Last One Standing: Where Have All Yamaha's Viragos Gone?
This Yamaha wears some of its Virago family connection on its sleeve--chrome intake pods, a skinny front wheel and the buck-horn bar are the obvious birthrights.
Scratch a little deeper and a familiar double-cradle frame with a chopper-style, 32-degree raked-out front end will bellow its classic cruiser bent. The gleaming, air-cooled 60-degree V-twin within displaces 249cc. Each of the cylinders gets its own single overhead cam driving two valves, with a single Mikuni carburetor handling the fuel mixture. A five-speed transmission motivates the chain drive.
Holding the skinny 1.6-inch x 18-inch wheel in place are 33mm fork legs, which get steering inputs from a buck-horn bar. Twin shocks with dual-rate springs keep the swingarm attached to the chassis, and support a stepped saddle 27 inches from the ground. A 130/90-15 Cheng Shin tire covers a 15-inch spoked rear wheel.
The Virago occupies the custom side of the styling spectrum. The short plastic front fender hugs a skinny front tire, while a cropped, metal rear piece offers a sporty look reminiscent of the chopper era. Continuing the chopper vibe is a small 2.5-gallon teardrop tank. And those debatable chrome pods just outboard of the tank? One houses dead space, while the right side is part of the intake tract. Dual staggered pipes highlighting the starboard side of the bike are standard Virago character traits, but the hideous antennalike mirror stalks are a painful reminder of the bike's budget-conscious leanings. Single pod instrumentation atop the triple clamp confirms this.
V-twin, custom styling, and...
V-twin, custom styling, and proud of it. The Virago makes its tried and true design work.
The Yamaha's styling may be old news, but two testers rated it a top looker. And in the power department, the Yamaha finished either first or second (depending on the size of the rider) on the score sheets. The Virago's perennially strong performance came through during the urban portion of our test--even 6-footers had few problems around town, and smaller riders felt the Yamaha had plenty of oomph off the line and sufficient power up to around 60 mph. After that the power fell off quickly, resulting in a top speed of approximately 75 mph. Those smaller in stature said they came closer to the 85 mph posted on the speedometer and were comfortable cruising on the highway. The V-twin exhaust note was a unanimous hit.
The Virago showed up the others in the braking department with its large front brake disc. The 11.1-inch rotor provided superb performance for more experienced riders, but newbies voiced concern over grabbiness at low speeds and a lack of responsiveness from the rear. Either way, the Virago's braking combo was the most powerful in the group.
Ergonomics were nearly perfect for our shorter riders, with one exclaiming, "After two hours I was still comfortable in the saddle," but taller riders weren't quite as accommodated. Several cited the narrowness and closeness of the buck-horn bar, while one rider felt cramped by the peg positioning.
Even with these complaints, four testers rated the Virago the second-best lightweight, with the fifth rider giving it top honors. It seems $3399 is a reasonable price to pay for a Yamaha V-twin that can almost run with the big boys.
Yamaha Virago
Suggested base price: $3399
Wheelbase: 58.7 in.
Wet weight: 328 lbs.
GVWR: 755 lbs.
Seat height: 27 in.
Fuel capacity: 2.5 gal.
Average range: 165 miles
Engine type: air-cooled, four-stroke V-twin
Final drive: chain
Front suspension: 33mm stanchions
Rear suspension: 2 dampers, adjustable for preload
Wheels: wire-spoke, 18 in. front, 15 in. rear
Handlebar width: 29.5 in.
Linda Lawson
Height: 5 ft. 2 in.
Weight: 120 lbs.
Inseam: 30 in.
The Alpha became my favorite after taking it out on the street, but if we're talking comfort over pizzazz, the Virago would have to be my choice.
Troy Jensen
Height: 6 ft. 2 in.
Weight: 200 lbs.
Inseam: 34 in.
The Kymco Venox is by far the best-looking bike in this test, and I felt fairly confident going at high speeds, but I'd buy the Alpha over the others.
Jim Johnson
Height: 6 ft.
Weight: 175 lbs.
Inseam: 35 in.
The Yamaha Virago was the best all-around light motorcycle in this threesome. I own one and am completely satisfied with it.