Yamaha V-Star XVS 650 / Full Review & Ride / Best Budget Cruiser!

[@jeffreyhudson3434]

Looking at getting one myself....havent rode a bike since i was 19 years old.....now 61. Miss riding,love a naked bike....no bags,no tunes other than loud pipes, good job on your review sir.

[@Valentine98766]

Do it do it

[@vadersfather1248]

Got mine six months ago at the young age of fifty after not riding for twenty years and it’s my new baby she’s got it where it counts so do yourself a favour and join the rest of us old blokes and reward yourself for the hard work you’ve done

[@mountainman4736]

I bought one in mid August.Ive put 3,500 miles on it so far.Im retired and have time to ride it.

[@jeffreyhudson3434]

@@vadersfather1248 I did! I bought one ! Got a 2018 rebel 500 at a steal of a deal for $3k. Only 3,000 miles on it. Love it!

[@skoorbyrret4578]

@@vadersfather1248 I bought myself the UK version {we call them the "Dragstar" over here}, at the age of 50 .....I'm now approaching my 75th year, and I'm still as happy with the bike as I was the day I bought it. ride safe ;-)

[@Cody-hy2qt]

I've got a 2013 custom I got about 2 years ago. Absolutely love it. I've thought of getting a bigger bike but I just can't bring myself to want to get rid of it haha. Absolutely amazing bikes, everything you need and nothing you don't. Perfect

[@frankiesantiago9386]

Best review of the vstar 650 out there!! I picked one in March and it's a fantastic bike. Love it.

[@shadowdancer2131]

Thanks!

[@vadersfather1248]

I have the 2014 classic model myself it has Vance and Hines pipes on her and I cannot wipe the smile off myself face it’s a bike that I can’t see myself ever parting with

[@skoorbyrret4578]

Back in 2000, I bought myself a Yamaha 650 "Dragstar" {that's what we call the V-Star here in the UK} ...as a 50th birthday present to myself. I've since added a few "bolt on" extras .....a small boulevarde screen, a sissy bar & luggage rack {similar to yours} , leather panniers {do you guys over there in the US call them saddlebags?} ....and, most importantly, a "Mustang" saddle, which although not cheap {£300 23 years ago} improved both rider & pillion comfort immensely. I originally wanted a 750 Virago, but Yamaha had stopped making them by then, but, after almost 25years, I'm now convinced I bought the right bike, and as I approach 75 years of age, I'm still as happy with the bike as I was the day I bought it. Great video BTW, very enjoyable. Ride safe ;-)

[@JohnSmith-sm6oy]

Well done man .good job.😊

[@lloydsplace2]

i bought a 2001 vstar 650 this summer. did some maintenance. gonna ride a 4000 mile trip in aug 2025. by the way i ll be 74.😅😅

[@cibsim]

Thinking of buying one in Miami for my winter vacation.

[@ranuralaknath150]

Ooohhh.. I cant wait till i get mine😊

[@saladikhanov]

Nice review

[@lovelivegofast]

Thanks man 👍

[@SouthCounty-mq9ew]

Ton of useful info, thanks.

[@Frank-tt3yc]

hey hey i noticed this at 17:14. simulation confirmed lol. love the vid just got my v star 650 I've been trying to figure out which style someone decided to turn it in to a bobber and i need a seat that's good for my back and passenger and go possibly cross country with but i need to change it back to original/custom i'm pretty sure its like yours. mines is a 1998 not new but if i can get her to run she'll be mine. starting young on a cruiser so maybe my luck will change

[@sebasyuhh]

i will tell you now, a cross-country trip on your 650 would require an iron ass. however, it’s the same for any cruiser. a better seat will help to a good amount, but if you don’t have the endurance for temperature drops, soreness and fatigue then you should rethink/train for the trip. on the other hand, if you and your rider have this endurance, i’d greatly recommend doing the trip. it’s something most bikers won’t ever experience, and i appreciate your boldness on a journey like this

[@NoName-c4y7h]

That looks really nice.

[@BattleToads]

Great video. Do you have to do anything with the carb? People generally say to avoid carbed bikes for a beginner.

[@lovelivegofast]

I never touched the carb on this one, always ran great 👍

[@geraldburmeister9637]

As long as you don't leave ethanol fuel in the tank for winter and put a little stabilizer in the tank they are just fine. I've got several carbed bikes and park everything about4.5-5 months and dont have any problems.

[@chrisfletcher3525]

Did you rejet the carbs after changing the exhaust. Plan on putting same exhaust on my bike

[@rayclapse]

did u found out an answer?

[@gupallday4483]

Great content, we're you located

[@Homeworksuks1]

Hey Bikes & Bangs. Was this the 2018 model? And how is the speedometer at night? Does it light up? Thank you heaps if get back to this

[@lovelivegofast]

This is 2015. Speedo light is good, no problem seeing it 👍

[@Homeworksuks1]

@@lovelivegofast thanks for your help mate! Would you ever do a maintenance guide on this bike and best procedures to start it/look after it and little tips?

[@lovelivegofast]

@Homeworksuks1 yes, this one is already sold but when I get another one of these I can do a video like that 👍

[@Homeworksuks1]

@@lovelivegofast awesome thanks mate. I just got myself the 2017 model. So just looking for advice on recarbing and all that good stuff. I like the way you present in videos so thought it'd be helpful. Thanks!

[@screwhead4202]

Bet bro was looking at those ssme pipes just got vstar first street legal bike lol way different than dirt bike

[@wolfeyes9357]

With some attention to intake, a bit of head work, 100mph would be attainable!

[@wiesshund-games]

dont need headwork. Need to change from the OEM air filter housing which restricts airflow by design. Then reject the carbs appropriately Disable the 1st stage rev limiter by removing the o rings from the bottom of the jet stands And change to pretty much anything but the stock exhaust, even a gutted factory exhaust. Bike will shut down around 100mph anyways as you cannot disable the stage 2 rev limit because it is a spark interrupter and no way to disable that in the ignitor. Is not a ton of fun after 90 though, front end starts to float and the brakes aren't up to it. Not geared well for it either, it has the 535's tranny and the final drive has a lower ration than the 1100 It's geared to move around the road responsively between 55 and 85 which is fine really for a 40hp engine. I mean if you can't cross the country with that well....

[@wolfeyes9357]

The sweet spot on any cruiser is 65 to 75...at least that is what I have found and I am on my 23rd. Bike..from kz1000 to triumph to intruders to Harleys, etc... .f

[@old_shupshe]

I really liked my XVS 650 but at 6' it really felt cramped. it's best for someone 5'8" or shorter. One thing to check is to look under the bike. I've seen quite a few that had JB Weld on the cases to fix broken sections. Especially around the oil drain plug. And when you change tires be absolutely sure that the shaft splines are greased. They strip out when they go dry and it's almost $1000 in parts to fix. Lastly, have the front wheel bearing checked as pressure washing the bike, like at a car wash can wash the grease out of them.

[@wolfeyes9357]

No need for more then this 650!

[@chomorrump-d9f]

the plastic chrome is nice

[@cibsim]

Very good review!