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Yamaha Virago XV1100 - very reliable and comfy cruiser - $2,900 (oakland north / temescal)
1995
Yamaha XV1100
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A quick story of this bike: I bought it in 2019 from her 2nd owner who rode it from Chicago to Oakland as he was moving. He's a motorcycle mechanic and since he took a job at a Harley dealership, they made him buy a Harley and let go of his Yarley (that's what they used to call them in the 80's). It looks and feels like like a Harley, but without any of the reliability issues. Anyways, I only bought it because my wife complained about my SV650 not being very comfortable for the passenger and my mother swore that my father's Virago is by far the most comfortable bike she ever rode as a passenger. So we tried a bunch of bikes and yes, my wife confirmed that out of whatever was in our price range, this one was the best.
Little I knew that even though I only bought it for occasional weekend rides with my wife, it would become a "gateway drug" to long-distance rides. I took it up and down the coast, through the Sierras, visited around 20 national parks stretching as far as Glacier, Rocky Mountains and Great Sand Dunes, and obviously stuff along the way :) It never left me stranded and it is with a heavy heart I'm letting go of it. But I was given a 3-bike allowance and something has to go. I hope whoever buys it, enjoys it as much as I did.
Now, the mechanical stuff. Everything works, in fact, I put several upgrades on it:
1) firmer fork springs; the original ones were weaker than the spring in your pen.
2) firmer and slightly longer rear shocks: now you don't need to set the preload all the way up. You actually have some adjustment range and it can support two people with combined weight around 360 lbs without any issues or bottoming out on every little bump.
3) all lights are LEDs, including a flashing brake light, extra turn signals, dashboard lights and most importantly the main H4 headlight bulb. The lights are brighter, crisper, don't burn every 500h since they run much cooler, and most importantly: they draw much less electricity, which leaves some headroom on the generator capacity to plug in extra stuff like...
4) Oxford heated grips which have adjustable heat output and automatic shutoff to prevent the battery from draining if you leave them on; they are awesome, especially on the cooler mornings and evenings. Only on very cold days I needed to turn them to 100%.
5) USB charger and a 12V socket if you ever need to plug in something else, like a small air compressor or a 120V inverter. I never caught a flat tire, but I was always ready for it. There are also two 12V SAE connectors, one of which is on the fork and I connect to a battery tender, and the other one next to the seat was available to plug in my wife's phone charger.
6) additional light bar which was great to have on those late evening rides through the mountains where you have plenty of deer just waiting to jump onto the road. I could see it all with that light bar turned on.
7) I added a windscreen which helped with keeping the bugs off my visor
8) highway pegs
9) fuel shutoff valve (for some reason Yamaha thought it was a good idea to leave it out...)
10) luggage rack behind the sissy bar
11) driver backrest (easily removable, it just slides in/out)
12) previous owner put on an aftermarket seat, which is AWESOME.
13) jumbo size saddle bags and saddle bag supports.
If for some reason you don't want any of these, you (or I) can remove many of these easily. I still have the original fork springs and rear shocks, original light bulbs, and the extra electrical items are also easy to remove. It's all running on a separate circuit with its own fuse.
I meticulously maintained this bike since I was taking it on long trips, way past the 200 mile range of my AAA free towing coverage :) Within the last two years I put in new brake pads, a new battery (then I figured the old one was still good; it's on a battery tender and you can have it as a spare), new voltage regulator, last year it got brand new tires (Michelin Commander IIIs, pricey but really nice). Just this week I flushed the brake fluid with DOT4, new engine oil and driveshaft oil. Yes, this bike has a shaft, so no pesky chain maintenance on long trips. Since the bike uses flat-tappet valves, I have been adding ZDDP (zinc additive) to the oil. I still have enough of it for 6 or 7 oil changes: it's yours with the purchase. Just mix in 1-1.5oz per quart of oil. Last time I checked the valve clearances, everything was exactly in-spec. Michelin Commander III Cruiser tires installed last year, with only 1500 miles on them ($450 value). Registration is paid through August 2026 ($170 value).
Lastly: how is this bike different from Suzuki Boulevard, Honda Shadow, Kawasaki Vulcan, Harley Davidson, or even Yamaha V-Star? It beats them hands-down on power-to-weight ratio, and the efficiency of the engine. If you look at the power specs of the different brands, you will see that even the 1500cc Kawi puts out less power than this 1100cc V-twin. It's also lighter than even the 805cc Suzuki Boulevard C50T, while it puts out some real torque. It's a lovely ride and you never feel like you have to plan your passes. Just twist and go, in any gear. It pulls like a train already at 2000rpm and with a 7500rpm redline, you rarely have to shift. And yes, it only weighs around 530 pounds, with a very low center of gravity and a very low seat. Even shorter riders will find it very approachable. And if you're on the lighter side, you can put the original springs and shocks back in and make it squat a bit more. I was able to do a footless stop on the first try when I took it for a test ride before I bought it.
Lots of great memories with this bike, but again: with a Goldwing in my garage and a 3-bike allowance, this one has to go.
Speaking of test rides: you're welcome to take it out for a spin as long as you're licensed and bring cash. Feel free to bring your significant other so that you're both convinced this is the bike for you and your adventures. The passenger backrest makes is a more secure and more relaxing experience.
Insurance is super cheap on this thing, unlike sports bikes. In fact, when I bought it as a second bike (had the SV650 already), my rate actually went down since I rode this one more.
Please put the color of the saddle bags in the subject line of your email. If you don't, I will assume it's not a human being writing to me and I will ignore the email.
Also: the mileage will slowly creep up. I will ride it locally to keep it fresh. But I won't be racking up hundreds of miles anymore.