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| After fifteen years of looking at
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| the back of other people's heads, I went for the full view. Four months ago I
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| gave up the passenger seat on Per's Road King, and I climbed atop a 1986
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| Yamaha Virago 700cc.
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| There are reviews and tests of new
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| motorcycles. Potential buyers can find the results in numerous publications,
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| but it is much more difficult to find the same kind of information about used
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| bikes. When I started exploring the used motorcycle market, I kept my eyes and
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| ears open and asked many questions. Advice givers continually mentioned one
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| motorcycle in their comments--the Virago. Many people considered it a great
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| first bike choice. Several women I talked to were especially enthusiastic
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| about the bike.
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| My friend, Sue, had a Virago. I
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| had my eye on it for some time. When she switched to a Harley, I purchased her
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| Virago. This was a perfect situation for me. She had maintained the bike well,
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| and I had been on several road trips with Sue, so I knew how it performed. She
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| was also available to answer my questions and give me tips on riding my new
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| used motorcycle.
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| The Virago first appeared in 1981
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| as a 750cc. It had an air-cooled, 75º V-twin engine with a five-speed
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| transmission. It was to be a mid-sized cruiser that would run smoothly,
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| demonstrate reliability and have superior technology at the right price. Its
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| classic style (low, long and lean) was a big hit. Yamaha continued to produce
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| the Virago with only slight changes each year until 1984. That year, the
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| United States levied new tariff regulations against imported motorcycles over
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| 700cc, so the Yamaha Virago 700 was born. It still had all the appeal and
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| performance of earlier models except for a slightly reduced displacement. At
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| 699cc, the new engine avoided the new tariff. After the U.S. lifted the
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| tariff, Yamaha reintroduced the Virago 750cc and added an 1100cc model.
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| The seat height of my Virago is
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| 28.1 inches. This allows me to sit on the bike with both feet flat on the
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| ground. Anyone with a short inseam will find this a good feature. The wide and
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| well-cushioned seat is comfortable on long rides. The foot brakes and handle
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| bars are well placed for my 5'6" frame, but reaching the brake lever is a bit
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| of a task for my short fingers. The Virago's low center of gravity minimizes
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| any top heavy struggle.
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| I am not satisfied with the design
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| of the Virago's kickstand. It is too small and mounted too steeply to support
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| the bike. I have dropped the bike twice because of it. I now carry a crushed
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| beer can in my saddle bag, which I put under the stand when I park on blacktop
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| or gravel.
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| The Virago fuel tank holds 3.3
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| gallons of gas, has 0.7 reserve gallons, and is getting approximately 40 miles
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| per gallon. I do not have the cruising range of some of the bikes with which I
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| ride. I checked into buying a larger tank, but they cost $200-$400. I will be
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| happy with the more frequent stops.
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| I could write a novel about the
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| Virago starter motor. It is inherently noisy. Yamaha has a shim kit available
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| for the problem, or I could replace the starter grid spring. Either method is
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| only a temporary fix, and I am learning to live with the noise.
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| The Virago handles very well on
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| gravel and dirt roads. I attribute this to the bike's weight distribution and
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| the tires' ample sizes. The tires are tubeless and mounted on mag rims. The
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| ability to plug a leak quickly in a tubeless tire until you can get to the
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| shop is a definite advantage.
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| The Virago has a number of other
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| features that I really like. The shaft drive is quiet and easy to maintain.
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| The dual disc front brakes are more than adequate to control and stop the
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| bike. The tool kit is easily accessible under a side cover, and there is a
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| small storage area in the sissy bar. My Virago has chromed, not painted
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| fenders. It also has an after market windshield, highway pegs on the crashbars,
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| a throttle lock for cruise control and saddle bags.
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| Before I bought my Virago, I
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| checked the newspapers to see what other Viragos cost. A sound, 80's-vintage
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| Virago will set you back $1,500 to $2,000. This is a small fraction of what
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| you could spend on a cruiser.
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| I have found the Virago to be
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| comfortable and easy to handle. Most of my riding is with big road bikes, and
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| I am able to keep up with them easily and carry enough cargo for long trips. I
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| feel confident in recommending this motorcycle to any rider--new or
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| experienced.
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| Source
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| by Eloise Sorensen
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| {| class="wikitable"
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| |-
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| !Make Model
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| |Yamaha XV 700 Virago
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| |-
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| !Year
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| |1985 - 86
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| |-
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| !Engine Type
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| |Four stroke, 75°-V-Twin cylinder, SOHC. 2 valve per cylinder.
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| |-
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| !Displacement
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| |699 cc / 42.6 cu-in
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| |-
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| !Bore X Stroke
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| |80.2 x 69.2 mm
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| |-
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| !Cooling System
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| |Air cooled
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| |-
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| !Compression
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| |9.0:1
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| |-
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| !Lubrication
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| |Wet sump
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| |-
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| !Induction
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| |2 x 40mm Hitachi carburetors
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| |-
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| !Ignition
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| |Transistorize
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| |-
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| !Starting
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| |Electric
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| |-
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| !Max Power
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| |56 hp / 40.9 kW @ 7000 rpm
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| |-
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| !Max Torque
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| |58.8 Nm / 43.4 lb-ft @ 6000
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| |-
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| !Clutch
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| |Wet, multi-plate
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| |-
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| !Transmission
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| |5 Speed
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| |-
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| !Final Drive
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| |Shaft
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| |-
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| !Frame
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| |Backbone pressed steel - engine is a stressed member
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| |-
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| !Front Suspension
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| |36mm Kayaba forks, Air pressure adjustable.
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| |-
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| !Front Wheel Travel
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| |145 mm / 5.7 in
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| |-
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| !Rear Suspension
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| |Monoshock, adjustable air pressure rebound damping.
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| |-
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| !Rear Wheel Travel
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| |100 mm / 3.7 in
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| |-
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| !Front Brakes
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| |Single 298mm disc 1 piston caliper
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| |-
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| !Rear Brakes
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| |00mm Drum
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| |-
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| !Front Tire
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| |100/90-19
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| |-
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| !Rear Tire
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| |130/90-16
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| |-
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| !Rake
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| |32.0°
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| |-
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| !Wheelbase
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| |1520 mm / 59.8 in
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| |-
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| !Seat Height
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| |710 mm / 28.0 in
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| |-
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| !Ground Clearance
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| |145 mm / 5.7 in
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| |-
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| !Dry Weight
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| |225 kg / 496 lbs
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| |-
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| !Wet Weight
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| |238 kg /; 524.7 lbs
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| |-
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| !Fuel Capacity
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| |13 Liters / 3.4 US gal
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|
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| |}
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| [[Category:Yamaha motorcycles]] | | [[Category:Yamaha motorcycles]] |
