Yamaha Virago 535 reviews

This is a great beginner bike....I went through the safety class a couple months ago and couldn't make up my mind if I was going to save a little money and "skip" buying a small bike in favor of a larger bike or go ahead and buy a 250 as my instructor had recommended. Everyone told me "get a bigger bike, you won't be happy with a small one, there isn't enough power." Well, I rode my boyfiend's 800 Honda Shadow a few blocks and found it very difficult to turn. I hadn't gone very far and I turned around and came back home. It really scared me. A week or so later, I fought my fear and summoned up the courage to get back on the Shadow again. I again had difficulty turning and I crashed. Luckily I was not hurt badly. However, it made up my mind very quickly to get a smaller bike. My Virago came in a couple weeks ago and I hadn't been on a bike since my crash. Heart pounding, I got on it, and rode with no problems and certainly no problems turning. I've been riding it all over ever since. It's a great bike. Very forgiving of beginner mistakes and it looks great too!! I changed the mirrors (the worst part of the bike)and it looks even better. My girlfriend went out and bought a 2002 Harley for her first bike. She's already dropped it once and is afraid to ride again. My advice to anyone trying to save a little money, or trying to stroke their ego by buying a "big" first bike is - don't. If you have never had any riding experience, it is going to take some time for your riding skills to become second nature to you, so you can react without thinking in a tough situation. I can't imagine any new rider regretting spending time honing their riding skills on a smaller bike. The Virago is great for doing just that and you can maintain some of the cool factor you get in a bigger bike. For you new riders who can't make up your mind about what size bike to buy just remember...you have the rest of your life for the "cool" factor and your life is worth more than saving a few bucks on a bike. The most important thing is to concentrate on becoming a skilled rider. Great bike, highly recommend!! Show less

I've just recently traded my zr750 Kawasaki for a yamaha xv 250. Why ? Well the main reason was, I was using a big four to travel 3 miles to work which was quite a waste. So decided on a smaller bike, for travel and pleasure. I've got to say the XV250 was my first catch of an eye, I fell in love with this bike first visit to the showroom, and a few hours later it was in my garage. this is an amazing bike for style, comfort, and a great pleasure to own. would recommend it to anyone. Show less

This is a fine machine, a "starter" bike that you'll likely not find a need to replace except for serious touring. It's small stature and plentiful power is a superb combination for a daily commuter, but retains enough grunt and attitude to be a joy to cut loose and cover some miles with some friends on the weekends. Its maintenance is near none and while known for a minor starter issue, the machine has a 2 decade track record nearly of being a overall predictable mount. Lanky folk, 5'10" plus will likely find it a bit short from the seat to the pegs and for long term enjoyment a set of forward controls would be in order, but elswhere you will find no other indication that you are on such a light and nimble machine. Show less

This is my first bike and wanted to start off small. I looked at the other two bikes made by diffrent company's with 250 cc, this is the only one that offered me the cool v-twin look. Shifting is smooth and it rides great.The bikes light weight makes it less intimitading to the newer rider. I would suggest this bike for any one starting out. This bike really does kick butt. I find that the bike does not seem to like first gear(but maybe it's just the rider). Show less

I bought this bike brand new and love it. Lots of power... Put a Cobra jet kit and slashcut pipes on and it even sounds good now... Not many of these were made so they may be worth something someday. Show less

Owned the same 525 since 1987. No issues and no maintenance. Nothing major, anyway. Excellent for trips that mix highway and street riding. Perfect for me, 5'6". Will be getting another bike soon but will keep this one. ideal first bike. Show less

i bought this bike 3 weeks ago and when i first saw it i fell in love with it. the person who owned it before me did a lot of extra work to it. it has a custom paint job, crome and gold everywhere, 2 aditional headlights, and loud pipes. when i rolled up to my friends house he thought i had bought a harley. its a smooth ride and you definently get up to speed with that 1000 cc engine. when all is said and done this is a great bike. Show less

I bought my 2001 Virago 250 with 1100 miles and one year of use on it as a first motorcycle for a 100% unexperienced rider. Having never driven a motorcycle before in my life, I am still amazed that after less than an hour of seat-time I was able to competently drive through the deserted streets of my neighborhood in the middle of the night(Around 12:30 or so)! Its nighttime illumination on city streets is incredible, and the instrementation was totally legible. My dad, who test rode it before I bought it and is very adept with motorcycles, said it has a lot more power than any bike of its size. I myself have barely tapped into the sheer amount of acceleration capability of this bike. Is that my newness to the field? If so, then any other beginner can definately enjoy it as much as I have. Another thing that is constantly pointed out to me(As if it needs to be, lol) is the incredible looks of the bike. It's absolutely beautiful! I, too, had looked at the Honda Rebel and other bikes in this price range and found this one to suit my tastes by far the best. One thing that I've discovered for myself is its ease of use and comfort. I taught myself how to use the clutch and gears(Having read the manual) and spent the aforementioned 40 minutes practicing before I took out on the streets after getting home from work; 8 hours after riding for the first time, I was cruising my neighborhood. The only problem I've had is that sometimes the transmission is very reluctant to go from neutral to first gear. I love this bike and highly reccomend it to anybody looking to start motorcycling. From what I hear from everybody else who's ridden one, they feel the same way. Show less

I'm turning 50 in July and wanted to get bike before I hit 50. Being a woman, I thought I better do this the right way and took a bike course in May and they had two Yamaha Virago 250's as the practice bikes, along with some Kawasaki 125's, 250's, and Enduro's also. Everyone in the class wanted to get one of the Virago's to use for the class, but since there were 12 people and only two Virago's, I didn't get to use one. But I sure admired the looks of it. After the class was over, I did get to drive one. That made up my mind right away. I went out and did some calling and found a dealer who found a bike for me. Picked up and have been riding it like crazy every day. What a great bike to start out with! I couldn't be happier. Looks like a bigger bike than what it is, real cool style, great easy handling, lots of pick up and go! don't hesitate if you are a beginner - this is probably the bike for you too! I have some friends who bought too big for thier first bike (Harleys) and they are too scared to drive them and feel like they don't have control because the bikes are so powerful - so their bikes sit in their garages, while I am oiut enjoying mine! Give me two years and I will be moving up to a bigger bike, but I am enjoying my Virago every day now! Show less

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