2016 Yamaha XVS1300 Custom / Stryker – UK Bike – Vance & Hines – 240 Rear – £7,795

Yamaha XVS1300 Custom – Factory Chopper Styling with Yamaha Engineering

If you like your cruisers long, low, black and with plenty of attitude, this 2016 Yamaha XVS1300 Custom deserves a very close look.

Better known to American riders as the Yamaha Stryker, the XVS1300 Custom is Yamaha’s take on the factory-built chopper: a stretched, muscular V-twin cruiser designed to give you the visual impact of a heavily customised motorcycle without sacrificing the reliability, usability and engineering quality for which Yamaha is known.

This particular example is especially appealing because it is a genuine UK bike, has covered just 17,158 miles from new, comes with evidence of seven services and has been fitted with a very well chosen selection of extras. Finished predominantly in gloss black with contrasting silver detailing, blacked-out running gear and a seriously wide 240-section rear Avon, it has a fantastic presence.

And at £7,795, it represents an awful lot of motorcycle for the money.

The Story Behind the Yamaha Stryker / XVS1300 Custom

The Stryker first appeared in the United States as a 2011 model under Yamaha’s Star Motorcycles cruiser brand. At the time, manufacturers were increasingly offering factory-built machines influenced by the custom and chopper scene, and Yamaha wanted something that delivered the dramatic proportions of a bespoke bike but remained genuinely enjoyable to ride.

Rather than starting with an enormous heavyweight cruiser, Yamaha took the proven 1304cc V-twin from the V-Star/XVS1300 family and wrapped it in a radically different chassis. The result was the Stryker: a low-seat, long-wheelbase cruiser with a skinny 21-inch front wheel, broad rear tyre and an effective 40-degree fork rake, producing that unmistakable stretched chopper silhouette. It arrived in Britain a few years later as the XVS1300 Custom, with contemporary UK road tests appearing around its 2014 introduction.

Underneath the custom styling is a thoroughly modern 1304cc liquid-cooled, fuel-injected 60-degree V-twin, producing around 72hp and 103Nm of torque, driving through a five-speed gearbox and clean, low-maintenance belt final drive. The standard Custom runs a 120/70-21 front and substantial 210/40-18 rear tyre, while its remarkably low 670mm seat height makes it much more approachable than its stretched dimensions might suggest.

That’s really where the Stryker earned its reputation. It looks like something that ought to be difficult and cumbersome to ride, yet contemporary tests praised how well Yamaha managed to combine the chopper geometry with sensible steering and surprisingly capable road manners. It was always intended to be a motorcycle you could actually use, rather than simply park outside the café and look at.

This Particular 2016 XVS1300 Custom

Our bike has covered 17,158 miles and is presented in excellent condition throughout.

What immediately works on this particular Stryker is that the modifications haven’t spoiled Yamaha’s original design. If anything, they have pushed it further in the direction Yamaha intended.

The gloss black bodywork, black engine, black wheels and black exhaust give it a much tougher appearance than a standard chrome-heavy cruiser. The silver tank graphics provide just enough contrast, while the tinted bullet cowl and oversized rear tyre give the bike a much more aggressive stance.

From the photographs, the bike presents extremely well around the engine, wheels, bodywork, seat and controls. The finish hasn’t been buried beneath unnecessary accessories either — it remains a very clean-looking machine.

Highlights & Extras

• 2016 genuine UK Yamaha XVS1300 Custom / Stryker
• 17,158 miles from new
• Seven documented services
• Latest service carried out March 2026 at 15,340 miles
• Current MOT until 31 May 2027
• Vance & Hines performance exhaust system
• Dark tinted bullet cowl / headlight fairing
• Black engine protection / crash bars
• Lockable detachable passenger backrest
• Integrated rear luggage rack
• Avon Cobra tyres
• Huge 240-section rear tyre upgrade, replacing the already substantial factory 210
• Gloss black bodywork with silver factory-style graphics
• Low 670mm seat height
• Fuel injection
• Belt final drive
• £7,795

Vance & Hines – The Sound This Bike Deserves

One of the best additions is undoubtedly the Vance & Hines exhaust system.

The standard Yamaha exhaust is quite restrained considering the size of the V-twin. The Vance & Hines pipes transform both the appearance and character of the bike, replacing the bulky factory system with a far cleaner black twin-pipe arrangement.

Visually they suit this bike perfectly, following the blacked-out theme from front to rear. More importantly for a cruiser, they allow considerably more of that deep V-twin character to come through.

It now sounds far more like a 1300cc factory custom should.

240 Rear Avon Cobra – Proper Muscle-Bike Stance

The rear end is another particular highlight.

A standard XVS1300 Custom already came from Yamaha with a very wide 210-section rear tyre, but this bike has gone one step further and is wearing a 240-section Avon Cobra.

That extra width is immediately noticeable when you look at the bike from behind or from the three-quarter rear angle. It fills the rear mudguard beautifully and gives the Stryker an even more muscular, pro-street appearance without making the bike look overdone.

The matching Avon Cobra fitment is also exactly the sort of tyre you want to see on a large cruiser such as this.

Ready for Rider and Passenger

It isn’t all about appearance either.

The bike has been fitted with a padded passenger backrest together with luggage rack, and the assembly is lockable and detachable. For anyone intending to carry a passenger, this is a particularly worthwhile accessory: it provides considerably more security and comfort for the pillion while the rack gives you somewhere useful for a weekend bag.

Then when you want the stripped-back solo appearance, the rear setup can be removed.

The engine/crash bars provide another useful addition and suit the black finish of the motorcycle, while the dark bullet cowl takes some of the wind pressure away from the rider without turning the Stryker into a touring bike.

The photographs also show a handlebar-mounted phone holder; assuming this is remaining with the motorcycle, I would leave it fitted as another useful everyday touch.

Excellent Documented Service History

For us, this is one of the strongest selling points of the bike.

At just over 17,000 miles, this isn’t simply a bike that looks good in photographs — there is evidence of seven services during its life.

Most recently it was serviced in March 2026 at 15,340 miles, meaning it has travelled only around 1,800 miles since its last service.

It also passed its latest MOT on 1 June 2026 at 15,928 miles and is tested through until 31 May 2027. The sole advisory noted the noise of the exhaust, with the Vance & Hines system fitted.

That documented maintenance history is exactly what we like to see on a used cruiser and gives the next owner considerably more confidence than buying a similar machine with little or no paperwork.

A Proper Alternative to the Usual Cruiser

The XVS1300 Custom is one of those motorcycles that makes more sense the longer you look at it.

You get the huge visual presence, feet-forward riding position, long wheelbase and V-twin character associated with an American custom cruiser, but underneath it is a fuel-injected, liquid-cooled Yamaha with belt drive and proven Japanese engineering.

And unlike many cruisers, the Stryker doesn’t need thousands of pounds spending on it after purchase to give it the right look.

This one already has it.

The bullet cowl, black Vance & Hines system, engine bars, passenger backrest and luggage rack all complement the bike, while that 240-section Avon Cobra rear tyre finishes the stance off brilliantly.

With 17,158 miles, seven recorded services, a recent 2026 service, long MOT and excellent overall condition, this is a very attractive example of an increasingly uncommon Yamaha factory custom.

£7,795

A superb looking 2016 Yamaha XVS1300 Custom / Stryker, tastefully upgraded, properly maintained and ready to be enjoyed.

American custom attitude. Yamaha reliability. And one seriously wide back end.