Summary
The Yamaha Virago was Yamaha's first V-twin cruiser motorcycle, and one of the earliest mass-produced motorcycles with a mono-shock rear suspension. Originally sold with a 750 cc (46 cu in) engine in 1981, Yamaha soon added 500 cc (31 cu in) and 920 cubic centimetres (56 cu in) versions.
 Virago 535 | |
| Manufacturer | Yamaha |
|---|---|
| Production | 1981-2007 |
| Successor | V-Star, Road Star |
| Class | Cruiser |
| Engine | V-twin |
The bike was redesigned in 1984, switching from a rear mono-shock to a dual-shock design, and adding a tear-drop shaped gas tank. That year, Harley-Davidson, fearful of the inroads in the US market made by the Virago and other new Japanese cruiser-style motorcycles, pushed for a tariff on imported bikes over 700 cc.[1][2] Yamaha replaced the 750 cc engine with a 699 cc version to avoid the tariff, while the 920 cc engine grew to 981 cc (XV1000), and later 1063 cc (XV1100).
In 1988 a 250 cc Virago was added. A short production (1997-2000)[3] of 125 cc was also manufactured. Yamaha made an XV125, XV250, XV400, XV500, XV535, XV700, XV750, XV920R, XV1000/TR1, and an XV1100, with the XV400SCLX being the rarest. XV125, XV250, XV920R and XV1000/TR1 were chain driven, other models were equipped with shaft drive.
The larger-displacement Viragos were eventually phased out of production, replaced by the V-Star and Road Star series of motorbikes. The engines lived on, however. The facelifted version of the original XV750/1100 powerplant was used in the V-star 1100 models, the XV400/535 engine with slightly more bore and stroke was used in the V-star 650. The last motorcycle to bear the Virago name was the 2007 Virago 250. For 2008 it was renamed the V-Star 250.
According to Motorcyclist magazine, the early Virago has a design flaw in the starter system. Being fully mechanical, under less than ideal circumstances (eg. weak battery) it promoted wear on the starter engagement/disengagement system. This magazine states that the starter's defect exists in early Virago models made in year 1981, 1982 and 1983.[4] XV700 models of the model years 1984 and 1985 also had the weaker, fully mechanical starter system. Improved electro-mechanical systems were applied as of 1986 on all 700, 750, 1000 and 1100 cc units.
References edit
- ^ Cycle Tariffs Predicted. The Milwaukee Journal. April 1, 1983
- ^ Reagan Imposes Stiff Tariffs on Large Japanese Motorcycles. Associated Press. Bangor Daily News. April 2-3, 1983.
- ^ "217734329-Yamaha-Model-Index-1958-2010.pdf | Vehicles". Scribd. Retrieved 2021-03-18.
- ^ Minton, Joe (January 1988), "Vitalizing the Virago", Motorcyclist: 68, retrieved 2013-06-08