Total Motorcycle Community Forums

I’ve narrowed my choices to the Honda Spirit 750 and the Yamaha V Star 650 Custom. I’m leaning more to the V Star because from everything I have read it is a good beginner bike and easy to maintain. (I have no mechanical skills and would be taking it to a shop for everything) But I have heard that the air cooled is inferior to water cooled systems and am worried about the bike overheating. Am I worrying about nothing or is this a valid concern therefore leading me back to the spirit?

They are still producing air cooled engines so they must be doing something right. I much prefer air cooled engines as they look much nicer and are less maintenance. Of all my years on air cooled bikes I have never overheated one.

Just like Buzz once said, you see both riding through the desert all the time, so you know they both work. The water-cooled will just keep it at an ambient temperature. If you have to commute through some heavy traffic, water-cooled might be the way. I had an air-cooled bike with no problems.

I have an 05 Custom and am very happy with it. Never had a problem with it overheating in 95 degree weather. It handles very well and has more than enough power to run at 75 mph all day.

I, too, am a newbie thinking about buying my first bike. I have my motorcycle certification. I, too, have considered the air-cooled vs liquid-cooled issue. I am leaning towards the Yamaha V-Star 650 over the Honda VLX. Now, to make matters worse, instead of buying a new bike, I have considered buying a used Rebel 250. I thought I could to cut my teeth on it for a year or two. What do people think? Thanks for any replies.

The Rebel is a good bike in it's own right.

My girlfriend has a 450 Rebel as her first bike. Altho a wee bit small for my 6 ft frame, it fits her great and can keep up on group runs....just takes her a bit longer to get up to speed. I'd recommend one for a beginner....

Doubt there would be much trouble with an aircooled engine on a cruiser. harleys are still all air cooled save for the V-Rod, and you dont hear about them overheating.

If we were talking aircooled sport bike then there could be some issue in slow traffic in hot weather (I've heard Ducati Monsters overheat in slow traffic pretty easy).

Should be fine on an air-cooled cruiser unless you live your life commuting on your bike in crappy traffic, for extended periods where there's no wind to cool the block.

If that's what I had to ride through, I'd rather leave the bike at home, though.

I've never owned a liquid-cooled bike, and never had a problem.

V-Star on the wayyyyyy... LOL