Yamaha Virago 1100

YAMAHA VIRAGO 1100

The giant-killing cruiser

YOU REMEMBER THE STORY about David and Goliath. Well, meet the David of the V-Twin set.

At 1063cc, the Yamaha Virago 1100 has the smallest-displacement engine of the six big V-Twin cruisers. And unlike its fellow cruisers from Japan, the Virago is merely aircooled and breathes through but one intake valve and one exhaust valve per cylinder. There was nothing terribly high-tech about this engine when it was introduced as a 750 six years ago, and despite a few cc-bumps along the way, it isn’t any more technically impressive today.

Nevertheless, this low-tech Twin slingshots its way past its more-modern competition with ease. The Virago not only has the highest top speed of the six cruisers, but it also is the quickest at the dragstrip. And only the torque-overdosed Vulcan and Intruder are able to better the Yamaha’s top-gear roll-on times, and even then, not by much.

With the Virago’s responsive engine, relatively light weight and rational geometry, it should come as no surprise that it is the easiest of the six V-Twins to pilot around town. But even with five speeds to choose from and excellent brakes at the ready, the Virago’s twisty-road prowess was a bit of a shocker. The footpegs bang easily into the tarmac, but the Yamaha still easily motors away from everything save the Harley Sport; and even that bike doesn’t stay in the company of the Virago for very long.

All of this underdog revelry is interrupted, however, when comfort comes into play. Three to six inches shorter than the other bikes, the Yamaha imposes a much more cramped riding position. Not helping matters one bit are a poorly padded seat and borderline shocks that are too harsh in their response to bumps.

Still, the Virago has a list price $150 less than the Shadow’s, $1000 less than the Intruder’s and Vulcan’s, and fully half that of the Softail. In light of that, the Virago’s failings in suspension and seating don’t seem all that damning.

If further coaxing is needed, lock onto this image from our V-Twin testing: The scene is a long, isolated stretch of desert highway. Out front, three of the other cruisers are locked in a top-speed duel, their riders playing the draft for all it’s worth. Suddenly, the Virago, without the aid of slipstreaming, comes motoring up from behind, and takes its rightful place—at the head of the line.

David would have been proud.

Yamaha Virago 1100

$4749