I got hired ! In Raleigh !!

[mole2]

Originally Posted by Water Warrior

According to Yamaha their Star 650 is geared and tuned for a speed of 55 mph to achieve comfort and smoothness in top gear. Having never ridden one I can't confirm this but it would without a doubt be faster than that and ridden faster by most owners.

I've been up to 85 mph (per speedometer) on it with no vibration and it still had power left. I believe the top end is between 100 and 110 mph but don't quote me on that and I'm never going to see it. It handles nice at 583 pounds (Silverado model which includes the bags, brackets, sissy bar and windshield - I've a bit more on it) and holds the road well. At 55 mph I can ride it all day and, yes, it's comfortable to me. A lot of people complain about the seat so they replace them with Mustang, etc. What they don't realize is those seats push you a bit forward and they have back support built in. I cheaped out and installed a rider back support and it was like it was a different seat. The backrest pushes you forward a bit and really supports my back well and at 1/5 the price who's to complain. lol I can ride for hours with no pain (I've got a bad lower back) and am quite comfortable. I get around 50 mpg on it which isn't shabby. I'm really happy with my choice. It'd be nice to have a bit more hp but with the riding I do and my conservative riding style it isn't necessary. I do want to try a long day trip into the mountains here but I have to find a riding partner to do that. My good friend and riding partner moved back to NY for his wife to take a job offer - they needed the medical coverage on her until she turns 65.