I am an ordinary guy who enjoys riding motorcycles. I love riding all makes and models. I love short rides, long rides, and multi-day road trips. I lead an annual summer tour in various parts of the USA. I post reviews about motorcycle gear, motorcycles, roads, restaurants, sights, gadgets and more. Check out the "Motorcycle Facts,Trivia and History" page, the "Oz on Pods" page and the other pages for other useful and fun information. Ride carefully and Prayerfully, Oz.
Showing posts with label Yamaha VStar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Yamaha VStar. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

A Scenic Road and A Great Meal:: CO 165 and Max’s Place

 

Heading west on CO 165 from I25 - the view is awesome
 

After a satisfying ride, a hearty meal seems almost essential, and when you're riding through Colorado, you're never short on breathtaking roads. With their twists, turns, hills, and stunning landscapes, the state offers some of the best routes for motorcyclists. While finding a great road is relatively easy, discovering a local eatery that serves up fantastic food can be more of a challenge. But when you do find that perfect spot, it’s definitely worth sharing.

Max's has plenty of parking and outdoor seating with a view
 

One such place is the 36-mile stretch of Colorado 165, which runs from Colorado 96 near North Hardscrabble Creek to I-25 in Colorado City. This stretch of CO 165 is a true joy to ride, featuring a mix of sweeping curves, tight bends, and changing elevations.

CO 165 is a fun and scenic road

Co 165 also will lead you pass Bishop’s Castle—an intriguing stop that’s well worth a visit. And after enjoying the ride, be sure to end or start your journey at Max’s, located in Colorado City.

Bishop's Castle is a fun and interesting stop along the way

Max’s sits on the north side of the road as you head east into Colorado City, with plenty of parking available. The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor seating options. If you opt for the outdoor area, you’ll enjoy a lovely southwest-facing view of the mountains.

The service at Max’s Place is quick, friendly, and filled with that classic country hospitality. Although the menu highlights breakfast, burgers, and dairy treats, I couldn’t resist trying the Green Chili—a dish that’s hard to come by in Texas.

The green chili is tasty and satisfying

The bowl of Green Chili arrived hot (but not too spicy), topped with shredded cheddar and accompanied by a soft flour tortilla. The first spoonful was a revelation—no need to add anything. The blend of ground meat, beans, spices, tomatoes, and green chilies created a rich, flavorful dish with just the right amount of heat.

The tortilla complemented the chili perfectly. Savoring each bite while taking in the view made for a memorable lunch. And to finish the meal, I couldn’t resist the fresh-baked blueberry pie à la mode.

The pie was served warm, with a generous scoop of soft-serve ice cream on top. The flaky crust and rich blueberry filling made it a standout—one of those rare pies that could stand on its own, even without the ice cream.

Blueberry pie and ice cream was a perfect end to the meal

What really made the meal special, however, was the value. The old-fashioned service and cooking were matched by equally old-fashioned prices. It’s hard to find this level of qualityfor the same price.  It was a great value.

So, if you’re ever riding through the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, make sure to check out Colorado 165, and don’t miss a stop at Max’s in Colorado City.

Ride carefully and prayerfully!    
  
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* I have personally ordered from and/or visited these businesses and based on my experiences I recommend this company.  I have an affiliate relationship with the businesses, which means if you follow this link and purchase, I will receive a small commission and will get to ride more!
 
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"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6 

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Yamaha Motorcycle Milestone

On Saturday April 24, 2010 at 10:20 on TX 5 at the south edge of Howe, TX my 2003 VStar 1100 reached 100,000 miles!
100,000 miles on an air-cooled v-twin

It was a pretty spring day in Texas
Just wanted to share the milestone.  Bike is running great although I have a small oil leak that I am trying to track down.  I think I know where it is and how to fix it, now I just need to do it.

I decided to "celebrate" by take one the best roads in our area to Sherman, where I had a scheduled meeting with the area Christian Motorcyclists Association (CMA) leadership.  I continued north on TX 5 into Howe where I turned east on FM 902.  There is a nice duo of sweeping curves a little way out of Howe and the small country road is in good shape and lightly traveled.

FM 902 end in Tom Bean where in intersects TX 11.  I turned east for one block and then turned north on FM 2729 and head to FM 697 known as Old Ida road.  Old Ida road is an eleven mile stretch of great curves and hills with some great views of the area.  I missed about 3-4 miles of the eastern most part of FM 697 but I greatly enjoyed the ride.

It was a pretty day and there was no traffic.  I even pulled a U-turn to go back and take some pictures of the donkeys that were grazing.  There was a herd of about 20.  I have seen a lot of donkey, but it just seemed like a good time for a photo.
Momma and baby away from the herd
FM 697 a great road in the NT area.
FM 697 is not the Tail of the Dragon, but it is a great road and I enjoyed the celebration of the milestone by dragging some floorboards on the curves and enjoying the scenery.
 
Ride carefully and prayerfully!    
  
Connect and follow Biker Oz on the following:

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Ordinary Biker Oz YouTube Channel has video reviews and more
Please visit the following great companies:

 

* I have personally ordered from and/or visited these businesses and based on my experiences I recommend this company.  I have an affiliate relationship with the businesses, which means if you follow this link and purchase, I will receive a small commission and will get to ride more!
 
Feedback on these businesses is appreciated.  You may comment below.
 
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6 

 

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Yamaha V Star 1100 Review



There are many good cruisers for beginners on the market today.  When I look back at all the bikes I have ridden one of the all time favorite cruisers was my 2003 Yamaha V Star 1100.  It was my second motorcycle, but the one I kept for the longest until recently.  The Yamaha V Star 1100 is the bike I rode the most miles.

Below is a review I posted in 2009 about the V Star 1100.  I have added some details at the end of the original post.


I ride a 2003 Yamaha V Star 1100 Silverado. I bought it used in March 2005 and it had less than 14,000 miles. Well, as of today (September 16, 2009) it has just over 92,000 miles. The picture above was taken July 17, 2009 in Vicksburg, MS near the Mississippi River Bridge. I was on my way home from Florida.

I have greatly enjoyed the bike. The ride is smooth and the handling is awesome. Due to the low center of gravity and quality engineering making tight U-turns, quick swerves, or riding aggressively in the twisties is smooth and very comfortable. I never feel like the bike is going to fall over or get away from me.

The engine is good, although I rejetted it and put K & M pod air filters on it in order to increase the power. I am not for sure why Yamaha designed the engine in such a way that there is a lot of untapped power, but they did. The power is still good and I can roll on the throttle to pass when I need to. I even have a trailer that I pull with the bike. I pulled it on a 12-day trip from Texas to Colorado and through the mountains. The bike never faltered.

I currently have a Mustang seat and pillion, but in all honesty I wish I still had my stock seat. I loved the way it felt. The position of the floorboards are very comfortable and allow a lot of foot movement and placement options, which is nice on those long rides.

Overall the question is, "Would I buy a V Star 1100 again?" I answer with a resounding "Yes!"

The bike is great and is an incredible good value for the price!

Additional info:
I sold the cruiser in May of 2010 with 110,000+ miles on the odometer.  It was still running strong.

While I had the bike I changed grips and added handlebar risers whick I purchased through J and P Cycles


Finally, would I say the Yamaha V Star 1100 is a good beginner motorcycle?  Yes, but it is also a good motorcycle for experienced riders.    It has a low center of gravity and is one of the best handling motorcycles I have ever ridden.  Shame that Yamaha does it make the V Star 1100 anymore.

Ride carefully and prayerfully! 

  
Connect and follow Biker Oz on the following:

        https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009663932095

Ordinary Biker Oz YouTube Channel has video reviews and more
Please visit the following great companies:

 

* I have personally ordered from and/or visited these businesses and based on my experiences I recommend this company.  I have an affiliate relationship with the businesses, which means if you follow this link and purchase, I will receive a small commission and will get to ride more!
 
Feedback on these businesses is appreciated.  You may comment below.
 
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6