SuzukiSavage.com - 2009 V-star 950 with 35K miles

springman Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 2244 Spring, Texas Gender:	2009 V-star 950 with 35K miles 08/19/19 at 10:53:26 Any of ya'll ever ridden the V-star 950? Do you think buying with 35K miles is too many miles? In pictures bike looks good. Have not gotten any response from seller though. Oh, asking price is $2K.
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Re: 2009 V-star 950 with 35K miles
Reply #1 - 08/19/19 at 12:12:37

If the bike went 35,000 miles in 10 years.....3,500 miles a year means that is was likely ridden enough to keep the fluids pretty fresh (unless the miles were all done early and it has been sitting for a while).

I would go ride it before you make a commitment......I am not a fan of the way big, heavy V-Twin bikes ride. I prefer a more nimble bike that has good ability to corner.

MMRanch could sell you a Moto-Guzzi V7! Wink

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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: 2009 V-star 950 with 35K miles Reply #2 - 08/19/19 at 12:58:58 I rode with a guy who had the 650. Once. He couldn't even almost keep up. Nice looking machines, but ,, slow.. The big brother might be better, IDK.. I'd probably read up on the riders reports before getting too excited.
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springman

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Re: 2009 V-star 950 with 35K miles
Reply #3 - 08/19/19 at 13:38:41

I feel like I would like to have a big bike (relatively speaking) before I get too old to handle it. The vstar 950 non touring version is around 612 lbs, the touring version is around 650 lbs. It has around 48hp which is not great but being a v twin it will handle highways speeds well.

I have also considered the BMW f650 cs (scarver) which is much lighter with about the same HP but is a thumper and probably older technology.

My purpose with either bike would be more long distance riding.

The V-7 is a nice bike, but not one that calls out to me.

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Re: 2009 V-star 950 with 35K miles
Reply #4 - 08/19/19 at 13:52:35

springman wrote on 08/19/19 at 13:38:41:

It has around 48hp which is not great but being a v twin it will handle highways speeds well.

My purpose with either bike would be more long distance riding.

I understand the part about not waiting much longer to own a big bike, that was the basis of me justifying the 604 pound (wet) touring bike that I bought for Deb and I to ride. It is a bit intimidating when loading it on a trailer, moving it in/out of the garage, or when you come to a stop on uneven ground.

Some of the big V-Twins are geared surprisingly low in high gear, and listening to the engine drone on for hours may not be any better than your Savage with the pulley change. My neighbor had an 800 Suzuki Volusia and he put the rear end from the 1400 in so he could get the rpm down (shame that bike was sold as it had around 6,000 miles on it and sold for $2,400....it was a great bike).

Look at the V-Star forums and see if that bike has any serious issues that might be a problem, and definitely go ride one.

Big V-Twin bikes are around in abundance......maybe look at the Honda and Suzuki versions as well. Although they are heavy and not very powerful - they do have a low seat height and the weight is down low which makes them a bit easier to balance when stopped.

Take one out on the highway before you decide they are good touring bikes.

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springman Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 2244 Spring, Texas Gender:	Re: 2009 V-star 950 with 35K miles Reply #5 - 08/19/19 at 15:00:22 Thanks Dave. I am hoping I get the chance to test ride one first.
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Serowbot YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline OK.... so what's the speed of dark? Posts: 29276 Tucson Az Gender:	Re: 2009 V-star 950 with 35K miles Reply #6 - 08/19/19 at 15:29:04 At 35k,... you are looking at some more extensive maintenance chores... Stator,... timing chain,... maybe fork seals... That's nothing negative about the brand or model... I like Yamaha's...
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Re: 2009 V-star 950 with 35K miles
Reply #7 - 08/19/19 at 16:29:40

Springman

I like the looks of that 950 scrambler !!! Shocked

Hay , let me ask : Has this Yamaha got the brush type alternator or is it a permanent magnet rotor ?
That brush type works great in cars where they are belt drive , but stuck on the end of a vibrating crankshaft is not a good place to put a brush drive wound rotor anything , they ten to vibrate apart after a while.

If ya thinking V-twin , don't be shy about checking out the 883 Sporter. Its very smooth , but it does weigh 560 #'s -(ish) . And the 1200 don't vibrate very much either, besides they are rubber mounted motors anyway (2004 and newer). The 1200 version comes with a "High-Speed" primary drive as in Red-Line 5th gear about 145 , about 75mph in second gear ! and the 1200 gets there "REALLY QUICK" . Cool

.
The 883 version primary would red-line 5th about 115 mph ish.

But
You can switch either one to the other easily . Fact is : I had a 1200 primary on my 883 and loved it till I got bit by the Guzzi Bug !
The Sportsters have been around a long time and parts are all over E--bay too.
FYI , the 2004-2006 have rubber mounted motors and are Carb-ed , 2007 and newer are FI , They all have only ONE intake for two cylinders , that helps keep things really simple ! Wink

............................

All that said about Sportsters being good , there is one thing I never could make a Sportster do ... Keep-up with a Savage in the twisties ! Grin

Heck ! I want this one !!! https://www.cycletrader.com/listing/2006-Harley-Davidson-XL883L-5008549835

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Dave YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 18314 Camp Springs, Kentucky Gender:	Re: 2009 V-star 950 with 35K miles Reply #8 - 08/19/19 at 18:50:52 I think you should go ride a Honda CTX700....just for kicks! It matches your height well, has plenty of power, is smooth, and will run forever. The only downside is the chain - but modern O-ring chains are a lot less trouble than the old chains. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvG51qtW3ow
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springman

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Re: 2009 V-star 950 with 35K miles
Reply #9 - 08/19/19 at 19:39:41

Sero, you have a point that I have considered. The thing to figure out is if it is worth having to do that extra maintenance.

I cannot answer MM's question, I do not know what kind of alternator it has. I like the looks of the bike and all I have read about it is good if yo can accept that it is a relatively slow bike. The HD's really do not appeal to me. The Scout sure does, but I am not spending $9-10K on a bike.

I have seen and read alot about the CTX700 but the far forward foot position and the chain drive are negatives for me. Heck, I was reading up on the Triumph Speedmaster, lighter and more HP than the vstar 950 but has chain drive. Belt drive is my definite preference.

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Re: 2009 V-star 950 with 35K miles
Reply #10 - 08/20/19 at 04:02:12

springman wrote on 08/19/19 at 19:39:41:

The Scout sure does, but I am not spending $9-10K on a bike.

Winter is coming (at least up north) and bike prices will drop. I bet you can find a nice Scout in the $6,000 range this winter or next. I don't know what they look like with a windshield or luggage.....or how easy those are to find - but if that is the bike you want you should find a way to make it happen.
https://cincinnati.craigslist.org/mcy/d/cincinnati-indian-scout/6947136337.html
https://louisville.craigslist.org/mcy/d/radcliff-2015-indian-scout-first-year...

Look for those big V-Twins that are a bargain and go ride them - see if that is the kind of bike you could ride for long distances and not get tired of listening/feeling the engine for hours on end. You should be able to find a very nice bike in the $3,000 - $4,000 range.

Go look at some of the older BMW motorcycles - they can be very reliable and are a joy to ride long distances, and most of them corner extremely well. I think the only ones you need to stay away from are the ones that had the weird brake booster. The R and RS models are sporty, the RT models are a bit more touring oriented. They are shaft drive and the air and oil heads are easy to do routine maintenance on....and they don't have a lot of electronic stuff on them like the new models have. Prices for parts are not all that unreasonable....dealer service is costly. I don' think the single cylinder bikes from any builder are going to be any better at long distance touring than your Savage is.
https://cincinnati.craigslist.org/mcy/d/cleves-2004-bmw-1150rt/6932626339.html

The F800S, F800ST & F800GT have plenty of power and are geared fine for long distance touring - the only downside is the wind protection for 70+mph highway speeds.....I am still fussing around with my GT to try and get a windshield that doesn't make a lot of helmet noise while riding over 60mph. (This is not the big bike you are looking for.....they are pretty lightweight at 470 pounds.....I love my F800GT, it seems to do everything really well).
https://richmondin.craigslist.org/mcy/d/richmond-2007-bmw-f800s/6921797548.html

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« Last Edit: 08/20/19 at 07:08:51 by Dave »

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springman

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Re: 2009 V-star 950 with 35K miles
Reply #11 - 08/20/19 at 09:18:26

That silver scout sure looks good. But my range is more what you mentioned, say up to $4k maybe for a really nice bike. I like to look and I suspect that when I find that just right bike, at just the right moment, I will purchase it. At the moment the vstar 950 is at the top of my list based just on what I have read about it. But I have yet to ride one. Sad

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Re: 2009 V-star 950 with 35K miles
Reply #12 - 08/20/19 at 16:48:20

I've ridden my old lady's Vstar 650 and generally find it to be easy going and confidence inspiring. Really easy to ride. As long as you ride easy. Trying to ride them fast you quickly realize things hit the ground sooner than expected the rev limiter cuts in too soon for any real fun and the shaft backlash will stand you up straight again at the worst possible time. The clutch leaves alot to be desired.

But for putting around town and some highway riding on smooth pavement it's a nice ride. Avoid rough roads if you value your spine.

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Re: 2009 V-star 950 with 35K miles
Reply #13 - 08/20/19 at 19:21:18

Yeah, the vstar 650 is not appealing, it is a totally different bike from the 950. The 950 has a belt drive and is an all around bigger and more powerful bike. It is supposed to cruise comfortably at 75-80 mph all day long. It is supposed to handle very well even though the floor boards touch grund much too soon. But the floor boards have a replaceable steel pad because of this.

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Re: 2009 V-star 950 with 35K miles
Reply #14 - 08/21/19 at 04:15:08

In the Cincinnati area you can buy big V-Twins for under $4,000 by the truckload.....there are hundreds of them for sale.

https://cincinnati.craigslist.org/mcy/d/cincinnati-2006-suzuki-c50t/696087607...

https://cincinnati.craigslist.org/mcy/d/cross-plains-2004-kawasaki-vulcan-800...

https://cincinnati.craigslist.org/mcy/d/harrison-2002-yamaha-vstar-1100/69604...

Those 3 are on the first page......there are 119 more pages to look at!

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