Any of you considered V-Star/Virago 250?

[Pete7874]

Just curious if any of you looked at Yamaha V-Star/Virago 250 before buying your GZ250, and if so, what made you go with the Suzuki in the end?

I'm new to the world of biking. I haven't ridden either one of these yet. From what I gathered, GZ250 is a bit bigger and offers a more comfortable riding position, especially for somewhat larger riders (not me). Virago has a better and nicer-sounding engine.

I'm 5'7" and weigh about 150 lbs. I'll be sure to test ride both, but was just wondering if you had any additional pointers, things to consider when deciding on one of these bikes.

Thanks!

[burkbuilds]

I did and I think the Virago is another great bike, but I'm 6' 1+" and the Virago was too cramped for my long legs, but at 5'7" it might fit you extremely well. I think the GZ has a "larger bike" look than the Virago, but the Virago is a really good looking bike. My advise would be to test ride all the bikes you are considering if possible, the Honda Rebel is another really good bike in this category. As much as I liked my GZ, I think all three of the bikes mentioned are extremely good bikes and if you are comfortable on all three but you can get a great deal on one of them, I'd probably take the great deal. All three have some advantages and disadvantages over the others, but I don't think any of them really stands out as a superior bike, just different. Some bikes fit some people better in size or comfort or in what they like in the way of looks, or maybe even a slight consideration for ease of maintenance, but none of them blows the others away in every category. In my case the fit was physically better on the GZ AND I found one close to home on e-bay with low miles and a great price so it was kinda a no brainer for me.

[alantf]

You might want to check out http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/roadte ... index.html (http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/roadtests/250cc_comparison/index.html)

[Easy Rider]

Just curious if any of you looked at Yamaha V-Star/Virago 250 before buying your GZ250, and if so, what made you go with the Suzuki in the end?


I didn't but probably should have. There's a lesson to be learned here; ASK, don't assume.

I like the size and look of the GZ better but I really was looking for a small twin........and seeing the two pipes on the GZ, I ASSumed......... :cry:

By the time I realized that it was a single, it was too late. Already had my mind made up and didn't need to be confused with facts !! :roll:

I don't know that I would have made a different choice if I had ridden other small twins.......but there is a good chance.

[Pete7874]

You might want to check out http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/roadte ... index.html (http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/roadtests/250cc_comparison/index.html)
Linky no worky, but I think I've seen this article before. That's where I got the info about the Virago having better sound and GZ250 being more comfortable.

[ncff07]

I cant say about the Vstar and Virago but I did get on a Honda Rebel before I bought my GZ. It seemed alot more cramped and the GZ just "fit" me better. Plus I liked the looks of the GZ better too so thats what I ended up with.

[Fish Baseball]

Tried both, the V-star just seemed little. I'll admit being 6'4 cramped me up somewhat on it too, and the petite size of the V-star didn't do it any favours. Yeah, it does have a V-twin engine, but of the bikes in my price range it didn't seem to offer any additonal power....not to mention the name turned me right off....

virago
n pl -goes, -gos
1. a loud, violent, and ill-tempered woman; scold; shrew
2. Archaic a strong, brave, or warlike woman; amazon
[Old English, from Latin: a manlike maiden, from vir a man]

So the Gz, it seems to ride a lot bigger than it is, and it feels like there is more bike there. Yes, I'll admit that it will get pasted off the line by most any other 250 out there....but thats also kinda why i like it. :retard:

[burkbuilds]

Pete, just something to think about, if the difference in performance is what you are after, then don't buy any of the three mentioned, because the difference in performance is insignificant in my opinion. Find the bike that you feel the most comfortable on, that handles well for you, and that you like the look of. If performance is a major issue with your decision, then you probably want a different kind of bike or a larger displacement bike. For example, the Ninja 250 is a lot faster, but it's definitely not a cruiser, if you want more performance out of a cruiser, then you will probably have to go larger displacement to get it. In my opinion all the 250 cruisers are about the same in performance, kinda like the difference in 1st and 3rd place in an olympic sprint, yeah, somebody was faster than everybody else, but in the scheme of things, if you all came in within a tenth of a second, so what. (Now having said that, the guy from Jamaica was riding at least a 500cc bike compared to everybody elses 250 in the 100 Meter Dash at the last Summer Olympics.)

[Pete7874]

Pete, just something to think about, if the difference in performance is what you are after, then don't buy any of the three mentioned, because the difference in performance is insignificant in my opinion.
Thanks. Yeah, I realize they're similar in performance. What I was saying is that supposedly the Virago's engine/exhaust sounds better.

[Pete7874]

So I finally was able to ride both bikes. The GZ250 definitely feels more substantial, although since I'm rather small, I felt fine on the Virago as well. Engine wise, Virago wins hands down... it sounds nicer and it feels more torquey... the GZ250 felt a bit gutless by comparison... I can't even imagine how weak it'd feel if I modified the front sprocket. I don't think there was anything wrong with the particular one I rode - it was almost new with less than 3K miles, very good shape overall.

Decisions, decisions...

[Water Warrior 2]

Pete. Just to help the decision process try asking yourself a couple questions. Which one will fill my riding requirements better ? Do I need a bigger tank for less fill ups or greater distance on a ride where gas availability is questionable. Most comfy on a longer ride is a biggy in my books. Which bike will be easiest and cheapest to maintain ? Do you know if there are any accessories available for the bikes and would you need to make your own ?

[Easy Rider]

I can't even imagine how weak it'd feel if I modified the front sprocket.

Well, you see, it doesn't work like that.

A thumper doesn't really rev up that fast.....but it has good low end torque.
Gearing it so that it can rev higher makes if FEEL puny at the low end.
Gearing it higher makes better use of the low end torque and it FEELS like it has more guts......and you can stay in each gear longer without shifiting.

NOW......once you reach the upper HP limit in top gear, that is where it feels weak.

[Pete7874]

Thanks all.

Ended up with an '06 GZ250 after all, just because I found one that appears to be in good shape. All in all, I do value the better seating position on the Suzuki (vs the Virago), and as many of you pointed out, neither of these bikes is particularly fast, so buying one based on its performance didn't really make much sense.

Looking forward to the riding...

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d102/escape2music/GZ250/P1050603.jpg

[Water Warrior 2]

Good for you Pete. Saddle bag brackets and a windshield are a bonus. You have a fine start on a mini-touring bike.

[burkbuilds]

Nice looking bike Pete, how many miles?

[Pete7874]

Thanks. 4300 miles.

[Fish Baseball]

good looking bike, seemingly in good condition too! Keep it upright!

[JWR]

I traded my 2002 GZ for a 2006 Virago.

Plus and minus for both bikes.

The Virago will do an honest 80+ mph, and pulls hills without a downshift.

[IceBreaker]

Welcome to the forum....good to see more riders from Chicagoland! I haven't rode a Yamaha V-Star/Virago 250, but rode a Honda Rebel in my Basic rider course. From my experience the Rebel is a very good bike as well for the beginners. Why I chose the GZ over a Rebel...probably because of the looks of a GZ...it looks more like a bigger cruiser than the Rebel or the Virago. I like the bigger wheels and the fender in the front. Both bikes suits me perfectly well in terms of seat height as I'm only 5'6". Rebel feels like it has a bit more torque than the GZ. But the looks of the GZ won the upper hand in my decision! Ride safe! I'm from Des Plaines, near O'Hare airport.

[Pete7874]

Cool! I'm in Addison, so not too far from you.