If one bought a 2005 Yamaha V Star Classic how much maintenance would it need if one drove it several times a week?

The maintenance requirements for the V-Star 1100 can best be characterized as relatively frequent and expensive for two reasons: 1) the engine dates to the original Virago of 1981; and 2) ease-of-maintenace has been sacrificed in favor of the current cruiser design asthetic.

The biggest issue you'll face with this aging engine is that it uses threaded valve adjusters which require frequent adjustment. The service interval on the V-Star is every 4000 miles and comes at a typical dealer cost of $350. As a comparison, modern engines that use shim-under bucket valve adjusters often have service intervals as high as 16,000 miles, while those with hydraulic adjusters (e.g., Honda Aero) never need adjusting.

To illustrate the negative impact the V-Star's design has had on ease-of-maintenance, try changing the oil. On a typical motorcycle, you remove the drain plug, spin off the filter, spin on a new filter, replace the plug and fill it, a simple 10 minute job you can do in your driveway. On the V-Star, you start by putting the bike on a lift, removing the exhaust pipes at the manifold so that you can gain access to the case that you remove to find the oil filter. Count on paying over a $100 for this procedure alone. Other jobs that are simple on most bikes are oddly difficult (and expensive) on the V-Star, particularly the Classic. For example, I've watched a dealer remove the rear fender just to change the rear tire.

If driving several times a week amounts to 150 miles, in a year you would need two full services at a cost of about $700. You'll definitely go through a back tire, and probably a front which totals another $300 to $400. If maintenance costs are an important consideration, just about any other bike made in the last 10 years would be a better choice than the V-Star Classic. I know, I just sold two V-Stars that my wife and I put a combined 30K miles on.