I am getting approximately 41 miles to the gallon. I rode 7 hours in one day and I was very comfortable the entire trip. There is not enough power for me for riding two-up. It is perfect for a solo rider with luggage. I am 6 foot tall and 270 Pounds. The stock windshield is okay but I would prefer a taller windshield. My only complaint is a the windshield is awkward to raise or lower. Handling is amazing. Wind protection from the fairing is good. Minimal air blows on my knees. Headlights are bright. Brakes work well.

OK, this is a "kick butt little cruser." I just got a 2009, that was new at the dealer. I went from commuting in my X-Terra which was costing me $15 a day to riding my V-Star at a cost of about $8 per week. I could have bought a bigger bike and I probably will in the future; however, I'm keeping this 250 V-Star until it falls off the wheels. I watched all sorts of U-Tube clips by owners of this bike and there is no shortage of fans all over the net. For my money, $3,695 new from the dealer, the thing looks nice too. I'm hearing all sorts of people saying they ride it 60-75 mph. on the freeway; however, I don't have to get it on the freeway in my daily routine. This bike feels good between 50 to 60 mph to me. I did notice the first week that 50 mph. seemed to feel right on the bike; however after the first 300 miles, it seems to like running between 55 to 60. To be quite honest, I'm not sure I want to take it much over 60 mph. I don't think the stock front tire is made for speeds much beyond that. That is one thing I plan on changing soon. I like the rear stock tire just fine. This bike is great around the suburbs where I live ranging from feeder speeds to posted 55 mph. There's no real problem moving around traffic and it's not a dog at all in traffic at reasonable speeds. I had a windshield put on it and that really improved the bike's stability. Full coverage insurance is only $30 a month where I live. This thing is costing me well under $200 a month to drive and I'm having a blast doing it. A guy with a Yamaha 1300 came up to me and asked if it was a 500? Thanks Yamaha for not putting 250 on the tank or side covers, I won't tell if you don't. I'm short and I get both feet flat on the ground no problem. The stock seat feels great on my fat backside and it's a very comfortable ride for me. A year ago I owned a Honda XL 250 and a 550/4 for a couple of years after that. This Yamaha 250 is not underpowered for what it is. If you want more or expect more, buy a bigger one. I have the urge to do some highway driving in the future and when I do I'll probably buy something bigger on eBay. I really like that new Yamaha Striker. Sadly, my wife says she won't get on a bike so wherever I go, I'm going solo. In my humble opinion, if you buy one of these V-Star 250's to cruise around town on, you won't be disappointed or broke. What don't I like about the bike...? Not much but, whay didn't they put the ignition key start on the handle bars? The great thing about the cost of this bike is that I can do some cosmetic things - luggage rack and sissy bar first. I have a feeling that saddle bags may cost some miles per gallon. I'll probably add some additional lighting and a better horn. Lots of folks change the sprockets for more top end. For my use, the factory sprockets seem to work just fine. This bike sounds great when you start it, however it runs quiet once you get moving. I'm not drilling holes in my pipes, however I will ask the dealer about some drag pipes if it won't kill my warranty. I hope this helps anyone considering this bike.

I've owned quite a few motorcycles and this one is an amazing machine! Some of the best features are the massive torque, ability to tune the injection and timing via the wifi app and store 2 profiles in the ecu then swap via a button on the handlebar. My goal was to have a street legal dirt bike in Ohio and I was able to accomplish this with the 2022 YZ450FX with a few simple additions. The bike is not quiet at all it sounds like an indy car when you wind it out it's addictive! The throttle is so sensitive that one lurch trying to adjust your glove could put you right at 12 o clock or looped depending on your skill level. If you don't consider yourself an expert rider you need to avoid riding this bike. Don't test ride one or you will have to own it!!! If you want to see my bike search on the you tube and find me!

Went from a 2006 v star 650 custom Bobber 2001 500cc bullet blast and a 2016 ktm390 and 1994 gxr 500 sold them all in the same week traded a guy the bobber str8 across he couldn't get it running right it had set for 10 years only had 8,000miles took me few days she fired up and now it's got 14,000 miles haven't had any issues other than basic tune up things I got number 0354 of the 1600 I could never down size now I love it rides smooth sounds good and has lots of cosmetic potential or it still looks good stock

The Yamaha R6S is perhaps the most misunderstood of all Yamaha’s motorcycles. The R6S designation (versus the usual R6) has some imagining that the letter S stands for sport, while others call the 6S a budget version of the R6. So, what is the truth? The R6S designation actually originates from the 2004 YRZF6S code for that year’s R6. Yamaha decided to continue to produce the 2004 R6 model after the 2005 year, from 2006-9, as well as continuing to produce the evolving R6 model from 205-2020. The 6S code was retained for the 2005-9 R6S models to differentiate the two R6s. So every R6S is simply a newer held-over 2004 model, with only a few changes. The regular R6 started going through changes beginning in 2005 in order to improve performance above 130 mph on the track, including modified brakes, forks, exhaust, etc., so the R6 could continue to dominate in races.