1998 Yamaha V-Star Classic
NEW FOR YAMAHA '98
1998 yamaha V-Star Classic
CYCLE WORLD TEST
BIG-BIKE STYLE, SMALL-BIKE PRICE
WILL AMERICANS GO FOR A MODERATELY PRICED, MIDdisplacement cruiser that offers the appearance-if not the performance-of bucks-up mega-cruisers? That’s the question raised by Yamaha’s new-for-’98 V-Star Classic.
The V-Star is based on Yamaha’s popular domestic-market Dragstar 400. But as revealed in last year’s riding impression of the bike (CW, November, 1996), the Dragstar is no boulevard bruiser, demanding Fred Flintstone-like antics while leaving stoplights to avoid being run over by soccer moms in sport-utes. So for its U.S. debut, Yamaha gave the Dragstar a substantial displacement increase along with a dramatic re-style and a new name.
The new 650cc engine is an outgrowth of the decade-old Virago 535 mill, itself a product of the longgone Virago XV500.
Bolt-on cylinder finning, chromed camboxes and reshaped crankcase covers give the air-cooled, two-valve-per-cylinder V-Twin a dynamic appearance, but there’s little additional oomph. A trip to the CW dyno confirmed that the powerplant makes 2 less horsepower and only 5 more foot-pounds of torque than the last Virago 535 we tested.
The V-Star’s performance numbers are about what you would expect from a 32-horsepower, 518-pound motorcycle. Our pre-production testbike hit 60 mph in 6.84 seconds, which would have placed it firmly at the back of the pack in October’s middleweight cruiser comparison. The quarter-mile passed in 15.45 seconds at 83.77 mph, and top speed is a snoozy 91 mph. Thanks to relatively short gearing, though, top-gear roll-ons are quite good. From 40 to 60 mph, the Classic bests Honda’s Shadow ACE 750, not to mention Harley-Davidson’s 883 Sportster and Kawasaki’s Vulcan 800 Classic. Of those bikes, only the Vulcan is quicker from 60 to 80 mph.
If, however, cruiser buyers don’t care about engine output (as bike manufacturers continue to counsel us) then any performance concerns should be offset by an outstanding appearance. Indeed, Yamaha gave cosmetics top priority, cloaking the Classic in full 1940s retro regalia: shrouded fork, spoked wheels, broad teardrop gas tank, deeply valanced fenders, etc. While staffers bemoaned the faux headstock molding, rapped disbelievingly on the plastic cylinder-head covers and expressed disdain for the large-diameter pipe guards (which hide headers the size of broomsticks), passersby merely eyeballed what they thought was a much bigger machine. Told that the bike displaced a mere 649cc, not the 1500cc he had assumed, one onlooker looked dumbfounded, then said simply, “Wow.”
Beneath this nostalgic veneer are some modern touches. The single front hydraulic disc brake, for example, is grasped by a twin-piston caliper that is both powerful and fade-free, if slightly mushy. While not record-setting, stopping distances from both 30 and 60 mph are tops among middleweight cruisers. Other pluses? Controls and switchgear demand only minimum effort, the undertank choke is easily accessible, and tumsignals are selfcanceling.
Shaft drive, of course, is nothing new, but Yamaha considers this low-maintenance feature an important selling point. In a curious salute to vintage BMWs, Yamaha left the rotating shaft exposed, though dust covers protect the driveline’s internals.
Steering is light and neutral, somewhat of a surprise considering the relaxed steering geometry, fat tires and long wheelbase. Nonetheless, the bike arcs gracefully through the twisties, helped by ground clearance that is worlds better than any Royal Star’s. Ride quality, however, suffers a bit from light springing and damping rates. Much of the suspension’s available travel (5.5 inches front, 3.8 inches rear) is usurped by bike and rider weight, and the cantilevered shock has little, if any, rebound damping. Yamaha is adamant about revising shock specs before customer bikes reach U.S. shores.
Damping deficiencies aside, the Classic offers as nice a lazy backroad experience as is imaginable. Click the smooth-shifting transmission into fifth, keep your speed moderate (an indicated 50 mph is spot-on), and the engine rewards the rider with pleasant pulsing sensations that are detected through the pull-back handlebar, dished seat and forward-mounted footpegs. Though the riding position is canted slightly too far rearward for serious long-distance work (at least without a windscreen), the stretched-out ergonomics cater to riders of various heights. In fact, everyone who sampled the bike found its ergonomics more befitting an Open-class cruiser than a beginner bike.
Not that the Classic is destined only for novices. In fact, Yamaha is targeting middle-aged males with nearly two decades of saddle time beneath them. That seems a bit odd, though. With its low, 27.5-inch seat height, modest performance, restrained exhaust note and big-bike looks, the VStar seems like a shoo-in for less-experienced and re-entry riders, as well as women.
Further supporting such thinking is the bike’s price. The V-Star Classic will retail for $5899, about half the price of most mega-cruisers (and $600 less than the discontinued Virago 750, $600 more than the ’98 Virago 535). Equally
important, the Classic is the only sub-750cc fat-fendered retro bike on the market, plus it costs hundreds of dollars less than its chief competition, Honda’s Shadow ACE 750 and Kawasaki’s Vulcan 800 Classic. Had the Yamaha been around in time for our cruiser comparo, it certainly would have fared well. All of which goes to prove, less actually can be more.
Who’d have guessed?
V-STAR CLASSIC
$5899
