V-Star Classic...

 

I haven't ridden since late 70's and like the looks and price of this bike.
Does anyone have an opinion of the 650 vs. the 1100 other than the power?
I'll be a weekend rider, sometimes with passenger and mostly on two-lane
rural roads.

Thanks in advance,

AndyJ

 



We're in the same boat. Havent ridden since back in the day. I got myself a
650 and after a couple of months, wish I had gone slightly bigger.
The 650 is plenty good for 1, not too sure about 2-up riding, but I find
myself wanting a bit more power at highway speeds.

Rhatt
(you wont want to stay rural for long, the open road beckons!)

 


Andy Johnson wrote:

The 1100 is a lot heavier so harder to maneuver.
the 1100 also has a disk rear brake where the 650 has a drum.
I have a friend that had a 650 and has had no regrets about buying a
new 1100.
His main reason for the upgrade was 2 up riding.

 

VStarRick wrote:

Andy, take this "a lot heavier" with a grain of salt.  There's only 56
pounds difference, for nearly double the displacement.  With the low
center-of-gravity of a cruiser, you'll never notice it.  The Yamaha 650
*isn't* a small bike.  It's 544 pounds.  (Compare that with my old Honda
1100 Shadow at 552 pounds!)


For those of us who started out riding 50's or 90', and thought a 305 was a
big bike, 1100 cc seems pretty excessive at first.  But a V-twin 1100 is a
pretty mild engine.  Don't be worried that it'll be more power than you can
handle.  It won't be.  The extra torque actually makes riding easier, and
you'll find it surprisingly close in fuel economy, too.

 

My wife and I have purchased these two bikes back in June. We have the
Silverodo editions with bags and windshield. We have about 2500 miles on
them as of now. The 650 is much shorter than the 1100. The 650 fits my wife
very well,  she is 5' 2". I am 6'1" and am very cramped on her bike. The
1100 fits me well. Both bikes are comfortable, you can ride for about an
hour and a half to two hours before you need to get off and stretch. For two
up riding I would recommend the 1100 for the power and size. The passenger
seat on these bikes does seem a little small for anything but shorter rides,
but can't speak from experience.