So I got obsessed with finding a decent old-school cruiser lately. Read tons online till my eyes crossed, but nothing beats actually turning wrenches and saddling up, right? Figured I’d start closest to home – my buddy Dave’s barn had this dusty, neglected 1982 Yamaha XV750 tucked away. Looked rough.
The Great Barn Rescue
First step: drag it out. That thing was heavier than it looked. Battery was long gone, obviously dead as a doornail. Tried kicking it over, just for kicks. Nothing. Not even a cough. Okay, deep breath. Pulled the plugs – crusty. Cleaned ’em up best I could with what I had (mostly wire brush and hope). Drained the ancient, smelly gas out of the tank. It looked like bad iced tea. Flushed it a couple times, poured in some fresh juice. Checked the oil – surprisingly okay, but thick. Figured it needed changing later.
Cleaned the points carefully – lots of crust there too. Got some spark! Well, a weak one. Hooked up a jump pack to Dave’s truck. Held my breath, hit the starter button. Chugga… chugga… chugga… VROOM! She coughed, sputtered nasty blue smoke like a dragon waking up, then settled into this lumpy, uneven idle. Sounded awesome… in that shaky, needs-work kind of way. It ran! Briefly. Died after maybe ten seconds.
The Shopping (& Flipping) Phase
Okay, Yamaha felt… potential-y. But what else is out there? Hit the local used bike spots and marketplace ads.
- Kawasaki KZ750 LTD: Found a ’78. Looked cleaner. Easier start, honestly. Throttle was snappy. But riding it? Felt kinda cramped for me (I’m 6’1″). Handling felt twitchy compared to the Yamaha’s more laid-back vibe. Also, vibed bad through the bars at highway speeds. Made my hands tingle after 20 minutes. Nope.
- Honda CM450: ’83 model. Oh man, starts like a dream every time. Honda magic. Super smooth. Almost boring smooth? Handling felt lighter, but… I dunno. Didn’t have the grunt I wanted. Trying to pass a slow car uphill felt like begging. Good commuter maybe, but lacking soul for my taste.
- Suzuki GS750: Found an ’82! UJM style, not really a cruiser, but kept popping up in searches. Way more powerful! Felt fast. Too fast for the flimsy feeling front brake. Scared me a little honestly. Felt more twitchy and high-strung than the relaxed cruiser feel I craved. Cool bike, just not that bike.
The Rebuild & Real Test
Kept thinking about the Yamaha. Back to Dave’s barn. Decided to commit. Over a few weekends:
- Drained that old oil. Nasty.
- New plugs.
- Tore apart and cleaned the carbs – holy carb gunk, Batman! Found some cruddy jets. Cleaned every tiny hole I could find.
- Adjusted the valves – slightly noisy exhaust ones.
- Fixed a small fuel leak at one petcock.
- Put new tires on the old rims – those old cracked ones were dangerous.
Started it again. Better! Idle smoothed out a bit. Still shook like crazy at idle (what V-twin doesn’t?), but once moving? Lovely thump.
Took it on a proper 50-mile loop – backroads, some highway. That steering is slowww. Takes muscle. But so stable. Engine pulls strong low down. Feels planted. The vibes? Still there, but they kinda fade into the background once you’re rolling. Seating position perfect for my height. That V-twin rumble… the others didn’t have it like this.
The Winner For Me
Look, finding any vintage bike that runs reliably is a win. The Honda was smooth. The Kawasaki started easy. The Suzuki was quick. But for just… riding? Feeling like you’re part of the machine? The 1982 Yamaha XV750, even with all its shakes and grumbles and needing constant tinkering, felt right. Felt like the heart of a proper cruiser. Yeah, parts are a hunt sometimes, and it ain’t perfect. But that character? The others I tried, they just weren’t it.
If you want dead reliable, Honda. If you want cheap speed, Suzuki. If you want light and flickable? Maybe that Kawasaki. But if you want that old-school, thumping, slightly temperamental V-twin cruiser vibe… gotta hunt down an XV. That’s the one that stuck with me.