Just bought a new (to me) motorcycle a few days ago… now only 3 months till I can actually ride it…
It’s a 2003 Yamaha V-Star 1100 v-twin with 21K miles on it.
They sell new for $8700 or so, and this one’s got about $1600 in accessories with it.
(bags, pipes, windshield, service manual, etc.) Goods folks I bought it from too – so there’s some good karma on the bike which certainly can’t hurt…
Got my first road bike 2-3 years back, an 82 Honda Nighthawk 650. Nice bike and all, but you realize right away that it’s a bit too small for Highway use.
Yea, sure, I’d like a Harley – but you cannot find a Harley that looks like this V-Star for less than 10K used, and although you can find 800 and 1200cc HD Sportsters for around $4k – you’ll not get any respect from Harley guys driving a Sportster (“That’s my wife’s bike…”).
Been looking at CL for the last 3 month’s every day looking for a winter deal and this would seem to be a very solid deal on a great bike. Entire community of Vstar owners online too, so help/advice/tech/modification stuff is out there.
This is exactly what I like a motorcycle to look like… now just have to wait for the weather to break. Where’s those 70 degree Jan days we had as a fluke a few years ago when you need em?
It might just be all the bike I’ll ever need.
Figure if I regret spending $4k in January on a bike later on, I could sell it for $4500 come spring time easy.
Julian
Replies
Very nice!
Enjoy!
I'm still looking for a V-Rod at the right price.
Hu?
I don't care what you ride. I rode Honda, Yamaha, Norton for years.
Why do YOU care what we think of you?
You're on 2 wheels, aren't you?
I got mine for 13000, after saving for nearly 20 years. It'll be going into the shop soon AS (after snow) for the Stage ll kit and the new Screamin' Eagle mufflers (snigger).
Ride what y' bring and bring what y' ride.
Quality repairs for your home.
AaronR Construction
Vancouver, Canada
I don't care what other people think either, but if I'm not gonna get the respect - why spend the extra HD money?Not much instant gratification buying a motorcycle in MI in January though...JT
I got mine in September, off the road (insurance) in November.
I start it up every 2 weeks or so just to hear the pipes.
I've wanted one forever, just because I like them.
Respect? What for? I've proved I'm a man.
Married 36 years & counting.
Paying off my house.
Supporting my family.
Running a business.
89 foster kids in the last 23 years; four more of ours; 2 adopted from the 89.
Who cares what a some idiots think?
But, yes, I look at the weather forecast and just can't wait.
Quality repairs for your home.
AaronR ConstructionVancouver, Canada
I had one of those 250cc Harleys in '69... talk about no respect! I don't see your problem, there's no snow on the ground?http://www.tvwsolar.com
I went down to the lobby
To make a small call out.
A pretty dancing girl was there,
And she began to shout,
"Go on back to see the gypsy.
He can move you from the rear,
Drive you from your fear,
Bring you through the mirror.
He did it in Las Vegas,
And he can do it here."
Nice
what is stage 2 going for nowadays?
I had stage 1 installed when I bought my roadking in 2000. nothing but a chip and a bigger air cleaner.
then they wanted 3K for S2. shoulda done it then
a friend just bought the new screaming eagle roadking. not sure what he told me for HP but I took it out and was amazed at the power. I twisted the throttle and was doing 110 like nothing. it had more but I slowed up cause he was riding my bike behind me
You REALLY won't like THIS!
Full stage 2 kit for my 06 Softail (pistons & cyls, rings, cams, etc., including one cat muffler) $399 Canadian as the dealer blew them outta the door. Normal 1495 Cdn.
Pair of Screamin' Eagle slash cut pipes on Ebay from Yellowstone Harley, shipped to New York $235.00 Cdn. (Went to NY to buy T-shirts from Brooklyn HD, pick up the pipes. Daughter was getting married at the same time, so I went there to give her away LOL!)
8-9 hours to install @ $80/hr, $350 for an injection kit and about $400.00 to do the dyno tuning.
Yea, a few bucks, and I'll only do the install once I get the final numbers on paying off the house and my taxes this year.
Quality repairs for your home.
AaronR ConstructionVancouver, Canada
I was doing a bit of Photoshop on one of the bike pics to make a cool desktop pic...JT
Nice!Quality repairs for your home.
AaronR ConstructionVancouver, Canada
I'd lose NO sleep about the fact that it's not a Harley...it's likely a better bike.Jake Gulick
[email protected]
CarriageHouse Design
Black Rock, CT
I have a 2002 Harley and have never had a problem. I don't think you can buy a better road bike for the money.
You've no idea, no idea, how much longer a Honda engine will last, when compared to a Harley.
I've had both, and prefer the Honda, for reliability, and longevity.
H-D has been around as a small engine manufacturer for quite a while, but heritage and history is also on the side of Honda, in business since 1928. Honda has been building durable high quality small engines for a long time, and always with continuous improvement, unlike The Motor Company, which when a part of AMF (1969-1981) had a serious downturn in quality, with development stalled at zero.
View Image
"A stripe is just as real as a dadgummed flower."
Gene Davis 1920-1985
Most folks that ride harleys (self included) is that you're going to have a quirk or 2.
Mine seeems to like to eat batteries. It talks to you and lets you know so you won't
walk (push) unless you ignore it. Metric bikes are cool too. Kinda like vinyl siding,
no one wants to admit that they like it for the lack of work associated with the
upkeep. To the OP, best of luck with the ride. I'm itchin for spring too.
(Blame ponytl for talking about riding to the keys in the tavern)
-d
You've no idea, no idea, how much longer a Honda engine will last, when compared to a Harley.
"unlike The Motor Company, which when a part of AMF (1969-1981) had a serious downturn in quality, with development stalled at zero."
then obviously neither do you!
they're not exactly cranking out Ironheads anymore ...
but thanks for the wisdom ... I'll have to let my BIL know that 1945 motor he cruises around on is junk!
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
Check out the yearly tallies, riders and bike makes, from the IBA rides. The Iron Butt Association rally is the toughest motorcycle and rider event that I know of. 11,000 miles in 11 days.
A whole lot of STs, Gold Wings, Viffers, and a few Shadows, plus the usual assortment of BMW Ks and Boxers. Very few H-Ds.
For road trips, the Harley Road King is a good bike. A riding buddy of mine has one. He's had it after a 500 mile day, but mine is an ST1100 Honda, and 750 to 800 is still no problem for me. I used to belong to an ST owners group, and many of the members had 150K and more on the odometers.
View Image
"A stripe is just as real as a dadgummed flower."
Gene Davis 1920-1985
B T W nice bike Julian! It doesn't matter what you ride as long as your knees are in the breeze! I get so sick of people trying to put H.D. down,9 times out of 10 they try to put them down to make up for not being able to afford one,I've heard it a hundred times.It really starts to piss me off when it is unprovoked (like lateapex911 is doing) sorry if I come of like an ####.
I really prefer Japanese bikes to Harleys, but I think you need to give them credit where credit is due.Most riders aren't going to do more than 500 miles in a day. Probably a lot won't ever do 250 in 24 hours. Even though I'm not too fond of HD, the bikes that they make serve most riders just fine.If you're doing your best Michael Kneebone impression, fine, you'll want an FJ, ST, or BMW. But most aren't in that league, or anywhere close.Does your ST have ABS?
Jon Blakemore RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA
Yeah, my 32 year old Shovel that I bought new might be disappointed to hear this as well. <G>Nobody knows how many miles on her, I went almost 20 of those years with no speedo. Right now she's on her third set of heads, second set of cylinders, second crankpin, third set of gears, lost track of wheel bearings and cams.Gonna try to freshen up the motor soon, it's worn out again.I got a real lot more miles on that old girl than most folks will ever see, and she's doing just fine. I'm the only guy I know who has worn the paint off the tanks.
I've posted this before ...
Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
Nice.
Well the new Harley engine the "Twin Cam" has been called the first 100,000 mile motorcycle engine. Also AMF actually improved the existing engines. I had a Honda Shadow which has a lot of plastic on it. It was a fine bike. The Harley though has the weight to ride nice and smooth on the open roads.
"The Harley though has the weight to ride nice and smooth on the open roads."Weight is hardly a sign of quality...or superiority..or even competence.
In fact, if the issue with any bike is that it weighs too little, the solution is stupid easy...add weight!However, the comment about "smooth on the open roads" speaks more to suspension tuning than it does weight. Anything can be tuned with the choice of springs and dampers to exhibit the characteristics described. Again, that's easy...but from my riding experience, the smooth ride costs the rider in terms of agility, motion control and overall competence when doing anything other than going straight.In general, Harley has rested on it's laurels. And that's fine. They've carved a large following. But they have done so at the cost of overall competence. Just as an example, and I'll generalize, the Harley engine is what, 1.6 liters? And puts out, what, around 80 hp? Japanese bikes routinely put out half again the power from engines two thirds the size.Harleys are fine bikes for going state to state, but that's about it. There are many more well rounded, more elegantly engineered bikes. Honda has made great products over a wide range of capacities over a long period, and there's no shame in riding a Honda.Jake Gulick
[email protected]
CarriageHouse Design
Black Rock, CT
Hey Jake, sorry that you can't afford a harley.
you know this is an agrument nobody can win
I've owned a bunch of different bikes in my life.
Currently My garage is near bare at:
1-Yamaha 650 special
1- '86 Kawasaki KX 125 set up in what would have been the "Hot set-up" in 1986
1- 76 Honda Elsinore with FMF pipe, Webco Head and GP kit.
In general every Honda I've ever owned has been bullet proof....but not all Hondas have been so. Remember the early V-45 Sabers and Interceptors that had a reputation for eating valve trains. Or the early 80's CR 125's that were amazing on the track as long as they didn't sieze from crankcase air leaks?
While the Japanese may have the mass production tolerences, reliability and durability down................it's foolish to dismiss Harley as a dinosaur.
Not long ago the Sportsters all recieved a ground up make over.
For 2009 all of the touring bikes got new frames which take the high speed wobble
Fuel injection, throttle by wire, Electronic cruise control, rear cylinder deactivation and a host of other updates are available on most of the 2009 line.
In general, the fit, finish and construction of the bikes at the Harley dealer are well beyond what awaits at other dealerships. With maybe Truimph being the next closest.
Put a VTX 1800 next to a Dyna and feel for things like seems under the tank or the solid feel of all the parts.
People pay for that feel and finish for the same reasons they pay $1500 for Alcantra door trim in a car.
Harley's big disadvantage is that it's forked rod, push rod V-Twin has become so Iconic that deviation from it will scare away it's core buyers, and most likely fail to attract any new ones.
Kinda like a car company that hangs an aircooled flat six off the back end of a car and then spends 40 years egineering away it's deficiencies rather than give up the design.
Sure, most guys could drive faster in a Corvette, but a Corvette isn't a 911.
I was very ANTI Harley until I spent two years with an Electra Glide.
Now I understand.
My KX and CR will go in the spring to fund an intrem bike. Maybe a Vulcan 900. But when I'm done paying for the boy's college?
A new Electra Glide will be taking up space in my garage.
Hopefully next to a 911 SC......but first I have this Camaro that has to go.
<<Harleys are fine bikes for going state to state, but that's about it. >>I take my 32 year old Superglide down fire roads in Colorado.A little slower than my old KTM, but it works. <G>
OK...I can't stand listening to this Harley stuff anymore while biting my tongue...
Well the new Harley engine the "Twin Cam" has been called the first 100,000 mile motorcycle engine. Also AMF actually improved the existing engines. I had a Honda Shadow which has a lot of plastic on it. It was a fine bike. The Harley though has the weight to ride nice and smooth on the open roads
The best road bikes in the world are...BMW's. Smooth, quiet , great handling, superb engineering, light, fast, easy on gas and they have been making engines that will easily run 100,000 miles with no trouble for years. They even give you a plaque to stick on the gas tank when you accomplish that milestone!
Hop on a 1200 RT or GT and take a tour....you'll soon put your noise makin' Harley in the " for sale" section of the paper! Problem is..they have no resale value.
Just my opinion of course !
"Problem is..they have no resale value."You're speaking of the BMW of course!
No...I wus talkin' about the noisy bone rattlers. 99% of all motorcycles being sold in our local papers are Harleys.
Some guy wants to be EZ-Rider. Owns it for a few weeks and then never uses the thing again. Puts it up for sale for 1/2 what he paid for it and still can't sell it.
Yes BMW builds a good bike. Yes, many Boxers have gone in excess of 100,000 miles without having been apart..............
But they are not without fault.
Things like Bing carbs that drip on your boots or K-series bikes that leak past the rings and valve guides and smoke on start up..
Biut in general they are fine bikes...
But you are dead wrong about the resale..
BMW's are languishing unsold as well right now. It's the market.
But just for refrence? I was at a dealer in Nashville getting a shirt for my dad last weekend. There were plenty of used bikes available and THREE were being delivered at 4:30 on a Saturday.
Right now if you buy a 2008 or 2009 Sportster H-D will garuantee you 100% of MSRP for trade against a big twin.
BMW making the same offere on F650's?
But you are dead wrong about the resale..
You misunderstood me. I agree that sales of all bikes will probably be off this summer, not just the Harleys.
I think a lot of the people who are dedicated bikers have the money and will buy what they want.
Around here, the trend is to jump on the bandwagon and buy a Harley. Most of these people have never even ridden before.
Different strokes for different folks...I prefer a smooth, quiet ride...especially if it is more than 500 miles at a time.
Oh,
I've ridden both.
At this stage in my life the HD wins over the BMW every time.
Apples and oranges. Cruiser vs touring. I'm a BMW guy, but that aside they are completely different machines.
Apples and oranges.
Cruiser vs touring.
I'm a BMW guy, but that aside they are completely different machines.
H-D builds a perfectly fine touring machine. One that will eat hundreds of miles a day. When I was home on leave in July I rented an Electra-Glide Ultra and did 350 miles two days in a row before breakfast.
But at the very root of it.....they probably have more in common than any other two companies.
Both built a company on an Air/oil cooled twin cylinder engine with a dry clutch.
And both held to that ancient layout and design far longer than was prudent.
And both have just recently come into the 20th century. Yes BMW a bit earlier than H-D.
But considering their past? For anyone riding either machine to poke fun at the other is absurd.
Your outside of Seattle right? Man, I used to love taking off into the cascades for a few
day at a time.
Riding from sea level up to high alpine and cruisin down
the other side, to warm back up. Never got around to the olympic park, maybe someday.
At this stage in my life the HD wins over the BMW every time.
Oh...maybe the bandanna on your head serves two purposes?? ;)
"Oh...maybe the bandanna on your head serves two purposes??"Thats not even funny.All I know is when I'm at a stop light the men in the car next to me look at my bike as if they wished they had one! But what you ride should not be an issue.
You do know I am kidding around with you all??? Right?
I have been riding bikes since I was 12 years old. I have owned one or more of almost everything.
Right now there is 3 feet of snow on the ground and it's -10 outside. A little biker banter makes me think of spring.
Sure hope I didn't insult anyone. If you know real bikers, you know that all they do is hassle the other guy about his ride...even if it's the same brand. It's always a game of one-upmanship...and it makes for interesting conversations among knowledgable people.
Edited 2/5/2009 8:32 am ET by BoJangles
It's all cool. What kind of oil do you use? Lol!
I haven't seen my hair in years.
Not because i don't have any........but because it gets cut with a #2 every week.
Job related hazard
Sweet
Has the intake been changed? The pipes look like the jetting is wrong. Nice bike BTW.
Wayne
i think you got a good dealhttp://www.csamotorsports.com
The bike has a K&N on it and came with a jet kit, so I'm thinking the discoloration of the pipes might just be due to leaving the choke on for too long at some point.Probably wouldn't be a bad idea for me to pull the carbs and confirm the jetting to the way it's setup.JT
Discolored pipes are down to running hot or a lean mixture. The K&N filter with the wrong jets might do this. Leaving the choke on too long won't do this.
The carbs need adjusting to get the correct mixture. One of the best ways is to go back to OE or stock settings. If you can find a M/c dealer with a dyno they can check all the setting. Its way more than bigger jets involved. Things like lifting the needles, resetting the idle mixture etc.
Check the exhaust pipes for being OE, if not they are prone to discoloring.
They are aftermarket pipes. I'm no stranger to jetting changes and the circuits involved - I've got a 2 stroke quad with pipes and such on it...My comment about the choke cause was from reading the manual that warns that if you leave the engine running with the choke on it will discolor the exhaust.Do you suppose the discoloring can be cleaned off somehow? Or is it permanent?JT
There is some stuff called "blue away" I think its called. should do the job with some elbow grease. Found it.
http://www.stainlessworks.net/cart/product_info.php?cPath=153&products_id=1305
This is the stuff but look around for price.
Just my opinion, but I'd recommend putting the original pipes back on along with the original jets...at least around here, the first thing the cruiser bike guys do is put on some loud mufflers or even straight pipes; besides annoying the heck out of everyone around them they almost never run as good as they did before.I'm a sportbike guy, and I've done the drill of putting on an aftermarket pipe, followed by lots of fooling around to get the jetting straightened out because the bike ran like #$%# afterwards. In the end I realized it was more work than it was worth and put everything back to stock again. It was an expensive lesson.
cool deal.
I'm waiting to hear back from a guy form my kids karate school about buying my Jeep.
he said "if yer ever thinking of selling...."
I said I am.
Said last week I was looking for $ 3,500 ... but seeing as how the old Sportster I have my eye on, on craigslist, went down to $3K ... so did my asking price for the Jeep.
already emailed the Sporty guy and asked if he'd to a straight trade.
Figure best time to sell a Jeep and buy a bike is the dead of winter.
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
It's been a few years now (say, 40) but I rode my motorcycle all through the Michigan winters.
Of course, looking back, I think I was a (word starts with "d") fool. But it sure was fun, in its own strange way.
I'm a little green to be riding on slippery roads... I've only had a road bike for 2 1/2 years and have only put about 1400 miles on my Nighthawk 650, which I'm replacing.We've had a heavy winter here - global warming, mu butt!JT
I was just teasing. If I could travel back to my 20-year-old self, I'd recommend against it (I can still remember powering through an intersection against the red light during rush hour after the front wheel locked up as I attempted to stop on wet snow; fortunately, Michigan drivers then were patient with each other in bad snow conditions).
nice... dude you don't need a harley... i love my roadking clone (started as an ultra... i got wrecked...) been to key west 2x i've had this one for over 10yrs... but i have a zx7... a gargae full of old hondas go'n back to a 305 dream... I'll ride anything and have fun.... mopeds are like fat chicks... fun but you don't want your friends to see you on one...
nice bike enjoy it guy...
p
Maybe that paradigm should change. Fat chicks just might be some of the best chicks!How can you understand God if you can't understand people? How can you understand people if you can't understand yourself?
Sweet!
~ Ted W ~
Cheap Tools - BuildersTools.net
See my work - TedsCarpentry.com
Nice bike and it sounds like it was a good buy too.
Enjoy
and don't get sucked into the Harley vs Everything else debate.
I've sent a fair amount of time on Hondas and two summers on an Electra Glide classic.
the Halrey stirs the soul more, but the Hondas were probably better motorcycles.
I've got a kid in College and one in daycare. Otherwise there would be a new Electra Glide in my garage.
If I can't hold out two more years?? they'll be a Kawasaki Vulcan 900 in there for a few years before I can swing the Glide.
Nice!! I know how you feel. When I was 8 and living in Denver I got a bicycle for Christmas. Well, we had one BIG snowstorm after another for a month. Huge drifts and ice everywhere. I remember trying to ride the thing in our basement since I couldn't do it outside.
I think it was around the middle of February before I got to try it on a street.
Runnerguy
Well this "debate" was started by Jake Gulick in post #25. I said in my post that Honda is a fine bike. But I will still say that the added weight of a larger bike makes riding on the open roads smoother. You also don't get blown around as much by larger trucks, etc. The sport bikes might make more HP, but the Harley has great low end torque. Different strokes for different folks I suppose.
Robert made plenty of great points, so no sense typing them again.But, "affordability" has nothing to do with the reason I don't have a Harley. Sorry if I've insulted anyone, but i think I made a balanced post. Robert made the essential point about Harleys: they are iconic.And lets be honest, Harley has recently dragged themselves into the present technology-wise, but they sure didn't rush...they were sellign plenty of old school low tech bikes, and had no reason to. But they were selling them no based on product excellence, but because of fashion, and the timing of the boomers, etc.And that's Fine! really it is. But to put many past Harleys up against other bikes in a apples to apples comparison, was to see the deficiencies. Again, those deficiencies were overcome by the marques history, and unique place in American culture.My original post, which has been suggested to have "started it", was in support of the OPs comment about his new bike being "not a Harley".Beyond that, I've merely reminded people that the "Qualities" that are beloved about Harleys are hardly unique or anything to aspire to. Anyone can make a heavy bike that resits crosswinds.Me? My bike count is low right now, and I'm struggling with what to get. I've owned, over the years, (In standard and sportbike forms:) Triumphs, Kawasakis, Yamahas, and I've always wanted a V twin Ducati....if I had the time/space/money, I'd have Harley too, but it would be old...really old. Because to me, that's what a Harley really is, and that's when they were truly relevant.BTW Robert, good call on the 911SC..but also consider a '73 or earlier 911E. better bumper integration, lighter, and probably as fast.Jake Gulick
[email protected]
CarriageHouse Design
Black Rock, CT
and I've always wanted a V twin Ducati....
Me too, but as of late they seem to be either way out my price range and exotic or overly mainstream and generic.
BTW Robert, good call on the 911SC..but also consider a '73 or earlier 911E. better bumper integration, lighter, and probably as fast
Despite the limited production years, there seems to be an abundance of well sorted and properly updated 911SC's.
I've looked at two........but, and I finally had the courage to put it on a spreadsheet and face it like a man................right now I'm putting out about $28,500 a year in College and private preschool tuition. Plus Uncle Sam will drop a $400 a month promotion and raise on me this year.
Looked at a few early 70's RS replica/tribute cars too.
Just gotta hold out for 24 more months and then my garage will be full
why is it always Harley against everything else?
everything else has a harley knock-off now, you could save yourself 5 thousand bucks buying a jap V-twin.
I'll get my 5 Gs back at resale, the jap wont come close
I agree the resale on a lot of the others is not real good.
Ahhh! "Jap" used as an adjective! How un-PC!
I had a Harley once. Pretty good bike, and I made money on it when I sold it to a girl.
I wonder how many new ones The Motor Company will sell in '09. I'll be watching how prices move in the used H-D market, as unemployment moves up into the teens.
View Image
"A stripe is just as real as a dadgummed flower."
Gene Davis 1920-1985
All I can say is:
yea... I had one of those. Much better than a sporster.
Only thing bad I'll say about the Y 1100 was that it always seemed like it needed another gear.