The Original Yamaha Virago - Vincent Black Shadow Reincarnated As A Troll? How It Changed The World
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- Опубліковано 17 вер 2024
- With the complete destruction of the British motorcycle industry achieved, the Japanese industrial war machine set it's sights on Harley Davidson and the traditional American cruiser market.
The first serious effort came in the form of Yamaha's XV750 Virago. It was a machine that featured outstanding performance and engineering, but was wrapped in weird overly curvy, Rocket-Boy styling that was far more quirky than cool.
It sold well in spite of that and ended up giving birth to the whole metric cruiser market as we know it today.
#classic #motorcycle #japan
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I worked at a Yamaha Kawasaki dealer in the early 80s. I must have assembled hundreds of those. The 920 had twin front discs and the fugley electronic guage cluster although they did drop that for a regular cluster on the 83. They also made what they called a Euro 920 with completely different styling and chain drive called the XV920R also known outside the US as the TR1. I have two of those and it's my favorite rider. Keep up the great work Uncle Tony.
I was just coming to mention the TR1, but you've beaten me to it! Wasn't it supposed to be styled after the XR750 flat trackers? But the TR1s were rare over here, i think I recall seeing one in the junk pile in the back of a workshop, and that was 30y ago!
Both the 750 and 920 had a "Euro" version; they were absolutely terrific bikes...which nobody in the USA wanted. In the late '80s I traded a guy out of one of the 920s (on a Honda VF1100S) and I rode it for almost a year. It was reliable, required almost NO maintenance in about 15,000 miles, and handled and stopped quite well for its day. With the enclosed chain and its lubing system, I only adjusted it once in a year! If Yamaha had introduced a bike like this in 1990, they'd have claned up...
@creepingjesus5106 Back when I was working at that shop I wouldn't have given it a second thought. Guy that worked in service and was a mechanical genius would go thru two or three bikes a year. But he always ended back up on a 920R. About a dozen years ago I ran across one in a bike salvage yard. It was missing a few things and had been sitting for years. I remembered old Bruce liking them and bought it for $300. Ebayed it back together. Good torque but still revs good. Comfortable riding position. A proper gentleman's motorbike. If I could only have one that would be it. Medical issues have kept me from riding for about four years. Certainly miss it.
@@robtidd1849 Riding again should make whatever rehab you need worth doing. Keep the faith...
@rustyturner431
Combination of autoimmune disease, 20 years on an assembly line and being pounded into the ground by a YZ490, KX500, CR500 and a Yamaha Raptor and Grizzly. Also had about 20 classic Mopars and a 2015 Hellcat although I can't say the cars did me any physical damage. I appreciate the kind thoughts. A bit beyond rehab I think but am hopeful something new will come up. Take a ride for me sometime🙂
Just had a conversation with a guy at the track who was telling me about a guy who builds black shadow clones out of these! And this is how I know I'm living in a simulation!
When I used to watch regular car reviews he did 3 videos in a row about cars similar to ones I own, an aircooled VW, a Datsun, and a 63 Buick, oh and the big block dodge too. That was slightly odd.
Lmao. The universe, man. Its mysterious
I remember the ads for this bike. "If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself" was Yamaha's sales slogan for the Virago.
In 90 I was in Richmond; Va recruiting and bought a couple of viragos for about a hundred bucks each. 82 and 83's had a starter problem I fixed and rode them for a while. I ran across a deal with 650 Yamaha twins and bought seven, fixed them and sold all but one. I was riding a thousand miles weekends to see my family and I ended up selling the last one too and been regretting that ever since. They did handle very well. I built a few Harleys at the time which was why I sold the Yamahas. Those were really cheap great road bikes, not like the Harleys. I've got a couple of old Triumphs now, not as "maintenance free" but fill the need for good handling and pleasure on the twists and turns. Always enjoy your video's, bring back fond memories.
Nice bike. What I like about these types of bikes is that they're undesirable by collectors, so they're cheap and parts are cheap, and everything is high quality.
Parts are not just not cheap. They're discontinued or the listing they have now is wrong, like the clutch lever that's a complete oddball and no other design will work without replacing the whole assembly and the cable with an adjustable one
Mine can't start anymore because the starter ring gear/alternator rotor was discontinued decades ago and no good used ones exist
There's one for sale no title for $100 near me and it's a total piece of junk.... Not with a 10 foot pole type junk. Old goldwings are typically really cheap too
@@tkello001Harbor freight predator is pretty cheap with a cvt lol
I owned a Yamaha 1100 Maxim and my neighbor bought a brand new XV920 Virago and within a year we all which was around 10 of us decided a trip to Yellowstone from Arlington Texas and what a wild trip it was. One thing I have to say is that of all of us only myself and one or two are still alive today. Drugs and booze always takes its toll.
So are you saying that you didn't do drugs or booze? Or are you saying your lucky?
@@natevanlandingham1945 ....neither. neither.
Every time Uncle Tony talks about a car, truck or motorcycle, I want that car, truck or motorcycle.
I recently bought a '97 750 Virago. These things are great. You can chop them, bob them, cafe racer them, . or just ride them. You can't hurt them because they aren't worth anything.
'You can't hurt them because they aren't worth anything.'
The BEST kind!!!
You got my attention when you mentioned the Honda CB750... I absolutely loved those
bikes when they came out, and still do. I wanted one so bad, but I wasn't old enough to ride
on the road yet. I was a young kid and was riding a Honda Elsinore (CR) 125 Motocross bike...
To this day I think that the original CB750 and the Kawasaki KZ-900's were the best looking bikes
ever made, and they sounded great...
I have an 82 750 and an 81 920 chain drive. I will never sell either one. Great bikes.
I had that exact bike and absolutely loved it and shouldn't have sold it. Replaced the starter twice in 3 years!
I can think of a metric cruiser that wasn't chasing Harley, the Honda CX 500, That one was clearly chasing Moto Guzzi with its sideways V-Twin
Tony I had a 82 virago 920 bought a brand new one of the best bikes I ever had
Me too. Bought mine used and it was the best bike I've ever owned. Still looking for another.
I still have my 1971 Honda CL350 Twin. Arguably the best bike Honda ever built.
Someone stole my 1970 CL.
@@kurtvanluven9351 it wasent me, I promise. Mine's a 71😬🙄
I have a 71 cb350.
@@larrynorsworthy8582 is yours a twin or a inline4?
@@71three5ohscrambler8 twin
It never fails to amaze me that even when the Japanese try to build a “normie” motorcycle they still put together something that is more oriented towards performance.
20 years ago I bought a black 750 Sabre that had been sitting in a garage for 10 years long story got it running like a sewing machine but I always love that style of bike it reminded me of a super evolved old 750 Honda style of bike
In 1983 I bought a black V45 Sabre ( 750 cc ) brand new
Rode it for 31 years
Loved that bike , so regret selling it and wish I still had it
The intruder mention is perfect.
I went from a 95 virago to a 98 intruder vs1400 with some hot parts added. Still own it. The only bike I've never got tired of.
It's a beast.
For sure, I have a Sportster now but before that rode Suzuki Intruder 1400 for a few years.
The Suzuki is the better bike, it pulls like a freight train and was 100% reliable as well. It even sounded better than the Sportster too in my ear.
The only downside was that it isn't as easy to customize. The aftermarket support is just not there.
@@magnang that's true. I was to pick mine up with old cruiser majik straight pipes, a corbin "hotrod" style seat and mapam forward controls. Probably none of it has been available in a long time.
The original 1100 Kawasaki Spectre was a handsome thing. I'm not a huge fan of the factory customs, but a Spectre with flatter bars fitted, was a tough looking ride. We never got them over here, so what ones there were, were grey imports from your side of the pond.
Hey car guys: Uncle Tonys' motorcycle content is BETTER than his cage content! Yes, I said it!
Sure but cage content is so fun. What do you think about the car stuff?
Love videos like this of the hidden gems that fly under the radar. That being said, I'd be happy riding just about any motorcycle.
Hey, I Want One! That is, I want Another One, or Two.
Uncle Tony Knows what he’s talking about here, in part because he never wore blinders when it comes to bike history. He has an open mind about it.
I had the XV920 (chain drive) first; got it for $200 as a runner! Years later I went out of my way (600miles round trip) to buy a non-runner. That bike I got running really nice, only to sell it cheap, sorta like I sold the 920 for cheap. I so wish I had them both back again.
Tony is right about everything on these bikes, Except they don’t have a split crankpin design. The 75 degree cylinder offset pretty well takes care of vibration.
He’s spot-on about all the design vibes of these bikes. And like Tony, I love these things.
My advice is to do a mild sort-of stripper, but NOT a cafe racer.
Great Video!
My dad had a white TWO DOOR 1961 Plymouth Valiant back in the early '70s. That was one sweet car. The styling on those cars was unlike anything else. I absolutely loved it. I certainly wouldn't call it ugly. It was unusual. It even had the fake spare tire carrier on the trunk lid. Slant 6 and pushbutton automatic. I was about 12-13, and I wanted that car so bad. I have never seen another one like it. It's almost impossible to even find a picture of a two door model. Unfortunately the transmission went out, and he sold it for almost nothing, and bought a 1963 Rambler.
I used to own a 1996 Virago 1100. Very nice bike. I've always liked the Yamaha Viragos. It was first introduced in 1981, and was the first modern Japanese v twin (not counting the sideways mounted Honda CX500) The early models had a serious design flaw with the starter that was not easily fixed, and destroyed a lot of engines. They fixed they problem when the twin shock models came out. But there were a LOT of Japanese cruisers that came out before the Virago, the first being the 1976 Kawasaki KZ900LTD. Then came the Yamaha Specials, the Suzuki L models, Honda Customs, and Kawasaki LTDs. Inline fours and parallel twins. I've had several of them over the past 5 decades.
The Japanese manufacturers did make a lot of v twins, but they never got it right. They never had the sound and feel of the Harley engine. Most of them used offset crankpins to make them sound and feel like parallel twins. And besides the brand itself, the main reason people liked Harleys so much was their sound and feel. I still own a 2002 Kawasaki Vulcan 750 v twin that I bought new. The engine does not even resemble a motorcycle engine. It is liquid cooled, and doesn't have any fins. It looks like the end of an automotive V8. And it is very smooth and quiet. Definitely a cruiser, but it doesn't really even resemble a Harley, in looks, sound, or feel. It now has 118,000 miles on it (all mine) and still runs great. I wish they still made them (with carburetors and NO flat black) I'd buy another new one.
I love the overall look of that bike, including the colors. Blue and silver and chrome. Now we have absolutely HIDEOUS Japanese bikes, like the Honda Rebel 1100, 500, and 300, and the Kawasaki Vulcan S. UGLY designs, and nearly 100% FLAT BLACK. They are beyond ugly. They are absolutely DISGUSTING.
If you do anything with that bike, PLEASE keep the looks as original as possible. Cafe racers, bobbers, and scramblers have been done to death, and every one of them I've ever seen has been ugly. And PLEASE don't wrap the pipes with that fiberglass crap that was originally intended to be used on car headers, where it would be under the hood and out of sight.
I have an 82 750 that i customized back in the early 2000s with harley parts. I did a lot of work to the thing and it never fails to turn heads. I love the bike, the sound is great and the power is great. Its one of the few bikes I will not sell
YESS!!! I rode one of these for 10 years and still have it. The sound, torque, handling, such a pleasure to ride
I purchased my first moto back on '84, it was an '81 Honda 450 Nighthawk. Not a very performance oriented bike but those mag wheels and graphics really pulled me in. This bike would be the first of dozens of bikes I have owned over the last four decades.
Can’t wait to see what you do to it good sir. I can honestly say that ol virago is in better hands with you. My condolences on your friend
That thing looks top heavy
Timothy, the Viragos aren’t top heavy; check out how low the crankshaft centerline is. In practice, the bikes handle really nice; almost Intuitive. It’s a friendly bike overall.
Had a 750 then I had a 1000 with a fully enclosed chain that ran in grease. Brilliant it really freed the performance of the engine and got rid of that weird shaft drive behaviour.
I have mine that purchased new when I was 19, I love the way they look and ride. I have had 100 ish bikes come and go but never that one.
I had an XV920. Strange bike. Off road, the only way to control it was lean over the tank and use the throttle to "urge" it in the proper direction.
Uncle Tony is my favorite break dancer.
I traded my '72 Fury III 2 door for one of those and it was one of the biggest mistakes I ever made
My 1st bike was 1982 XV750J . Great bike.
I still have my 1996 xv750 that I bought new. 14k miles, now. Glad to hear UT give these 1980s rico suave cruisers some proper love. My virago is bone stock. I've never had to do anything to it outside of battery, tires and oil.
I have my dads 1982 Virargo in my garage... It was stored in a building with pallets of salt and chlorine for 20 years... 2000 original miles.
I love my ‘82 XV750. On a good day it starts one click (THANK YOU TO THE GUY WHO TUNED IT)
Gotta have an extra ground/negative cable from battery to starter and as you said replace the Bendix internally and they turn right over.
Paid $350 for it. Needs quite a lot of TLC but absolutely has gotten miles.
Keep picking up/talking about things I own please. Id really appreciate it
Bong hits for Tennessee Jed.
New trailer? Looks like a dandy!
Damn my man took me everywhere as a kid in Chicago with this one ! ! Nice riding bike . Loud screams on the highway!
My 1981 Virago was the 149th unit off the line in its first production year. I rode it for ten years. Great bike! Just a little too low riding for a tall man, in my opinion. When I sat on it my knees were at the top of the tank. It looked like the bike was too small for me and yet it's a fairly big bike; 750cc. I only put about 32,000 km on it which is what I have put on my Kawasaki Versys in 2 and a half years. The Versys is a higher clearance bike and perfect for my six foot two inch frame. On another note, the Virago is not ugly. It is actually a very fine looking bike in black and chrome.
Virago had the best tv commercials 👍
My brother had a 1986 Yamaha Virago 1100 with the gold accents. Totally different looking than that one. Really nice cruising bike with many unique features and plenty of power.
100% correct about lineage.
Tony you should do a history lesson on the v4 muscle bikes of the 80s (magna, Sabre, vmax). I currently have a 1987 super magna and I’d love to hear your input on the v4 bikes.
Had an 86 XV700 when I was stationed in Norfolk. Real Torquey. Sold it to buy the truck I lived in for 2 1/2 years. I think I bought and sold it for $400.
Great analysis of Japanese motorcycle development for the American market. Japanese bikes hold a special place in my heart, too.
The Virago is the short mans motorcycle.
Yeah, my buddy "JAKE" 6'6" looks like a monkey fuckin' a foot ball on his- but, he says it is really nimble. Have to take it for a spin next time he has it out!
The vincent actually did have a monoshock in 55' (the last year) when the series D came out. It also got monobloc carbs, coil and distributor, and some design changes
I still have an 83 XV920RJ in my shed. Would still be riding but the starter ring gear finally got too stripped to ever catch. If I could get another I'd get it back on the road. A great, weird bike.
Now I miss my first bike, '87 XV700
I understand your feelings on the bikes and respect it. I owned several Harley bikes. I still own my first bike... 150 Vespa Super and will die with it!
Mikel
Tony I am glad you got rid of the Gold Wing, as that thing was just not you. I use to own a 1982 Yamaha Maxim 400, and god that thing rode like a dream. Some times took the thing off road, to do some trail rides with it which you never did with a Harley. But I have a nice scar on my left leg, and fractured my left cheek on that bike when I zoned out on it before a double S curve on my way home. Even hit a telephone box that took out the phone service for an entire grid, and was thrown 30 feet from the bike when it all came to a rest and lived to tell the tail.
Well seen with Vincent Black Shadow. I never knew the connection. My favourite Japanese engine was the Honda V4. Never rode one of these, but felt Harleys were always too true to their 1903 origins. I love old John Deeres too, but the Japanese really made genuine improvements to the breeds. For some reason my favourite distance bike was the 900 BMW Boxer Twin.
I rode an '83 V45 Sabre for 31 years, still regret selling it .
Loved that bike
I have a 1981 XV920RH Canadian version of the TR1 (chain drive) that I bought new….it is still pulling strong. Been up and down both coasts of North America and back and forth twice….noticed the Vincent connection years ago 😎
Also ride a Honda Firestorm ( Canadian Super Hawk) same VTwin stressed member mono shock but way more power!
Yes starter upgraded to XV1000, optical ignition, mikuni carbs, oil cooler, Mac 2 into one exhaust , steel braided lines….
I might be crazy, but the 63-65 valiant is my favorite car., with the 65 fender being my top choice.
That rear suspension rocked.
Great friend bought one while I was going from abonnievile to a sportster
I've an '81 XV1000, with the RDLC/XJ lookin tank and main frame the only original bits left. Run the stepped seat and low scrambler bars tho, for a roadster feel.
Very good bike for Tasmania.
Enjoy your day.
I love the virago on paper. I owned one and spent more time working on it than riding it
The FT 500 ascot was a single not a twin. the vt ascot was a vtwin. Just saying
Don't care.
My 920 virago ran great!
you make a great point Tony, shhh!, they were the start of the cruiser as we know it now. I had one in the the late 80's , when I was 21 !. it was quite unique as far as the engineering went. apart from that starter. I loved the style and it was my first big v twin. it rode so well. some bikes don't have to be the holy grail to be special, sometimes its the ones that fall through the gaps in the market that make them a standout today. hopefully I can find another one before the cafe set ruin them . thanks for the vid .
HOWdy U-T-G, ...
Thanks
COOP
...
I used to have an old Black Bomber ..cool old motorcycle
Mrs. Jones is gone?!?! Tony you love/hated it so much!
The '81/'82 had a simpler seat without the 'trunk'. I bought an '82 for $2700 new. I bought a Drag Specialties skid plate/highway peg setup that came thrown in a box because someone wasn't mechanical enough to install it. I also scored a pair of Jardine slip ons slightly used because the previous owner had to sell them because it would backfire which embarrassed his girlfriend.
'60 Valiants are cheap over there? Man I love those things. Tony, find me a decent wagon and arrange shipping to the UK and I'll love you long time.
A couple more info glitches; no disrespect but Tony doesn’t realize that this motor was produced as a 700 during the tariff era, and was also made as a 500 for like one year for Euro and maybe Asian markets.
Also, the rods shared a single crank pin, and not the offset pins of nearly all the Honda and Suzuki V-Twins.
Finally, the original Honda Ascot wasn’t a parallel twin as reported. It was an aircooled 500 single with Twin exhaust headers! The next Ascot Was a V-Twin.
Those bikes qualify as Oddball because Honda was working to capture the dirt track aesthetic, hence the name “Ascot”, after the famous 1/2 mile dirt track in LA.
Honda failed to ignite the market with its dirt track styling ack then, but now, 40 years later, the trend call Street Tracker has finally taken off.
I’d say Honda is a forward thinking company!
Great engine the later XV1100 was fantastic
I had the Honda V45 magna , same concept not sure which one was first, I put 75,000 miles on it and was still running when I sold it
The ascot was a torque beast. A little work made it go. It hadled very well from the factory. Pulled out of corners like a monster and was so light it went into the corners really fast.
I have a 1981 XV920RH Canadian version of the TR1 (chain drive) that I bought new….it is still pulling strong. Been up and down both coasts of North America and back and forth twice….noticed the Vincent connection years ago 😎
Also ride a Honda Firestorm ( Canadian Super Hawk) same VTwin stressed member mono shock but way more power!
I had an XV 750, good for the purpose it was built for. Comfortable and enjoyable on the HWY, not the most powerful , exilerating 750 and it absolutely hated tight back street corners. Mounted the gutter a few times trying to do my regular suburban stupidity. That was a long time ago , I'm not into loosing skin now at 63.
B body right hand drive Duster was marketed in Australia as a Valiant after the original.
I have a 1982 XJ650 (NA SECA model), and it has the exact same wheels. The bike itself is a lot prettier, and those rims go with it really well
The Yamaha V-Max was the street racer version of your story
Virago was a 250cc learner bike in Australia.
I wanted a Virago 1100 back in the 80s until i test rode one, too small i felt like i was on a 3/4 scale of a full sized bike.They looked great sitting brand new in the showroom
Don't matter what it had or lost
Back in the day it was a cool bike!!
My first bike was a used maxim 650. I was young and bought a sport bike soon after and it sat for 15 years. The motor was seized and a mouse got in it. Wish I would of kept it running. It was a very comfortable and reliable bike. Also loved the stance of it. It wasn't a wide, crazy seating position. Wish they still made something like that.
You forgot to talk about the exhaust.
Great video.
Oh dear that is beautiful
The vincent is the coolest bike ever made. Never will their be one cooler.
They worked well👍
ive always liked a Yamas...from the RD400 in the 80s to the Virago of the 90s to 2ks..
The Japanese first cracked the American Market with a 50 CC Honda Cub and the Honda Trail 90..In the early 1960's all of the Yamahas were two strokes
YAY! Sayonara Goldwing! I'm overjoyed to hear you ditched that ponderous techno-porker.
Virago: much more interesting Japanese street motorcycle.
When I think of a Virago first thing that comes to mind is the poor one way starter clutch design.
I personally owned an '84 920cc Virago and yes they are a cool bike. But truth be told they had a very poor starter design. If that could have been addressed that bike would have been epic! I added a Header on mine and it out sounded Harley's all day long. The starter flaw was my only complaint. I never was able to solve the issue with both new battery and starter so I sold it.
HS janitor bought one new when I was teenager he parked it next to big glass hallway every day .Dad had 77 low rider I rode once then ."long story there"
But I would stop and look that bike over every time I could .It never ended my curiosity it wasn't that I loved it or disliked it . There weren't many around then or ever. It was all the curves as you said I'd just stare at it!!😂
More bike stuff!!
I must've done 50 virago carb cleans up north. They run nice when richened up but will then foul plugs if ridden too gently.
I am a weirdo, I love these bikes. That said, I have always been known to like the "weird" sides of the automotive and motorcycle world. I do have to say part of why I love these bikes, is that I already had a pretty good understanding of the engineering in these. Not going to lie, I would LOVE to have one of these, and it would easily take the place of my 2 cars as my (mostly) daily driver!
Hey Tony, I gave you a black 82 yammy virago that needed a starter years ago, back in staten island, you traded me a hemi block for it. I was friends with a dude named Rob,he introduced us...my name is Stan
Miss my ‘81 Seca 750…
Perhaps I am weird, but I like it.
I had a 750 Virago not a bad riding bike so light and balanced. Carbs are a B! To work on and the starter clutch is notorious for going out
I had a cab 750, but to me the most bad ass bike I have ever had was the v45!! I should not say this but you could not drive it speed limit. 6 gears! My god In 1 gear at red line 60 mph. You twist the grip at 5000 you had better be holding on . The ride was so good on it and the brakes were crazy. The only thing I didn’t like about the bike was mpg. But of course you could not go slow on it so did not help either. So many things about this bike I love. I had to get rid of it because my wife was going to have a kid and she thought for sure I would get killed on it. The most beautiful bad ass motorcycle I have ever had. I have had 5 different types of bikes. Had a gold wing also. The v45 was the greatest thing I’ve owned.
I can't agree more
I rode a 1983 V45 Sabre for 31 years
Loved that bike
the later twin rear shock bikes were quite nice too.personally id rather have an 83 shadow over the virago.or even a magna over the shadow.the magna's ran.