Yamaha V-star 950 Motorcycle Gear Shift Foot Pedal UPDATED
Yamaha V-star 950 Motorcycle Gear Shift Foot Pedal
Its always exciting when a make new motorcycle enters the picture. Say hullo to Star Motorcycles V Star 950, new from the ground up new frame, new engine, new everything. Star is the cruiser line of bikes from Yamaha. It was inevitable midweek meet this new V Star 950 hit the market place. Kawasakis Vulcan 900 was introduced in model twelvemonth 2007 has been well received virtually redefining the middleweight category as bikes with engine sizes from 900cc to 1300cc. No longer does the industry view a 650cc motorcycle as a middleweight equally was the example when the V Star Custom and Classic (650cc) was introduced in 1999. And so if the 650 is non a middleweight, does that arrive an entry-level now? It might exist for some, but definitely not all riders. Actually, Yamaha is calling the 950 an entry-level model. Entry-level for whom is my question.
Yamaha created the V Star 950 in response to two conclusions gleaned from the companys internal inquiry. Number 1: a resurgence of entry level riders (I would assume mostly male person entry level riders) view anything under a 950cc motorcycle every bit also pocket-sized these days (a la the Five Star 650), and number two, these riders dont want the same old cruiser thats out in that location. They desire something new and different. Yamahas research also indicates in that location is potent growth in riders who desire a motorcycle in that 900 to 1300cc range, even seeing a pct of riders "trading down" moving from their big engine bikes to a more than economical size that middleweight category. Yamahas presentation to the media never differentiated between men and women and so I accept to presume that these conclusions (similar a resurgence of entry level riders view 950cc and under as too modest) are based on by and large male riders. With that said, I test rode the V Star 950, similar I always do when writing for Women Riders Now, with women riders in mind.
I can meet the Five Star 950 being a new favorite among women, a bike beginners will trade upwardly to later spending time edifice conviction on a 250cc or other smaller beginner bike. I meet women skipping right over the 650 and going for the 950 every bit it offers everything the 650 does only better with newer technology in a more ergonomically friendly bundle. Plus, the 950 costs merely $1600 more than the 650 so why not jump for a bike thats more modern in every manner. The 950 should really be viewed as the next iteration of the 650, the 650 all grown up.
One might enquire, then, why not simply buy the V Star 1100 for just $1300 more than the 950. My answer is considering the 1100 is a dated model with no major enhancements to it since it was introduced in 1999. If you lot desire a large beefier bicycle, so buy the V Star 1300 priced at $x,290. Its a completely dissimilar feeling motorcycle than the 950 in terms of ergonomics, handling and it tin accommodate larger sized riders better than the 950.
Seat height on the 950, of supreme importance to well-nigh women riders, is a low 26.5 inches, an inch lower than the V Star 650 at 27.4 inches, and a tad lower than its competitor, the Vulcan 900 at 26.8 inches. The seat on the 950 is narrow in the front then those with shorter inseams wont lose precious leg length inches when sitting in the saddle or trying to movement the bicycle around. The weight of the bike, 612 pounds, is not overtly light, merely its not extremely heavy either. The bicycle has a very noticeable low center of gravity so whatever weight y'all practice feel is down depression making it easier to maneuver. That said, I was not able to whip this bike around when I was doing a Grand-turn to back up into a parking spot. I had to exist slow and methodical about it because information technology is "weighty," merely mostly because I had to stretch my arm long when turning the confined. Definitely non a deal breaker but something to take note of if you take short arms.
The other woman on my test ride, Kelly Callan, who stands 5-human foot-half dozen with a 32-inch inseam, and who sat apartment-footed on the 950 struggled with backing up the 655-pound Tourer version up a slight up-hill gravel area where we pulled off. I had to give her a little push.
Another issue for a lot of women is being able to reach their fingers to the clutch and brake levers without moving their paw off the grip. I was able to reach the levers just fine without my easily leaving the grip, but my easily are bigger than almost women. I article of clothing size large womens gloves. To help with the reach, Yamaha designed the levers to be a bit wider than on other models. Wider gives your fingers more surface area to take hold of and makes the levers more than comfortable when pulling in. The clutch pull was easy; no extra muscle needed there.
The Ride
The bike started right up on the brisk autumn morning of my examination ride in the north Georgia mountains. No transmission asphyxiate to fuss with because 942cc 60-degree V-twin engine is fuel-injected, a feature riders have come to expect on a new motorbike these days. Fuel injection means the bike should spring to life hands on cold mornings because the fuel and air mixture adjusts electronically delivering the correct amount of fuel for the climate and distance conditions.
Unlike most Japanese cruisers that are quiet and vibration-less, the 950 lets you lot know youre riding a V-twin cruiser. There is a depression, pulsating grunt to the engine and you can really feel the motor beneath you pulsing, somewhat. Were not talking Milwaukee iron here. Pulsing is a practiced thing, in my opinion. I similar "feeling" and "hearing" the motorcycle Im riding. This gives the 950 a real cruiser experience. Yamaha did an adequate job of minimizing vibration transfer to the rider considering the engine is rigid mounted to the frame. I took special note to run across if I could brand out images conspicuously through the rearview mirrors. I tin. Check. The hand grips werent shaking. Bank check. The seat didnt milkshake. Check. The only place I felt some vibration was in the floorboards at high speeds. Good thing y'all tin motion your feet around the floorboards and rest on your heels to adjust for that if it annoys you.
It is important to notation that this is a make new engine. Yamaha didnt just take the V Star 650 and bore it up. This new engine performs cooler thanks to ceramic blended plated cylinders that dissipate estrus better maximizing cooling efficiency.
As I rolled on the throttle for the first time heading out on my test ride, I noticed how lite and nimble the wheel felt at slow speeds maneuvering the tight S-turns of the hilly driveway out to the street. The bike felt very stable, which is conviction inspiring for new riders who sometimes get nervous handling a bicycle at wearisome speeds.
Shifting through the five-speed transmission was smooth. The shifter "clinked" naturally into each gear and finding neutral was piece of cake, fifty-fifty using the heel part of the heel-toe shifter. A heel-toe shifter is ofttimes used on motorcycles outfitted with floorboards, and having floorboards on the 950 instead of foot pegs was a nice surprise. Most entry-level models, equally Yamaha is calling this 950, dont take this "big bicycle" feature. But one of the appealing aspects of the 950 are its "large bike" features similar the chugalug drive manual instead of a shaft drive similar whats on the V Star 650. A belt bulldoze requires minimal maintenance, is very durable allowing for more customizing options.
The V Star 950 glided through the turns, although considering the bike is depression to the basis, I scraped the floorboards a few times, and I wasnt being that aggressive in my cornering. The floorboards on Star Motorcycles have a metallic skid plate on the edge that takes the hit. This plate can be removed and replaced with a new 1 if it gets really scratched up.
Dispatch is quick. You're up to fifth gear in no time, although, I did feel a slight lag at roll-on twisting the throttle at the starting time of each gear. I would have liked the throttle response to be crisper. With that said, it'southward non similar I would exist doing any racing with this bike
Midsize cruisers feel similar they either lumber or wing through turns. I plant the 950 flew through turns and if information technology wasn't for the low basis clearance I would have picked upward my speed and actually dived into the corners. The bicycle feels solid and planted. That's partly due to the new double cradle steel frame that was designed for this motorcycle. Plus, the wheelbase is a manageable 66.3 inches and the rake is 32 degrees with trail beingness 5.seven inches, pretty standard for this size cruiser.
The front end and rear suspension is dialed in just right taking bumps in the road without jarring me out of the saddle. Sometimes riding stock cruisers I have to adjust the preload on the rear shock because I'thousand lighter than the stock setting usually fix for people weighing around 180 pounds. The link type rear shock does have a nine-position adjustable preload should yous need to change the setting. Information technology tin can exist adapted using a tool from the tool kit located nether the seat. The rear shock provides four.3 inches of travel, while the 41mm conventional front forks provide five.3 inches of travel.
The brakes are what you'd expect on an "entry level" cycle, one aimed at budget witting riders. A single disc in both the front and the back bring the wheel to a stop. A dual piston caliper in the front and a unmarried piston caliper in the rear clasp the discs to boring the bike down.
I'1000 not ane to notice tires and wheels all that much, merely the big 18-inch wheel in the front end and 16-inch in the dorsum caught my attention because they wait custom with their viii stylish spokes that are powder coated black. It all adds to the sport classic pattern that Yamaha was going after with this bike. The front end wheel wears a low profile front tire meaning you lot don't see a chunky fat mass of rubber upwards at that place.
Styling wise, you'll notice this Star is dissimilar from the rest. Yamaha engineers looked at what category of design was not currently existence filled past existing models and discovered what they call "sport classic." The lines of the 950 give the feeling of speed or move with a look that is unproblematic and clean with minimalist detailing. Nothing is as well large or bulbous. The sweeping fenders and combination of the chrome and black components give it a classic wait.
Ergonomically, I think the 5 Star 950 has a lot to offer for a broad variety of sized women. Start, notice the position of my butt in the seat in the photos above. It fits in the entire saddle then I was able to take advantage of the high lumbar support in the back. Normally, I accept to scoot up in a seat to reach the bars. Check out my video review of the 5 Star 1300, which shows me drowning in the big seat.
While the saddle and seating position fit me well on the 950, 2 male journalists on my test ride – one six anxiety, the other 5-feet-11, mentioned they got sore butts right away because they were cramped and had no room to stretch out their legs. Having their legs in such a tight position put pressure on the back of their legs and butt. Fortunately, Star Motorcycles offers an accessory seat for taller riders, shown later in this article.
Second, the handlebars, while they're a footling wide for my taste (I know some women prefer the wide style) accomplish all the manner back to me for a comfy position. At that place's no leaning in so I didn't experience a crick in my neck similar I do on some bikes.
Thirdly, the floorboards let you to adjust the position of your anxiety while riding if you don't like them that far forward. A floorboard gives y'all more flexibility in creating the perfect ergonomic seating triangle for yourself.
The Tourer
The touring version sells for $1,100 more than and comes with three main accessories, a windshield, saddlebags, and backrest that if purchased separately with the base model would price more than the price of the Tourer. Star Accessories partitioning offers 3 unlike windshield heights. The Tourer comes with the shortest one that was right in the middle of my vision. I would have preferred it to be either lower or higher and since this was the shortest, I would opt for the next size up so I could look through it. The stock shield does non come with the quick release characteristic that'due south available on the aftermarket shield. That's the only downside to the Tourer. The accessories are bolted to the bicycle instead of that convenient quick release feature. Y'all can buy a quick-release retrofit mountain kit for the Tourer for the windshield and for the backrest.
The hard-sized numberless on the Tourer are covered in leather and are lockable, a feature that provides peace of mind when leaving your motorcycle. For stock numberless, these are quite roomy holding eleven gallons or 42 liters.
Make It Your Own
Star Accessories offers more than than 1300 products to customize your Five Star. A feature communicable my eye are those quick release windshields, and combination backrest / luggage rack. They are each individually lockable so no one can steal them if you're concerned most that. You can click on the images to brand them larger.
Specs at a Glance: 2009 Star Motorcycles V Star 950
Displacement: 952cc
Seat Height: 26.five inches
Fuel Chapters: 4.4 gallons
Weight: 612 pounds; Tourer 655 pounds
Price: $7,890; Tourer $8,990
WRN Recommendation
The 5 Star 950 is an ideal motorcycle for intermediate and experienced riders who want "big bike" features in an economic package. Y'all can do a lot with this 5 Star and it has enough of power to accept you on long overnight trips. Truthful blue beginners may want to think twice about buying a 950cc 600-pound plus motorcycle equally their first. I still recommend starting on a small beginner bike and then trading up to this Star. All riders should sit on the bike first to make sure the ergonomic triangle fits you just right.
Star Motorcycle Jackets for Women
Star has an all-encompassing line of apparel for women. I'm impressed with all the offerings. You can check them out at StarMotorcycles.com/Accessories.
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Yamaha V-star 950 Motorcycle Gear Shift Foot Pedal UPDATED
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