Yamaha Customs

Hello all! was just wondering if anyone can help - I recently purchased an XVS650 and the horn doesn't work. I unplugged the connections and lightly filed off any corrosion on the connection pins, however, still no joy. The actual horn is rusty in places - do you think it needs replacing? or do you think it could be the connection? Does anyone have any ideas or know what I should be doing to test? If purchasing a new horn, I presume I can just replace with a universal motorcycle horn? I'm guessing a 12V horn should be ok for this bike? Please can anyone confirm? ANY help/advice would be MUCH appreciated! THANKS as always, Nick

Hi, If I went from a 170/80/15 rear to a 150/80/15, could I expect any different handling characteristics? Cant see why I would as the bike never gets right over onto the edge of the tread. I am about to replace the rear, and choices are not great, nor cheap.

i have a nail in my rear tyre does anyone know roughly how much a puncture repair will be? its tubeless or is there a way to fix it myself?

I saw this and thought of all you people who hanker after a good quality Dragstar. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/YAMAHA-XVS-650-Dragstar-/290584792178?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item43a8340c72

Im still pondering the purchase of my first bike. I will need to carry around with me my university work (laptop couple of books) and my gym gear I was going to have some panniers to carry this stuff and without getting off my ass to go to a shop and see how big these things are, Im wondering how much you can get into these bags. I have also seen a site that sells canvas types that seem bigger, What do you guys use and how much do you get in them Thanks

Got up to find some one had tried to remove my front bake caliper and given up when it had jammed against the disk. AThe problem is its damaged one of the brake pistons. DOes any one know if the XVS 400CC piston calipers are the same as the uk 650cc? cheers

getting it ready for mot so i can register my vstar so cleaned her up, she was bloody dirty ran it up and put it in gear and she dies, though it might be the cluch sticking as my kwack does but i can roll it around in gear with the clutch and there is no jolt. just dies like the gear is the kill switch then the starter button does nothing untill its in neutral on my kwak i would say it was 100% the sidestand switch doing this but i though i would ask if there is anything else on the star that would do it, i may have ridden it alot but i've never pulled it apart at all plus the switch does move in and out, but only by about 5 or 6 mm then …

iv been out and bought a slash cut end can with removable baffle for the bobber.....had to modify it a little to get it on but its nice and snug one little problem though .......its loud. and i know what your thinking louder is better....but not on a 125cc revving its nuts off at 10k rpm ...(sounds like a giant wasp with a performance enhancing drug problem) iv had the baffle out and replaced the wadding with better stuff thats thicker, but its still a little loud for me......im going to get my manager at work to crack out his decibel meter to see just how loud it is but would like some ideas of how to make it quieter. cheers. .Paul.

Hey all, Well i picked up my XVS 650 last Friday and she is going well , but the problem i have at the moment is that she is an import and has the little black sticker on the headlight to convert her and it looks tacky! i cant seem to find a genuine 650 Yammy head light any where (uk version) but can find a XVS125 head light easy, Sooooo do you cleaver chaps know / think the 125 head light will fit in the bracket and just be a plug and play job rather than chopping wires etc? All help is greatfully received Rgds Keith

Right this coming Winter (some way away!) i am completely stripping down the Dragstar ready for powder coating and new shiney bits to go on but my question is to any one of you guys that has stripped their bike down is.......is the prop shaft dificult to dismantal / re-assemble? i have got both Hatnes manuel and Climer manuel but i wasn't sure if there was any thing "hidden" that s not said or not worded right in the books? Also is there any thing else thats a bit tricky with the 650 to take apart? i did strip my XVS 125 and helped with my step dads 1988 Harley Sporster so i have "some" knoledge of bikes but as we all are im still learning. Cheers for the advise (in…

Hello!! Hope you are all well! Last week I passed my Mod 1 and Mod 2!!! Both in torrential rain (and I mean TORRENTIAL). It was raining so hard that my radio stopped working! After passing Mod 1 - I lost my instructor in Farnborough!!! Ended up riding all the way back to London on my own....in the fast lane with a BIG grin on my face mind you!! Anyway - was a bit of a nightmare, but I survived and I am now over the moon to be free from restrictions like many of you fine people on this fine forum! VERY EXCITING!!! I've just upgraded my XVS125 to and XVS650! So far I have the windshield, a set of straight through turn down pipes and some studded panniers. What I'm…

Hello all I have been lusting after a Dragstar Classic for years now and although passed my test 3 years ago, never got around to it (other things cost money :-( But I am looking now, I was thinking of a 650, but would it be a big jump to go direct for a 1000 or am I just being daft there. Would a 650 have plenty of power, I really have no idea and don't want to get a 650 then deciding to upgrade Also, I have limited mechanical knowledge really, id like to service myself, but in the meantime what are the service costs on these machines? And what sort of mileage do you get I guess im looking for any info a new bot would need before buying his first ever bike…

Hi all, When I bought my XVS650 Dragstar Classic back in January, it had, and in fact still has, an unsightly front brake fluid reservoir. It looks like an original, as far as I can tell but I suspect it may have been leaking or was rusting as the previous owner appears to have painted over the whole thing with silver hamerite paint (i'm sure you can imagine how lovely that looks!). As such, I want to replace it. I am sure I can get a new one from Yamaha (at what price I dont know as yet) or a bike breakers and I've seen many variants of chrome covers but I was wondering if it's possible to get a chrome reservoir itself or is there a reason why this item cant be c…

Hi all, wonder if anyone can advise on this please. Rode through last winter with summer gloves on, got small hands with limited reach and cant hook around the brake lever frimly with winter gloves on due to extra thickness shortening reach. Ive had the levers off of the dragstar and the virago and tweeked em a tad closer at the near point (a little better), if I go a tad more, will the alloy break/fracture? Ive searched the web and cant find any ref to this problem Any tips before I consider heated grips before next winter? Thanks Ray

my bike has standard engine but has an after market air filter it also has (wider than standard) sach xtc wheels sach forks an rear swing arm its running sach discs an calipers too but they are off a sach xtc 125 ( the same cc bike as the xvs i ve had a quote for £146 full comp but that was for the bike in standard form how much will the above mods effect the above quote are they any custom insurance company i should contact i d rather declare the mods than risk trouble later but how well do companies look at these things

Simple enough question- where in the UK can I get a pair? I can only find us sites that stock them. Cheers

My 650 Dragstar is a 2005 UK new model, bought out to NZ by the original owner and kept by him untill I purchased it two months ago.12,000 miles and in mint condition with a screen and saddle bags.( all Yamaha accessories) Were the UK models restricted? I read a thread on here about one owner wanting to remove the restricter on his bike. I ask, because today I gave it a bit of a run, and at 80mph (130kph)it seemed to run out of punch. The original exhaust and breathing system probably have a lot to do with this. I didnt keep trying and it may well have creeped up a bit further. What should these cruisers top out at? I only ride at 80-100kph (60mph) and top spee…

Does anybody know if you can buy screws for footpegs on their own? The screw on my right hand footpeg seems to have shaken loose without my knowing. The first I knew of this was when the peg itself came off as I went round a bend!

Hi, I recently noticed that when I rest my xvs 650 on its stand, the bracket flexed slightly as it takes the weight. Dunno if its something I've just not noticed before or if its something I need to worry about. It only flexes slightly, not like its bending

Hi, just bought some custom handlebar grips for my xvs1300,can anybody tell me how to get the standard ones off without damaging them ta.