Yamaha V Star 250 – Virago – specifications and review

Welcome to the Yamaha Virago XV250 aka the V-Star 250  showroom and specification review. The Virago 250 has been on sale for decades, it wasn’t even a new model when I first started riding.  They rebranded it in the late 2000’s and now it’s called the V Star 250 which is inline with the rest of the Yamaha Cruiser motorcycle range.

In terms of design the V Star 250 hasn’t changed much since   initially released as the Virago 250. The V Star 250 or Virago 250 is a good looking and now genuine retro motorbike with more chrome than it’s arch rivals including the Harley Davidson Street 500. The Virago arguably looks more Harley Davidson than it’s only bikes these days…

In terms of engine and technical specifications the V Star 250 hasn’t change much over the decades since it was known as the Virago 250. The same V-Twin 250cc engine with carbs, single front disc brakes, drum rear brake, spoked wheels with real inner tubes, real light bulbs and just a speedometer.  There is nothing fancy about this bike. It is also one of the lightest in the class weighing around the 150Kg mark.

The V Star 250 still sells for a variety of reasons. The most important is the seat height and light weight, they are the lowest of any motorcycle. The next reason is the low price, the V Star 250 sells for around the $8000 price – on the road. The other is that the ‘Virago’ reference is hard to shake since there are still so many on the road but this helps in the reliability factor that is on the mind of most purchasers in the class.

The V Star 250 is definitely an entry level motorbike or a bike which smaller folk buy. It’s definitely not particularly fast or has sports bike handling, it is about the ride it’s self and helping the new rider learn the physicals of motorcycling. The major problem with the V Star 250 is the cruiser styling, most new riders in 2019 want more sporty looks or cafe racer designs.