Ironhead Dad's Yamaha VStar 1100 vs. my 69 CH

[snow]

Dad passed away last year & mom wants to sell his '02 V Star. He got it new when he turned 70, but only put 2500 miles on it. It made me quite nervous whenever I watched him ride, I guess as nervous as I made him when I first started on bikes. Since the 50s he'd owned Indians, Vespas, Cushmans, BMWs, Kawasaki, Honda, Yam, etc., but that VStar was just too big, heavy & clunky just like all those Japanese-wannabe-Harleys. As his health declined, I'd ride the stupid thing around the block for him to keep it up.

Last night was the first time I rode it any distance--- 50 miles on the mountain roads. It's big & slow, but smooth, and there's a lot to be said for that starter button & modern electrical conveniences. However, I really prefer the CH. It's snappier, quicker, lighter & gets better gas mileage. The CH is much more responsive, as well--- short wheelbase, lighter, skinnier wheels. Breathe on the throttle and it romps, back off & the engine compression slows it down better than the brakes. With the Vstar i felt somewhat disassociated from the road, like I was in a bubble while everything was happening out there. It runs the stock Mikuni carb & bigass mufflers, so that may have something to do with the feeling of being insulated from the ride. The ride on the CH is almost as harsh as a rigid, but the feel of the road is immediate & direct.

I understand the Japanese deliberately dumb down their product to mimic HD Big Twin characteristics, but a lot is lost in translation.

[tiderider]

Hey Snow, sorry for the loss of your father, we lost my Dad two years ago, it's tough. I had a Vstar 650 for a couple of years back in the late 90's, I needed something to ride 150 miles a day and just change oil so I bought the 650. Like you said nothing very special about it, but it did exactly what I needed and never let me down. I put 15000 on it in nearly 2 years and sold it for nearly the same money. I bet there won't be alot of those Vstars still running around 40 years from now.

[DirtyCory]

i feel the same way when i ride my dads 98 heritage springer softail. it dont even feel like a harley to me. feels like a car that only has 2 wheels. not any fun to ride at all. i wouldnt buy that 15000 dollar bike for 5000. all the new stuff sucks

[Tracker]

I have and '07 Fatboy as well as may Ironhead and I know exactly what you're talking about. The two bikes are soooo different. The Iron feels like a real machine. It shakes, smells and is much more responsive than my Fatboy. But the Fatboy is much more fun on the long high speed runs that make my hands, feet and butt go numb on the Sporty. I love them both, though, and won't give up either one.

[Grumpy_Chef]

I had a '99 Vstar 1100 and loved it. It ripped stop light to stop light like nobodies business and could cruise all day on the highway. would still have it if that idiot hadn't ran the red light when I was going through the intersection

does the '02 have fuel injection? I, myself, have never been a fan of FI bikes, they feel weird and disconnected to me for some reason....

[brucstoudt]

Originally Posted by DirtyCory

i feel the same way when i ride my dads 98 heritage springer softail. it dont even feel like a harley to me. feels like a car that only has 2 wheels. not any fun to ride at all. i wouldnt buy that 15000 dollar bike for 5000. all the new stuff sucks

a,couple more post's like that,and my big twin dream's,will become nightmare's. thank's,D.C.!

[muskramble]

It may be not politicall correct to say that but...
I recently tried an EFI rubber mount sportster from the dealer (a 48 actually).
It was a better bike than mine in many aspects: smoothness of the commands, torque and power, easy to rev, quietness, handling...
The guy from the shop asked about my impressions when I gave it back (in hope for a trade) and I just told him: "it feels like a Japanese bike" - my honest opinion.
And I don't even ride a ironhead (rigid mount carbed evo).

[IronMick]

Originally Posted by Grumpy_Chef

I had a '99 Vstar 1100 and loved it. It ripped stop light to stop light like nobodies business and could cruise all day on the highway. ...

The stock V-Star 1100 had only ~50 HP compared to the Virago 1100 ~61 HP. But you could get a factory sup-up kit for them. I wonder if yours had the kit?

I have always thought of the Virago 1000/1100 as next best thing to a Sportster - V-Twin, air cooled, huge torque, manoeverable in city, rock star on the hiway, easy to work on, classic styling. I had 3 of them myself and they are still great bikes.

[brucstoudt]

i,feel like i'm,at a,wedding now,with all this rice,raining down on me. plus rice coming from the h-d dealer now, good,lord!

[snow]

Grumpychef: Dad's '02 has a Mikuni carb, and I must admit the overdrive gear is really nice. When I do 75 mph-85 (?--- no speedo) on the CH, my fingers go numb. But the CH could eat the Vstar's lunch all day, traffic or twisties.... Especially after reading Mick's post about the 50 HP. The CH may not make that much power, but it's way lighter. I'm not sure, but the V feels like it weighs twice as much as the CH...