Micha's Dragstar
Overview
This is my current pride and joy and is my first ever new vehicle. I bought her in the beautiful spring of 2003 to explore the British Isles with and have had some very nice trips with her so far with many more planned.
Specifications
| Model | : | Yamaha XVS1100a - Dragstar Classic |
|---|---|---|
| Year | : | 2002 |
| In-Service-Date | : | 2003 |
| Colour | : | British Racing Green (factory) |
Modifications and Extras
| Alarm System | Meta M357 | 2003.03 | Rex Judd | £250 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saddlebags | Leatherlyke Cross Country Bags | 2004.02 | ? | ~US$480 |  |
| Exhaust | Hard-Krome 2.75" Big Straights | 2005.02 | ? | ~ US$400 |  |
| Sissy-bar/Luggage rack | Mapam-Restyling | 2005.06 | Bikercom | US$256.03 | |
| AIS System | Complete removal of the AIS System | 2005.07.23 | n/a | n/a | |
| Windscreen | Yamaha Windscreen | 2005.08.31 | Rex Judd | £ | |
| Oil Filter Relocation Kit | Barons | 2006.08.11 | Secondhand from Rob (robvstar1100) of the Great Bears - thanks mate! | £100 |  |
| Barons Big Air Kit (BAK) | Barons | 2007.03.25 | Cruisercustomizing.com Notes: Re-jetted with 115F, 112.5R main jets. |
US$269 + US$30 shipping |  |
| Pillion seat upgrade | Re-padded pillion seat | 2007.xx.xx | Organised through Alchemy Bikes | £?? | |
| Passenger Floorboards | Baron Custom Adjustable Passenger Floorboard | 2008.06 | Cruisercustomising.com | ~US$240 (incl. mounting brackets) + US$35 shipping |  |
| Handlebar Risers | Pro-One Handlebar Riser and Clamp Kit, Ball-Milled | 2008.06 | Cruisercustomising.com | ~US$110 + US$35 shipping |  |
| Intercom System | StarCom1 Digital Intercom | 2009.05 | StarCom1.com | £260 + £7.50 shipping | |
| Crash bars & Highway Pegs | Renegade Crash Bars and Highway Hawk "Sundance" footpegs | 2011.06 | Customcruisers.com | £210 | 
 |
My bike is also on Cruisercustomizing.com here.
Insurance
| Year | Company | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | eBike Insurance | £263 | Fully comprehensive (inc. Roadside assistance) + Europe-wide Roadside Assistance |
| 2010 | eBike Insurance | £248 | Fully comprehensive (inc. Roadside assistance) + Europe-wide Roadside Assistance |
| 2009 | eBike Insurance | £234 | Fully comprehensive (inc. Roadside assistance) + Europe-wide Roadside Assistance |
| 2008 | eBike Insurance | £240 | Fully comprehensive (inc. Roadside assistance) + Europe-wide Roadside Assistance |
| 2007 | eBike Insurance | £221 | Fully comprehensive (inc. Roadside assistance) + Europe-wide Roadside Assistance |
| 2006 | eBike insurance | £234 | Third party fire & theft Changed from Vauntage to eBike insurance as Vauntage didn't ring back when promised; also eBike is slightly cheaper, more flexible as regards motorcycle modifications, and has fully online insurance management. They also include UK roadside assistance as standard in their package and offer Europe-wide roadside assistance for an extra £50. |
| 2003-2005 | Vauntage | £286 | Third party fire & theft For the past couple of years I've insured through Vauntage as they were the only mob I found who would organise insurance for me with an Australian drivers license. Now that I have a British license I will shop around a bit but it looks like their prices aren't too bad.. |
Roadside Assistance
2006 onwards
I now get Breakdown Cover as part of my insurance policy, with only a small surcharge for European cover.
2004 onwards
Not having the luxury of friends and family with Ute's here in England I ended up getting RAC breakdown cover after they rescued me from a flat tyre in Brighton once.
Service History
Prior to 2006 I had annual bike services by various professional shops in London - including Yamaha certified Service centres.
But due to being dissatisfied with the work performed (the bike got some scratches from some shops, I never got a bill of work done, and various other issues) and the exceedingly high prices I started doing my own servicing on my beloved Draggie.
To this end I purchased a Clarke CML2 bike lift on recommendation from some of the Great Bears and went for it. I also built my own carburettor sync tool based on some instructions on the internet here.
| Date | Miles | Item | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011.07.02 | 406?? | Service |
|
| 2011.04.16 | 37511 | Service | General checkup and adjustments: oil, sparkplugs, valve clearance, brakes and brake fluid, tires and pressure, lubrication, carburettor balance. |
| 2010.11.06 | 36954 | Service |
|
| 2009.10.04 | 32500 | Tune-up | Check & adjust sparkplugs, valves, carburettor balance |
| 2009.09.25 | 32197 | Fuel filter & Spark Plugs | From Wemoto |
| 2009.09.05 | 31703 | Rear Brake Pads | £15 from SRS Motorcycles Clean caliper, replace rear brake fluid. |
| 2009.05.20 | 27605 | Rear Tyre | £116 from F.W.R.
|
| 2009.05.11 | 26139 | MOT | £29 from Alexandra Motor Group, Wembley |
| 2009.05.09 | 26081 | Service |
|
| 2009.05.02 | Battery | Varta YT14B-BS battery; ~£60 from MDS | |
| 2009.03.14 | 25440 | Oil |
|
| 2008.05.23 | 19522 | Front tire | F.W.R. £100 Avon Venom front, new tube |
| 2008.05.20 | 19465 | Full Service | Alexandra Motor Group, Wembley, £160
|
| 2008.05.01 | 18830 | MOT | £25 from Alexandra Motor Group, Wembley |
| 2007.04.?? | 18??? | Service |
General start-of-year service
|
| 2007.03.25 | 180xx | Air Filter Change | Got a Barons BAK which forced the air-filter change. |
| 2007.03.06 | 17707 | MOT | £25 through Alchemy Bikes |
| 2006.08.11 | 165xx | Oil & Filter Change | Got an oil-filter relocation kit second hand which tied in nicely
to my next oil-change interval.
|
| 2006.07.14 | 14270 | Front Caliper rebuild and new brake pads | Work done through Roy from Alchemy Bikes. - £165 |
| 2006.04.12 | ~12400 | Air Filter | Genuine Yamaha filter; £11.49 |
| Rear Tyre | Dunlop; £130 from F.W.R. | ||
| 2006.03 | ~12000 | 12000-mile service |
|
V-Star Info
Here are a few V-Star specific links
- Yamaha Parts Fiche
- V-Star 1100 . com
- V*Star 1100 Knowledge Base - great source of technical information for the Dragstar 1100.
You can contact Micha here.
Last updated: 2012.01.25 |