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VN 800 Classic

This is the third road bike I have owned and ridden.

The 800 Classic is a smooth running bike. It is dependable, and it gets 50 MPG. It is comfortable with the stock seat and handlebars, and I can cruise at Interstate speeds all day.

Now, the parts that I do not like. It is chain driven, so cha...in maintenance is required which is a great bother and time waster. The valve clearances must be checked/adjusted every 6,000 miles, and this is a involved, time consuming project. I could be out riding instead.
Basically I like it, but my next bike will be more maintenance friendly. Read Full Review

The Little Bike That Could and DOES!

I've put almost 12,000 miles on this bike since I purcheased this bike last year. It was 100% stock when I bought it and I was instantly happy, but I wanted it to be "my" bike so I started throwing a few things at it. With minimal cost [about $1000 (includes Baron Big Air Kit, Jardine Ru...mblers straight shot exhaust, resized sprockets for gear ratio reduction, Mustang Touring saddle, Crash bar w/ hwy pegs and some luggage)] I can keep up with (in some cases beat) some of my buddies with 1200 sporties, Street Bobs, and Night Trains around town. The best part is that it's comfortabe enough to run 750 miles in just over 24 hrs and still walk and stand up straight, but those guys on the HDs couldn't. I know I had to add more than was stock, but I still paid almost $7000 than any one of my friends with an HD. I saw a few reviews that listed the chain drive as a minus, I specifically bought the '05 800 because of this fact. O-Ring chain needs very little maint and if it breaks, I can change it on the side of the road. Can't replace most belts without pulling the swingarm, nobody I know can do that roadside, so that's just less time riding. All-in-all best bike I've ever owned. Even if I decide to go with the new Vaquero (BAD-A** bike BTW) I'll will not even get rid of my 800. Read Full Review

Great bike!

I like it so far. I got mine about a month ago and I put on 3K Kms already.



The things I like:



-Smooth, easy ride

-Plenty of power in 2nd,3rd,4th gear

-Quite nimble despite it's looks

-Comfortable during small commutes

-Excellent on gas

-Chrome!



Things I dislike:



-5th gear is terrib...le. I am in 5th @ 80, by the time I hit 120 (km/h) it sounds and feels like it's red-lining
-Engine/exhaust is quiet (It's hard to rev-match when downshifting after driving on the hi-way) but no biggie.
-Uncomfortable on long trips. This is pretty normal for any stock bike of this type.

Overall I would rate this bike 8/10. Read Full Review

Excellent Bike For The Long Haul.

I bought this bike nearly new. It now has over 32,000 miles on the odometer. I maintain this bike perfectly. I run the best motor oil. The only complaint I have is that the drive chain gets loose and sloppy about once a season. I have ridden this bike on trips from southern Michigan to Tennessee in ...a day and I was not at all sore. The bike has plenty of passing power forthe highways and I can cruise at 75mph all day long. I personally think this bike has a "sweet spot" on fuel milage. Meaning, if you stay out of the red zone, you get 55mpg...run it hard..36mpg. The best part of this bike, is you cannot be ashamed to be seen riding it. Mine is Dark cherry red with tons of chrome. Mine has a windshield that ONLY use on long road trips. You would never guess in a million years that my bike has almost 33,000 miles on the odometer. I would put this bike up against a HD in quality and ride ANYDAY. I will keep this bike for a long time. I ride it to bike rallies and folks love this bike.... Read Full Review