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Yamaha Virago 750, good enough? Yamaha Virago 750, good enough?
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Which Bike? Comments and Questions on what is the best bike for YOU, for YOUR trip. Note that we believe that ANY bike will do, so please remember that it's all down to PERSONAL OPINION. Technical Questions for all brands go in their own forum.
Photo by Andy Miller, UK, Taking a rest, Jokulsarlon, Iceland

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Andy Miller, UK,
Taking a rest,
Jokulsarlon, Iceland



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  #1  
Old 28 Nov 2003
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Yamaha Virago 750, good enough?
For going around America?
My first trip is to go From San Antonio Texas to Dever Colarado and ride the rockies.
I have done 6000 on this bike over the last year, done a few 300 mile days.
I think it will be a great bike for me to go on and see Amrica.

Buddies at work think I am silly.
They all ride sport bikes.
I traveled all over Scotland on Honda 250 Superdream in the early 80s and all over Ireland on a Gpz500 in 91.

Any one have any thoughts on this.

My bike has a sheild and is in very good order and it has proven its elf over the last 6000 miles.
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  #2  
Old 28 Nov 2003
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depends whether "ride the rockies" includes off-road passes like Mosquito (unless its tarred now) you can do the tar on whatever takes your fancy, but mosquito, as it was in 1992, would knock a hole in your sump!

nuts to a sports bike in the US. the twisties are too far apart to make them worth the limited luggage space etc. I belive the Ozzies have a term for states like Colorado, Arizona, Utah etc - GAFA - Great Areas of F.A.
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  #3  
Old 28 Nov 2003
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Tell your buddies they're the silly ones - only I might use stronger words...

Bike will be just fine, you'll have a fabulous ride and enjoy yourself immensely - and they'll still be sitting at home.

FWIW - people have ridden around the world on everything from a Honda CT90 to a Vespa scooter to a yes - sport bike - R1 and CBR900RR Fireblade (same guy!) through every Beemer there is to Honda Gold Wings. And that's just in the modern era. Anything will do it, anything will tour as far as you want, you just have a different ride than someone on a different kind of bike.

A Japanese woman rode rtw on a CT90, and rode a chunk of Africa with an Aussie on a 650 something. When asked about the different speeds, she said, roughly, "in 6 months we ride the same distance."

There's a retired Canadian woman currently riding a Honda 750 Magna - basically the Honda equivalent to yours - around the world right now. Search on Doris Maron for more. If she can ride SE Asia and the Middle East on it you can ride the Rockies on a Virago.

Cruise through the Travellers Stories on the left menu and you'll get some great tips and inspiration.

Have a great ride and tell us all about it!



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Grant Johnson

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One world, Two wheels.
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  #4  
Old 6 Dec 2003
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Hi...sounds like a fine bike. I don't know what year yours is... I've never had one but friends who have, have all had their starter motors go. So take the time to pick up a spare one and either carry it with you or have it ready to send by someone at home. The originals are hard to come by and the aftermarket ones can be even more expensive...since they seem to always go, there is a shortage, though in North America you shouldn't have trouble finding one near any large city.
Good luck.
Make sure you get to the Canadian Rockies too!
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  #5  
Old 7 Dec 2003
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My Virago is a 1993 model, I have so far not had any problems with the starter, but I have read all about that problem.
I do belive that Yamaha managed to resolve that one in 1989 and up models.
Also there appears to be kits that you can buy to repair and eliminate this as well.

Still its a great bike to ride, and I am looking forwards to a 2004 of long distance trips.

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  #6  
Old 26 May 2008
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Back with a differnt bike and perhaps a third bike.
I rode that Virago 750 to Colorado and back and I had a great time with it. I did quite a few miles of fire roads I landed up on a fire road that took me from the Royal Gorge to a place called Victor. The bike though not designed for such things made it but I really felt it was running a bit on the hot side.

My main thing with that bike was the fuel tank not being big enough. Once I rode home to San Antonio I sold it and bought a Kawasaki Concours.

On this bike I have ridden 25,000 miles and been in 11 western states an seen may things, Yellowstone, Lolo Pass, Crater lake, Painted desert, Big bend, Zion Nat park and a lot of places in between.

Now I am on the verge of obtaining a KLR 650, so I can go back and get on the roads I had to pass up during my travels.
It has not been all bad though I did try with this bike.

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  #7  
Old 26 May 2008
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Hi,

Cant see why you cant tour on a cruiser, I used to go all over on my 535 virago.

I now have a Suzuki VL1500 Intruder,

Here it is all loaded up (minus my tent) for a weekend up in Scotland and next month I leave for a 15 day return trip to Finland.

Name: mybike.jpg Views: 13497 Size: 38.8 KB

the only limit is the 110 miles tank range ( it doenst bother me cause I like to stop and have a smoke and a brew).

cheers
Will
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  #8  
Old 26 May 2008
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Quote:
Originally Posted by geordie_e View Post
Hi,

Cant see why you cant tour on a cruiser, I used to go all over on my 535 virago.

I now have a Suzuki VL1500 Intruder,

Here it is all loaded up (minus my tent) for a weekend up in Scotland and next month I leave for a 15 day return trip to Finland.

Attachment 1289

the only limit is the 110 miles tank range ( it doenst bother me cause I like to stop and have a smoke and a brew).

cheers
Will
Because when you go to places like West Texas, Nevada and Utah, the space is vast, its beyond what I ever experienced in Scotland and England.

When you have 120 mile tank range, it really restricts your traveling away from the beaten path.

Gas stations are there but, take a wrong turn or ride into a head wind and you may not make it on a small tank, you could carry a fuel container and its common to see cruisers with fuel cans strapped to the back but I would rtaher have a tank range of over 200 if I could.
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