Saturday, February 21, 2015
2004 Yamaha XVS 650 Dragstar – Motorcycles
Perhaps the wait was worth the frustration since the bike arrives with a new name — V-Star instead of the dubious Drag Star — and two models to choose from. Yamaha took a unique approach to designing the V-Star. Yamaha’s stylists didn’t have to look any further than the Royal Star’s exemplary looks, fit, and finish. And the V-Star received generous applications of style from the Royal Star’s palette. Handling comes from the V-Star’s good suspension, competent brakes, and likable engine. Basing the V-Star on the proven 10-year-old Virago 535 insures the requisite reliability. The V-Star press photos we’d received hadn’t prepared us for the large size of the bike. The attention to detail on the V-Star is exemplary, especially considering the bike’s sub-$6000 price tag. read full caption The V-Star Classic carries the fat look currently in vogue. A full, valanced, wide, wrap-around, American road-bike traditional metal — yes, metal — fender covers a three-inch-wide spoked 16-inch-diameter wheel and its 130/90 Dunlop 67S tube-type tire. The V-Star 650 Custom rolls in on a 19-inch spoked front wheel and 100/90 tire. The seat also slims down in thickness, which most likely accounts for the way low 25.6-inch claimed seat height (the lowest on any cruiser in production and 2.4 inches lower than the Classic’s 28-inch height). The Custom’s engine receives a semi-gloss black finish on all bottom-end covers, and the shaft drive cover (the left rear cover) has a different shape than the Classic’s primary-drive-cover emulator. The V-Star’s engine traces its roots to the air cooled, 70-degree V-twin Virago 535. The 535cc engine’s bore increased 5mm and the stroke increased 4mm for a new bore and stroke of 81 x 63mm, bumping the V-Star’s displacement to 649cc. The V-Star retains the 535′s two-valve cylinder-head design and compression ratio of 9.0:1. Pulling away from an intersection highlights the strengths of the V-Star’s engine. At high engine speeds, power falls off abruptly, a by-product of the 28mm carburetors, making shifting at peak power an important part of gathering momentum quickly. Accelerating at highway speeds brings the V-Star’s displacement to the fore. Downshifting to fourth helps speed the Star past traffic when necessary. We found the riding position comfortable at all speeds. The rear brake pedal is in the perfect position for covering it without taking a foot off the peg. The V-Star does not stand up if the brakes are applied while cornering. Shaft effect doesn’t rear its ugly head — or the bike — in corners either. Yamaha had big plans for the V-Star while it was in development.
To accomplish this goal, the Star needed to be full-sized, not a little bike, certainly not an “entry level” bike. Yamaha also used parts from other motorcycles: the 535-based engine, the Royal Star’s brake light and turn signals — even the gas cap. We also shouldn’t fail to consider how much a year of exceptional European sales of the Drag Star, a bike which could be the twin of the V-Star Custom, can offset the tooling cost of all parts which the V-Star and the Drag Star share. Regardless of how Yamaha achieved the V-Star’s attractive price, the Classic delivers above and beyond its retail value — called “perceived value” in marketing-speak.
Technical Specifications
Yamaha XVS 650 Dragstar (2004)
Yamaha XVS 650 Dragstar (2004)
| Engine Engine type Bore x Stroke Displacement Valves Compression ratio Max Power Max Torque Fuel system Transmission Final drive Clutch Ignition type Starting system Lubrication Exhaust Spark plug Battery Gear ratios | Air cooled, 70° v-twin, 4-stroke, OHC 81.0 x 63.0 mm 649 cc 2 valves per cylinder 9.0:1 40 hp (29.8 kW) @ 6500 rpm 50.1 Nm (37 ft. lbs) @ 3000 rpm Carburetors, Mikuni BDS28/2 5-speed Cardan Wet, multiple disc Digital TCI Electric starter Wet sump |
| Dimensions Frame type Castor Overall length Overall width Overall height Wheelbase Seat height Ground clearance Dry weight Fuel capacity Colors Suspension (front) Suspension (rear) Tyre (front) Tyre (rear) Brake (front) Brake (rear) | 2296 mm (90.4 inches) 880 mm (34.6 inches) 1067 mm (42 inches) 1610 mm (63.4 inches) 695 mm (27.4 inches) 140 mm (5.5 inches) 215 kg 16 litres Telescopic fork, 140 mm travel Single shock, link-type, w/adjustable preload, 99 mm travel 100/90-R19 170/80-R15 Single disc 298 mm with 2-piston calipers Drum 200 mm |
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