18th Mar 2008, 16:28
I'm a 6 foot 5 male looking at buying a 2003 V Star. What do yall think about it? Would it be a good starter bike for me? I have never ridden before and really like this bike.
10th Jun 2008, 18:49
I have a 2003 650 VStar Classic, and am 6'3" 210 lbs, and this bike rides great. It cruises well at 60-65.
The other day my wife and I rode to the beach. It rode and handled well with both of us aboard.
20th Sep 2008, 22:36
How nimble is the bike? I used to ride a Honda Nighthawk, which is a standard bike with feet straight down. It was great on switchbacks, etc. How is the Yamaha 650 for that?
4th Oct 2008, 19:45
My wife bought a 2003 Yamaha V Star 650. It had 1200 miles on it and it has been nothing but problems. There is a clutch problem, it will not disengage and the free-play keeps changing. She had the clutch replaced and two weeks later it started doing the same thing. I am going to submit a complaint with the National Transportation Safety Bureau.
20th Oct 2008, 21:32
Bought a 2003 VStar 2 weeks ago and can't say enough about it. Great bike for beginners or vets. Looks and performs great. The bike didn't come with a wind shield, but has an aftermarket windshield bracket. Looking for a replacement because highway driving is a real drag...
The clutch friction zone is almost at the end of the release, but the Yamaha dealer says that it is common in the 2003. Guess I'll have to get used to it.
3rd Feb 2010, 21:05
Does anyone know if the 2003 V-star 650 came out with floorboards? I was thinking about buying one.
29th Jul 2010, 08:05
I have a 1999 650 Classics; they come with the floorboards after 2000 I believe, but I got a set of CL from an 03.
The bike really does require you to push it on the highway (65-75). But it is capable of getting there. The vibration when I first got the bike put my hands to sleep after my first commute home (1 1/2 hour).
There are some things that can be done for the vibration.
Get a set of floorboards that have the "floating" foot pad.
Fill the handle bars with BBs or shotgun shot; there are also a lot of handlebar end weights out there now at a very reasonable price. Also a good set of gloves with the gel in them help your hands. In the hot weather I wear a set of the weight lifting gloves with no fingers, and the extra padding in the palm.
The stock seat is pretty stiff, and does not isolate the vibrations much, but an aftermarket seat can get really pricey, so I suggest getting a gel pad; they work pretty good.
31st Aug 2010, 10:43
I just bought my 650 V Star Classic, and it does have factory foot boards. From what I hear, they are a great vibration improvement over the standard pegs. Like I said, I just bought it, and it's in the shop right now getting inspected, so I haven't ridden it myself yet to confirm that.
26th Nov 2006, 16:00
I've got an '04 Yamaha 650 Silverado, my third bike and without a doubt the best.
My wife and I ride 2-up no problem, I loaded it with my camping gear and rode to the Oyster Run in Anacortes, no problem keeping up with my buddy on his 1100 Silverado on the I-5 at all.
This is a good bike for the novice, but there's no way anyone can say this bike isn't powerful enough for the highway, you may have to use the tranny abit depending on the terrain. My wife and I have made tons of day trips with our riding group and have no problem at all keeping up.
We're looking at a Royal Star venture these days, but only because the pillion on the 650 isn't comfortable for longer trips. I really do wish I could afford two bikes cuz I'd keep my little 650 forever if I could.