Yamaha XVS 400 Drag Star - a cruiser from the mid-nineties

RU-MOTO rating

• Reliability
• Chassis
• Appearance
• Comfort

5

Verdict

The Yamaha Drag Star 400 is a suitable motorcycle for a beginner as it is forgiving of mistakes. Another plus is its appearance. You will be noticed in the city and stand out from the crowd on the road. The disadvantage of the motorcycle is that it is not in a hurry and accelerates slowly. And after a couple of seasons, it usually gets boring.

Drag Star 400 is the first model in the Drag Star series from the Japanese manufacturer Yamaha. It replaced the Vigaro model in the production line. The new model received a modified silhouette, and a durable duplex frame instead of a spinal one.

The Yamaha Drag Star 400 is suitable for riders shorter than 180 centimeters who prefer to ride without passengers. The Yamaha Drag Star 400 has been and remains popular among bikers, which indicates the quality of this motorcycle.

Motorcycle Yamaha Drag Star 400

Price

Yamaha no longer produces this motorcycle, but if desired, the four hundred cc Drag Star can be purchased on the secondary market. Depending on the year of manufacture and technical condition, you can purchase a motorcycle on the Russian market for 155,000-168,000 rubles.

Read other motorcycle reviews Motorcycle Minsk MMVZ-3.112

Screenshot of the price of a motorcycle of different years of production from the portal moto.auto.ru

Recommendations for purchase

Despite all the positive aspects and general “friendliness” for an inexperienced driver, the Draga 400 can only be recommended for purchase when choosing between it and other 400cc cruisers of the same age. With a 99% probability, you will want something more by the end of the first season, and insufficient dynamics and dimensions not only do not allow you to ride on par with more dynamic equipment, but also will not allow you to fully realize the advantages of riding a motorcycle in the city.

The simplicity and unpretentiousness of the design encourage us to recommend it for purchase. But a lot of alternatives prevent this from happening. A good alternative, in this case, would be the XVS 650, which has all the same advantages, but is more dynamic, which significantly expands the scope of its operation.

Yamaha drag star 400 modifications

Two modifications of the Yamaha drag star 400 appeared on the market at the same time: custom and classic. Motorcycles have different seats, fork covers, fenders and headlights. In addition, the classic modification has a larger rear wheel than the Custom modification.

Yamaha drag star 400 classic

Owners claim that the Yamaha drag star 400 classic has a higher level of comfort due to its wide and comfortable seat. In addition, the wing of the classic modification protects from water and dirt flying from under the wheels.

Yamaha Drag Star Classic. 400 cu.m. Profile photo

Yamaha drag star 400 custom

Yamaha drag star 400 custom for aggressive riding. This modification is lighter in weight and has a narrower steering wheel. This model is faster, but the stability is worse than the classic one.

Yamaha drag star 400 custom. Profile photo

Comfort

This cruiser doesn't have the most comfortable saddle. It has a pronounced angle, similar to the back. Apparently, the biker is expected to sit leaning back slightly. It is clear that in this case there is no question of any driving with a passenger. By the way, there is no backrest in the passenger seat.

The bike accelerates slowly, but it’s hard to say whether it’s convenient or vice versa. It all depends on the priorities and habits of a particular biker. From a security point of view, this is definitely a plus. At low and medium speeds, this car maneuvers well for a cruiser.

Specifications

The motorcycle is equipped with an XV400/535 overhead gasoline engine, which is reliable and produces 32 horsepower. Thanks to this engine, the Yamaha drag star 400 reaches a speed of 135 kilometers per hour. The model accelerates to 100 km/h in 5.9 seconds. When used in mixed mode, the motorcycle consumes up to 5 liters of AI92/Ai95 gasoline. The gas tank capacity is 16 liters.

Read other motorcycle reviews Review of the IZH Planet-5 motorcycle

Yamaha drag star 400 is equipped with a five-speed gearbox, and rear drum and front disc brakes.

There is essentially no history of the purchase of this motorcycle. I finally wanted to realize my dream and start riding a motorcycle around the city, I went to study at a motorcycle school, and at that time my friend decided to sell his drag in connection with the purchase of a boulevard.

It was in the fall, not only had I never ridden a motorcycle before, I hadn’t even seen one, but there was no reason not to trust a person I knew. I looked at pictures of this model on the Internet, read forums, and realized that this was an ideal option for “trying it out”, the choice was made.

Time dragged on painfully long, and finally the warm May days arrived. Having agreed on a meeting, I rushed to pick up my first serious iron horse.

The impressions were amazing - big, heavy, clumsy, fast, just like in an American movie! Next, the odometer counted the kilometers left behind and after traveling 3000 miles during the season, I had the following impressions: + Handsome! I still like it, I enjoy the appearance every day. Timeless design. Personally, I really like the custom version with a narrow front wheel with a large radius and short fenders. The lines of the motorcycle, the curves of the fender, moldings, the angle of the fork - everything is very pleasing to the eye, I always turn around when leaving the motorcycle to look at it from the side and approach with a feeling of satisfaction. Although my old man is already 21 years old, he looks (apart from the severe cosmetic condition) as a completely modern classic motorcycle; + The motorcycle is light, small and relatively nimble, stable at low speeds; — Narrow — convenient to ride between rows; — Low-power and slow; — For me specifically, the fit is quite uncomfortable; when traveling for more than an hour, my legs begin to feel discomfort, especially my hip joints. I do not rule out that this is due to ordinary footrests, and not platforms under the feet; unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to compare; — Driving in the rain/on a wet road/through puddles risks getting completely wet to the waist. Your feet get wet immediately, all the water from under the front wheel flies onto your shoes and pants. Due to the established direct flow, it is impossible to put on raincoat pants; they will melt if you accidentally touch the pipe; + Very easy to maintain. In the fall, I lubricated various components, cleaned them, removed rust, everything can be understood intuitively and simply. In the spring I carried out maintenance myself (oils, filters), no problems. This also includes the cardan shaft, which, unlike the chain, does not need to be cleaned, lubricated and tightened. — The carburetor is, on the one hand, simple and reliable, but I put a minus because it is already the Stone Age. Choke, mandatory warm-up, higher fuel consumption; — Lack of any electronic systems. Again, we can say that there is nothing to break, but I do not consider myself a retrograde person and I would like to have at least a fuel sensor, not to mention such assistants as ABS, etc.

Nuances: — Without a windshield it blows away at 70 km/h; — Unlike cars, motorcycles, as I understand it, have practically no analogues for spare parts (or I couldn’t find them). In this regard, the cost of spare parts is extremely expensive relative to the price of the motorcycle. I understand that the same spare parts are suitable for both new devices and mine, but I would really like more humane prices. It will be an experience for me for the future; + External condition and price - in the city I leave the motorcycle anywhere without fear that serious criminals will have their eyes on it. It makes no sense to hijack it even for analysis IMHO. The same applies to various cosmetic defects - new scratches, abrasions, etc., they do not cut the heart of a perfectionist with a knife.

What conclusion did I draw from all this? Overall, I'm very pleased with this motorcycle. Appearance + price + ease of maintenance and maintainability + ease of driving around the city for short distances – these are the main advantages for which you can love it. But for myself, I decided to move on to more modern technology. I’m still deciding on a personal dilemma whether to stay in the classic motorcycle class (I like the VN900 custom and HD sportster 883) or go into something more urban, like the Yamaha XJ6. As one of my friends recently said, who has been riding only BMW motorcycles for more than 20 years, and in recent years on the new R1200RT: “When I look at Harleys, I really like them, they are very, very beautiful, but these are art objects and I I don’t understand why you torture yourself so much by riding these motorcycles. You need to admire them, and drive another vehicle that will be loyal, kind and responsive to you.” And while I am not yet rich enough to buy, in my opinion, the crown of beauty of motorcycle construction - the new Harley Davidson Fatboy 2021, the virus of a quiet, modern, city motorcycle with a fairing and all electronic systems is increasingly spreading in my head...

Owner reviews

Below we have collected 5 screenshots of owner reviews from the bikepost portal and thematic forums:

Screenshot of owner review #1

Screenshot of owner review No. 2

Screenshot of owner review No. 3

Screenshot of owner review No. 4

Screenshot of owner review No. 5

In general about the Yamaha Drag Star 400

As mentioned earlier, the Drag Star 400 cruiser model replaced the outdated Virago. The new Yamaha has changed quite a lot and received several major changes. Among them are a new duplex frame, noticeably improved appearance and wheels. Some of the engine settings were also changed and the fuel system was redesigned. However, the main novelty was the new V-engine, which we will talk about a little later.

It is worth saying that Drag Star 400 almost immediately gained popularity in the market. It immediately began to be supplied to such large countries as America, Germany, Russia and others. The model was especially loved by American bikers, who improved and modified the bike in every possible way. The reason why the bike was a big success not only in the new engine, comfort and other important things, but also because the bike had two modifications.

The first version is classic, it’s called Classic. This is the regular version purchased by most motorcyclists for everyday riding. In principle, it was the basis of this model and did not represent anything unique.

The Custom version was considered a more unique version of the motorcycle. That is, it was not an ordinary one, but a modified Yamaha Drag Star 400. More specifically, it had improved technical characteristics and appearance, some unique details, such as wheels, wings, and so on. Thanks to the lighter weight, the bike picked up speed faster, but at the same time did not have such good handling. In general, this modification was intended for operating the motorcycle in a more aggressive mode.

Comparison with Honda Shadow 400

Honda Shadow 400 is a competitor to the Yamaha drag star 400 both in the Japanese and in our markets. If we compare both competitors, we will conclude that the Yamaha drag star 400 has a comfortable fit for people above average height. The fuel consumption of both motorcycles is the same, as is the acceleration dynamics. The Yamaha drag star 400 has a longer engine and transmission that will last longer. Thus, despite the comparable cost, the Yamaha drag star 400 outperforms its competitor in terms of technical characteristics.

Appearance

The Yamaha XVS 400 Drag Star looks impressive. A certain squareness of shapes plays a special role in this. Cruisers are usually designed to be sleeker. However, the motorcycle cannot be called angular. The two pipes are not doubled, but arranged in a ladder, one below the other. This gives the design originality.

The headlight is of standard dimensions, small. Like the pipes, it is chrome plated. Some internal parts of the motorcycle are also chrome plated. Otherwise it is almost completely black. Spoke wheels can handle the load due to the large number of spokes.

Typical faults

One of the age-related “sores” is that the rubber caps of the spark plug caps become dull with time and temperature, as a result – after washing or rain, water gets into the wells, the caps “pierce” and the motorcycle stalls at idle.

According to reviews from many owners, there is an unpleasant softness of the fork, but the Yamaha FZ 400 is not prone to nose-nodding.

A traditional problem with the Yamaha FZ 400 is cracking carburetor pipes.

Noisy operation of the gearbox, especially in second speed.