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Tips for Buying

9K views 81 replies 20 participants last post by  iowawarrior 
#1 ·
Hey Guys,

I'm really looking to upgrade from a V-star 650 to a Warrior. I have a few questions though. Are there any "known" or "common" problems that crop of with the Warrior? Anything to really check out/for before making a purchase?

What oil weight to you typically run when using synthetics?

I like to do some distance riding (not iron butt) but maybe 400-600 miles from time to time. I know this will require a different seat than the stock one and of course some saddlebags/luggage. Do many of you ride distances? Have you noticed any major comfort issues with the warrior for such distances? The 650 did fine.. little weak on some of the hills and when passing but otherwise it worked fine after adding forward control extensions and a mustang seat.

Thanks in advance!

-pdxwarrior
 
#2 ·
The warrior, as far as I've seen on the forum is fairly bullet proof. There are some things on different models, but nothin major, and nothing that hasn't been discussed, gone over, and resolved by forum members. They make good touring seats, different handlebar, control extension configurations to suit your needs. I can only get about 250 miles before I need a back adjustment, but that's how my bike is set up, for couple hundred mile trips. There are several guys that have done a few thousand mile trips with 5-600 plus miles per day. I think you will really want to do some research on a windshield for any long trips..im sure others will chime in. There were some recalls on all the models, but easy enough to check at a dealer to see they were completed. Welcome to the forum and when you find your warrior, get ready fpr mod fever..LOL. this forum has more technical information on this bike than yamaha does, so just go buy one!!
 
#4 ·
welcome....ditto...what he said about him on top :D

oil - it would be good to ask what oil is in the beast when you buy it and either change it pronto or run it to next change...personally i run what yami advise ...yami lube tried and tested - full synthetic in my knowledge base only goes into bikes to any advantage over 20k miles

there is a specific video for checking the oil and it's real important - to easy to over fill the beast ...not good - and the dipstick feature is quality stuff

the warrior climbed in the swiss alps to 2300 metres without a hick up and tries to beat you to the top! - all controlled by the ecu...no choke fitted on this baby
 
#5 ·
Followup

Thanks for the replies so far. I've been looking in my area. I'm curious - there's a few dealers that have some new old stock available. They are 2009 models (silver) and range anywhere from 8000-10500. I've also seen a couple of used models in private sales. The different between new and used that I've seen has been anywhere from 3000-1500. Used miles range from 6000 to 11000.

How much better off would I be by investing the extra cash to buy "new"? Of course I'd have to go through the break-in period.

What kind of miles do you have have on yours?
 
#9 ·
Thanks for the replies so far. I've been looking in my area. I'm curious - there's a few dealers that have some new old stock available. They are 2009 models (silver) and range anywhere from 8000-10500. I've also seen a couple of used models in private sales. The different between new and used that I've seen has been anywhere from 3000-1500. Used miles range from 6000 to 11000.

How much better off would I be by investing the extra cash to buy "new"? Of course I'd have to go through the break-in period.

What kind of miles do you have have on yours?
Welcome!:)
Offer $7,000 for a new 2009. They'll take it. Stick to your guns. Better to buy a new one, all the recalls have been worked out. You will know the history of it.
 
#6 ·
If you are going to keep the bike forever, buy new IMO.

If you will most likely change or upgrade in the next few years, or just want a project bike, buy used with some of the mods you might like and use the extra cash to mod more. There is little that can be done to destroy these beasts.

What to look for...
They do not leak, they do not smoke, they do not sputter, they usually start within 5-6 revs of the engine, they do not wobble in turns. If the bike you check out does any of these things, keep looking.

The engine is loud. I don't mean the exhaust, the engine itself will make alot of "noise" as it runs, this is normal. On Decel you will notice 2 things, the bike will sound like a MAC truck with a Jake brake and you will backfire. We tend to call it the warrior snarl or dragon breath and again, this is normal. If you open the throttle too wide too soon before getting used to it you may slide off the seat a bit, you may loose traction and after extended use, your arms may lengthen an inch or 2. Yes, this too is normal.
 
#7 ·
There are no major differences in year models. The seat changed a little, the front pegs changed a little, forks changed a little, front rotors/brakes changed a little, but really no major differences. There is not really one model/year more desireable than another.

There is a list of recalls on the forum. If the bike needs recalls, then Yamaha still honors them. These recalls aren't major/catastrophic, but it's nice to get them done.

As noted, you can set the bike up several ways -either as a long distance bike or a shorter hop bike. Most wouldn't take a passenger long distance without major mods though. Most don't go for the bagger look, it's kind of counter to the bike's stance, but I like my setup, and there are a few who have done it as well.

The bike is probably the easiest bike to mod I've ever had. You can do just about anything to this bike. It takes a certain mindset to own this bike though. I enjoy reading the YamahaMotorCycle.com forum, but it's interesting seeing what is important to them (Lowers, head buffeting, heated gloves) versus what is important to us (HID, VBAK, Exhaust, etc). If you want a bike with floorboards and a stereo system, this probably isn't the one for you.

New or used doesn't matter. We have several members with over 100,000 miles on their bike. You can get a "new" one as you note for about 8500, although that's drying up, or a used one for much less. Depends on what is important to you. You might find a sweet deal on a used one with a fatty rear end or something, if so buy it in confidence. If you want to start from scratch and do all the work yourself, then go with a new one.
 
#11 ·
I owned a 650 vstar custom, great bike but always searching for that next gear.
I picked up a 08 Warrior and it was love at first shift.
Took a 650 vstar out a year later and could not believe I drove that before; it was awkward, bulkly, no power, just not fun to drive.
The Warrior does have a issue, the urge to modify never stops.
 
#12 ·
RE:

7K for new huh? Hmm, might be an interesting idea. I think might have to finance if that were the case though, which might hurt my negotiating a little. Do the new ones come with a warranty? Can you take them anywhere for 'work' or do you have to go back to the dealer your buy from?

As for the 650... mines a custom too. I really enjoyed the bike. I'll admit there was numerous times I tried to shift into 5th, only to find out I was already there! It's been a great bike though... made it back and forth across Oregon a few times and done quite a few rally rides in the area.

I think a bigger bike will do better though on the freeway and will get me that much closer to seeing Sturgis someday!
 
#14 ·
7K for new huh? Hmm, might be an interesting idea. I think might have to finance if that were the case though, which might hurt my negotiating a little. Do the new ones come with a warranty? Can you take them anywhere for 'work' or do you have to go back to the dealer your buy from?

As for the 650... mines a custom too. I really enjoyed the bike. I'll admit there was numerous times I tried to shift into 5th, only to find out I was already there! It's been a great bike though... made it back and forth across Oregon a few times and done quite a few rally rides in the area.

I think a bigger bike will do better though on the freeway and will get me that much closer to seeing Sturgis someday!
I kind of doubt you'd get it for 7, but you never know.

Yes, they still come with the warranty.

One thing I see come up a lot on the YamahaMotorcycleForum.com site is that the 650 buzzes, and you're always looking for the next gear. The Warrior definitely doesn't buzz, although it obviously vibrates a lot with the hard mounted engine, and I'll admit the first year or so I rode it I would look for that next gear. But I don't anymore. If I remember right, at 80 mph it's at about 2800 rpm. Something like that. Anyway, it actually gets into the crazy powerful zone above 3000 rpm. So I had been used to basically cruising around at idle the whole time.

One other thing -we've seen a lot of guys hesitate, get their feelings hurt whatever because they offer 8000, and the dealer won't come off of 8500. I know money is tight, but for 500 bucks I wouldn't walk away from this bike. Just sayin...
 
#13 ·
The ONLY thing about mine I never liked.....was the factory seat. Always ...felt like I was gonna slide off the back. I am a little guy,,,5'8"...178lbs.....bought a Stilletto seat....MAJOR improvement !!! It was "cupped" better....under hard...or moderate acceleration...I no longer slide back...and I could only sit on the factory seat for about two hours....and I had to get off it ! With the stilletto....I can ride all day....no problem. Thinkin about putting a gell pad in it too!!! second BIG thing for us little guys ....lowering the rear suspension. I could never sit flat foot at a light , until I lowered her !!!!
 
#15 ·
I have both.... see attached pic.

The vstar is by far the more comfortable cruiser of the two, but as others mentioned, it is underpowered, especially two up. I can go 300 miles in a day on the factory seat with the vstar, and about a tenth of that on the warrior factory seat. I do have a mustang for the warrior though which gives me the capability of going probably 200 miles without injury :)

All of that said, the warrior is a far better bike everywhere but cruising comfort. More torques, better handling, cool factor is WAAAAY better, and as a few guys already mentioned.... a mod machine. I ride the warrior whenever I can, whereas the vstar gets ridden when the wife wants to come along.

Justin
 

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#16 ·
Stilletto seat? I may have to check that out, do you know what brand it is? While I was able to deal with the
stock seat on the Vstar, I did replace it with a Mustang seat. Was a lot better for longer rides.

There's a few in the area new right around 8K, I might be able to talk them down a little. Maybe not 7K, but it
could be worth a try. The warranty would certainly be helpful and offer some reassurances. Of course, I imagine
some changes (read: mod) probably void the warranty!

With the Vstar there's no tach, but I imagine when I'm running 80 down the freeway I've got to be pushing close to
5 grand for RPMs. Sitting at a comfy 2,800 or so would be a really nice change!
 
#20 ·
The vstar gets buzzy above 65 or so.... the warrior gets buzzy above 80, so I am pretty sure you will rarely(if ever) notice it with the warrior if you were riding the vstar at 80mph :)

Fwiw, my right arm falls asleep on the vstar on the extended rides. It doesn't happen on the warrior, although my butt seems to fall asleep.

Justin
 
#21 ·
When cruising I usually settle in comfortably somewhere around 70-75 on the 650. I've had it faster, highest being 90ish, but I really don't run there very often or for long periods of time. I like the lower 70ish range. So in that sense the warrior should do just fine, with plenty of power to step up if needed for some reason.

So here's my dilemma, and I hope people don't steal this from me if it is a good deal... but I need some good, honest opinions here.

I've found a few warriors in my area for sell that could be decent deals.

The first is a new one. This is a 2009 on the lot. The dealer had it listed at $7,990 but conveniently the price has been changed to $8,990. I've emailed them to ask if they'd consider the lower price still or what the deal is. I might be able to trade in a couple of older quads too (this cleans up the garage and keeps me from having to sell them). Waiting to hear back. The big downfall here is that the dealer is 3+ hours away so it would be a drive to get there and back. Don't want to drive there for nothing.

Next up is a 2006. Appears to be completely stock with roughly 4000 miles on it. This is listed at $6,500 and is private party. Apparently he has to sell it (moving) so I might be able to negotiate this one down some more. Looks like a good deal to consider at least.

There's also one a bit further away with a few aftermarket parts (grips, bars, pipe) that is a 2006 with 9000 miles on it for $6,500.

Finally, there's one that's about two hours away. It's a 2006 as well, with aftermarket pipe and power commander and 11,000 miles. The owner talks good of the bike. My concern is his price - it's listed for $4,900! It really seems too good to be true - and you know what they say about that.

I'm thinking new would be the way to go - untinkered with, warranty, etc. The distance and price change has me concerned. The last one I listed seems like it could be a great buy - but I might be getting a lemon, right? The other two could be excellent alternatives.

Any suggestions, thoughts, etc? Keep in mind, I'm not a mechanic (computer nerd) and I don't have anyone in that area (mechanic) that I can really trust to inspect it. Even with that - they could miss something.
 
#22 ·
When cruising I usually settle in comfortably somewhere around 70-75 on the 650. I've had it faster, highest being 90ish, but I really don't run there very often or for long periods of time. I like the lower 70ish range. So in that sense the warrior should do just fine, with plenty of power to step up if needed for some reason.

So here's my dilemma, and I hope people don't steal this from me if it is a good deal... but I need some good, honest opinions here.

I've found a few warriors in my area for sell that could be decent deals.

The first is a new one. This is a 2009 on the lot. The dealer had it listed at $7,990 but conveniently the price has been changed to $8,990. I've emailed them to ask if they'd consider the lower price still or what the deal is. I might be able to trade in a couple of older quads too (this cleans up the garage and keeps me from having to sell them). Waiting to hear back. The big downfall here is that the dealer is 3+ hours away so it would be a drive to get there and back. Don't want to drive there for nothing.

Next up is a 2006. Appears to be completely stock with roughly 4000 miles on it. This is listed at $6,500 and is private party. Apparently he has to sell it (moving) so I might be able to negotiate this one down some more. Looks like a good deal to consider at least.

There's also one a bit further away with a few aftermarket parts (grips, bars, pipe) that is a 2006 with 9000 miles on it for $6,500.

Finally, there's one that's about two hours away. It's a 2006 as well, with aftermarket pipe and power commander and 11,000 miles. The owner talks good of the bike. My concern is his price - it's listed for $4,900! It really seems too good to be true - and you know what they say about that.

I'm thinking new would be the way to go - untinkered with, warranty, etc. The distance and price change has me concerned. The last one I listed seems like it could be a great buy - but I might be getting a lemon, right? The other two could be excellent alternatives.

Any suggestions, thoughts, etc? Keep in mind, I'm not a mechanic (computer nerd) and I don't have anyone in that area (mechanic) that I can really trust to inspect it. Even with that - they could miss something.
1) That dealer sounds shady already. And his second asking price is too much.
2) Both of those listed for $6500 are asking too much.
3) The one listed for $4900 is actually about right, maybe a tad low.

If you post the craigslist ads or whatever you used to find them, we can look them over for you and tell you what you're getting -everything but test ride it for you.

I kind of doubt the $4900 one is a lemon, but you never know.

To me, but I can fix stuff, I wouldn't pay a couple grand extra for a Warranty. But that's just me. I'd rather save that money and put the pipes I want on it, the bars I want etc. And we have tutorials on all of that here, so if you have some basic tools, you can do it. We've talked dozens of guys through installing bars etc.
 
#23 · (Edited)
Thanks for the quick response! I was thinking $4,900 sounded good.. but TOO good. I've even looked at Cycletrader.com for "all" warriors in the "nation" and none of them were this low for price (unless you get into the 2002/3).

The dealer one I found on Cycletrader, the others I found on CL. Here's the links:

2006, 9K, Some mods, $6200
2006 yamaha WARRIOR, 1700cc

2006, 4K, Stock, $6500
Yamaha Warrior 2006 sports mortorcycle Moving Need To Sell Soon

2006, 11K, Some mods, $4900
06 Yamaha Road Warrior 102ci
The ad says 9K, he corrected it over the phone right away so it didn't seem like he was hiding it. He also explained that the stock pipes are back on it, as the aftermarkets let it breathe too much and he said it really needs to the big air kit to take advantage of the pipe/power commander. He has new exhaust gaskets to put them back on.

As for mods, I can handle some of the basic stuff. I replaced the crush gaskets on the exhaust for the Vstar, along with jetting the carb, replaced the air intake setup and a few other things. It's more the internals that I'd have a problem with.
 
#24 ·
I paid $4000 for mine 3 years ago, so it's not really out of line.

None of those are are really modded, just some bolt on stuff, so I'm still liking the $4900 one.

Tons of guys use aftermarket pipes without a big air kit. That's a little weak. Especially since he basically downgraded the bike.

You really wouldn't ever have to work on the internals unless you're trying to build a top of the line bike. There's a member here who sells a big air kit that's top of the line. All you need is that, pipes and a fuel control module. After that its all modding fun.
 
#25 ·
Can you get a CARFAX on a motorcycle???

I like some of the options on the first one with the SpeedStar pipe but the $4900 one looks perfect.

MY big concern with any used bike is whether its been down/crashed or not. On the warrior, just about everything is bulletproof unless its been completely thrashed and abused. Even then, most things can be figured out and replaced with some time, patience, and basic hand tools.

The paint on the frame and swing arm is a semi metallic black. It is VERY even from the factory and it is very hard to match perfectly if its been repainted. If you go to look it over, check the neck, downtubes, rear frame where the swing arm attaches and the swing arm itself. If they all look mint and never touched up and the EXACT same shade of paint with no hint of a question, then I think you've found yourself a very good deal and should jump on it.
 
#26 ·
Interesting... a google search for 'carfax for motorcyle' yields the following: Motorcycle VIN Check | Motorbike Vehicle Identification Number Lookup | Motorcycle History Reports | CycleVIN

Not sure how reliable - but interesting none the less.

I think you guys have me going back to my original idea - checking out the one for 4900. My thought is to do the following:
1) Check out the one for 6500
2) Check out one in Albany (almost 7k$ and 18k miles)
3) Check out the one for 4900

My thinking isn't to buy (1) or (2) but to have something I can actually compare #3 with. Since I haven' t been around these yet I'd like to see, hear, ride a few first so I can better compare them!
 
#28 ·
Yeah, not too surprised about that. May not ride the one for 6500 but #2 is at a dealer. They should let me ride it first... Option 3 I can have money for.

We'll see.

Oh the dealer (for the new bike) got back to me - apparently Yamaha had a 1K rebate offer which is why the price was lower. It ended on 12/31.
 
#32 ·
If the 2006 bike with 4k miles is in top shape... what would you be willing to give? They are asking 6500, but also say they are moving soon.

I'm going to see about checking that one out and then depending on how flexible they are/aren't I'll look at going to the other.. we'll see.
 
#33 ·
I kind of like the first one with 9K on it. It's got a Yamaha Speedstar pipe which is awesome, has some sort of big air kit since the right side cover is gone, probably has a tuner, nice bars, etc.. He's asking $6200, I would think you could get it for about $5,500 or so.

The one with 4K is all stock, so I think he is way high on price, personally wouldn't go higher than $5000 for it.

The last one for $4900 seems like a good deal too, although it will need some intake help, which is not hard at all.

Looks like you could do pretty well on any of them as long as they are a little flexible on price.

Lastly, I disagree with Justinn about the Warrior being comfortable. I put a Corbin rumbleseat on mine and I can do 500 miles in a day no problem at all. Windscreen helps too.

Good luck, let us know what you decide...
 
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