Yamaha's V Star 650 has won rave reviews from the start.
In 1997, Yamaha Motors introduced the V Star 650 motorcycle as a replacement for its outgoing Virago 750. Yamaha's new bike became an immediate hit, winning the Cruiser of the Year award from the Motorcycle Cruiser magazine. Today, this bike competes with similar models in the 750 cc class, including the Honda Shadow Aero and the Suzuki Boulevard C50.
Models
The company originally produced two models of its middleweight V-twin cruiser: the XVS650 Classic and the XVS650 Custom. It later added the XVS65A Silverado style and then dropped the 650 distinction to call each the V Star Custom, Classic or Silverado.
While Yamaha packed lots of chrome trim on the entire line and equipped these bikes with spoke wheels, each bike featured a slightly different look. A V Star Classic sported a longer length and greater overall width than the Custom and Silverado, both of which also used a narrower front tire and slightly lower seat. Yamaha differentiated the Silverado from the Custom by giving it a windshield, backrest and standard leather saddlebags.
Yamaha's 2011 lineup only features one 650 V Star product, which it refers to as the V Star Custom. This motorcycle retails for $6,890.
Engine
When the company launched the V Star 650, it equipped it with a 649 cc displacement V-twin four-stroke engine that it still uses at the time of this writing. All models of this motorcycle have featured the same engine. Yamaha set the V-twin's two cylinders at a 70-degree angle to one another and gave each a bore of 3.19 inches and a stroke of 2.48 inches. The engine has a compression ratio of 9.0-to-1.
This engine sports two constant velocity 28-millimeter Mikuni carburetors set in a single overhead cam configuration that uses two valves per cylinder, for four valves total. A transistor-controlled ignition controls the sparks in each chamber. The air flow during riding keeps it from overheating and a wet sump oil system keeps it lubricated. Yamaha's 649 cc engine produces 40 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 37 pound-feet of torque at 3,000 rpm.
Transmission
Riders can shift through the five-speed manual transmission using the V Star's multi-plate wet clutch. The engine transfers power to the rear wheel via a shaft drive.
Performance
Motorcycle Cruiser reports that the 1998 V Star Classic could pass the quarter-mile in a time of 15.9 seconds, at a speed of 80.4 mph. According to the Total Magazine website, these bikes can hit a top speed of 145 mph. Yamaha gives the Custom a fuel economy of 48 mpg and the Classic a 49 mpg rating. The 2011 Custom has a 5.5 gallon fuel tank, giving it a range of over 250 miles.
Wheels
The 2011 V Star Custom rides on size 100/90-19 front tires and size 170/80-15 rear tires. Yamaha equipped this bike's front wheel with a 298 mm diameter disc and slapped a 200 mm drum brake on the rear wheel. A 2010 Silverado and Classic rode on 130/90-16 front and 170/80-15 rear tires. Both the Silverado and the Classic used the same front-disc, rear-drum configuration and brake size.
Suspension
Yamaha equipped all models of the V Star 650 with a telescopic fork front suspension and single-shock rear suspension. The 2011 V Star Custom's front suspension has a travel of 5.5 inches; its rear suspension has a travel of 3.4 inches.
Tags: yamaha, star, Star Custom, 2011 Star, 2011 Star Custom, 80-15 rear, 80-15 rear tires, front suspension, Motorcycle Cruiser, rear suspension, rear tires
