[Frederic Lemire]

Hello all. I just got my drivers licence and bought a 2000 Yamaha V-star 650cc from a friend. I got a great deal on it (it's got only 30 000 km) and it drives like a charm when going around town or even on country roads. I find that it's a great beginners bike.

However, I got a motorcycle for two purposes. One, for the touring part, and the bike is perfect for that. The other one is for commute and save fuel and for that I have to drive a lot on highways.

The problem is that as soon as I go over 95 km/h, I find that it shakes (like the engine is shaking or I don't know) and it's exhausting after a while. I spoke with the person who had the bike and she never passed 100km/h with it. Another friend who also has a v-star 650 say that these bikes are no fun past that speed so to stay below this speed would be the best option.

I have to drive over 200 km (400 round trip) to visit my father and I'dd like to be able to follow the traffic at let's say 110 km/h. (70 mph for the U.S. Guys).

I have an appointment with a Yamaha dealer to have them test drive it and see if it's a normal vibration or if there's a problem with it.

I've already lost a few bolts since I got the bike and drove only 2000 km with it. The vibration can be felt mostly in the pegs, not so much in the handles bars.

I'm guessing because it's only a 650 that might be the problem but others suggested that it's a common thing with V-twin engines.

Can you recommend a motorcycle in the same price range that would be more comfortable for highway speed yet remain agile as I am a beginner.

At first I was looking more for a sport touring bike, something like a Suzuki SV-650 but having driven the Custom for a while I think it's more comfortable for long commutes.

 

[Frederic Lemire]

Thanks for your answer, my friend will lend me her V-star Custom 2006 friday so I can compare and see if there's something wrong with mine or if there's something else.

My appointement is on monday (and I'm changing the front tire also, it's got lots of thread left but it's cracked) but I want to see if the bike really has a problem first.

Would a V-star 950 shake less?

 

[Frederic Lemire]

I got the front tire replaced this morning and they test drove the bike. The mechanic told me it doesn't shake more or less than any other V-twin engine. It shakes as much at 80km/h in 4th gear than at 110 km/h in 5th.

He also told me that V-twin engines all produce some sort of vibration and if I really don't like it, to try to find a 4 cyl bike instead.

I must confess a few years ago I bough a 1984 Honda Nighthawk 550 and drove it for a bit and cannot remember to have felt any shaking at all.

Guess I'll try to look for something other than a custom bike since I don't think they make 4 cyl custom bikes...

 

[Frederic Lemire]

Well the dealer test drove it and found nothing abnormal vibration wise.

I might be more sensitive to vibration than others.

A colleague of mine drove my bike, he just bought a 2018 Indian Scout Bobber and says that the shaking of my bike wouldn't bother him that much.

He used to have a Honda VTX 1300 and says that the VTX and is Indian don't shake at all like mine does.

I've put it for sale and I'll try to buy a higher displacement bike.

 

[Frederic Lemire]

WELL? How did it go? Did you take your friend's V-Star out for a comparison ride? how did hers ride?

Well yes I did finally last week. It feels pretty much like mine. She has the Custom and I have the Classic and I did find that her suspension is a lot stiffer than mine. My Classic is smoother on cracked pavement and I do prefer it that way.

Other than that, the vibration is pretty similar and she tried mine and she said that she doesn't mind it.

I guess I'm a little too fussy...

So I'm going to try to get a bigger, less shaky bike...

 

[Frederic Lemire]

Thing is, I wouldn't want to end up buying a Goldwing just for that...

Would a Sport-Touring bike be less shaky? I'm looking a lot at used Suzuki SV-650. They sell for cheap and rev up to 11 000 rpm so my guess is that at highway speed the engine must be a lot less shaky?

 

[Frederic Lemire]

I got someone who is willing to trade in is 1999 SV650s for my V-star. We are meeting up this noon to do the switch at the Quebec's equivalent of the DMV...

I hope I'll like it.

Thanks all for your inputs!

 

[Frederic Lemire]

I agree with you the SV doesn't shake at all on the highway. I have not driven on a long ride with it yet but for my daily commute to work I find it a lot of fun.

Here's a pic of both motorcycles at the DMV to switch plates.