Yamaha Virago 1100

The 1063cc V-twin pulls hard from 3,500 rpm with a satisfying mechanical thump that doesn't try to fake Harley thunder — it has its own voice, and I respect that. Shaft drive is genuinely brilliant for a cruiser; zero chain fuss over 30,000 kilometres, and the driveline lurch on gear changes smooths out once you learn to roll off the throttle properly. At 238 kg she's not light, but the low 735mm seat saves you at slow-speed parking lot manoeuvres, and the geometry is stable enough that 160 km/h on the highway feels planted rather than nervous. The weak points are real though: the front single disc is embarrassingly inadequate for the bike's weight, the carb icing in cold damp weather is a genuine curse, and those early fork seals weep oil like they're being paid to do it.

The Gen 2 Virago 1100 is the bike I've put the most unglamorous miles on — commutes, weekend blasts, a few interstate hauls — and it never once made me feel like it was fighting me. That 1063cc V-twin pulls hard from around 2,500 rpm with a satisfying grunt, not the chest-thumping thunder of a Harley, but a smooth, mechanical confidence that makes overtaking effortless. The revised carburetion over the first-gen is genuinely better in the real world: less stumble, cleaner throttle response at partial openings, though cold starts on a chilly morning still demand patience and a few minutes of warm-up. Where it falls short is honestly in refinement — the suspension is competent but feels underdamped on broken pavement at speed, and that 243 kg wet weight becomes a real conversation when you're doing a slow U-turn in a car park.