Yamaha Virago XV1100

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 ... more

Passed my direct access test in 2000 and the first bike I owned was an XV100. Blue and cream with gold alloys and bags of chrome, I loved it. After adding a set of highway bars I could cruise all day with my feet out in front, magic. It was big, not very fast although it could cruise effortlessly all day at 80mph but it was a pig in traffic. Like all long wheel based bikes, when the speed dropped, so did the stability. But get it on a motorway or a nice winding A road and it was a dream. Sadly my other half would watch all the sports bikes flash past with some little girl on the pillion with ... more