Motorcycle.com

Owned it for a year

I'm a 54 year old computer professional who hasn't owned a bike since the early 70's. In Maine! When gasoline threatened the $5 a gallon mark, I decided I had to do something to lessen my $420 a month gas habit. After reading reviews and checking out other makes, I decided on a brand new 07 Vstar... 650 Silverado. At 544 lbs, I figured it was all my 5'6" 175lb frame could deal with. I Love it. It's reliable, smooth, extremely comfortable and enjoyable. I do all the basic maintenance and it's as easy as any other bike I've ever worked on. My gas mileage hovers right around 50mpg, a significant increase over my 16mpg SUV. The bike looks great, runs great, and even my wife loves it. My only issue would be that it needs a 6th gear to really be a freeway cruiser. Since I don't ride freeways unless there's no alternative so it's not much of an issue. This is a great bike for the money and I wouldn't hesitate recommending it to anyone who doesn't have a demanding requirement for an 1100 or larger. Read Full Review

Good starter bike

I got back into riding after a 15 year hiatus. I wanted a commuter bike that emphasized comfort, and I certainly got it. The bike was super easy to ride and handle and inspires confidence in the rider. I thought it was a great choice after such a long break. I've now had the bike for two years and I...'ve had some diappointments with it. Within a month, I wanted more power and speed. This bike easily tops out at 80-85 mph. Much of the chrome detailing started to rust very quickly. The right hand mirror never stays locked in place unless I tighten it to the point of immovability with a wrench. No adjusting it while riding. But the biggest knocks I've had so far are that I have already had to replace both the clutch (okay, my fault for fast shifting, probably) and the carburetor. I use top of the line gasoline, but the carb didn't last. And to top it off, I average only 32 miles to the gallon. Pretty pathetic for a motorcycle. Might get better if I slowed down a bit, but I have plenty of other riding friends who do an average of 80, and still average closer to 40 mpg. Overall I have been happy with my bike, but I wish it were a bit better in terms of power, speed, and gas mileage. Read Full Review

Good Bike for the Price

This is my first motorcycle at age 54, 215 lbs and 6'-4" it is a little small. I have made modifications to accomodate, but am thinking of upgrading to an FJR. Pros-can't beat the price, I have ridden with the windshield off and prefer it on. Saddlebags are great. I got an end of year deal an...d with rebate it was $1k off MSRP. Cons-Lack of power, don't mind the Interstate speeds but it seems to much for the bike. Fifth gear whine at 60-65 going down hill. I think I would be happier if I was about 6' but probably would still be looking for less noise and smoother ride. I would recommend this as a great first bike! Read Full Review

Good bike for Value

My 1100 V Star has been a reliable and truly enjoyable bike. I bought it new in 07 and have had a few problems but I believe it's more a manufacturing problem than anything else. Why any one would make a bike that you have to drop the pipe to change oil filter is beyond me. Oh! heh easy fix for only... 260.00 bucks. Yeah always the bucks. Gas mileage sucks for a bike. Put a lot of extras on it and made it my own and will keep it now with so much invested. Read Full Review