2003 Yamaha V Star

My apologies if this review apprears twice. I submitted one but can't find that it got posted.

This is my second V-star. I had a '99 650, and after 15k miles, I decided to get the larger 1100. I bought my '03 in 2004 when it had 2k on it, and it's now got over 30k on the odometer.

I use the bike daily all year long (except for snow days). It holds up well in all seasons, including the rainy season -- in the Northwest where I live, that's from September through August. The bike tracks well on highways, city streets and twisties. With hard bags and a rear top case, I commute to work with it, or I can take it on business trips that typically are from 150-300 miles. It's comfortable and rides solidly, whether I'm on the freeway or a back road. It's a great utility bike.

I've modified mine to fit my needs (pull-back risers, a more comfortable seat, tall windshield, etc.). But the one mod that I see as necessary is the relacement of the OEM pipes. I live in the country so my neighbors don't want to hear me disturbing their horses and cattle, and I'm not a fan of loud bikes. But the stock pipes are much too quiet. When I replaced them with slips ons that are more audible, I immediately noticed fewer people cutting me off.

The other complaint that I have about the bike is the quality of Yamaha replacement parts. The original parts are high quality, but many of the after-market parts are not. An example is the Yamaha windshield that I installed. The bolts started to rust after a year. I find that third-party manfacturers have better quality control. This problems with Yamaha after-market parts is why I only scored the quality as "good."

Otherwise, this is a great bike that fits all of my daily needs.

This is a beautiful bike. It handles great and the seller was excellent to deal with. We received this bike with in a week of purchase. I would definately purchase from him again.

This is an excellent motorcycle to start with. The shift point between 4th and 5th gear is at 44mph so it feels like it should be a six speed. However it has the power to easily go 70mph down the highway. If you're a bigger person than I am it could be a little small and uncomfortable but I'm around 5'6" and it fits me perfectly. The only other thing that I don't like about the bike is how sensitive the clutch is. With just the slightest squeeze it goes from being engaged to being disengaged. It is just very easy to stall out in first gear, particularly if you are stopped on a steep uphill slope and trying to go. Otherwise this has been a great bike. The previous owner put about 10,000 miles on it in six years. I put over 1,000 miles on it in less than 6 days. The price is unbeatable and I haven't had any trouble out of this bike yet!

I am a very satisfied owner of a 2003 V Star 1100 Silverado. I would have given this bike perfect scores except for two things. 1. I was disappointed with the stock seats. Seating is generally a matter of rider size and personal preference. I found the problem is easily remedied with any of the quality after-market saddles available.2. I also found that the restrictions of the exhaust system and carb jetting greatly limited an engine of this size. There are a number of intake and exhaust mods that will wake the sleeping giant up. These are also are a matter of preference, so there are many styles and looks available. As a satisfied owner, I can say I will buy another one. If you are looking to buy a V Star I believe you will be satisfied too.

I looked around the area, and decided to check E-bay. You always wonder about dealing with a high priced item like the motorcycle I bid on. The picture of the motorcycle was nice, but when I actually drove to pick it up it was even nicer. You always wonder if your getting someone else's problems, but I have to say I couldn't have been happier. The person I dealt with was super, even offerd to drive it here for me so I wouldn't have to rent a trailer. Everything went perfect and would again use E-Bay to purchase another bike. I think the big part was being in a reasonable distance to be able to feel comfortable about checking item out. People I work with could not believe the motorcycle I got for the price. Again it was nothing but a great expieriance. I would feel comfortable shopping again with E-Bay, it also was nice to be able to ask questions of the product with owner and he responded with any question I had.

This bike is great. I have been riding since May of 2008 and I could not be happier with it. This is my first motorcycle and an excelent pick at that. the 650cc engine has alot of torque for what i expected a cruiser to have. When the bike is cleaned up it shines beautifully in the sun and that is also its down side, chrome, if you don't like to polish it don't buy this bike, aside from the plastic covers under the seat and the tank, just about everything on this bike needs to be polished religiously to keep it looking good. The ride experience, the v-star suspension is great you can hardly feel the road, i can go over train tracks not stand up off of the seat and not even know i just crossed the tracks. If you have been riding a while or weigh more than 250 i would recomended the 1100 model for more power. i only weigh 175 and sometimes i wonder if the bike even knows i'm there. I put Cobra pipes on it with a jet kit so that it has more of a rumble and those are also a great feature for this bike. any questions feel free to ask

I love this bike, it is absolutely awesome. It turns heads when I ride. Looks and sounds great. Comfortable and has plenty of get up and go. I'm definitely sold on Yamaha!

I have always wanted a harley and although I will have one someday this is such a great bike to start riding on. I recommend this bike to anyone male or female and dont waste your time with a 650 since the 1100 isnt that much heavier then the 650 and has a LOT more power. It is very comfortable too and the long rides are easy to do on it.

I own a 01' V Star 650. It is my first bike, and has been great to learn on . The power is great, theres enough for someone who is learning, and when you want to open her up she'll go. The bike has a look that is very pleasing to the eye, and I get compliments on it all the time . I am a taller man that did need to move the controls forward for comfort. Once I did this and added a aftermarket seat the whole bike changed. I have never had a problem with the bike macanicly. It did not take very long to pay the bike off, so its nice to use alot of that extra money toward extras for the bike(saddle bags,new grips,seat,etc.). Overall, I think this is a nice bike, I would own another one.