I ended up getting the 1300vstar custom and added the crash bars on it. I paid a little over 12,000.  have put about 400 miles on it and have enjoyed every mile. Much more power than the 02 1100 I had. I have used the saddle bags a bunch 2. the only hting I don;t like is the mirrors. I want to get ones with just a flat glas so I can actually tell the distance that an object is. Any suggestions?   Thanx for the other responses.  

I HAVE RODE ALOT OF BIKES AND THEY ALL SEEM TO HAVE VIBRATION IN THE MIRRORS, WHICH MAKES IT HARD TO TELL WHAT IS BEHIND YOU AT TIMES.  I WAS HOPING TO CACTH YOU BEFORE YOUR PURCHASE I FOUND A NEW 2006 VTX 1800 FOR $8300. HONDA OF RUSSELLVILLE.   THERE ARE ALSO SOME KILLER DEALS ON EBAY.  BE CAREFUL, IF you CAN'T BE CAREFUL, BE SAFE.......  

I have a V star 1300 that I bought about a month ago. For the money (8800.00) It kicks but on the sportster. You get a lot more bike here. It has TONS of power. You can cruise at 80MPH all day or run it up to around 125mph.
If I had one gripe it would be the intregal speedo, which, kinda makes customizing in the handle bar area (bones and such) difficult. And, the handle bars are a little low for me, but, I'm 6'3", so others may find them fine.
Other than that, I love every thing about it. It handles like a dream. Its been about 20yrs since my last bike (Suzuki GS1000) but, within a few miles of the bike shop I was right at home. Has anyone tried smokin the rear yet???  I wonder how that belt drive thingy would hold up.  

I suggest going to an event that offers demo rides and ride the bikes you are considering.
You can learn so much more about each bike with just a short ride around town.
I use vintage motorcycle days locally,to get a good idea of the new bikes available.
Each has it's own feel,and ride characteristics,that each rider should explore before plunking down your hard earned cash.  

I live in denton texas...I have 1300 tourer and my 600 mile service was 345 and now i have 3800 miles on it,,,the dealer said it would be about 3 to 4 hundred for the next service...Have to adjust the noisy lifters each time,,,You can upgrade your clutch to an 08 for free if you complane about the noise alot...  

just want to warn you about the valve noise and other noises....clattering is somthing i thought would be long gone with a new 07 bike...my wife likes honda,,,maybe i need to listen next time.....the star is alot of fun and very pretty but the noise takes away from the whole package....  

your right about the noise flash, i also own a vstar1300 but nice handleing bike and lot of power on the highway i am happy with mine, had a vstar 1100 before this bike, did not have the gears the 1300 has for highway use. gets alot of looks at the coffee shops?  

I had a Honda VTX1300 Retro for about 2 years and loved it, but the Yamaha Star Stratoliner is now in my garage.  I've had it just over a year and have 13000 miles on it.  If you want a cruiser that is loafing along at 75 miles per hour don't buy the 1200 Harley.  You will be wishing you had more displacement under you.  My Honda cruised all right, but I was always wishing I had more horse power.  When you are on the highway there is no substitute for HP.  The dealer in my area of Pennsylvania always lets you test ride any bike you are considering so if you can't test ride one you should look around for someone else.
Anyway, I went from 1300 cc to almost 1900 cc's and I'm glad I did.  I was apprehensive at first because of the power and weight, but within a block I knew I was on the bike I wanted.  It handles easily for an 800+ pound bike and I'm an old fart.  I usually ride solo and can load my Strat up with lots of cruiser bags and stuff for a weekend trip and never notice the added weight at all. I'm not saying you need 113 cubic inches, but at least look around before you decide.  The VSTAR is a little smaller than I like, but if you mostly ride locally and in town you may prefer the slightly smaller version of the Star.  The other thing that I liked was that I didn't have to add lots of stuff that my Honda didn't come with.  It has a windshield, saddle bags, passenger seat and backrest. If you add those on you will be paying more anyway.  I have added a luggage rack and highway bars and running lights, but that is just my preference.  You can dress one up as much as you want.  Or not.
Good luck finding the right bike.    

thank you  

hey guy, one quick ride on the sporty will put you off to the idea of owning a h-d, waaay overpriced and underpowered.