The Yamaha Dragstar 650 Review With Richard Hammond

[@Rev.Emma-Doughty]

I've had my dragstar for just over two years now and its the best bike I have ever owned, its comfy, gives good mileage and will sit at 70mph all day. cruisers are made for cruising about in comfort and enjoying the ride not tear arsing around like an idiot! ride safe everyone xxx.

[@edwright6578]

hallelujah emma, well said

[@HowTO-pt2qv]

Emma Doughty ive got a 2016 custom 650 plenty of power easily sits on 110km/h ..you're correct cruisers are for cruising if you want a fast bike then go for a sports bike..his review was crap

[@glk001]

Knowing it's been nearly 5 years since this was uploaded, but it's so irritating a review, had to reply...If you are viewing this to get an idea of the Yamaha XVS-650, really need to read from those of us that have or had this bike...Mine is a 650 Custom and in the USA it's labeled as the V-Star...2006 with only 2800 miles on it when I bought it...First I also have the floor boards and I can't say if it's the style or maker, but I've yet to scrap em on the pavement, and I've had this to it's tipping point in some corners...This is a great metric cruiser with plenty of get up and go...Well built machine and easy to work on...Takes maybe 5 minutes to remove the battery for storage...Shaft drive for maintenance free riding...Air cooled V-Twin with plenty of low end tork...He was incorrect when he said disk front and back, it's disk front and drum rear brake that have great stopping ability...I have the windshield and leather bags and love em both...More than enough motor for cruisin' with my only con would be for highway riding, it should have had a 6th gear...It can do the highway, but would breathe a bit easier if there were a 6th gear...This is one of the best cruisers for a beginner or seasoned rider without a doubt...I have a degenerative disk problem in my feet, knees and lower back and I ride this in comfort and can handle the weight without a problem...If I remember right it's 540 lbs dry weight...Don't ever shy away from twisting the throttle on a XVS-650, it's a wonderful ride...Be well...

[@Pusfilth]

tork hahaha

[@nathanielsexton7337]

Thanks for the honest reply about to look at one Thursday and hopefully buy it!

[@milesahudson3720]

They are really slow get the 1100

[@nigelkirkpatrick1505]

it's a much modified bike he's on and has different boards that the stock ones, which probably explains the lack of clearance

[@myblueschannel4232]

Not much point getting someone who only likes sports bikes to review a bike that is meant for an entirely different market. I had one for 6 months when I got back into bikes after 20 years off them and it was great fun. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a mid-size cruiser. The torque of the V twin makes up for any lack of sports bike horsepower and is quite exhilarating, giving plenty of get-up-and-go for anyone who stays generally within normal legal riding habits. It looks impressive and Yamaha's quality is always top class too. And yes it’s an inexpensive bike with carbs and cruiser gauges... it’s a cruiser! The only point I would make to anyone considering one is to watch the weight at low speeds if you are not an experienced rider. The extra rake typical on a cruiser's front forks means that at low speeds it will be easy to drop if you aren't mindful of that aspect. The other thing this reviewer hasn't woken up to is that it can be a lot more fun giving a modestly powered bike a good squirt on public roads where the power of sports bikes is not practical. I'll say it again, this bike is great fun... If you are in the market for a mid-size cruiser, definitely give this bike a test ride.

[@D3vilman95]

u hit it on the head mate! Every bloody time its a sportbike arse reviewing.

[@mad4tarmac]

you must have not tried its rivals in the middleweight class so...if you think the xv is a good bike wait till you ride the VN,Shadow 750 or the Suzuki CT....they are so much better then the xv,they handle better,stop better,better suspension better everything..my wife went and bought a xv and in two days she said she had made a mistake,you are the very person not to take advice off..you are back biking after 20 years and now say the xv is a great bike and against what other bikes have you deemed this???..I am biking 40 years almost everyday and let me tell you the XV is not a good bike compared to its rivals in the class,anyone thinking of getting into middleweight cruisers please try all the brands before you buy the first one that catches your eye and do not listen to people blind sided by the love of their bike without knowing how a bike should handle or how it compares to its rivals...if you are a new or back to bikes please take the best handling and safest bike...do not listen to guys who have not ridden anything else.

[@martinr.1347]

@@D3vilman95 Ganz meiner Meinung! Warum lässt man einen Typen Cruiser testen der, einerseits keinen Bock auf Cruiser hat und, andererseits meint er hätte den Auftrag besonders witzig sein zu müssen.

[@popstars4444]

I have had mine since 1998 and I went out on it today and loved every second of it...

[@davidsell243]

i cant begin to imagine how loud a 40bhp alarm clock is...

[@motorsforthemasses]

With respect, Richard is not a cruiser type...the leathers speak volumes! He needs to view the bike from the point of view of a person who likes this style of bike and rides it so....

[@glennhollier7562]

i just brought myself a 2010 XVS 650 CLASSIC. i love it. great bike. got plenty of speed. recommend it for entry level for grown adults on

[@Meanderthal17]

From the beginning he makes it obvious he's pissed he was told to ride a cruiser. How can you hire someone to review something with so much bias

[@benson3276]

typical of a bias little prick like him 😅😅

[@phantomrose1999]

Have a 2005 classic. Few hours to remove and rebuild the carbs, synch the carbs and it is a pleasure to ride. The V&H pipes are fantastic as one goes through the gears. Absolutely love it, remember it’s a cruiser, not a crotch rocket.

[@glennhollier7562]

i just brought myself a 2010 XVS 650 CLASSIC. i love it. great bike. got plenty of speed. recommend it for entry level for grown adults

[@nathandavies2677]

I am a former RS125 rider and I currently own the babydrag 125, and i gotta say its all about the ride and enjoying the cruise. Totally different style of riding and my 125 Dragstar does it superbly well.

[@XV250]

Don't hold back now... tell us how you _really_ feel about cruisers....

[@Moonrakerd]

that bike looks bigger with hammond on it :D

[@humanentity2214]

For a dude as tiny as Hammond, it's funny to hear him consider other things tiny.

[@ishouldbeas1eep98]

I have a V-star 650 Classic and I don’t have one complaint with it. Took it on a 250 ish mile road trip and back on the Highway, didn’t skip a beat. Very reliable Machine. Not fast, but it’s a cruiser what do you expect? Don’t think this video did the engine or bike a service.

[@darrellmount7020]

you can adjust the floorboards and mirrors, and the bike does perform great for a 650 v twin, i recommend you check out other reviews on this bike and the v star , you'll see most other reviewers have a more favorable opinion. as far as looking in shop windows at yourself sitting on a bike, I have yet to see anyone on any kind of bike that don't check themselves out in the shop windows, hell, some of us make videos of it so everyone can check us out.

[@paulmartin39]

I used to own the same bike. I found it pretty fast, I learned to ride on this motorbike. I loved it. Plenty of power of the mark. No windshield however, means more drag. Overall a good bike.

[@HockeyPlayoffRun]

I am a photographer and this is an ideal bike for those narrow back roads when you glance a possible shot and have to do a u turn. Also I would not live long on a race bike.

[@liamosullivan3730]

Apples and oranges tbh, cruisers are built for comfort and travelling long distance in style and comfort. Its not a racing bike, which I think us where cruisers get a bad wrap. People expect that they are for a completely different purpose than what they are, when i think of bikes i think of 3 categories. Touring, sports, cruisers. The whole point is to sit and enjoy, watch the world around you as you travel the landscape or commute. I own an intruder myself, I've yet to scratch my footpegs off the ground. Again referring to the same issue I mentioned above, certain people who enjoy racing and speed and all that, expecting that from something that just isn't built for that purpose. Something like expecting a horse to compete in a flying contest with an Eagle, of course the horse is not going to succeed, it gets around in an entirely different manner, just is not the same thing. From my experience driving sports bikes and cruising bikes, sports bikes are, In my opinion a lot more powerful and also uncomfortable. I find fuel Injected bikes tend to be just too powerful for me and I always fear the throttle will lag and the acceleration will just take my hand to the floor and throw me into traffic ahead. For this reason alone for beginners especially, cruisers don't really feel this way which is a great way to introduce a new rider to the world of biking. Cruisers tend to be a lot more forgiving and will get you A to B no issues, in comfort and in style. I'm also pretty sure the XVS 650 will reach like 145km/hr approx. Too. That is well enough to hold road presence. Just the style of this classic looking bike, the leather bags and extras, the sound of the engine as it ticks over, to me beats the extremely loud, almost buzzing sound of a sports bike. Just isn't for me, which is okay too.

[@shiatsuplus]

single disc front and rear ?

[@buddyharshawiowa]

I have 650 drag star and love it

[@jockofthebushveld299]

At least he got it right this time by saying it's a Shaft Drive,on his other review of the V Star he said it was a Chain Drive obviously doesn't know the difference?

[@loki1066]

Lovely leathers, I didn't know Mothercare sold them!

[@petethompson1282]

he missed the point - its a heavy cruiser archair, and does the job just fine, it sounds good, it insures cheap and if you want you can put other pegs on. IVe only got the 125 but will look at these later

[@sailingyoumeandjosapea6770]

In 2021 it’s still £3- 4K so it’s held it’s value and some

[@kevinkille]

Pleas Men and Motors bring back The Hamster I love his revieuws

[@fortememe]

i think Hammond rated Dragstar just because it look bigger next to him:D if clarkson stand next to that bike, handlebar would be at his knee height

[@theaxeman4429]

I wonder how much he was paid for this “Review”.......? 650 Dragstar Classic is by far one of the best bikes I owned.

[@jetranger47]

His accidents have definitely taken a toll on his brain.

[@nigelkirkpatrick1505]

The idiot didn't even bother to check his facts about the bike, or even look at it properly, when he stated that there is a disc brake front and rear - it's a drum on the rear. He clearly doesn't like cruisers or understand what they're for. I think the Dragstar is a great bike. Mine is 15 years old now and the chrome is as good as the first day. Handles superbly too!

[@rotay4900]

Update: Richard Hammond is now 52 and he loves this bike! 😘

[@hejakma4682]

lol

[@MisterDivineAdVenture]

Haters gotta hate .. what a prickly fellow.

[@mad4tarmac]

they are too underpowered and they handling is dodgy,my wife bought one from her friend who swore by it,yet failed to mention she never rode anything else besides her old 250..my wife been bit gullible road it on a straight road..two days later hated it after taking it on back roads,too under powered,soft as fuck suspension,wallowed in corners...any xv owner should ride a shadow 750 or a vn800 or the 900 much much better bikes,the vn handles good too,my wife traded the xv for one and loves it..work in a bike shop myself and heard many riders complain about the vn after riding other bikes..like to think that bike handles ok or has plenty go must be riding super slow even by cruiser standards....and the dive from that front end oh my god,do an emergency stop on the xv at your own risk..hammond may not like cruisers but he is right about that bike...no offence to any xv owners but try the other mid size bikes out..plenty videos on here of them..the vn is a good meaty bike and the shadow is good too,even the boulevard is better..plenty other reviewers did not like the xv back in the day either.

[@davidmuir6849]

Just bought a 1999 classic with 2000 genuine miles ,Richards review is shit ,the bike is fantastic, and for all those saying yeah its a harley reproduction they are totally correct at 10,000 pounds less . Hamster should stick to being a radio broadcaster By the way my other bike in the stable is a harley 72 with 1,500 miles

[@SabotPottery]

He's been around Jerryman Clarkesbum to long.

[@Bladsmith]

Bruh, Clarkson's Top Gear started in two thousand fucking two

[@peter7624]

What a totally biased and unobjective review. More like a list of Richard Hammonds personal dislikes and biases about motorcycles. If he loved bikes he'd love them in all their forms, shapes and sizes. What a plonker.

[@Bahamuttone]

Hm well the footboard are not the original one, this are angled strangely and get MUCH lower than stock.

[@ArtyVanHoming]

well that wasn't biased was it .well i can say i had one and it was great , but i stupidly had it customised, with a set of springer forks and chopped the rear mud guard , ruined a perfectly good bike . i also owned a Harley which was the worst bike i've ever owned . i'd have another Dragstar classic anyday

[@adriancronin533]

Looks like they tampered with the boards to make a point. From what I've seen, there's a slight, 10° ish angle normally, yes if you angle them to 35°, they will scrape on corners. Pity he didn't try them at 90 degrees! This type of review and reviewer is more about low brow entertainment than information.

[@philclark6017]

that was posh but spose pish also sums them up

[@mariusziah5005]

its like hes trying to be like another tall automotive presenter lol, disparaging aswell as informing. seeriously tho atleast hes honest. id still buy it anyway its a good bike

[@vincentlanza1367]

The arrogance in his voice is sickening

[@zeussdog1708]

Rear drum brake not disc

[@aliservan7188]

Hammond may bbe a tit, but I've had one of these and it's under powered, unstable at low speeds and scarpes the pegs on even a slight bend. I fucking hated the one I had, I now have a VN1500 Drifter, way better.

[@mistreku]

Hoho! The amount of triggered ppl in the comments! Amazing how many snowflakes brought out the forks and torches. Chill Winston! I like the xvs too but I also get where Hammond's coming from.

[@paulduffitt7338]

Why are you saying KawaZaki...it's an 'S'

[@Eve....747]

Such a baby there...lol 😂 ✌ & ♥ 🌍 we 🙏

[@ylism]

At least you was keeping it real ? Or whatever that means...lol

[@MrPrinceofallsaiyan]

you shoud call the video How to Shit on The Dragstar damn

[@paulcowell7588]

A R S E....

[@andygalloway2298]

He's so wrong but he did buy a harley

[@antinwo3664]

First of all the idiot in this video adjusted the floor boards in the maximum diagonal angle so that the floor boards WOULD drag quite easily. Secondly if all he saw in the mirrors was his own face he obviously didn't know how to adjust his mirrors unless he is what he appears to be, a little narcasistic. The rest of his negatively biased opinions didn't really matter after these points as it was very clear he was just out to scathe this bike in true liberal fashion. Overall this "critic" belongs on the Polosi wagon along with all the rest of the "un-biased truth tellers" and leave the bike reviews to the rest of us who find the bike to be just fine in all categories for so many reasons.

[@MadnessOfMarmots]

"I don't like his review so he's obviously a bias git." Really, people?

[@hamstersniffer]

Okay thinkpol, help me out with something if you don't mind. I'm American but LOVE the word 'git'. Don't know what it actually means but I just freakin' love it. So, can you tell me what it means???

[@bentaylor7095]

Stick to your fast plastic bikes and custom cars please Hammond

[@T-BiscuitT-Biscuit]

bellend

[@pn1018]

Aaaand the blinker is on all the time. Noobie.

[@MrDopestDope1]

i think this review is so biased

[@glennhollier7562]

i just brought myself a 2010 XVS 650 CLASSIC. i love it. great bike. got plenty of speed. recommend it for entry level for grown adults on

[@glennhollier7562]

i just brought myself a 2010 XVS 650 CLASSIC. i love it. great bike. got plenty of speed. recommend it for entry level for grown adults