2003 Yamaha V-Star 650 Custom review from United States of America
"Great bike for starters or the vertically challenged!"
What things have gone wrong with the motorcycle?
Nothing wrong to date. It looks like a shock was replaced somewhere by a previous owner. (I'm the 3rd owner)
General comments?
This is a great bike - both for a beginner (me) or an advanced rider. The styling catches attention, performance is adequate to keep up with the crowd, handling is easy, and it's well balanced.
A couple of gripes - starting on up-hill slopes can be a challenge. The clutch engages right at the end of your fingertips - where you have the least control of things (or at least I do). Also - the roll on the throttle is very mild at the beginning - requiring quite a bit of roll on to get things going without stalling.
Seat is very comfortable - but if you're taller than 5'7", I'd consider a bigger bike. I find myself up on the back seat now and then for a stretch.
Stock pipes are very quiet, vibrations are minimum, and fuel economy is around 53 MPG city streets. The bike is at home on either highway or city streets.
I can see an 1100 in the future...
Short of it - great bike for the price!
More Yamaha V-Star 650 Custom reviews
| Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model Year | 2003 |
| First year of ownership | 2007 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2007 |
| Acceleration marks | 5/10 |
| Roll-on Performance marks | 3/10 |
| Handling marks | 7/10 |
| Braking marks | 8/10 |
| Reliability marks | |
| Comfort marks | 7/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 9/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 4000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 4400 miles |
| Date of Entry | 18th September, 2007 |