Beginner with a V-star 1100cc !!!!

[blues2cruise]

I know a couple of women whose first bike was an 1100 V-Star. They managed fine. Of course, they had taken the motorcycle classes first...so by the time they got on their own bikes, they knew how to shift.

I started on a 650 because I personally did not want the extra weight of an 1100...but, hey...if a person has the strength for that extra weight, and is repsectful of the throttle, an 1100 V-Star can be manageable.

[jonnythan]

Draining the tank is a good way to get it to rust out.

Relying on Stabil for too long is a good way to gum up the carbs. It's only a temporary solution

It is only temporary, but Stabil will work fine for 1-2 years depending on how much you use. If the bike is going to be sitting for longer than 2 years, I'd suggest doing something with it *besides* just storing it away...

Never let a fuel tank sit empty for long periods of time. It *will* rust on the inside, and fixing that sucks way more than draining/refilling it once every year or two.

Oh, it's also a very good idea to take the spark plugs out and spray a little fogging oil inside the cylinders (then replace the spark plugs). This helps prevent the cylinder heads from rusting.