@ Bubba Kahuna, well....you are confirming my thoughts precisely.
The twin 32mm carbs (free-air set-up) on the 1100 when synced & jetted to a good open exhaust is a pretty fast bike for it's displacement.
Right off idle mine pulls, much better than the Road Star I road.
Thanks for your input!

Rick

So here is my take....

Ive owned about 13 or so different bikes everything from small, large, and all out touring sport bikes and small and larger cruisers from ALL of the Japanese brands and even some harleys from friends and my uncle who has a duece and an ultra. I've also ridden many other bikes for miles and miles. The bikes I've owned: 95 GSXR 750, 00 CBR 600F4, 04 sv650, 05 R1, 05 FZ1, 06 zx10, 07 zx-14, 08 concours c14, 98 Magna, 99 Magna, 00 Roadstar, 03 Mean Streak, 04 Roadstar(I know im forgetting something lol) Also ridden and spent alot of time on: 05 VTX1800(friend), 04 VTX1300(borther in laws), 07 Vstar 1100(boss), 09 M109R(cousin), harley 00 deuce & 08 Ultra(uncles bikes), 09 Stratoliner (best friend), 13 fatboy(friend), and 15 Road Glide Special(dealer bike)

I think that I'm probably one of the unique guys in this group. There are only a few of us on here who have really experienced real power, brakes, and handling in a motorcycle which honestly....... the roadstar just doesn't have in comparison to many other motorcycles. If you are looking for a bigger bike that would flat out outrun the vstar 1100 and leave it in the dust the roadstar isn't going to do that. If i was to recommend a bike that fit that bill for an affordable price, I would recommend either a VTX1800, roadliner/stratoliner, or M109R. The roadstar doesn't come close to performance in comparison to either one of those bikes. Yes the roadstar definitely gives you more power on the interstate especially than the vstar but because of the way the vstar is gear it has plenty power around town. I ride my bosses vstar all the time, I actually found the bike for him on Craigslist, went with him to buy it, and rode it home for him 20 miles or so.

The thing about the roadstar is this..... I wanted to build a custom Metric bagger and when I looked around for a bike to build it out of being the most powerful cruiser wasn't what I was looking for. What I wanted was:

A) had aftermarket parts available to build the bike I wanted
It was comfortable for me and my wife around town, on long rides, and fit me well
C) It was a reliable motorcycle with low maintenance
D) Put a big smile on my face every time I started her up, revved the engine, and gave me that "big boy bad ass feel" when I pulled up to bike night

Well for me, the Roadstar does EVERYTHING I just listed. It puts a smile on my face every time I ride it and is one of the coolest bikes I've ever built. No, its not even close to being a fast bike. Brakes and lean angle are really terrible (probably not that bad for a big cruiser but still terrible) but I love it and it just gives you that "feeling" that is irreplaceable. It's kind of like what my uncle described when he was describing the harleys he owned. He knows that for the price you could buy a far superior bike with better handling and performance but its about that "feeling" you get when you through your leg over the saddle, crank it up, and hear her roar! It's all in what you like man and finding a bike that just "does it" for you!

If the roadstar doesn't do it for you, ride some of the bikes I was talking about. You will definitely find the right one for you even if it isn't a roadstar.

Just my $0.02

Grant

Loved my V Star. Nimble, fast and good on fuel. Road star, heavy, loud and ... comfortable. If I drop the hammer, it's a mover. I prefer the weight and size profile of the Road Star as it feels like a lot more machine underneath my 170 lb 5' 8" frame. In the end, rolling down the highway, do not feel as worn out as I did with the V Star. The big Ed Touring seat with the sheer weight of the bike firmly planted is the deal for me. For 2 up the torque comes in handy as the Road Star is a stump puller. It's all in what a person is looking for in a bike. I was looking for a air cooled, single pin, push rod engine retro cruiser. If the V Star had the Road Star type engine I would still have it. Single pin crank with pipes is the noise I want to hear.

What exactly do you want? The Roadstar is a cruiser built to be comfortable on long rides, with enough torque to pull hard at highway speed inorder to pass cars without down shifting first. With stock pulleys 33T and 70T the Roadstar does a fabulous job. Now some want a little more standing start performance and they opt for the 31T/70T set up but when running at Interstate speeds it can get a little buzzy. If you are looking for crotch-rocket performance look else where you aren't going to get it in the Roadstar form.

Different bikes do different things. I had the predecessor to the vstar 1100, the Virago 1100. yes they are quick as hell, but buzzy as hell on the highway. That's the only reason I dropped the virago some years back. That old bike would pull the front wheel off the ground in a snap. As someone mentioned, the parts for those models (virago and vstar 1100) are just very hard to source, or they are expensive as hell.

I have my roadie fairly close to stock in performance and I have no issue at all with the power of the bike.

blueverclear wrote:
So here is my take....

Ive owned about 13 or so different bikes everything from small, large, and all out touring sport bikes and small and larger cruisers from ALL of the Japanese brands and even some harleys from friends and my uncle who has a duece and an ultra. I've also ridden many other bikes for miles and miles. The bikes I've owned: 95 GSXR 750, 00 CBR 600F4, 04 sv650, 05 R1, 05 FZ1, 06 zx10, 07 zx-14, 08 concours c14, 98 Magna, 99 Magna, 00 Roadstar, 03 Mean Streak, 04 Roadstar(I know im forgetting something lol) Also ridden and spent alot of time on: 05 VTX1800(friend), 04 VTX1300(borther in laws), 07 Vstar 1100(boss), 09 M109R(cousin), harley 00 deuce & 08 Ultra(uncles bikes), 09 Stratoliner (best friend), 13 fatboy(friend), and 15 Road Glide Special(dealer bike)

I think that I'm probably one of the unique guys in this group. There are only a few of us on here who have really experienced real power, brakes, and handling in a motorcycle which honestly....... the roadstar just doesn't have in comparison to many other motorcycles. If you are looking for a bigger bike that would flat out outrun the vstar 1100 and leave it in the dust the roadstar isn't going to do that. If i was to recommend a bike that fit that bill for an affordable price, I would recommend either a VTX1800, roadliner/stratoliner, or M109R. The roadstar doesn't come close to performance in comparison to either one of those bikes. Yes the roadstar definitely gives you more power on the interstate especially than the vstar but because of the way the vstar is gear it has plenty power around town. I ride my bosses vstar all the time, I actually found the bike for him on Craigslist, went with him to buy it, and rode it home for him 20 miles or so.

The thing about the roadstar is this..... I wanted to build a custom Metric bagger and when I looked around for a bike to build it out of being the most powerful cruiser wasn't what I was looking for. What I wanted was:

A) had aftermarket parts available to build the bike I wanted
It was comfortable for me and my wife around town, on long rides, and fit me well
C) It was a reliable motorcycle with low maintenance
D) Put a big smile on my face every time I started her up, revved the engine, and gave me that "big boy bad ass feel" when I pulled up to bike night

Well for me, the Roadstar does EVERYTHING I just listed. It puts a smile on my face every time I ride it and is one of the coolest bikes I've ever built. No, its not even close to being a fast bike. Brakes and lean angle are really terrible (probably not that bad for a big cruiser but still terrible) but I love it and it just gives you that "feeling" that is irreplaceable. It's kind of like what my uncle described when he was describing the harleys he owned. He knows that for the price you could buy a far superior bike with better handling and performance but its about that "feeling" you get when you through your leg over the saddle, crank it up, and hear her roar! It's all in what you like man and finding a bike that just "does it" for you!

If the roadstar doesn't do it for you, ride some of the bikes I was talking about. You will definitely find the right one for you even if it isn't a roadstar.

Just my $0.02

Grant

Well said. It's why I own a Roadstar also.

I have owned both.
I like both the V Star1100 or the Roadstar. Both are great bikes.

Great insights here from just about everyone, personal experiences, and preferences are definitely what bike choice is all about.
So, that said I have to say what got me thinking Road Star in the 1st place.
1- I like simplicity, air cooled twins are that
2- I was thinking at 600cc increase over my V-Star there HAS to be something for me there.
3- Reasonable price on a Road Star in that size category over all the others.
4- Really want to stay away from bikes that are water cooled, and or injected.(simplicity)

So, I guess it's just me, thinking it was every bit as good as my V-Star BUT 50% better in power delivery through-out the RPM band.
I was just thinking 1700 versus 1100, no contest....but it seems there is a contest after all.

Thanks to those who told it like it is.

Rick

Youse guys must be a bunch of skinny Minnies!

With my ample behind there is no comparison.

Now, fellas, I've been on this forum for nearly ten years...admittedly I have not done much to my 05...Cobra pipes, rejetted carb, K&N filter and cover...so I profess no particular expertise in modding the bike...BUT...I'm thinking you all, collectively, missed the chance to tell Piston Scuffer how things are done the RSC way...

See, Piston Scuffer, what you need to do is, first, tear your bike down to the last nut and bolt...then you need to frangle your zazzer, wrench your spizzooo, install a liquid cooled blandfer, torque your muzzajiggy and dampen your gotztahazit...

Next reassemble your bike and enjoy the heck out of it...it's the RSC Way

Did I miss anything guys?