1995 Yamaha reviews

I bought her new in 1995. She is getting old now. So I want to write about her virtues. Brilliant design... engine is part of the frame. Proof of brilliance... she took a 35-40 mph head on impact... wiped out the front end... the frame and engine not only survived... they are as good as the day I drove her out of the showroom. Offset V-Twins means that the rear cylinder is not starved for cool air as straight line V-Twins are. Low slung chopped frame style/seat is comfortable and accessible to shorter riders. Shaft drive means reliable power transfer and no maintenance. Good tachometer and instrument positioning. I have been lucky to have no real starter problems... the one area that some people have had trouble. As far as handling goes, I have had this bike up in the 90s on the highway without any vibration or shimmying even after a major collision. As far as comfort goes... the seat is a dream... The bike does not vibrate you to sleep like a Sportster or Softail. I did replace the stock pipes with Cobras and they have given her a very throaty roar. All in all the Virago is one of the longest running and greatest bikes made. I plan to retire her soon and hop on a Dyna Wide Glide but I know that I will miss her. Show less

I had a 1987 XV700 for 5 years, then sold it to a relative. This bike had personality & got respect even from Milwalkee V-Twin riders. I liked many things about this bike, but especially the high reliability & low maintenance costs. Engine power was great and she would cruise nicely @ highway speeds all day long. Handlebars felt comfortable and steering was stable. Dual-disc brakes gave her plenty of stopping power. The seat was comfortable, especially being only 5'6". Changing the oil filter is a pain because of the filter cover, the 3 Allen-head bolts & O-ring. If you overtighten the bolts, you WILL crack the billet cover, so be careful! I had some carburetor problems, but they were fixed thanks to a K&N jet kit. All Virago starters are famous for grinding noises. Even though mine never failed, I know many that have. Thumbs up to Yamaha for designing a V-Twin cruiser that was almost perfect out of the box when they designed it over 20 years ago! Thumbs down to Yamaha for those bulky, personality-lacking 650 & 1100 V-Stars that replaced the Virago. Show less

Fast bike, only when top end is used. Handling quick, scary at high speeds with rocks and holes. Love to wheelie. Fun bike to ride. don't think bike goes faster than 90-100km/h, boo. Bike will be for sale when season is over. Want to ride it as much as I can. Buying newer bike, want faster. My first "real" dirtbike, had it for a month and want more power, well, a bigger powerband. Still fun and smiles. Can wheelie, loves jumps. I'd love to take it out for a rip right now...... Show less

Bought this bike in early April, re-entering the sport after 25 years. Logged about 2000 miles of early northern Ohio spring weather. This bike is light and forgiving enough to allow a few rookie mistakes with downing it. Added a windshield and Mustang seat, the stock seat tends to push the passenger forward all the time. This bike seems to have enough power to move two people around town but I wouldn't want to spend too much time on the freeway. Have to keep the RPM's up around 4000 to maintain 60mph. It's a great entry/re-entry bike and if I were to do this again, I would make the same choice. Show less

This is an excellent cycle for both beginners and intermediate riders. It's light, has great handling, and good power (88 HP). Want to modify it? It has a very good after-market following. Very unique looks compared to other sportbikes (dual headlights, smallish fairing, squared tail, rear tire is a bit small... helps with the handling though). Especially good for those of us on the lower end of the height scale... sub-31" seat height. In short, in a drag race there's no way this can compete with today's high-end sportbikes, but in the hands of an experienced rider, it can keep up with just about ANY cycle in the twisties. Pros: Great handling, light weight, low price, good brakes, easy to modify/maintain Cons: Weak clutch, clunky transmission, little power in low RPMs, a bit uncomfortable for long rides Show less