Overall great bike. I bought a leftover 2015 v-star 950 tourer in Aug of 17 and now have 29,500 miles on the bike. I have really enjoyed every single mile on this bike. The 950 handles extremely well and is a very smooth ride, it feels like you are riding on a rail. This summer a few friends and I rode from western, New York (Buffalo Bills Country) to Americade in Lake George, New York over 300 miles. We wanted to make good time so we rode between 80-90 miles per hour for the entire trip and the 950 handled these speeds with no problem. Furthermore, the 950 is a very attractive looking bike with a very appealing design. In addition, I usually average about 55 miles per gallon of unleaded gas at normal speeds. However, when traveling at high speeds (80-90) miles per hour on the highway for extended periods of time the bike will average about 45 miles per gallon of unleaded gas. The Bottom line Yamaha makes a good bike, smooth, attractive and very economical. You can't beat the quality of the product for the cost. Simply, the Yamaha v-star 950 just makes sense. I LOVE MY V-STAR 950 and hope to but over 100,000 miles on this baby.
I own a 2015 V-Star 950 - Tourer. Used to own a V-Star 650 Custom put 50,000 miles on the 650 in 4 1/2 seasons. I love my 950 it fits me perfect. I am 5'6 190 lbs. The 950 Tourer is extremely comfortable with a very stable ride. It has good power even for two up riding and will definitely get you (your girl and your stuff) where ever you want to go. It's a very capable machine it has the advantages of a middle weight bike (light weight, easy to handle, maneuverability) with big bike ( comfort, looks and balance). It's in my humble opinion the perfect recipe of power, comfort, handling and price in a crusier package. Bottom line Yamaha makes a good bike.
I picked up a 2014 vstar 950 with less then 700 miles on it this past Dec. It's been a hoot riding it. The stock seat for me is not so bad. I am loving this bike. Great vid lots of good info if your considering purchasing this bike.
I love my 09 v star 950 too. I bought a go-cruise throttle lock for my freeway rides. It rests against the brake lever it's an affordable alternative to real cruise control system. They sell for $35-40 on amazon for the metal adjustable one. Awesome product Go-Cruise. I agree with everything you said. And it has a low seat height which most cruisers do I'm a vertically challenged guy 5'6" this bike is perfect for me. l have been riding for 30 years and have owned alot of bikes faster ones, bigger ones, smaller ones. This bike is just a solid, easy to ride, comfortable, reliable, and all around great bike!
i did look at those but it seemed like the mirror would get in the way since its the same distance from the grip as the lever is. does the go-cruise work well?
Yes. The metal one it's adjustable for any size grips. At first I didn't think it would work well but after you get the right tension it's great. It is a throttle hold so if you riding on level highway it's great. Saves my wrist on long rides.
Great video. I can't wait to move up to a Shadow 1100 from my 600. Hoping to do that later this year. I'm love that there's tons of really clean ones with less than 20k miles for around $2-3,000.
i can imagine, i've ridden a vlx600 a bit, it was nice and light but the four speed was just too little. i actually almost bought a shadow 1100 instead of the vstar but fuel injection is just so nice to have. although the shaft drive on the honda is pretty nice to.
i used to like carbs, but after doing the rebuild on my recent '84 honda v65 magna project, i just want something that i don't have to worry about. the quad carb monoblock monstrosity that was in that thing really just frustrated the hell out of me
Lol, the Shadow carbs are super simple. And you don't have to worry about fuel injection, until you have to worry about it lol. I've seen a few vehicles where the computer starts making bad decisions, or once it gets older you start replacing sensors as they begin to fail. Plus you still have issues of ethanol clogging injectors and fuel lines.
i'm not worried about long term, i plan on trading it out next season. i like to have variety in my stable, i've had six bikes over the last five year and as many as four at once. its nice having a big garage and a wife who loves to ride as much as i do
Thinking of getting a 2015 closeout model. They are selling it new for 5999. Is that a decent deal for one? Is it a good bike that a tall person 6'1" 255lbs can ride?
I'm considering buying this model. It is air-cooled, which is seemingly getting rare. Do you have any issues with the bike getting hot or overheating in city/slow traffic? Appreciate your response.
no, i've never had any issues with it overheating, but i live in ohio and we don't really have super hot summers here so i'm not the best one to answer that if you live someplace where it gets real hot.
Bro not sure what you are talking about - but a Honda Shadow 750 only makes 40hp (not 60) LOL Maybe you were confusing it with the VTX 1300 which makes between 60 to 70hp??? Might wanna double check your facts before putting them in your review 🙂
What's with the negative waves? I've had a V Star 950 Touring bike for 2 years, 15,000 miles. Someone must have messed up the 950 you tested. You should examine your test machine more closely BEFORE you publish a video. MPG: Tracking fuel usage per mileage for 12 refuelings, my factory 2013 950 averaged 55 mpg plus/minus 2 miles depending on how much fun I was having. Much better than your test bike. POWER: It's noticeably faster than all of the HD883s I rode when I was in the market. SPEEDOMETER: There is a town in the Kansas City area that has stationed speed readers all over the place so they can win court challenges. I also have timed highway mile markers. The speedometer on my bike is accurate. I suggest you try again, but make sure you use a specimen that's been properly maintained. Remember, when you start dissing a bike as common as these are, some of your readers are likely to be owners. Errors like these can make you look bad.
Overall great bike. I bought a leftover 2015 v-star 950 tourer in Aug of 17 and now have 29,500 miles on the bike. I have really enjoyed every single mile on this bike. The 950 handles extremely well and is a very smooth ride, it feels like you are riding on a rail. This summer a few friends and I rode from western, New York (Buffalo Bills Country) to Americade in Lake George, New York over 300 miles. We wanted to make good time so we rode between 80-90 miles per hour for the entire trip and the 950 handled these speeds with no problem. Furthermore, the 950 is a very attractive looking bike with a very appealing design. In addition, I usually average about 55 miles per gallon of unleaded gas at normal speeds. However, when traveling at high speeds (80-90) miles per hour on the highway for extended periods of time the bike will average about 45 miles per gallon of unleaded gas. The Bottom line Yamaha makes a good bike, smooth, attractive and very economical. You can't beat the quality of the product for the cost. Simply, the Yamaha v-star 950 just makes sense. I LOVE MY V-STAR 950 and hope to but over 100,000 miles on this baby.
I feel the same way,I've had 3 Harley's and this bike requires only the minimum to maintain.Not a better bike on the planet !
I own a 2015 V-Star 950 - Tourer. Used to own a V-Star 650 Custom put 50,000 miles on the 650 in 4 1/2 seasons. I love my 950 it fits me perfect. I am 5'6 190 lbs. The 950 Tourer is extremely comfortable with a very stable ride. It has good power even for two up riding and will definitely get you (your girl and your stuff) where ever you want to go. It's a very capable machine it has the advantages of a middle weight bike (light weight, easy to handle, maneuverability) with big bike ( comfort, looks and balance). It's in my humble opinion the perfect recipe of power, comfort, handling and price in a crusier package. Bottom line Yamaha makes a good bike.
Hands down one of the best review videos I've seen. Well done, thanks ....
Great video man! I bought a used 2012 model 3 weeks ago, it's my first bike!
good choice of first bike, welcome to riding!
I picked up a 2014 vstar 950 with less then 700 miles on it this past Dec. It's been a hoot riding it. The stock seat for me is not so bad. I am loving this bike. Great vid lots of good info if your considering purchasing this bike.
thank you, i try my best to get all the important info in there without to much fluff. enjoy your ride
I love my 09 v star 950 too. I bought a go-cruise throttle lock for my freeway rides. It rests against the brake lever it's an affordable alternative to real cruise control system. They sell for $35-40 on amazon for the metal adjustable one. Awesome product Go-Cruise. I agree with everything you said. And it has a low seat height which most cruisers do I'm a vertically challenged guy 5'6" this bike is perfect for me. l have been riding for 30 years and have owned alot of bikes faster ones, bigger ones, smaller ones. This bike is just a solid, easy to ride, comfortable, reliable, and all around great bike!
i did look at those but it seemed like the mirror would get in the way since its the same distance from the grip as the lever is. does the go-cruise work well?
Yes. The metal one it's adjustable for any size grips. At first I didn't think it would work well but after you get the right tension it's great. It is a throttle hold so if you riding on level highway it's great. Saves my wrist on long rides.
Great video. I can't wait to move up to a Shadow 1100 from my 600. Hoping to do that later this year. I'm love that there's tons of really clean ones with less than 20k miles for around $2-3,000.
i can imagine, i've ridden a vlx600 a bit, it was nice and light but the four speed was just too little. i actually almost bought a shadow 1100 instead of the vstar but fuel injection is just so nice to have. although the shaft drive on the honda is pretty nice to.
Yeah, the 4 speed and 2.4 gallon tank hold the 600 back. I actually prefer carbs. I hate computers lol
i used to like carbs, but after doing the rebuild on my recent '84 honda v65 magna project, i just want something that i don't have to worry about. the quad carb monoblock monstrosity that was in that thing really just frustrated the hell out of me
Lol, the Shadow carbs are super simple. And you don't have to worry about fuel injection, until you have to worry about it lol. I've seen a few vehicles where the computer starts making bad decisions, or once it gets older you start replacing sensors as they begin to fail. Plus you still have issues of ethanol clogging injectors and fuel lines.
i'm not worried about long term, i plan on trading it out next season. i like to have variety in my stable, i've had six bikes over the last five year and as many as four at once. its nice having a big garage and a wife who loves to ride as much as i do
Excellent review!!
Thinking of getting a 2015 closeout model. They are selling it new for 5999. Is that a decent deal for one? Is it a good bike that a tall person 6'1" 255lbs can ride?
that's a fair deal, might be a little cramped if you're real long of leg, weight shouldn't be an issue though. i'm 225 and its fine.
Thank you sir!
Would be hard to confuse with the 1300 once you have seen the headlight of the 1300 its hard to mistake it for anything else.
That and the 1300 cluster does not have the cluster on the tank.
I'm considering buying this model. It is air-cooled, which is seemingly getting rare. Do you have any issues with the bike getting hot or overheating in city/slow traffic? Appreciate your response.
no, i've never had any issues with it overheating, but i live in ohio and we don't really have super hot summers here so i'm not the best one to answer that if you live someplace where it gets real hot.
Bro not sure what you are talking about - but a Honda Shadow 750 only makes 40hp (not 60) LOL Maybe you were confusing it with the VTX 1300 which makes between 60 to 70hp??? Might wanna double check your facts before putting them in your review 🙂
Bought a used 2010 in 2013, and can't stop riding it. Wish it had a 6 gear overdrive and a dual disc brake in front.
Had a vulcan 900 custom. this is more enjoyable to ride.
I went from a Vulcan 900 to a vstar 950 also. I find the v star to have a lot of vibration. Do you?
Where do you live? Looks just like my neck of the woods in flat, boring Indiana ;-)
nah, north east Ohio by Cleveland. pretty decent riding in the national park and out in Amish country/farmland
Spend a lot of time comparing this bike to your sport bike, time you could have spent talking about this bike
My 650 shifts into neutral better using the heel shifter.
What's with the negative waves? I've had a V Star 950 Touring bike for 2 years, 15,000 miles.
Someone must have messed up the 950 you tested. You should examine your test machine more closely BEFORE you publish a video.
MPG: Tracking fuel usage per mileage for 12 refuelings, my factory 2013 950 averaged 55 mpg plus/minus 2 miles depending on how much fun I was having. Much better than your test bike.
POWER: It's noticeably faster than all of the HD883s I rode when I was in the market.
SPEEDOMETER: There is a town in the Kansas City area that has stationed speed readers all over the place so they can win court challenges. I also have timed highway mile markers. The speedometer on my bike is accurate.
I suggest you try again, but make sure you use a specimen that's been properly maintained.
Remember, when you start dissing a bike as common as these are, some of your readers are likely to be owners. Errors like these can make you look bad.
this is not a test ride, i've owned this bike for 2 years
I know this comment is 5 years old...but my 950s speedo is off by 8% and always has been. Every 950 I've ever seen has a useless speedo.
Slow??lmao I have an 09..nothing slow about it
A couple of upgrades would take you mileage up to about 50mph