VSOC qualifying bikes list updated
Hi all,
We’ve recently carried out a major update to the Qualifying Bikes section of the VSOC website.
Over the years Yamaha produced an enormous number of models that fall within the wider Virago and Star family, and the further we looked into it, the more we realised that our existing list didn’t tell the whole story.
Why have we updated the list?
One of the biggest complications is that Yamaha often sold essentially the same motorcycle under different names in different parts of the world.
For example, the XV1600 was sold in Europe as the Wild Star, while in North America and Japan it became the Road Star. The same thing happened with the Drag Star and V Star ranges: European and Japanese riders may know a bike as a Drag Star, while an American owner knows the equivalent model as a V Star.
Then there are all the different factory variants – Classic, Custom, Silverado, Midnight, S, Tourer and many more.
That made us wonder how many qualifying motorcycles might not have been obvious from our old list.
Going right back to the beginning
The Virago story itself reaches back to the early 1980s and Yamaha’s original XV Special models.
The XV family didn’t only produce cruisers either. Yamaha also developed sporting machines such as the XV750E, XV920R and XV1000 TR1, all of which share their heritage with the early XV range and are eligible for the VSOC.
As the years went on, the family grew considerably.
The familiar Virago models were followed by the Drag Star and V Star ranges, then larger machines including the Wild Star, Road Star, Warrior, Midnight Star, Roadliner, Stratoliner and Raider.
There is also the V4 side of the family, including the original Venture and Venture Royale, followed by the Royal Star, Royal Star Venture and Tour Deluxe models.
And, of course, our qualifying bikes also include Yamaha’s legendary V-Max and VMAX, together with the BT1100 Bulldog.
Japanese and American models
Another important part of the update was making sure we included motorcycles that were never officially sold in the UK but have subsequently arrived here as imports.
There are some particularly interesting Japanese-market bikes, including the:
- XV400 Special
- XV400 Virago
- XVS250 Drag Star
- XVS400 Drag Star
- XVS400C Drag Star Classic
We’ve also expanded the North American side of the list to include the many Road Star, Silverado, Midnight, Raider, Roadliner, Stratoliner, Eluder and Star Venture variants that occasionally find their way across the Atlantic.
So, if you own a grey import or an American-market Yamaha, you should now have a much better chance of finding the exact model or an appropriate equivalent on the list.
What about trikes?
Nothing has changed there.
Any trike derived from one of our qualifying Yamaha motorcycles is also welcome in the VSOC.
Take a look at the updated list
The new Qualifying Bikes page is now arranged into easy-to-read model families and includes alternative names and regional variations where they are useful.
You can see the complete updated list here:
https://vsoc.org.uk/club-history/qualifying-bikes/
We’ve tried to make the list as comprehensive as possible, but Yamaha has produced a remarkable number of models, special editions and regional variations over the years.
If you have a Yamaha that you believe should qualify but you can’t see it listed, please get in touch. We’d much rather investigate an unusual model than have somebody think their bike isn’t welcome simply because of the name on the tank or the country it originally came from.
Hopefully the updated page will also make an interesting reference for existing members – there are certainly a few models in there that some of us may never have come across before!