Long Term Test: 1984 Yamaha Xv1000 Virago
LONG TERM TEST: 1984 YAMAHA XV1000 VIRAGO
A HEAVYWEIGHT GOES THE DISTANCE
YAMAHA'S V-TWIN ENGINES, whether in 750cc, 920cc or 1000cc form, have always found friends at Cycle World, even if the styling that surrounded those torque-heavy motors has not. With the 1984 XV1000 Virago, though, Yamaha finally gave its cruiserbike a much-needed shot in the styling arm, and came away with a bike that was a runaway sales success.
We, too, were taken with the maroon-and-gold Virago—so much so that we decided to hang onto our test bike to see if any of the showroom shine would fade over the long haul.
Sixteen months and 10,000 miles later, the answer is, for the most part, “no.” During that time, the Virago has been used mainly for day-to-day commuting, with several mediumdistance tours thrown in for good measure. For the first half of its time with us, the bike required no maintenance at all, save for an oil change. At the 5000-mile mark, we had it serviced at a local dealer, more out of guilt than of a need to make the bike run better. Ninety-five dollars later, the bike was ours again, on its way to 5000 more relatively trouble-free miles. At 8500 miles, the rear tire had worn enough to need replacement; we had another Dunlop Qualifier installed at a total cost of $ 1 1 8.45. At 10,000 miles, the front tire still has several thousand miles of life left.
At about the same time as the tire change, the electric-start button began to stick in the depressed position. We disassembled the switch and found that the return spring had come adrift. Putting it back in position, and a liberal WD-40 coating on the switch's internals, had things in order again.
The only other problem came as the bike neared 10,000 miles, when the left fork seal began to seep oil. As of now, the seal doesn't really need replacement, but it soon will. Ligure about $70, our dealer says, to replace both seals at his shop. Also, the rear brake shoes are just about out of adjustment and the brake has gradually gotten less effective since our October. 1984, road test. That will call for another trip to the dealer and a replacement cost in the $40 vicinity.
And that’s it for the things that went wrong or wore out. Even though the Virago spent most of its time outdoors in the salty air near the Pacific ocean, its cosmetics are still bright. The are some touches of rust here and there —the decorative springs that adorn the front-brake hoses are rusted beyond help, for example—and the plastic-gold trim around the turn signals is looking spotty, but regular washings, the occasional wax job and a spritz of Armor-All now and then have kept everything else rot-free.
More important, the Virago’s big V-Twin has just kept churning out its effortless power. Oil consumption is steady at about a half-quart every 1000 miles, and except for the 5000mile tune-up. we've never had to do
anything to the engine except make sure it had gas to run on. Fuel mileage hovers around the 50-mpg mark, although one of our editors entered the bike in the Craig Vetter Fuel Economy Run and notched 75 miles to the gallon, good enough for sixth-place in the two-up class.
As enviable as that record is, we did have some complaints about the Virago, as noted in our original test. Most glaring among these were the sub-par shocks and a seat that was comfortable for short stints only. We attacked the first problem with a phone call to Gil Vaillancourt of Works Performance Products (8730 Shirlev Ave., Northridse, CA 91324; [2 l 3] 701 -1010). We've used Works shocks on everything from motocrossers to Ninjas, and have rarely been disappointed, so we had faith that the Street Trackers we mounted on the Yamaha would come through. We were right: The shocks transformed the Virago's harsh ride into smooth passage, and allowed the bike to be ridden aggressively through rough corners that before would have meant white knuckles for the rider. We opted for the top-line Street Trackers, with aluminum bodies and Works' ARS system, which allows the spring rate to be tuned to compensate for added weight. At $270,
our Street Trackers were a good value, but the steel-bodied versions without ARS are an even better bargain at just $ l 75.
With the rear suspension taken care of, we looked for a solution to the uncomfortable seat. We contacted AÍ Simmons, whose company (AÍ Simmons Company, Inc., Town Hill Rd., Terryville. CT 06786-0283; [800] 243-1 392) makes Mustang saddles. We ordered the Duke, a splitstyle seat that resembles the stocker and sells for $159. The quality of construction on the Duke is outstanding. but unfortunately it is only marginally more comfortable than the OEM seat. If we had to do it over again, we'd take advantage of Simon's custom service and order up a seat that was thicker and wider, a service the company provides for an additional 10 to 20 percent.
Our last concession to comfort was a Deflector Sceen LX, a small, tinted, handlebar-mount windscreen that retails for $74.95. Manufactured by National Cycle Inc. (2200 Maywood Dr., Box 158, Maywood, IL 60153; [312] 343-0400), the LX complements the Virago’s styling, and works well at blocking the wind, hence lessening the discomforts that the cruiser-style, “sit-up-and-beg” riding position can cause. Most of us here wouldn't consider owning a cruiserbike without some sort of small windshield. and the Deflector Screen LX is the best we’ve come across.
With those additions enhancing an already excellent motorcycle, the Virago has been an easy, enjoyable bike to live with, one with a great engine, smashing styling and an almost unblemished reliability record. E3
