I used to ride motocross when I was a teen. 18ish or so years later I decided to buy a street bike. Everything I looked at in the 250 class seemed plain and, well... blah. I kept coming back to the V-Star (Virago) 250. The lines are nice, the V-Twin looks great and it just felt better while sitting on it.
Every sales rep at the dealerships kept telling me to get a 650+. However, I have had 2 full hip replacements and the extra weight of the 650 class is just too much for my hips. I would like to state for the record that a large guy can fit comfortably on this bike. Nowhere was I able to find a review where a large guy such as me (6�2� 275lbs.) liked or disliked the bike. I am here to say that this bike will haul me around at 55-60 with ease and it�s very comfortable for your typical work commute. Three hour hauls on the other hand, you do begin to feel it.
I will agree that the bike does not have a lot of power when pulling hills, but you have to remember it is a 250, and it is a starter bike. It does exactly what it was engineered to do. I do have to give it kudos though. I have a hill in my area that has a 4-6% grade. As long as I hit it at 55, with the throttle open, it handles it just fine. No need to downshift. The hill is about 1/4 - 1/2 mile long.
Even with my fat... um... �self� I�m seeing slightly above 75 MPG.
So if you�re looking for a great starter bike that�s easy to handle, gets great gas mileage, looks good and is still comfortable for a big guy, treat yourself to the V-Star 250.
