I bought my Yammy 535 Virago as a cheapo and getting a bike again on the road. It has been a bit of a yo yo. Firstly a new exhaust, by the time it was fitted, about £400, a new regulator, (make the first thing you do take it off, clean the mating surface on a sheet of glass and some grinding paste, respray mount black, preferably matt and use some heatsink compound to mount and tight, then paint all around the joint). Replace the carb diaphragms, and be aware of their problems. If the starter clutch goes, get a dealer to repair the fixing to the alternator housing, special screws that neither shatter nor shear are needed!!!! Regularly lubricate disc brake sliders etc. Keep oil (careful on the type!)up to level otherwise you MAY encounter starter being snatch turned if clearances on starter clutch are very tight even though the oil IS up to minimum, keep battery charged up. LOOK OUT FOR SERIOUS REAR FENDER COLLAPSE. This is often bodged up as well. Best bet is to effect a good rust proofing on the stupid design underneath on the rust trap and then make two off set metal brackets from the suspension leg rear bolts to mudguard that does away with this hazard. The bolt that hold the left side foot peg bracket is often stripped inside the aluminium, re fit and use permanent thread cement to prevent vibration and loosening. Finally, and this applies to many bikes, install relays for the headlamp, the "juice" going all the way around the bike to the headlamp thru wires that are really too small will end up with about 9 volt at the headlamp. With the full 12/13 volt and a bigger lamp will get others to dip and you to drive at a sensible speed at night. Michelin tyres are useless, an Avon front lasts 2 rears and grips the road well, the Michelin wore out before the new rear Avon. I have never in 50 years of biking had a front tyre wear out before the front. I have used Avons most of my life, and again now gone back to them! The bike is light, and manouverable, frankly any heavier in the country on our roads is pointless. Just think, a comparable bike but bigger is the Honda 750 Shadow. It weighs half as much again, is longer, not as manouverable, not as quick, abso bloody useless around our lanes, is not so economical. My Yammy, oh yes, had it 4 years, done 10,000 miles on it, its reg in France now, was UK. Looking for a later one now as its 21 years old, she looks it so with a later one can strip the bits and rebuild her! That brings me to parts, shop around, certainly do not buy parts in France, they are 2 x the price of the rest of the EU (that also applies to cars as well). Try the Yamaha dealer in Jersey, no VAT, and very good prices.

I've always liked these 535s. I think they look more lithe and elegant than most really wide Harley replicas. I'm more into sports bikes, street bikes and 'crossers. So when my Dad decided he wanted to return to motorcycling after 35 years, we picked up one of these.

To my surprise, I frequently look at my CBR in the garage, then get on this for a cruise around. And believe me, I love my immaculate little '88 Honda NC23.

The 535 seems to be a much more developed bike than either of it's bigger brothers, the 750 and the 1100. The brakes, gears and electrics just seem to be a decade more advanced than on the larger bikes.

Everything works pretty seamlessly. There's no "technique" to a good gear change, for example, and when you want to start it up after a month of sitting in the garage, there are no arcane rituals to perform. You just switch on the ignition, hit the starter button, let it loosen up for a bit, then off you go.

It's very light for a cruiser, and some of the fuel tank is actually low down, behind the engine, which makes it even more manageable.
I'm not a speed-freak by any means, but I was surprised at how much fun it could be to just waft around at 30mph, followed by your own thumping engine note.

The front and rear brakes are pretty weedy, but I don't think that really matters, because you're never really going so fast it might be an issue. They do have more than enough stopping power if you're driving safely. In fact, when you brake hard, the plush front suspension dives alarmingly, and the tyres are really not designed for that sort of behaviour, so I'm not really sure that better brakes would provide any advantage. I still only use two fingers to brake on this bike. I might fit some braided hoses and uprated pads next service, though...

The engine is fantastic for cruising around towns, and even country lanes; lots of grunt in all gears. However, there's only five of them in all. On the motorway, the vibration becomes slightly annoying for me at anything over 65 mph. Personally, I think it could do with an extra gear; the engine could certainly cope with it. As it is, I'm certainly not planning to do any long-distance riding on this bike.

Another reason I don't want to go any distance is the tiny fuel tank. It looks great, but I've heard horror stories of a 90 mile range. In practice, I get a little over 140 miles on a tank before switching to reserve; around 40-45 miles to the gallon.

The half-gallon reserve gives me about around 20 miles, but--literally--your mileage may vary.

Plush seat, comfortable riding position and reasonably modern switchgear, brakes and gears make the bike very easy to ride.
Shaft drive and robust build make it easy to own.

However, being a cruiser, it pays to look after all that chrome. If you can't garage it, put a cover on it.

I believe Yamaha introduced the XV650 V-Star as a replacement to this little guy, but they continued producing the 535 for another two years, which says a lot about what it's owners think of it.

Recommended to anyone who wants a cruiser mainly for town and country riding. If you plan on travelling from John O Groats to Land's End, you might want something with a bigger engine and fuel tank.

the yamaha 535 dx was a great bike to own for a long time.
and the stomp is great too.but the fuel tank and reserve switch''
was no good to me.but a damn fine bike.

I got the Yamaha Virago 535 DX because I hired one on holiday and it was a hoot bombing around in the sun. Back in England the bike I got had been used during the winter by its former owner and the results were not good I must say, so I changed several of the cycle parts and restored it mostly. It really is an easy bike to get on with and the engine is willing enough for a midi cruiser the handling is nimble enough for its type. After the 535 I got the Yamaha XV1100 Virago and found the handling was not as sharp as the 535 and all that weight of the 1100 made it weave around much more than its smaller brother. I would recommend the bike to anyone who is returning to biking or simply wants to get both feet on the ground in an enjoyable none threatening machine. Just watch out for the front brake - I always found it slightly weak for my taste.

The 535 is a custom style cruiser. Personally I think it's a great looking bike even the old ones still look good. The new dragstars look bloated to me (OK maybe it's just I can't afford one) maintenance is simple, even valve adjustment is a doddle. The low seat height and low centre of gravity make the 535 handle better than you would think. Light weight helps the performance - these are quick bikes, top speed is around 105mph but you wont want to do it. The dynamics of this style of unfaired bike means you become a parachute at speed. Best to think of 70/80 as the top cruising speed. The surprise is the grunt in the motor. I love top gear roll ons, the motor pulls well from low revs. However mine has an after market exhaust whichs liberates both power and noise. Try to buy one with one of these fitted as they are pretty expensive. I would recomMend these bikes to short or new riders (or both!).

My Yamaha Virago 535 DX is a mid sized custom cruiser, is one of the last of this model. 1st registered Sept 2002. Black with lots of chrome. When out and about it always draws lots of attention. I've met lots of people who just want to have a look and chat about the bike. The combination of black paint and chrome makes it very stricking.

I use it to get to work when it's dry. In fact I'll always ride it on dry days in preference to my car. I've fitted 4 inch billet chrome risers and a 'Lazy Boy' on the passenger seat. This combination gives a very comfortable/relaxed riding position. I've not gone above 85mph so I don't know what it's maximum is. Acceleration is fast, particularly in 3rd and 4th. It runs along easily at 70mph in 5th.

The main reason I've never took it to the limit was it's handling. It always felt shakey on surfaces less than good. In fact that was my only complaint about the bike. A few weeks ago the problem was resolved when I replaced my worn rear tyre. It had been produced with Dunlops but the fitter recommended an Avon Venom AM42. The difference is amazing. It's now a very smooth ride. I don't even notice crossing tarmac joints and the like which had previously rattled the bike, me too.

Putting on the Avon Venom transformed a great looking bike with suspect handling into a fantastic bike to look at, and now ride.

I paid £3400 for it in Nov 2003 with engine bars, screen and sissy bar fitted. I've added the risers, saddle bag supports and a few other chrome bits.

It's a great pity Yamaha have stopped making the Virago with the exception of the 250cc which for me would be underpowered.