Yamaha XV1100 Virago

.../> In the early eighties, Yamaha built its first attempt at cracking this market. They produced a 750cc V-twin engined bike in the style of a Harley. This early model fell flat on its arse. The problem was that Harley-Davidson owners had bought into the whole life-style and heritage of the company and the ideals that went along with it. The Yamaha buyers were just getting a marketing ploy that looked similar but just didn't come close.
Yamaha ...
...long think.

Yamaha had always built efficient, smooth bikes from off road bikes to race replica bikes and still today have that end of the market totally sussed out. But Harley riders weren't interested in how fast the bike was, to them it was all about low down grunt and power. These bikers wanted to load up thier bikes with camping gear, a few crates of beer and maybe even thier wife so they could head off on adventure with the wind ... more

Harley-Davidson has dominated the custom/ cruiser market for years, since 1903 to be exact, and none of the big Japanese bike manufacturers had anything to compete for a slice of that particular cake.
In the early eighties, Yamaha built its first attempt at cracking this market. They produced a 750cc V-twin engined bike in the style of a Harley. This early model fell flat on its arse. The problem was that Harley-Davidson owners had bought into the whole life-style and heritage of the company and the ideals that went along with it. The Yamaha buyers were just getting a marketing ploy that looked similar but just didn't come close.
Yamaha went back to the drawing board and had a good long think.

Yamaha had always built efficient, smooth bikes from off road bikes to race replica bikes and still today have that end of the market totally sussed out. But Harley riders weren't interested in how fast the bike was, to them it was all about low down grunt and power. These bikers wanted to load up thier bikes with camping gear, a few crates of beer and maybe even thier wife so they could head off on adventure with the wind in thier faces and sun beating down on them. They just wanted to cruise along at a steady pace watching the world go by and listening to the rumble of the big Harley engine underneath them.

In response, Yamaha beefed up thier V-twin engine to 1100cc and re-styled thier bike to look more like a classic Harley chopper.

BINGO!!!!

In the mid eighties Yamaha came out with the XV1100.
It looked like a Harley, it had low down grunt like a Harley, but... it was half the price of a Harley.

Of course, in the good 'ole U S of A, they didn't give a rats ass about this rice buring copy cat from Japan. But in Europe and the U K it went down very well.
This was the first affordable custom style bike and Yamaha were on to a winner.

THE BIKE.
As you can tell from the picture that is shown with this piece of writing, it does have that Harley look. It does have a powerful engine that is more about pulling power than speed. The XV1100 will do around 100mph, which is slow by bike standards, but as mentioned earlier, this style of bike is not about speed.
You can load it up with all your camping gear, all your beer and of course your wife, and head off to one of the many biker rallies held around the U K. And even with all this stuff strapped on to it, it will still pull you along at a fair old rate all day long. (Power.... not speed!!)

The bike has a low centre of gravity so its very stable on the road although as with all bikes of this style, you can't throw it into a corner at high speed. Not that you would want to as the style and riding position ecourage a more sedate ride. Its not uncomen for bikers to plod along at 60mph all day long unlike the race replica riding bikers that need that buzz of doing 140mph. But each to thier own.
The XV1100 does handle well and is alot lighter than it looks, the brake are enough to stop you quickly even when you are loaded up with kit.

MAINTENANCE.
Really easy!!! Even a girl could do a service on this bike (sits back and waits for the bite)
All the servicable items ie. oil filter, air filter etc etc are easily replaced and not too badly priced.
Oil filter about £10.00
Air filter about £15.00
Which are pretty normal for bikes.

STYLING.
Even though the XV1100 is now getting a bit long in the tooth, you can turn up to biker rallies with a big smile on your face because everyone tends to know that the XV1100 is a damn fine and capable bike. You park up next to the Harley riders and only a few will turn there nose up at you. Bike snobery does exist. Mainly coming from the part time bikers who bought a Harley as a fashion accessory. You know the sort, accountant by day.... biker only at the weekend... as long as its not too cold or damp for them. Us proper bikers can spot you a mile away, in your pristine leathers,freshly laundered bandanna and Ray-Ban sunglasses. ( sorry, private rant there)

THE PROBLEMS

1) Value. Its NOT a Harley, its Japanese. This means they loose value faster than a fast thing from fast town. A 10yr old model in good nick will stand you at £2500-ish. The equivalent Harley will still be worth about £6000-£8000.
2) Size. I think its fair to say that our oriental cousins are generally of smaller build to us. This is evident in the fact that the XV1100 is just a little too small for us European sorts. It handles being loaded up with stuff and a rear passenger very well from a performance point of view. But.. when it is loaded up, you tend to feel a little cramped. It just needs to be longer.
3) Noise... or lack of it. The XV1100 looks like a Harley but instead of that fabulous sounding rumble you get from a Harley, the XV just purrs. Which believe me.. is just no damn good. This style of bike NEEDS that big tough rumble and growl. This is achieved by spending £300 on a new exhaust system to get that fab sound.

To sum up. The XV1100 is a really excellent bike, if this is the style of bike you like, just try one, you will be pleasantly supprised.
The new breed of Japanese Harley copies look even more like Harleys, they are also bigger, (so someone was listening) but they all look like a Harley Fat Boy (think Arnie in Terminator 2 if you're not sure). I prefer the more Chopper look to my bikes, but if you can't find £12000 for a Harley Soft-tail or Wide-Glide, you could do worse than an XV1100.
Its a good honest bike, it looks like a Harley but at the same time,never claims to be one.

Scarecrow :o) 

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