1985Yamaha XV 700 Virago

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The 1985 Yamaha XV 700 Virago is a Japanese cruiser. It uses a 699cc air-cooled four-stroke V-twin making 56 hp and 58.8 Nm, driving through a 5-speed gearbox. It weighs 225 kg dry and has a 13-litre tank and a 710 mm seat.

Capacity: 699.0 ccm
Engine: V-Twin, four-stroke
Gearbox: 5-speed
Dry weight: 225.0 kg
Seat height: 710 mm
Power: 56.0 HP (40.9 kW) @ 7000 RPM

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Other years 1985 1986

How it rides

Editorial estimate from the spec sheet - not lab tested

Off-road & trail5%

Cornering25%

City riding40%

Daily riding45%

Touring55%

Two-up50%

Track10%

Best for: Cruiser built for its class - everyday, practical use.
Built for: A cruiser from Yamaha, built around a 699cc engine - a real production model, but this profile is formula-generated from its class and spec sheet rather than individually reviewed.
Not ideal for: Not for serious performance or off-road use.

Scores are derived from the spec sheet using the same model across every bike, so they compare like for like.

Will it fit you?

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Your height

Inseam (optional)

Units

At 710mm, a rider of 68.9" with a 31" (estimated) inseam will reach the ground with both feet flat on the 1985 Yamaha XV 700 Virago, with a moderate knee angle of around 115 degrees and an upright riding position.

Assumes about 30mm of suspension sag once seated. This is an approximation from category-typical geometry, not a measurement of this bike or of you - sit on one before you buy.

More bikes at 750 mm or under — Short Kings →

Find bikes that fit your height →

Reliability & safety

Bike Reliability score, safety recalls and owner complaints

Bike Reliability

How the score works →

out of 100Below average

The Yamaha XV 700 Virago passed its annual roadworthiness test first time 81.8% of the time, 2.2 points below expected for bikes of the same age and mileage. That beats 39% of models.

Bikes first registered in 1985 have 81 tests, too few for their own score, so this covers every year.

81.8%Passed first time

10.8%Failed outright

7.4%Fixed during test

19,000Typical miles

269Tests

Pass rate by miles ridden

0-10k

83.7%

10-20k

88.5%

20-30k

77.9%

30-40k

82.4%

All years of this model.

Against its rivals · ranks 4 of 6

#	Model (all years)	Score	Tests
1	Honda VF 750 C	64 Good	4,019
2	Honda VT750C Shadow	59 Average	1,598
3	Yamaha XV750 Virago	54 Average	13,472
4	Yamaha XV 700 Virago	39 Below average	269
5	Kawasaki ZL 600	35 Below average	428
6	Suzuki LS 650 Savage	34 Below average	2,048

Rivals are the most-viewed bikes on MotorcycleDB in the same category and engine size, from within three years of this model.

From British annual roadworthiness tests, 2005-2025. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (DVSA MOT test data, Great Britain). How Bike Reliability works.