[Terry G.]

I really hope that anyone wishing to purchase a motorcycle soon will look at and test ride a Yamaha. these bikes are made better, more reliable, more comfortable, and much more powerful than just about any other motorcycle out there. I rode an 08 RAIDER, one of the most powerful cruisers out there. The Royal Star is an awesome bike with bags, windscreen, etc. check em out

 

[Scott_in_TX]

I would have loved to look at a RSV before buying my Voyager...except......

It's seat height is the tallest in it's class @ 29.5 inches. That's a show stopper for a lot of people with normal length legs. LOL! I; for one, will not reduce my lean angle by lowering a cruiser.

It's carbureted. Seriously!!!??? In 2013 a flagship fulldresser is has carbs??

If I am only going to have one bike; it's gonna be a twin! I can appreciate the smoothness of horse power, but I crave the torque of a long stroke twin.

ABS brakes would be nice, and they could update the stereo away from using a cassette player.

All in all I hear good things about the RSV.

But, it AIN'T the right bike for me.

Scott

 

[KV9002010]

I was dead set on a Yamaha when I was looking for a bike last year. I didn't like the way any of them felt when sitting on them. The prices seemed quite a bit higher then the Suzuki's or Kawasaki's I was looking at.

They make a nice looking bike they just didn't seem to be the same value for the money as the Kawasaki I ended up with was.

 

[SWVA_08V2k]

That's the reason why there are so many different bike manufacturers, to meet everyone's needs and wants. I have loved all 3 kaws I have had better than the Yamahas and Hondas I have had in the past. But my fav has been the V2K so far. not just because of the torque but the way it fits me too.

 

[frizzman]

I was dead set on a Yamaha when I was looking for a bike last year. I didn't like the way any of them felt when sitting on them. The prices seemed quite a bit higher then the Suzuki's or Kawasaki's I was looking at.

They make a nice looking bike they just didn't seem to be the same value for the money as the Kawasaki I ended up with was.

Same here. I was looking at a used 1100 and then a vStar 950. went to a few showrooms but never rode it. finally saw the Kawasaki 900 and was sold. the 2012 Classic SE with the mild chrome was all but mine until I saw the '11 Custom SE in all black. hubba hubba yes plz and thank you.

 

[Dean]

Opinions are like noses, we all have one.
Thats why there is more than one make model and color of car, pickup, etc....

 

[Romans5.8]

Yamaha's are air cooled and that tends to make them fall back in reliability. The last time I had seen an article actually comparing numbers-to-numbers (not anectdotes from owners) on reliability, Honda was in the lead, and Yamaha was down a couple places from the other liquid cooled metrics. Not to the point of needing major repairs every few months; but air cooled engines just tend to wear out faster. Heat wears components.

I'm with Scott. It's 2013. If you put a carburetor in a bike in 2013, you deserve a trip to the woodshed. The Royal Star is a nice bike. My neighbor has one, ridden with him many times. Sounds fantastic (better than Kawasaki's twins), but talk about LEG HEAT. I've ridden his V-Twin Royal Star, and it about cooked the inside of my legs medium well! My Uncle has that V-4 on his bike. I don't recall the name, it's not the big tourer, it's like a road star but with the V-4 engine. WOWZA. Easily THE hottest bike I've ever ridden.

Good looking, great sounding, great power. But not the bike for me.

 

[Daboo311]

I'm going on 15 months with my 2007 900 custom and it has not let me down. I did replace stator and tires but I still look forward to riding every day. It's like spending time with an old friend you haven't seen in a while.

I do see quite a number of bikes that I'd like to test ride. I'd like to try the Triumph Thunderbird and HD Slim or V-Rod. I wish I could try an old mean streak and wished they still made them.

The Honda Magna was a cool looking bike as well. Oh well!

 

[Romans5.8]

I'm going on 15 months with my 2007 900 custom and it has not let me down. I did replace stator and tires but I still look forward to riding every day. It's like spending time with an old friend you haven't seen in a while.

I do see quite a number of bikes that I'd like to test ride. I'd like to try the Triumph Thunderbird and HD Slim or V-Rod. I wish I could try an old mean streak and wished they still made them.

The Honda Magna was a cool looking bike as well. Oh well!

That's the Yamaha VMAX. If you want a Magna, there it is. Just not made by Honda anymore. Liquid cooled V-4.

 

[Terry G.]

that's the yamaha vmax. If you want a magna, there it is. Just not made by honda anymore. Liquid cooled v-4.

now thats a bike!!

 

[Terry G.]

I didn't realize that the rsv was carbureted. my RAIDER had the 1854 cc (113 ci) and was amazed at the power and torque. smooth riding machine and never a worry about break downs

 

[SWVA_08V2k]

Triumph Rocket III is what I want to test ride. I passed up the opportunity to try one and get it when I got my V2K. But the V-max and V-Rod are on my list of ones to try out too.

oh and to Daboo. The Mean Streak is a nice bike to have but they are more show than go. Don't get me wrong they have plenty of go, just not as much as one would think. Still a fun bike to have though . I had an 07 model.

 

[Daboo311]

Triumph Rocket III is what I want to test ride. I passed up the opportunity to try one and get it when I got my V2K. But the V-max and V-Rod are on my list of ones to try out too.

oh and to Daboo. The Mean Streak is a nice bike to have but they are more show than go. Don't get me wrong they have plenty of go, just not as much as one would think. Still a fun bike to have though . I had an 07 model.

See! you are used to a lot of ooomph! I don't know any better so can't judge. I see so many positive comments on the V2K's. I see all these older bikes that were around before I started riding and think it such a shame that I did not get to own one and they no longer make them.

I would get killed on the yammy that Romans posted a pic of. I don't need all that because I would try to use ALL that and wrap myself around a stinking pole.

 

[SWVA_08V2k]

See! you are used to a lot of ooomph! I don't know any better so can't judge. I see so many positive comments on the V2K's. I see all these older bikes that were around before I started riding and think it such a shame that I did not get to own one and they no longer make them.

I would get killed on the yammy that Romans posted a pic of. I don't need all that because I would try to use ALL that and wrap myself around a stinking pole.

When I had the Mean Steak I did not know any difference. I moved up from a 1500 Classic, and I had not rode very many other bikes. Looking back I can say what I said knowing different. But at the time I was tickled pink with it.

 

[Daboo311]

I was tickled pink

I guess that is where I'm at right now with what I got... I'm having so much fun I don't know what I'm missing. I also have to keep reminding my wife to 'love the one your with'

 

[Romans5.8]

See! you are used to a lot of ooomph! I don't know any better so can't judge. I see so many positive comments on the V2K's. I see all these older bikes that were around before I started riding and think it such a shame that I did not get to own one and they no longer make them.

I would get killed on the yammy that Romans posted a pic of. I don't need all that because I would try to use ALL that and wrap myself around a stinking pole.

Lots of low mileage, great condition V2K's out there.

The V2K is a puzzle. People love them. They have incredible owner satisfaction, are pretty reliable, and seem pretty comfortable (Only rode one once). But the fact is, there is not a huge market (hence them being discontinued). Not a lot of people want them. It's either too heavy for them, or just too pricey for a basic cruiser. I think the latter is a lot of it, when people are looking to spend up over $10,000 for a metric motorcycle, they expect at the very least; hard bags. Look at the 1700 line. Right here on this forum we have almost NO 1700 Classics. A handful of 1700 Nomads. But the 1700 line is dominated by Vaqueros and Voyagers. The two most expensive cruisers on Kawasaki's line! Why? People people just don't want to pay 13, 14, 15k+ for a basic cruiser with soft saddlebags. Some do, obviously; because there are some V2K owners out there, and some 1700 Classic owners out there, but most don't. (The Harley market is a little different so we'll ignore the $15k+ Softail for now).

The result is, resale value on the V2K is way way down. Stinks for those who bought them new, but great for folks like us! Honestly you can get a V2K used for the price of a used VN900. That's the crazy inverse of demand. The 900 is in high demand, so it's holding resale value. The V2K is not in demand, so if you want someone to buy it, you're going to have to drop the price.

Saw one on craigslist around here not too long ago with a custom paint job, hard saddlebags, a 4-speaker stereo fairing and a trailer hitch with like 20k miles for $5k.

It's a shame though! The 1700 platform is a good platform but I really think the V2K would've made an awesome touring platform. AND, I think people would've bought a touring V2K. I honestly think it's not just an issue of 'too big', I think it's an issue of 'no market'. There's a big market for a $20,000 touring bike. There's a big market for a $10,000 cruiser. There just is not a market for a $15,000 metric cruiser.

 

[SWVA_08V2k]

Lots of low mileage, great condition V2K's out there.

The V2K is a puzzle. People love them. They have incredible owner satisfaction, are pretty reliable, and seem pretty comfortable (Only rode one once). But the fact is, there is not a huge market (hence them being discontinued). Not a lot of people want them. It's either too heavy for them, or just too pricey for a basic cruiser. I think the latter is a lot of it, when people are looking to spend up over $10,000 for a metric motorcycle, they expect at the very least; hard bags. Look at the 1700 line. Right here on this forum we have almost NO 1700 Classics. A handful of 1700 Nomads. But the 1700 line is dominated by Vaqueros and Voyagers. The two most expensive cruisers on Kawasaki's line! Why? People people just don't want to pay 13, 14, 15k+ for a basic cruiser with soft saddlebags. Some do, obviously; because there are some V2K owners out there, and some 1700 Classic owners out there, but most don't. (The Harley market is a little different so we'll ignore the $15k+ Softail for now).

The result is, resale value on the V2K is way way down. Stinks for those who bought them new, but great for folks like us! Honestly you can get a V2K used for the price of a used VN900. That's the crazy inverse of demand. The 900 is in high demand, so it's holding resale value. The V2K is not in demand, so if you want someone to buy it, you're going to have to drop the price.

Saw one on craigslist around here not too long ago with a custom paint job, hard saddlebags, a 4-speaker stereo fairing and a trailer hitch with like 20k miles for $5k.

It's a shame though! The 1700 platform is a good platform but I really think the V2K would've made an awesome touring platform. AND, I think people would've bought a touring V2K. I honestly think it's not just an issue of 'too big', I think it's an issue of 'no market'. There's a big market for a $20,000 touring bike. There's a big market for a $10,000 cruiser. There just is not a market for a $15,000 metric cruiser.

That the point. I purchased my 08 brand new in April 2012 for 9K. Brand new 2K at brand new 900 prices. Those are getting HARD to come by but they are out there.

 

[Romans5.8]

That the point. I purchased my 08 brand new in April 2012 for 9K. Brand new 2K at brand new 900 prices. Those are getting HARD to come by but they are out there.

Somebody on the forum found a couple at a dealership not long ago still in the crates. So yeah, not only are there lots of low mileage ones out there; there are still BRAND NEW ones out there! (And you wonder why Kawasaki cancelled it!)

 

[SWVA_08V2k]

Somebody on the forum found a couple at a dealership not long ago still in the crates. So yeah, not only are there lots of low mileage ones out there; there are still BRAND NEW ones out there! (And you wonder why Kawasaki cancelled it!)

I got half the mind to buy me another one and keep it in the crate, lol. This one is going to wear out some time. . But for real though I think you are on to something about the price being too high for a basic cruiser. For a couple more grand than their original prices you can get a bagger. But like you said before all that creates is great prices on bikes for people who are wanting to scoop up a deal.

 

[Romans5.8]

I got half the mind to buy me another one and keep it in the crate, lol. This one is going to wear out some time. . But for real though I think you are on to something about the price being too high for a basic cruiser. For a couple more grand than their original prices you can get a bagger. But like you said before all that creates is great prices on bikes for people who are wanting to scoop up a deal.

You know the V2K already had the classic look and pushrods (on the motor). Figure a 1700 with a frame mounted fairing (aka Vaq/Voyager). Now we just need a V2K Nomad, and a V2K with a fork mounted fairing!