awa355 Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 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 speed isnt a concern. I like the low/middle engine power but am curious as to what a good one will do. Thanks for any response. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leatherat Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 Yep, 80mph is about right, mine creeps up to 90mph on the motorway, but it takes a long time, with no headwind or uphill gradient. I've changed the exhaust for straight through drag pipes and that doesn't seem to have made any difference at all. I don't think the UK model was any more restricted than any other countries model (in the UK there is a restiction on horsepower for young/inexperienced riders for the first two years of having a full bike licence, complicated law but basically they can only ride machines up to 40bhp and it is fairly common for larger machines to have restrictors fitted to reduce the power output, however as the XVS 650 only produces 40bhp as it coes out of the factory, I very much doubt any restrictor has ever been fitted to one) You just have to accept that a relatively heavy bike which only has 650cc and 40 horsepower ain't gonna be fast. Ride safe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ttaskmaster Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 With all the standard bits, mine topped out around 96mph, although I have had it up to an indicated 107. The air in your location may affect it somewhat, too. Not so well-versed on such things myself and I doubt it's much of an issue on a Cruiser, although some of teh performance riders do discuss it at length. End of the day, it goes fast enough to break the UK speed limit, so that's more than fast enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cov_AL Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 As I recall the stated top speed is 90 mph, although I got an indicated 95 on the motorway without too much trouble... The closer you are to sea level and a cooler ambient temperature will help performance due to denser air (more oxygen to burn) I used to really notice the difference on a cold winter morning, however the 950 is injected (and so, has a lambda sensor) meaning it automatically adjusts itself to oxygen rich environments... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awa355 Posted June 26, 2011 Author Share Posted June 26, 2011 Gave the bike a run today without the windshield and saddle bags. It ran up to 90mph quite easily. Backed off to just below the speed limit and guess who come around the corner towards me? Yep, Mr Plod. Without the windshield, it feels a much smaller bike. I did notice that my regular cruising speed kept dropping slightly. I think it was the effect of the wind hitting me full on and probably creating a braking force. Also the wind noise around the helmet was a lot less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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