Yamaha V-Star XVS1300A

Good Country Cruiser – The 2015 Bullet Cowl Stryker model is what I purchased and has a very narrow 21-inch front wheel and has a radically raked-out front-end which I have added 75mm fork end caps to make the forks look even longer, the rear tyre is originally an18 inch 210 tyre but I have put on a 240/40/18 which gives it a much better ride, and also improved the… Read more

cornering ablility, and looks wicked to boot!

The engine sports fake-cooling fins to maintain a classic air-cooled appearance though the radiator gives the game away, . it sports a 15-litre tear drop tank that adds to the Stryker’s looks, but only gives you around 240km distance and watch that low fuel light as if it blinks you need a fuel stop NOW!

I have added Vance and Hinse slash cut pipes and a cobra big air kit with an ECUwest flash as well.

This is the first bike I have owned in many years that I have not had to change seats or handle bars or move foot rests to get more comfortable which has saved me considerable dollars as my last two harleys did (if you have owned a Harley you know what I mean) all up this a pretty good bike to own and is only let down by surging in some areas which become really annoying once you upgrade the exhaust pipes and is most noticable between 48 to 57kph it only lessens if you get some sort of fuel controller or the ecu flashed or both and then a dynotune.... so it still cost money in the long run but what bike doesnt?

The fuel Tank – I have been drooling over the Stryker and the XVS for Month's now, I own a 950 Bolt with less than 12 litres in the Tank and living in the NT where the Fuel stops are about 300ks apart, if Yamaha would use their head a little bit and Build a Bike for Australian conditions with 20 Litre tanks they would have a winner, even on my Bolt I have to… Read more

nurse it to get 250 k's on a Tank full. If there was an option to swap to the larger Tank, say from the XVS I'd buy 1 Tomorrow. Also a problem with the Guys I ride with and their Harleys, and yet a couple of Guys ride BMW's 1200 GS and they have no Problem getting 500 Ks from a tank full.???

Excellent cruiser – Pros: Ergomically great with a nice relaxed riding postion and quite a comfortable stock seat, plenty of power, well balanced, corners very well, head light may not be asthetically pleasing to some but is excellent, brakes are more than adequate, excellent build quality, 5yr warranty, super reliable and really affordable! Cons: Could be finished… Read more

a little better (just a few little things), a bit prone to surging in 1st and 2nd

Overall an excellent bike, i love it!

Would highly recommend for those looking to step up to a bigger bike and for those on a budget.

I have however fitted some extras (purely for my own gratfication) and they are as follows:

V & H 2 into 1 pro pipe - more air out + extra ponies

Kuryakyn chrome Alley Cat - more air in + extra ponies

Cobta fi2000r o2 fms - ripen up fuel/air ratio and iron out the surging + extra ponies

Yamaha oem chrome billet rack

Kuryakyn shift and brake pedal covers

Kuryakyn chrome horn cover

Arlen Ness blk rad 3 tear drops

Arlen Ness blk 10 gauge grips

After adding these extras i still saved between $6500 - $8000 (depending where you buy) on the stock Harley that i liked (Dyna wide glide)

Like i said previously though, all this was to appease myself and could be deemed a bit unnecessary as the bike looks & goes super well stock, but........man it looks & goes like an absolute demon now!

Royal drive – Yamaha V-star XVS1300A is very stunning, comfortable for long drive. It steals your attention from all that surrounds you and you will fall i love with it.Once you are astride the bike, the seating position is upright and comfortable. It is very good for hilly area riding.it is sporty and modern in approach with latest design.  Show details

Good Solid Bike – Good Solid bike Very quick engine response. Very reliable. Never let me down. Fast enough, High torque. Starts really quick. Color options are less and not really good color schemes are there Cons: Handling and cornering is not very good (usual with metric cruisers) I ended up buying a vulcan 900 custom. Which handles great  Show details

Great Riding Position Although Terrible Brakes – The bike so far has been pretty comfortable for a taller rider, got some highway pegs mounted on with a little fiddling and some extra washers. It tends not to lull you into high speeds but feels like you have some power there when you need it. Cornering is fun if you are willing to lean a little or hang off the side, the pegs can scrape a bit.… Read more

The only downer is the braking: big heavy bike which needs a lot of rear brakes as well as front braking which leaves it vulnerable to errors when braking sharply, one shattered wrist later and I sold the thing.

An absolute delight to ride – It's hard to explain in words just how good the XVS 1300a is because Yamaha really got this one right. The very moment those wheels start moving it feels light and easy to maneuver. In a straight line you can make the numbers rise incredibly quickly with just modest throttle and mid range revs. Point it into a corner and you'll shoot around like… Read more

your on rails. Just a gentle squeeze of the brake lever will pull you up in a flash.

The 5 gears are quite tall so around town you'll find yourself in 2nd and 3rd most of the time (40 - 65 kph) but this bike is designed for the open road and that's where it comes into it's own; at 100 kph you slip it into 5th, the revs drop and she purrs along but you still have plenty of torque at hand for a quick pass without need for a change-down.

And then there's the legendary fuel economy - town riding I'm getting around 55 mpg (5.05 L/100km) and on open road that drops to a miserly 67 mpg (4.15 L/100km) which is amazing considering the capacity and performance.

Summary: Ride it once and you'll find it hard to go back to your ride.

Likes: Beautiful balance. Easy to ride. Plenty of grunt. Great looks. Fuel economy. ( I could go on )

Dislikes: Can be hard to access the tyre valves. Lack of storage - only enough for the tool kit and that's it. The positioning of the key above the instrument panel is convenient but limits what you can attach to the bars in that area ( tacho, gps etc )

Awesome Bike – Now after many more rides with new tyres front and rear this 2009 V-star 1300 is without any doubt the best one i,ve ever owned,and thats after my 2010 ZX1400 (New) 2012 ZX14R (Demo) 2014 Ohlins Special Edition ZX14R (new) obviously it does not have the power to come close to my former bikes but has everything besides that better! she stays with… Read more

all my mates well untill the open their sport bikes right up on the straights! it,s so comfy the 5 speed is smooooove as! great in the corners! just so rider friendly! and yet 5 years old !!! lol

Stryker 1304cc Custom Bike – I have clocked up 5000 k's on my Stryker now from new 4 months riding I enjoy the bike and the ride it gives on the open highway is second to none of all the bikes I have owned in 30 years of riding. However I do have some criticisim mainly the gearing ratio's this bike in my view is to high geared through the entire gear box. 1st gear 0-40 k/hr… Read more

use 2nd gear under 40k/hr the bike shudders in the drive train

2nd gear 40-60 k/hr use 3rd under 60 k/hr the bike shudders in the drive train

3rd 60-80 k/hr I even hold it in 3rd for short distances at 90 k/hr other wise constantly changing gears in changing speed zones built up area's

4th gear minimum 80 k/hr to 110 k/hr

5th gear 110 k/hr plus this beast purrs nicely at 120-130 k/hr 5th gear

The issue with that is finding a speed zone in Australia were it is legal to do those speeds in 5th gear QLD there are none 110 k/hr max speed zone.

One thing is for sure 5th gear wont wear out anytime soon!!

I think Yamaha could improve the performance of this bike on Australian roads by lowering the gearing on the final drive, personally I hope they do bring out a lower gearing option would make this bike more enjoyable to ride around town and on the open highway with a better gearing option installed.

Throttle is smooth on the open road around town low down is a bit rough once in 3rd gear over 60 k/hr engine response is smooth and fast.

Only other issue I have is as with most crusiers big engine tiny fuel tank 2 fuel stops in 6 hours riding someone needs to use some brains here and make fuel capacity bigger. I have owned bikes half the cc rating of this one with more than half as much fuel capacity again that this beast has.

Overall rider comfort brilliant it is the most comfy long distance cfusier I have owned, overall I like the bike but think Yamaha could improve it further with some small adjustments

Better value than a Harley for it's price – I would agree with most, I've had my 2009 XVS1300 since April 2011 and absolutely love it. I had previously been looking for a Harley but the price of those things cannot be justified in comparison. I found it a bit of a handful in the beginning but then I'm just starting to throw it into corners. It starts easily, runs smoothly and cruises… Read more

beautifully. We've got 3000 + and had a few minor issues, the rear brake was locking up in hot weather when applied and gave us quite a scare. I instinctively applied more throttle and drove thru it. On the 3rd occasion it cooked the rotor. Pro Caliber in Vancouver, WA couldn't find anything wrong... But flushed the system and replaced the damaged parts with some persuasion and the Yamaha Factory Rep. The issue was thought to be old fluid as it sat in storage for quite a while before I bought it.

The throttle is not easy for acceleration in city driving...you can't feather it at all. We do love it on the open road and love its styling. Styling, Ride and Power Throttle is rough at slow speeds

Best Bike I have owned – Starts first time everytime. Amazing power when throttle opens. Smooth and comfortable to ride on long trips. Fuel economy is fantastic. Very sleek looking and turns alot of heads. I have after market pipes which let people know im comming, and that my friends is a safety factor as far as i am concerned. Very reliable kike. Smooth to ride. well… Read more

balanced and low center of gravity makes this a breeze to throw around. 1st gear is a tad short for my liking

Beautiful bike - mighty cruiser – Just did a 5,000km ride on my baby and she loved every bit of road. I find this old girl loves the highway more than town and absolutely loves the corners even with full saddle bags and a full gear pack with swag attached. Made no difference between the heat of Northern Queensland and Canberra with an immediate start every time. I am extremely… Read more

happy with every ride. The seating is good and handlebars lowered allow me to just sit there without sooping forward. I am 186cms tall and 115kgs and she looks after my body.

Almost a 5 – This bike is fantastic, I have had to many bike`s to mention in 55 years of motorcycling. this is the best yet, I can handle her well and at 74 years old she is a doddle. the only thing I would like to change if you have more than one key on your keyring is that the others jam under the handle bar. also I would like a dip stick, as that little… Read more ·  1

window is so awkward. she handles in town OK, now i have fitted a aftermarket device, stops the surge at low speed. she has so much power when on the open road gets you out of trouble so many times. I have owned this bike for the last 3 years plus. starts first time always. I have used full synthetic from new, not had any gearbox problems. and I like the quite pipes on long trips. I cannot fault this bike. The build was exceptional

Excellent – Fantastic. Beautiful bike. Best thing Ive ever bought. Would definately recommend this bike to any person. Very Important - FIT ENGINE BARS - recently was hit by a car - it pushed me off the road and I hit a signpost, at 20mph - the steel post was demolished, but my engine bar took the force. They folded back and created a cage around my leg,… Read more ·  2

bike was smashed up good style, but I walked away with bruises and wip lash.

Joe

Liverpool, UK I bought a xvs 1300a midnight star ( thats what its called in the UK ) last october, Ive done 12,000 miles on it in 6 months , right through the worst winter for 30 years. Loved every minute of it. I read reviews of all cruisers for months before making this purchase, definately the best purchase possible.

Looks fantastic with a few extras - sissy bar, screen etc. engine bars All of the low down juddering/spluttering can be removed by carrying out a few mods such as drilling the exhaust centre, and increasing the air input to the airbox. Mine now runs 10 times smoother. see www.1300tourer.com

One of the best I have owned – I have owned 30 bikes over the years including one Harley davidson and seven Yamahas, the last being a 98 v4 Royal Star The XVS1300 is a joy to ride, great to own and far the best Yamaha I've owned. First thing is to get rid of that exhaust and buy a set of Cobra Speedster Slashdowns. Great sound, more torque. Everything else is perfect It's a Yamaha, reliable and well made Exhaust Show reply

Excellent – I would recomend this bike to anyone wanting a good strong reasonably heavy cruiser with long legs that is comfortable & quiet .Its not the sort of bike you would invest in if it was only to be used to pose up and down the boulivard it is created to cruise endlessly on the open road with enough handling to take on a mild dose of mountain back… Read more

roads. To my mind I believe it is a reasonable combination of weight ,handling & power, after owning 1 of these I won't be purchacing any bike heaver than what this one is, and this was a major part of the criteria that led me to this investment.Overall I feel it is good value for the price and as yet I haven't had any mechanical failures very smooth and nice & quiet ,dosent annoy the neighbours early on sunday mornings, good fuel economy, irons out the bumps very well, excellent power for overtaking, good seat for iron arse rides, factory screen offers excellent protection ,i have the mid sized one ,it offers good vision for me either through or over the top which is good when in rain or subject to low sun I find the position of bars and swiches very ergonomic although I think if the bars were further back they would also be good. Overall,it leaves one with a sense of well being after a long day in the saddle not afraid to go on the next day .The fuel injection is great ,it starts so well every timme with just a touch of the starter .The brakes seem very efective to me,and have never left me wanting more than they offer. I also own a naked 4 cyl bike which I often use for short trips although it is much more nimble than the xvs,you dont get that same great feel of comfort & tourquey power & over all pure pleasure to ride any distance . I have done about 8k on it in about 9 months mostly 1 up but sometimes 2 up, the passenger thinks it rides better & is more comfortable than the rear seat of a virago I had a lot of trouble when I first got this bike getting my right foot caught under the exaust pipe as it is so low ,I haven't done it for a while ,I must be getting smarter or is it that i can remember the pain that lingers for weeks all too well, this is particularly a problem when doing right hand u turns or geting too close to a right hand curb .I find the instruments fine to read at night but during the day when the sun is behind you or low right or left the glare is real bad with no hope of reading the cluster ,this did not seem to be a problem with my previous 1100 virago as they were more veritical compared to the 1300 .I also find it dificult to notice the indicator teltale on the dash as you have to look too far down for it ,I actually installed extra LED lights on top of the windscreen mounts so the are more in your face to overcome the problem.

I find handling wise, it is quite good as long as every corner is entered at the correct speed and any hint of excess speed must be wiped off early and immediatly before it develops into an out of control situation which cannot be addressed with brute force as on a sport or lighter bike. As long as it is ridden within its riding parameters it is ok but it developes a huge amount of centrifical force when corners are entered too hot.I find the gear ratios a bit high in town and only use 1 2 & 3 at under 100k ,the box does seem to clunk a fair bit when riding sedately ,I think this is a result of widely spaced ratios. I dont understand why they dont have a tacho [even the virago had one ] as it is so quiet i have found at high speed you dont realise there is another gear till you hit the rev limiter .I am seriously looking at fitting an after market one [prefrebly with a digital spedo & flasher tell tales] which is more vertically mounted to make it easier to see ,however it is difficult to find something suitable to compliment the origional dash.I have also noted that at reasonable speed ,when the wind rushes over my thigh area it causes the wind behind the screen to flow upwards lifting my visor a bit ,if the visor rachet is not on max tight it will not stay down ,in the rain this is an advantage as it clears the visor up and out stoping rain draining onto your pants and giving a clear view however it is disconcerting having to close the visor constantly at high speed ,it can be overcome by placing the feet on the rear pegs which may mean a couple of clear deflector plates mounted on the crash bars may slove the problem easily.

The Ideal cruising machine – I have owned many motorcycles, none match the raw power of the xvs 1300, while it doesn't do well in city traffic being awkward and cumbersome in tight spots it comes into its own on the open road especially mountain roads.on the hills you roll the power on,the 1304ccfuel injected engine responds instantly. while there are some vibrations the… Read more ·  2

counter balanced engine more than adquately compensates for these.overall a fantastic touring machine though the pillion seat could do with some additional factory padding. No problem giving this machine a 5 star tick . Easy startup stylish and elegant Too short an interval between services

Excellent – I've had my XVS1300 since September 2010 and absolutely love it. I had previously been looking for a Harley but the price of those things cannot be justified in comparison. I found it a bit of a handful in the beginning but then I just started throwing it into corners and it just did it. It starts easily, runs smoothly and cruises beautifully.… Read more

I'm now looking around for some pipes just to beef up the sound a little. I've checked out Youtube and found some Roadburner Velocity Pro (2 into 1) pipes and these sound great. One day! Great bike, great value, beautifully engineered and built. Gear change a little clunky on the 1-2 change. An oil change has made this better recently though.

Been riding since 1970 one of the best rides ever owned – This is the best bike for balance and power i have owned Had a look at buying a HD took this for a test ride and the rest is history no HD loved the V Star when on weekend trips or extended rides have never had a problem must watch the speedo can easily go over the speed limit and not even now it. Had a 1000 klm ride in the ride it included going… Read more

over the great dividing range fully kitted out did not even feel the extra weight on the bike the pull and mid-range on this bike is incredible

Cold morning start no problem even when camping and had to de-ice the bike talking -4c -5c temp many HD needed a ute to get home

That reminds me of a joke what does a HD and a blue healer have in common they are often seen in the back of a ute ore have chain on them

think about it Nice power range perfect balance when on the gas in-to the corners Reliable have owned this bike for 5 year and the only spanners on it are to change tyres and services Never had a problem with it Could be a better gear ratio for in town and a little noise in the clutch but hay even the most perfect diamond has some minor defect

Excellent – i am a 48y.o. 4'2" tall female who began riding early 2006 (on a honda cb250). after two months in plaster because i got too cocky on my day old yamaha 650 classic, i gained my open licence. my husband and i ride most weekends, all weekend if we don't have to work saturdays. having put 19,000 plus kms on the 650, i upgraded to the yamaha royal… Read more

star venture (because of it's described touring credentials). not being tall, i have found it difficult to find a bike that i feel completely comfortable on, whether it be on the open road, or more importantly, in built up areas and heavy traffic. for 16,000 kms (and numerous drops, plus one rear-ender into a car on a wet road) i tried to convince myself that i was happy with the rsv. after the rear ender, my husband decided that the rsv had to go. for him, the enjoyment of riding was being overridden by concern for my ability to control the rsv (a.k.a."hippo"). we looked at the new xvs1300a, and found a dealer willing to conduct a clean swap. the rest is history, so to speak. i have had my xvs for three months now, and already have 12,000kms on the clock. this bike has been an epiphany. it has made me realise just how much the rsv had sucked the fun out of riding for me as well as for my husband. the xvs fits me so well. the only drawback of having the new xvs is that i have been waiting sooooooooooo long for saddlebags, sissy bar and the rear carrier to arrive. the weight of this bike (approx. 80kgs lighter than the rsv) makes it handle more like the 650 classic but with a lot more grunt. the throttle response with the fuel injection took some getting used to, especially given the tall first gear. overtaking on the xvs is not an issue. acceleration is instantantaneous and smooth. (the rsv had ample power, but had to overcome it's own weight before really taking off). if overtaking from less than 100kph, downshifting is not a must, but certainly accomplishes the manouvre more rapidly. the gear shift is solid and slick, and the rev range in each gear is very broad. the engine never screams.

another bonus of the xvs is the fuel range i get from it's 18 litre tank compared to the rsv's 23 litres. i can normally 'confidently' expect to get 300kms from a tank with the xvs when travelling a few degrees north of legal versus 200kms from the rsv (the 650 was only good for 200kms from it's 16 litre tank as well). to some, this may not be an issue, but since my 21y.o. son (blackbird) has been joining my husband (st1300) and i on rides, (and all three bikes have as close to identical consumption as it is likely to get) we know that we can safely travel 300kms between fuel stops. (the st1300 is good for 400 plus kms, but two in, all in). this in turn means that not all of our rest breaks need to be at congested service stations.

before buying the xvs, my husband and i would swap bikes at some time during the course of a trip (me pulling up on tiptoes on the st)but now, i only want to ride my bike, and i'm the only one i want to ride my bike... i really like the "sportier" styling; taller gearing is great on the highway; low seat height and centre of gravity makes slow speed manouvering much easier; fuel injection makes for very 'immediate' throttle response; ride is sporty rather than cushy, so the bike does not become unsettled over rough surfaces; the sitting stance, due to more rake to the handlebars, and wide floor boards; fuel range is far more than i was able to get from my previous bikes ( yam. 650 classic and royal star venture). no fuel guage; reverse kicker gear lever is an ergonomic nuisance (personal beef); don't use the kill switch unless in an emergency as the fuel solonoid will not activate for sometime afterwards.

Excellent – Best bike I have ever owned. Good power. Smooth ride. Good looks. Belt drive, fuel injected, liquid cooled, so it doesn't get much better than that. Its a Yamaha, so you get to ride it not work on it. Very low vibration for a v-twin. Clutch is a little noisy. Gearing is a little high for city driving but it is awesome on the highway.

Excellent Cruiser – Plenty of Power. Handles awesome for a large bike.Great for long distance.Would recommend to all.Will need to buy : Pipes,Saddle bags,Crash Bars ect In Australia we get ripped off and get none of these pieces on the bike as they do in the USA Value for money Very comfortable bike to ride Clunking gears 1st & 2nd Engine pipes to quite had to buy others instantly