Yamaha Drag Star 650 - what you need for the city and the highway

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:41

Mid-sized cruisers - Yamaha Drag Star 650 - are not as popular as "liters". Domestic choppers, having accumulated some money, with the words "everything that is not a liter - not a chopper", are transplanted from their first "four hundred" to more powerful and faster motorcycles. As a result, the middle segment is the lot of young ladies and "pensioners". And completely in vain.

A bit of history

Yamaha Drag Star 650 is the successor to the "legendary witch of all Japan". Unlike her, the Drag Star was no longer a timid attempt to match the typical American-style motorcycle - the Japanese have already accumulated solid experience in creating and developing such a technique.

Stretched rear frame, softtail-style rear suspension, teardrop tank, step saddle, dashboard on the tank, plenty of chrome parts… in short, nothing to complain about. And here is the heartthe motorcycle is already familiar to everyone - a typical V-twin from the same notorious witch. The difference is only in volume (almost 650 cubic meters) and appearance (it has become more modern). The cylinder diameter is increased by 5 mm and by 4 piston strokes. Due to this, the updated engine has become more similar to the "Chopper": less speed and more traction.

In all other respects, the bike has not undergone any significant changes. All the same front disc brake, carburetor power system and other simple and reliable specifications. Yamaha Drag Star 650 was created according to a simple and uncomplicated recipe. The result is a reliable, comfortable, easy to handle and maintain bike that deserves its piece of the pie. It cannot be said that this pie is eaten with pleasure in Russia. But in other countries where "litromania" is not so severe, "Drag Star" can be found very often.

Why and who needs it?

Conversations about the purpose of any motorcycle, as a rule, end in disputes. But not in this case. "Drag Star" - a motorcycle for travel. This is eloquently evidenced by the comfort and softness of the landing. And the engine power, contrary to popular belief, is more than enough for long-distance “rides” and shooting on the track.

It's only at first glance it seems that 40 horses look dull. But in fact, they are very cheerfully carrying a 225 kilogram motorcycle along with the pilot and his equipment. Down center of gravity and low seat positionmake it easy to stow the motorcycle in a turn, easy to maneuver in city traffic.

Yamaha Drag Star 650 suits both petite girls and weighty guys. By the way, it is for this reason that Draga is so popular among the beautiful half of humanity. Due to the small weight, the center of gravity shifted to the bottom and the relatively small size, the motorcycle feels much more confident and at ease than the Boulevard, VTX and other "mastodons". Dredge is also good as a trail tool - soft suspension, excellent directional stability and comfortable landing make long-range travel a pleasant, albeit not fast, journey.

Where to buy?

There are plenty of all kinds of offers for the sale of a motorcycle. There are horses with mileage, there are ads from companies selling brand new vehicles without mileage. They can also be found in almost any motorcycle dealership at a very affordable price.

Unlike most analogues, the Yamaha Drag Star 650 is sold in almost perfect condition. The main reason is the reliability of the design and the almost complete disregard of this motorcycle by beginners of the motorcycle movement. Therefore, you should not avoid models with mileage in Russia - there is a high probability of running into a decent device.

The price range for these motorcycles is quite wide: from 200 thousand for models of the first years of production to 350,000 for newer motorcycles. For the most part, the price depends on the quantity and quality of tuning. However, the most common "DragStary" in the classic configuration: side and rear panniers, arches, windshield and different-sized "tsatski" that do not affect the speed and comfort.

It is not difficult to sell a used device - there is always a demand for such equipment. Potential buyers will be middle-class bikers who will have an extra 200-250 thousand rubles by the end of the season.

What to look out for?

From a technical angle, the touring bike is a no-brainer. By the way, there are not so many bikes without "family" sores, and Draga is one of them. There are many reasons for this. Firstly, the refined design of the engine transmission is based on the Virago power unit (simple and long cured of youthful shortcomings). Secondly, the model is relatively young and not so popular, which protects her from people with arms that do not grow from the shoulder joint.

Possible problems and things to look out for: shock absorber tightness, timing noise, as well as frame geometry and freshness of consumables.

Motorcycle tuning

To advise something about tuning is a thankless task. The taste and color, as they say, felt-tip pens are different. Numerous catalogs and online stores offer the widest variety of all kinds of lotions and "tsatsok" designed to decorate the "Dragi" and provide even more comfortable driving conditions.

You can find everything you likeeverything from fringe and baubles to Dinojet exhaust kits, carburetor kits and gel seats. In fact, the possibilities of tuning are limited only by the size of the owner's wallet, a sense of proportion and a sense of style. The most desirable category includes a windshield and roll bars.

To all of the above, it remains only to add that the Yamaha Drag Star 650, whose reviews eloquently testify to the reliability of the motorcycle, will be the best option for those who appreciate comfortable riding conditions and decent technical characteristics of the bike.