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A new motorcycle

specialidiot

specialidiot

Break Glass, Smoke Lucky
I picked up a 86 Yamaha Virago 700 5 years ago to see if I wanted to get back into riding. Well I road the you-know-what out of that bike and last week I hit a nasty pothole on the freeway on the way to work, and I messed it up. I think I bent some linkage, etc.

So I figured it was finally time to upgrade. Of course I wanted a Harley but the entry price for even a well used bike was out of my budget. I spent a few days shopping and decided on this one from a private party.

2007 Yamaha V-Star Silverado 1100, 10,500 miles on it, and pretty much mint for nearly 1/2 the price of the HDs I was looking at. I'll pick it up in the next day or two.

vstar1100a.jpg
 
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Thanks all.... Of course I'm already looking for add ons like hiway bars and pegs, can't decide on a seat yet though. I had a Mustang on my Virago.

I do think I'll leave the exhaust stock though.
 
specialidiot said:
can't decide on a seat yet though.

I do think I'll leave the exhaust stock though.
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Nothing wrong with that. I think when I get a large cruiser I`ll probably get a seat with a removable backrest. The long trips really get to be a pain in the lower back.
Looks good though even as is.
 
That's a VERY nice bike. :thmbsp:!

As a long time Harley owner, your Virago not only has one less digit in the price tag, it is also likely to be much more reliable and much less expensive to own and maintain. It is also just as comfortable, looks every bit as nice and will no doubt provide the same or better overall riding experience as a Harley Davidson Road King.

As the last domestic motorcycle manufacturer, I am sorry to say that my current Harley is likely to be my last Harley for the same reasons as I just stated. Disappointment in the brand and the dealer has finally overcome my loyalty to both.

Enjoy, and stay safe out there! :D
 
Ultra-Hog, that is the conclusion I came to. I wanted a Harley, but was really frustrated by what was available. My Yamaha cost less than $5k, there isn't anything in a Harley with even high miles available for that price.

Two HDs I was looking at were a 98 Fatboy with 31k miles on it, for $8995, and a 2000 Road King with 60k miles for $9500. I figure I would also need $1k or so for annual repair/maintenance for those bikes.

I've rented Harleys three times over the last two seasons and the new Heritage Classics I've ridden are sweet, but the $15k price tag for a gently used bike is ridiculous. I've also taken nearly every V-twin on the market out for test drives in the last year. The Victory Vegas is a nice bike too, but the Yamaha won out in the end because of the accessories involved and a bigger dealer network.
 
specialidiot said:
Thanks all.... Of course I'm already looking for add ons like hiway bars and pegs, can't decide on a seat yet though. I had a Mustang on my Virago.

I do think I'll leave the exhaust stock though.
Click to expand...

Sold my Vulcan 1600 yrs ago miss it but with a 6 and 3 yr old no time to ride.
But I'll tell you the first thing I did to the bike was put Vance and Hines straight pipes on it Yeeooow nice throaty roar neighbors hated them:smoke:
 
Sam Cogley said:
Last domestic manufacturer?

http://www.indianmotorcycle.com/
http://www.polarisindustries.com/en-us/victory-motorcycles/Pages/home.aspx
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Indians are a bit too boutiquey for me, and also expensive.

Over the winter I always figured I'd end up on a Victory Vegas. I've ridden several of them and like them a bunch. But in the end the overall package of options and price of the V-Star won out.


Axcel said:
Sold my Vulcan 1600 yrs ago miss it but with a 6 and 3 yr old no time to ride.
But I'll tell you the first thing I did to the bike was put Vance and Hines straight pipes on it Yeeooow nice throaty roar neighbors hated them:smoke:
Click to expand...

Which is why I'll stay stock.
 
specialidiot said:
Indians are a bit too boutiquey for me, and also expensive.

Over the winter I always figured I'd end up on a Victory Vegas. I've ridden several of them and like them a bunch. But in the end the overall package of options and price of the V-Star won out.
Click to expand...

After I posted that, I found that Victory has recently bought Indian.
 
Nice! Enjoy the Heck out of it! They are nice bikes ride great and last just make sure you do two things for winter add Sta-Bil to the gas and keep her covered.
 
dokblues said:
Nice! Enjoy the Heck out of it! They are nice bikes ride great and last just make sure you do two things for winter add Sta-Bil to the gas and keep her covered.
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Thanks Dok. Having an older house with a tiny two car garage sucks. I don't even have room for a lawn mower and my wife won't tolerate an external shed. So I will have a cover for her - the seller kept it in a heated garage so I feel bad already!

And being an old guy from ND and MN, we know a bunch about winterizing our cylinders. Sta-bil, Sea Foam, fogging cylinders, etc is all part of the mid to late November lifestyle around here.

I do have winter storage for this one, I think. Otherwise there are a ton of commercial storage places just for this purpose.
 
That's a real beauty! I have an '06 Honda VTX1300 that's been great. My only complaint is a small fuel tank (3.9 gal). I'm kinda looking for more of a sport-tourer, maybe a Honda ST1300 or BMW 1200. Your Yamaha looks sharp.
 
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