The starter trouble is just a design flaw. What bugged me about it was the internal workings of the crankcase. Instead of fixing this problem, Yamaha engineers just decided to keep the one flaw from causing any others. If you crack open the side cover on the crankcase, take a look at the flywheel cam and starter assembly. Under where the starter gears mesh, there´s a circular magnet built in to catch all the scraps and slivers of metal that grind off the gears. This was something that I met with a great deal of horror. But hey, other than that, it´s a great bike, and the flaws are easy to repair. Just change the oil regular, otherwise you´ll blow through piston rings at about 50k miles, just like the xv750. And never do anything to hurt the OEM rear headpipe on your exhaust, everything aftermarket uses that. Other than that, you´re good. Just find a tailor or a tack shop if you wear out your seat cover. No one save for saddlemen sells a replacement seat cover, and getting it off their dealer sites is a living nightmare. Yes, that includes jc whitney.