The V Star 1100 was Yamaha’s North American cruiser nameplate for the model that was sold in many markets as the XVS1100 Drag Star. It arrived for the 1999 model year as part of Yamaha’s growing Star cruiser family, building on the company’s earlier mid-size V-twin platform but giving it a more relaxed long-and-low American cruiser look. Yamaha positioned it as a roadgoing V-twin with broad appeal: approachable in size, easy to ride, and styled to fit the custom-cruiser market that was booming at the end of the 1990s.
Over time, the nameplate expanded into several familiar cruiser variants rather than a single trim. The lineup included the standard Custom, the more dressed-up Classic, and later the Silverado and Midnight editions, each aimed at different tastes within the same core platform. That variety helped the 1100 become one of Yamaha’s most recognizable Star models in the U.S. and Canada.
Historically, the V Star 1100 sits at an important transition point in Yamaha cruiser history. It carried the company from the Virago-era middleweight V-twins into the Star-branded cruiser family that later grew to include larger touring-oriented machines and, eventually, the V Star 1300. Yamaha’s own historical materials describe the model as a strong seller in North America during its run, and the nameplate appears to have remained in the lineup through the 2009 model year before being phased out. Enthusiasts remember it as a durable, characterful mid-size cruiser that blended classic styling with everyday usability, and as one of the bikes that established Yamaha as a serious player in the American-style cruiser segment.