Yamaha V-Star 650 Custom

Yamaha V-Star 650 Custom is a motorcycle produced by Yamaha Motor Company.

Specifications

Price	**
Engine information	40-Cubic-Inch (649cc) Air-Cooled 70° V-Twin; SOHC, 2 Valves/Cylinder
Bore X Stroke	81 X 63mm
Compression Ratio	9.0:1
Fuel	28mm Mikuni CV Carburetors
Ignition TCI	Transistor Controlled Ignition
Transmission	5-Speed; Multi-plate Wet Clutch
Final Drive	Shaft
Frame	Steel, Hidden Shock
Suspension / Front	41mm Telescopic Fork; 5.5" Travel
Suspension / Rear	Single Shock; Adjustable Preload, 3.4-In Travel
Brakes / Front	Hydraulic Disc, 298mm
Brakes / Rear	200mm Drum
Tires / Front	100/90-19
Tires / Rear	170/80-15
Wheels	Spoke
Length	92.1 In
Widt	34.6 In
Height	42.3 In
Seat Height	27.4 In
Wheelbase	63.4 In
Ground Clearance	5.5 In
Fuel Capacity	4.2 Gal
Fuel Economy**	49 Mpg
Wet Weight***	514 Lb / California Model: 518 Lb
Warranty	1 Year (Limited Factory Warranty)

People’s Opinion
(collected from different websites)

Good opinion

Like the Honda, this bike is low slung and I am able to stand with both feet flat down on both sides. I sit on the fence between short and average, so this was a big thing for me. Additionally, V-Stars come with such options as heel/toe shifting and highway boards. None of this is in the way when my feet are on the ground.

The shifting is smooth and the throttle is responsive. This well balanced bike is a pleasure to drive. There is only one aspect of it that is less than ideal. That is the clutch. It seems to be designed for beginners, engaging almost all the way out. This leaves me looking like a newbie with the engine revved up a little for a second before the bike starts moving. It does take a little getting used-to.

Like the Honda, this bike is low slung and I am able to stand with both feet flat down on both sides. I sit on the fence between short and average, so this was a big thing for me. Additionally, V-Stars come with such options as heel/toe shifting and highway boards. None of this is in the way when my feet are on the ground.
The shifting is smooth and the throttle is responsive. This well balanced bike is a pleasure to drive. There is only one aspect of it that is less than ideal. That is the clutch. It seems to be designed for beginners, engaging almost all the way out. This leaves me looking like a newbie with the engine revved up a little for a second before the bike starts moving. It does take a little getting used-to.
The shifting is smooth and the throttle is responsive. This well balanced bike is a pleasure to drive. There is only one aspect of it that is less than ideal. That is the clutch. It seems to be designed for beginners, engaging almost all the way out. This leaves me looking like a newbie with the engine revved up a little for a second before the bike starts moving. It does take a little getting used-to.

I rode a 650 V-Star Custom. It had the look and feel of a bigger bike and had 5 gears, as opposed to the 4 of the Honda. On the highway, it was comfortable at higher speeds. With the narrow Custom front tire, it was nimble and maneuverable. I felt like a chrome Jaguar in the concrete jungle! When a truck passed me, I felt the air displacement a truck throws out more than I would have on a bigger bike, but less than on the Honda. Never did it feel unsafe.

Bad opinion

most newbie's would tire of the 250 lack of power quickly. the 250 does have a place though especially for the ladies or smaller riders. about the tacho, you must remember the style of bike you are riding it is a retro style, so it is not unusual to only have a speedo(I read someone else's post complaining not fuel gauge same deal there). You will learn to know what your bike is doing even without the advantages of the extra instruments, I hardly ever look at my speedo any more and when I do am am usually right within a couple of km/h .

Suzuki GSX650F

The Suzuki GSX650F is a sport touring motorcycle made by Suzuki. It is essentially an updated Bandit, filling the void of the retired Katana.

The 656 cc liquid-cooled engine has just over 80 hp (60 kW) and a 12,500 rpm redline. The Transmission is 6-speed with a chain drive.

ABS brakes were added as standard equipment in 2009 for Canada.

Engine Type	4-Stroke, 4-Cylinder, Liquid-Cooled, DOHC
Engine Displacement	656 Cm3 (40.0 Cu. In)
Bore X Stroke	65.5 Mm X 48.7 Mm
Compression Ratio	11.5 : 1
Transmission	6-Speed Constant Mesh
Overall Length	2130 Mm (83.9 In)
Overall Width	760 Mm (29.9 In)
Overall Height	1235 Mm (48.6 In)
Wheelbase	1470 Mm (57.9 In)
Ground Clearance	125 Mm ( 4.9 In)
Seat Height	790 Mm (31.1 In)
Curb Mass GSX650F/FA	241 Kg (531 Lbs) / 245 Kg (540 Lds)
Suspension Front	Telescopic, Coil Spring, Oil Damped
Suspension Rear	Link Type, Coil Spring, Oil Damped
Brakes Front	Disc, Twin
Brakes Rear	Disc
Tires Front	120/70ZR17M/C (58W), Tubeless
Tires Rear	160/60ZR17M/C (69W), Tubeless
Ignition Type	Electronic Ignition (Ttansistorized)
Fuel Tank	19.0 L (5.0 US Gal)

People’s Opinion

David Randall posted this on Mar 18, 2013

This is my very first bike. And as a mature rider i can say what an absolute pleasure it is to ride. Very smooth, and as this is the restricted version, it is a little scary to think what the unrestricted one goes like! 

On paper this bike was between 20-40 kgs heavier than the other bikes in the 500-650cc category, but i can say the weight makes the bike very stable, as I learn how to lean the bike into and through corners, not once have i felt the bike unstable. Over the 4 weeks I have been riding (and 1600kms) it has not skipped a beat. 

The instruments are very clear and the gear change indicator is very usefull as a learner. It took a while to get used to the sensative throttle, just a very small movement of the wrist, puts plenty of revs on. I was a bit concerned in the shop about the seat height position (but it was the best of all the models I was looking at) at 6' 2" (and 93kgs) it felt as though my legs would be a bit too bent. 

But it is actually very comfortable, and natural position. The longest ride I have done is 2 hours, with a mate who has a Yamaha cruiser, he was constantly wingeing about a sore backside, mine was fine.

The brakes seem to have good stopping power, no emergency stops yet, though i'm sure one is coming!

Overall this has been a very enjoyable introduction to the powered bike world, I will still use my road cycle for fitness, but this is just enormous fun!

johnblacow posted this on Apr 27, 2008

I found the change from a naked SV650 to GSX650F with full fairing a challenge as the headlamp and front end moved when I turned the Sv and the fairing is fixed and does not turn with the steering on GSX650F. Took two minutes to adjust myself by looking ahead, not down. Also when you hit 4,000 revs the engine says GRRRRRRRRR!

Suzuki DR-Z400SM

The Suzuki DR-Z400SM is a Supermotard motorcycle – Supermotard racing has been around since the 1970’s and has had an immense impact on the design of road motorcycles. The name defines the sport as being a blend of motocross and road racing, the sport relies more on the skill of the rider rather than the performance of the bike.

A typical Supermotard racecourse is about 70% tarmac and 30% dirt; the course tests the riders’ ability to drift around corners on the tarmac whilst getting some air on the jumps in the dirt section. The more torque the better when it comes to a SuperMotard racing, because of the different road surfaces, the speed of the race tends to fluctuate and riders need the torque on tap to maneuver through twisty courses whilst achieving a top speed of about 150 km/h

Specifications 

Motorcycle Type	Dual-Sport/Adventure Compare Dual-Sport/Adventure Motorcycles
Price (Base MSRP)	$6,999
Manufacturer	Suzuki Compare Suzuki Motorcycles
Year	2013 Compare 2013 Motorcycles
Curb Weight	321 lbs
Displacement	398 cc
Final Drive	chain
Front Brake	disc
Fuel Capacity	3 gal
Rear Brake	disc
Seat Height	35 inches
Transmission	5-speed
Wheelbase	57.5 in

ENGINE DETAILS

Displacement	398 cc
Combustion Cycle	4-stroke
Fuel System	36mm Mikuni

DRIVETRAIN DETAILS

Transmission	5-speed
Final Drive	chain

CHASSIS DETAILS

Front Brake	disc
Rear Brake	disc

WEIGHT & DIMENSIONS

Curb Weight	321 lbs
Wheelbase	57.5 in
Seat Height	35 inches

People’s Opinion

I have now had my DR for 4 months. Firstly, lets get the moans out of the way. I have to say that I agree with some comments and you should avoid motorways and it would be great to have a 6th gear. The Dunlop tyres are not great, bit twitchy on the front on a wet road. Okay moans over.

This bike is a great laugh. It is such good fun on normal roads. The engine is bullet proof, it has never stalled and it sounds great. It handles great in the dry and for a 400 single smoto it is quick off the mark. I like the more upright position, given up the crouched over style years ago. I am getting Pirelli diablos fitted tomorrow so hopefully these will make a difference on the wet tarmac. I am putting a 150/60 on the rear.

Overall, the fun aspect of this bike makes the commute to work a real breath of fresh air. Good fun.

 

Bad opinion:

I have a Suzuki DR 2007 400SM. A little underpowered at first but I added a K&N air filter, a stage 2 jet kit, a Yoshi pipe and a 39 tooth rear sprocket. Now the bike is great fun to ride. After the original 140 rear tyre was finished I put on a Conti 160sm. Looks good but it is a little harder to slide out the rear now. Perhaps a 150 would be a better choice. Overall I would say that the 400 SM is good bang for your buck.

Suzuki GS500F

No introduction, read what it has...

Specifications

Engine Type	4-Stroke, 2-Cylinder, Air-Cooled, DOHC
Engine Displacement	487 Cm3 (29.7 Cu. In)
Bore X Stroke	74.0 Mm X 56.6 Mm
Compression Ratio	9.0 : 1
Transmission	6-Speed Constant Mesh
Overall Length	2080 Mm (81.9 In)
Overall Width	800 Mm (31.5 In)
Overall Height	1150 Mm (45.3 In)
Wheelbase	1405 Mm (55.3 In)
Ground Clearance	120 Mm ( 4.7 In)
Seat Height	790 Mm (31.1 In)
Curb Mass	199 Kg (439 Lbs)
Suspension Front	Telescopic, Coil Spring, Oil Damped
Suspension Rear	Link Type, Coil Spring, Oil Damped
Brakes Front	Disc
Brakes Rear	Disc
Tires Front	110/70-17M/C 54H, Tubeless
Tires Rear	130/70-17M/C 62H, Tubeless
Ignition Type	Electronic Ignition (Transistorized)
Fuel Tank	20.0 L (5.3 US Gal)

Performance:

This being an entry level “superbike” it has entry level performance. In terms of power, the parallel twin engine is nowhere near the GSXR600 but this bike is also nowhere near the 250cc bikes that Kawasaki and Honda offer, and obviously it’s much more of a motorcycle than the glorified bicycle called the Honda CBR 125. The power, and more importantly torque, curves are very smooth from around 3000rpm to its redline of 11,000rpm which means that around a busy city like Vancouver, you don’t have to rev the heck out of the engine when accelerating from the stop lights. The bike weighs at around 200kg and it has a very light feel to it. It doesn’t feel like it weighs 200kg and as a result it is an excellent handling bike that requires very minimal input or corrections midway through a corner. The brakes unfortunately are a bit of a disappointment, they are adequate for the bike around a city but for country riding I believe this bike would benefit greatly from dual front discs rather than a single front disc brake.

 

As the GS500F is billed as a crossover of a beginner bike and a transitioning bike, the handling is very friendly and forgiving.  There are a good deal of reviews that discuss this issue in depth so I will just go over the main points. The low seat height gives a good grounded feeling and the solid handling will give riders a feeling of confidence in turns as the bike does not feel as if it is tipping over when compared to more traditional sport bikes.

People’s opinion:

Good side:

I would have to say this bike is one of the easiest and most forgiving bikes to learn on. I'm currently on my P's and own a 2009 Suzuki GS500F. The design is simple and the motor has been around since the 70s. The only downside I've had thus far is attaching a Ventura Pack 'n' Rack. A slight modification is needed but nothing you can't handle.

The bike is forgiving when missing gears, braking hard and even when you slip over a little water. There's no dramatic lurching when taking off and is great to learn throttle control on.

It's got enough get-up-and-go to keep up with most other people and is great value for money. I won't be changing over for a few years yet!

It looks pretty good, it starts well even in cold weather for a car bed engine (Im talking 0'C here guys) and its an all around un-intimidating bike. Lightweight. Good brakes. Comfortable seat.

Bad side:

Power, Its so smooth you don't really feel it. Similar to driving a V6 it seems like its going to throw you back but keeps you waiting. Transmission, sloppy and often difficult to find neutral. Front suspension is super soft. Dives all over the place under braking. Engine is noisy, valve chatter? Fuel mileage suffers because I am on it so much. (Still better than truck though). Ride position sucks when you get on the freeway, anything over 60MPH/100km/h strains the bike and you have to keep it open. Forget commuting on it if your doing highway. Also the fuel starvation issue i had with the petcock was annoying.

Overall I would have to recommend this bike to anyone looking for a machine they will drive in town, not get too aggressive with and arent looking for a quick bike that will "scare" them.