got a short commute, but at least once a week some knucklehead jams things up for the rest of us and it's a crawl. Not a problem for my liquid cooled FZ6, but always wondered about an air-cooled cruiser.
when you stop hit the kill switch
there is no reason to let the bike idle if you are not moving
It doesn't overheat so you have to try hard to overheat it and it won't work.
How is the friction on the clutch I just got one and the clutch let's almost completely out before engaging
There is an adjustment screw at the end of the cable by the lever I believe, turning that out should adjust the clutch engagement.
@@ForceMoto thank you
That is normal for this bike, and a little strange feeling. The clutch lets out close to the end, and the actual "window" where it lets out is very narrow. But, you do get used to it. It is strange when coming off of another motorcycle though. First time I rode it, I actually stalled it - and I've been riding almost 50 years. Great bike though.
I had that issue with my bike when I first bought it. That can be a little tricky if you're a new rider like I was. Turns out that can be easily adjusted, so talk to your mechanic.
@@GraceConsults Thanks! I'll check out adjusting it.
Do y'all think this would be a good fit for someone who is 6'2" 225 lbs?
I’m 6ft3 93kg (I’m Aussie haha) got forward controls and it’s amazing. Stock pegs are fine but if you want the extra comfort I’d go for it
Speed was never the draw on a Harley 45 flathead or the 80" flatty for that matter!
40 ponies is plenty for a bike!
Why would anyone complain?
A 45" HD Flathead has 20-25 hp at best!?!?!! This bike reminds me of a 45 Flathead... no p
Great power but reliable!
11 seconds 0-60. Either your bike is stuffed of you might need a bit of practice launching. You should be able to do 11 seconds on a 125.....
You're right, I'm sure it's capable of 10 seconds or less. I went easy on the launch, and it's hard to tell when to shift without a tach.
@@ForceMoto Thanks for taking the time to reply. I can easily get sub 8's on mine.....Great vid. by the way - Cheers
would you choose this bike or shadow 750?
Yammie all the way, I’ve had both.
@@camofrog really?? Why is that? Looking at both...thx
@@RaulGarcia-cg3vn shaft drive, better handling
the only drawback for the VS650 is the spoked wheels require tubes in the tires. if you get a flat you cannot fix it with a plug like you can with cast wheels and tubeless tires
the Vstar 650 is a highly reliable 100,000 mile motorbike that is pure joy to ride, esp a naked bike at 50 to 60mph on a 2 lane road
woher ist das tolle Licht (Scheinwerfer) vorne ?
It’s right there
@@josephad6861 I mean where did you buy it? Isn't it original?
@@JulianCzubba oh ok. Got it
How much?
Around 3k where I live (Idaho). Some maybe 2k, and some almost 4k - but 3k is kinda normal. Lots of used old metric cruisers between 2.5k and 5k.
your choice to use a wide angle lense, ruined your video
In the point of view riding shots? It's just a gopro so it's always wide angle, but I like how it gets some of the motorcycle in the shot
sit closer to your phone
I want one so bad!
if you want it bad
you will get it bad
wait till you find one with low miles that the previous owner hasnt effed up
Great Review!
I own a 2008 Classic Silverado.
Smooth riding bike.
🪶 ✨
My first bike was a Vulcan 900 custom with Sisi bar and custom ferrings