It
occured to me that I had a unique perspective on these two bikes,
having owned them within two weeks of each other.
The
first thing you notice about the 650 is its comfort. The seat
is molded to your rear and it's only 28 inches off the ground.
It has a very low center of gravity. Perfect for beginners.
The handlebars are low and slightly swept back so you can sit
very straight in the seat, enhanced by the floorboards. The
bike only weighs about 525lbs which at first might seem intimidating,
but once you get it moving, it seems to shrink as you get the
hang of it. It's also very quiet. No Harley rumble here. The
exhast sound is muffled and unobtrusive. It's got a lot of torque
on the low end, so you really feel like you've got some power
control at low speeds. Once you get over 55mph, however, the
650 is out of her element. She will go faster than that, but
the bike begins to vibrate and you can really hear the engine
working hard. I found that rather unnerving. I also found that
the friction zone of the clutch was set pretty far out there,
with little room for play, and that does take some getting used
to. Of course, that's adjustable.
Overall,
I'd say it's a great starter bike for those that want to cruise
around the boulevard. It is not a highway machine.
The
1100 is about 100lbs heavier than the 650, 2 inches longer,
and 2 inches wider. You can definitely feel it. The styling
is almost exactly the same as the 650, there's just more of
it. The seat is even more molded and comfortable, specifically
toward the front of the seat where it starts to slant upward
a little more, making you feel like you're sitting in a bucket
seat. The upright position that the 1100 promotes actually feels
good. You are encouraged by its ergonomics to sit straight.
More
room all over means not only more room for you, but more room
for your passenger. My two passengers so far complained that
they felt far away from me! Sitting forward, closer to the driver,
is more difficult than on the 650, because the seat is so high
and so far back.
You
can definitely feel the difference in power between the 650
and the 1100. The 1100 just wants to GO. When starting from
a stop you have much more power, but it is easily managed. I
found the friction zone on the 1100 to also be relatively "out
there," but not nearly as far as the 650. Where you really
feel the difference between these bikes is in the higher power
bands. This engine doesn't start to work hard until you hit
75mph. You feel a little vibration, but then when you hit 80,
it smoothes out again. I must admit, however tentatively, that
I brought this machine up to 95mph during a harrowing safety
pass involving an 18-wheeler in high winds, and she STILL ran
like she was saying, "oh come on...we're only gonna go
95?" The interesting thing about the lower power bands,
is that the shifting points between gears are almost the same
as the 650. It's almost as if they built the 1100 to sell to
people that had ridden the 650, but wanted MORE.
The
650 is the quintessential starter cruiser. If you're just starting
out, the 650 is your bike. My learning curve was low and swift
and I felt ready for more within only two weeks. I personally
feel safer on the 1100 because I've got some quicker pick up
when I need it on the highway. If you're just coming back to
motorcycling and are looking for something comfortable that
can go the distance, grab an 1100.
Ride
safe!
Rider
Review: 2003 Yamaha V-Star Classic 650 & 1100