I have owed this bike for two years.....it is my daily to work and home and everywhere else I go....I ride all year long with the exception of icy road days and even then I've been caught out in the weather a time or two, I put 14 to 15 thousand miles on it yearly. The bike has never let me down yet. I love its looks and how it handles.
I was just telling my experience with this bike and how it has done what it was purchased for. I work a full time job and have a small farm so I ride as often as I can. As far as your comment goes...It's the reason I do not subscribe to this channel.
@@bh2789 Well I can't say much about the GoldWing either way. I have two friends that love them so I refer to their experience on them, both of whom love their bikes. I like the Ventures looks over Goldwing and prefer the platforms over pegs. Many of my friends have the Harley glides....I've ridden several of them and while good bikes they don't provide the all year riding experience I have with my Yamaha. With a few good clothing choices I ride all year. Of all my friends I ride with....The Harley riders miss more rides than anyone else due to being in the shop.....
I just bought one of these. Paid just over 24k out the door, with only 1900 miles. It is absolutely incredible. Starting to practice the “riding like a pro” techniques and the more I practice the less I feel the weight of it all. Thank you for what you do, Motorman!
@@DaroffApFire Yeah, very nice looking through the rabbit ears supports embedded right in front of your face...way superior...LOLOLOLOL. Yamaha could figure out a raising and lowering screen WITHOUT supports that you have to look past.... totally inferior.....lololol.
@@DaroffApFire WRONG...WRONG, and WRONG...take a look at the windscreen of my Yamaha Star Venture Transcontinental, and please point out the brackets, bars, whatever you want to call what supports the windscreen. You're wrong...that was one of the FAIL for the 2018 Goldwing...you look past rabbit-ears...lol. Yamaha engineered their supports at the BASE (properly) of the windscreen/windshield...and at no time, do they show up in the up and down travel range of my shield. No sir!
I own one and absolutely love it. The reason why it didn't sell is simple. It doesn't say "Harley Davidson" on the gas tank. That's it. If Yamaha would have made the bike for Harley and told no one, Harley wouldn't have been able to keep them in the dealership, Yamaha wouldn't have been able to build them fast enough. It would have been the best Harley Davidson ever sold.
The bike is heavy and runs out of revs on the tach too early. I wonder if a custom map would put some performance back into the bike. Many bikes are neutered by the manufacturers to meet Euro 5 emissions standards. For example the Kawasaki 900 retro model gained over 1000 rpm and 20% power with a pipe decat, airbox mod and the factory map artificially closed the EFI down at odd times neutering the bike. My VTX1800 Rev limiter cuts the EFI off when the engine has more to give as well. Very annoying.
@@anthonyrosa5006 there’s a flash for the eluder/venture & it’s night & day difference in everything & the Vulcan 900 sucks man. Those bikes have no power/guts, even with a tune ,intake & exhaust, I got a v star 950 instead & it’s a much better bike than the Vulcan 900
i bought this awesome touring bike in May (a 2020) and put 2000 plus miles on it through Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and mostly Montana...I love this bike!!! Thanks for spotlighting. As a side note thanks for your training videos.
As a Yamaha fan, your explanation for why it doesn't sell is right on. For me, the more appealing touring bikes from Yamaha are the FJR 1300, Super Tenere, or -if you don't care about styling- the Tracer 900GT. All of those come in at a price point below the Star Venture, but offer better, much more fun, performance. There even several law enforcement agencies using the FJR1300 here in the US. As far as appealing American bagger fans, a rider who can afford the Venture can also afford a Harley bagger, especially a well-maintained used one. Considering Yamaha is already the 2nd largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world, I don't see any incentives to the company to invest more in competing with Harley and Indian in this category.
Thank you for doing a video on the Venture. I traded up from a vstar 1100 to the 2018 Venture (just like you said. They’re sitting in the showrooms waiting) this past March. This bike has performed and handled better than anything I’ve ever ridden, this includes HD’s that I’ve demo rode. As one person mentioned there are a few issues with the bike. The brake switch being one and Yamaha did issue a safety recall for it. The infotainment systems is not the best functioning right off the bat, but there is software updates you can perform to correct those problems. Word is the 2018’s are on Yamaha’s list to fix bigger issues with the infotainment system with a rumored recall. The earlier serial numbers did have starter issues. I’ve put on 8500 miles since March and still going strong. 500-600 miles a day on this bike is normal with the stock seat. 250+ mile fuel range. The bikes only demand is to just keep going until the rider is completely exhausted.
I have a 2018, but bought it used (1,550 mi). I knew about the navigation issues, but haven’t heard about any recalls. I guess I should check with the Yamaha dealer during my next service. Btw, I’ve never seen another Venture on the road lol 😆. It’s a novelty on group rides at gas stations.
@@gabbyhayes1568 I’ve ran into 2 others in my travels. As for a recall on the infotainment system it isn’t out yet. The info that I’ve heard is they’re still working on it
I love mine I can only compare to my vtx 1800 and the venture handles a lot easier. I have never rode a Harley because the venture class of Harley is above my budget. I love the cvo models.
@@barendfourie6687 I had a 2003 VTX 1800C in Illusion Blue that I rode for years. A really great bike I wish I still owned. I toured many miles on that bike. A Mustang seat and Progressive suspension added and it rode like a dream. That motor was something else too. Roll the throttle and hang on Mister.
@@gabbyhayes1568 that's why I am hanging on to mine it is barebone stock with 10000mi 2008. The crazy thing is I see they starting to sell a 1000 above retail.
Have had a bunch of Motorcycles. Harleys, Gold Wings, Big Kawasaki, R1200RT and K1200LT BMW. My favorite bike of all is 2006 Yamaha Royal Star Tour Deluxe. Hands down a fantastic ride. Put 130k miles in her. Best bike I ever had. To old to ride now but this looks like another great Yamaha bike.
Owned mine for three years now. Absolutely love it. Owned a 1999 venture then moved to a 2008 venture. Loved both but no comparison to the 2018 model. Yes the heat is an issue at times but the upgrade in power, feel, style and pure enjoyment of riding my 2018 TC is amazing. Not one issue, have 18000 miles on it. One other thing, the sure park function is amazing. Had to preplan parking of the 1999 & 2008 model. This one with a lower seat height and balanced weight makes parking so much less stressful and if needed sure park is there for you for that impossible incline.
My wife and I had our own Yamaha Raiders with the 113cu inch engines. Loved them and actually shed tears when we sold them. The Venture always was what I would have chosen if we road together. Beautiful ride.
The 80's was a totally different animal than the newer Ventures. They were a v4 and much quicker than the v twins. I had an 88 model and YES it was equal to the 1800 Gold Wings performance wise. I had a chance to play with a couple of 1800s. They couldn't pull away from me.
I own this bike. I have not seen one person with the same bike in my area after riding 7000 miles. It’s fantastic. Although I’m having the normal Yamaha problems with the shift lever being extremely clunky.
That's exactly why I have one too. It's like riding an old, very rare classic. You can't say that with a Harley. There's one of those everywhere you look.
Your advice got me through my Mod 1 and Mod 2 test here in the UK - Your Ride Like a Pro video was the best purchase I made. Thank you. And even though I'm not a fan of the kind of bikes you ride (I know, I know, I know) - I love watching your videos. Thanks for taking the time and energy to share your riding experience with the rest of us. Much appreciated =)
When I was shopping for my last touring bike I looked at these. They are beautiful, and have a lot of features...it just got me on the price, and low power for it's size.
I've owned a couple of Gold Wings and loved them. Later I bought a Royal Star Venture and it was a hands down smoother ride. While the Wings were faster and more nimble in the corners, the RSV absorbed every bump in the road and transmitted none to my aging tail bone. It ended up being my favorite ride.
Well said Jerry. The pricing factor is truly what makes this trusted platform a twist of fate. If they had priced it $3000 above or below (the magic of not being $28000) I wonder they might had more sales. That and the cut off at 4500RPM as well.
My misses loved the backseat. Yamaha had their demo van at a dealer near here so we testrode one when they first came out! A little under powered but nice riding bike.
My local Honda dealer had a 2018 from a trade-in that I was checking out during a breakfast event they were having a while back. It had less than 5k miles on it and they were selling it for $15,999 (the salesman told me it was steadily marked down from around $21k). I wasn't in the market to buy but it's a beautiful bike and I couldn't understand why they were selling it so cheap but momma always told me "if it's too good to be true, it is".
I've had my 2018 Star Venture for a year and put 11k miles on the clock without any problems. I got an even better deal than the one you quoted but had to go to the boonies of West Virginia to buy it. It has been well worth the trip.
I've owned mine since 2018, best bike bike I've ever owned! Still loving it every ride. I love my Harley's, but I can't get myself to switch back. I'm keeping this one!
My 2008 is a V-4 with about 100HP, liquid-cooled and much smoother running. Plenty of power and torque for almost 900lbs street weight. They aren't common but there's a hard-core group of people who love them.
Your motorcycle is probably a "Dream Machine" of reliability and comfort! When Yamaha brought out this newest version, they should have used the Vmax V4 engine.
I own a 2007 Royal Star tour deluxe and love it just as much, I've been a rider for 25 years and rode nothing but HD until that bike, some of which I loved some of which I hated. I want to get a used Venture but the previous generation of this bike.
I bought a new leftover second gen 2005 Venture for $13.5k in 2007. The new ones were going for $19k. Rode it for 10 years. I’ve been extremely lucky finding deals over the years.
Good review Jerry. I own a 2020 model and absolutely love it! I bought it from a dealer in Ontario, Canada and my first ride on it was across the country back home to British Columbia. Couldn’t have been more pleased with the comfort of this bike! I’m 5’8” @170lbs and I have no problem moving this bike around though it did concern me at first when I read the specs on how heavy this bike is… The seat height is perfect for me which makes it easy to back up (I rarely use the reverse but have found it to be a handy feature) and so far, haven’t dragged any pegs. As far as why these don’t sell quickly…Maybe it’s the price, maybe its the features, maybe its just a bias toward HD because of HD’s status…? All I know is that Yamaha makes great bikes and this is no exception. I would recommend anyone looking in this category to take one for a ride and not get hung up on the written specs comparison with other bikes before they purchase. Steve
I rode a 2005 RSMV for ten years. Loved that bike. Never let me down, as comfortable a touring bike as you’re going to find. I have the new Venture now and and it’s a better bike, but mostly because of it’s more modern technology. I loved the V-4, but hated how top heavy it was. The new Venture handles much better at walking speeds in spite of the fact it’s 100 pounds heavier.
Man that's a pretty bike!! Being 6'1" tall it might feel funny having a seat that low though. I'm amazed that doesn't sell because it's one of the best looking touring bikes I've seen.
Best looking? Thats the ugliest touring bike ive ever seen.... a front plane boring fairing, no arm rest backseat, bulky round boring saddle bag.... that is why no one buys it...
I'm 6'6" and rode this to Sturgis this year putting 3900 miles on it in 12 days and 600 of those miles on in 1 day. Needs highway pegs that are only available from a 3rd party. I put it through hell. Seat is uncomfortable after a few hours of riding.
No matter which bike I choose, my wife is always happy to go on long trips with me. She extends her seat and relaxes, cool air conditioned breeze in her face, a large drink in the cup holder, the radio playing her favorite tunes, and the motorcycle protected from the elements in the enclosed trailer we pull behind the truck.
@@iriemon1796 Sturgis is a LONG way from Florida. I love riding but not 500 miles a day for several days. I’d rather drive having more visibility, security, protection in a crash, protection from the WX, carrying the stuff I need for the trip, and the option of pulling off the hwy for a quick nap if needed. Bikes are ok, but you can’t beat a car, truck, van or RV when the going gets tough. My wife agrees.
I have a 2005 Royal Star Venture and I love it. Great ride, handles great and has over 72,000 miles and still going strong. I bought it used and it did have some minor issues but they were easily fixed.
I had a 2005 Venture for 14 years and had a love/hate relationship with it. Loved the look and styling but hated the way it handled at low speed.... it's a top heavy tank with no low speed torque. Bike was made to go in a straight line at 80mph all day long. Traded it in for a '18 Goldwing that handles like a 550 lb sportbike.
I just bought a 2012 Yamaha Stratoliner Deluxe in May with only 5500 miles. Both of these motorcycles have the same motor, which I absolutely love. I’m hoping that Yamaha will keep producing this touring bike and I’m hoping that Yamaha really considers improving the “usability” of the bike when I plan to purchase is a couple of years. This is such a great bike, they they really need to polish up some of the detracting features.
Solid call Mr Jeremy. That Yami w/ go forever. Mega power and styling. Had a Strat that I took x country, etc. Put 75K miles on it - with ZERO problems, until I moved on to a Honda F6B. Believe the pistons in the Yami are about the same size pistons used in a WW II Mustang fighter plane.
Great, great bike. I rode one from Miami to Key West and as a 6’8” rider, was very comfortable. Took a while to get used to the controls as some where a little hard to reach even with my big hands.
@@petercannock4805 I would say yes. As I am 6'8" and well over 400 pounds. I found the bike to be very comfortable. Keep in mind that when I say very comfortable that is in comparison to bikes like the Goldwing, Street Glide, the older style Rocket 3 Roadster, Road King and Road Glide. All of which are comfortable in some aspect but the Yamaha was great as far as overall comfort. The biggest problem comfort wise that I found was that the chin guards in front of the floor boards restricted how far I could scoot my size 18 boot forward.
I read the magazine reviews, u tube reviews, and never see one at the Yamaha dealer. If you have 30k in your pocket and the Harley dealer next Door has them overflowing across the parking lot, can't imagine why you see Harleys at every stop light.
My first bike was a 1976 yamaha 80 trail. b my dad bought two of them for my brother and me. That's the best present ever. We had miles and miles of mining roads cut into the hills right off the parkway land in western north carolina we had the best time I can remember in my childhood up there. I ride a 2006 triumph tiger 955 and a1998 Honda valkyrie now so I guess riding is still my favorite pass time thanks Dad I Shure do miss you.
I’ve owned Venture, Goldwing, even a Voyage and yes they were great dependable bikes. The biggest down side is that for the Venture and Voyager the aftermarket choices to upgrade is non existent. Goldwing has some aftermarket options but it is limited. What drew me to Harley is the fact that the sky is the limit when it comes to aftermarket support. It is also easier to find used items online at decent prices. Harley also holds its value better as well. I’ve had good service out of my 2012 Ultra Limited. I maintain it as required and never abuse it.
I've loved these since they came out. I've been partial to Yamaha motorcycles growing up in the dirt world. They look great, electric reverse, and very reliable. The problem is I love HDs more. If I was strapped for cash, and needed a full dresser, I'd probably go for one of these.
Your comment confirms my belief that this bike is NOT intended to compete against Honda. It’s clearly a Harley clone with the bells and whistles Harley refuses to put on their bikes. Harley sticks with the air cooled V twin because it screams Harley Heritage.
@@michaelalbert8474 And for good reason, HD makes Harleys. There's a reason they sell a lot of them, and other brands have tried to copy the formula over the years. I love my Road King for exactly what it is.
@@usmcvet0313 I've not found anything that has the low end torque and is as enjoyable to ride as my road glide was and now electra glide is. Until sometime can match that torque I'll be a Harley fan.
In that weight class, riding 2 up, I can't imagine it has much highway passing power at 80mph. The 2018 Goldwing weighs less, has far more hp, etc. Watching him bounce off the rev limiter in casual riding tells me all I need to see.
It's accelerating fast in the condition you're describing, lots of torque and power, too bad you never had a chance to experience it. People only look at the numbers and judge about that, it' s a great motorcycle that has not been publicized enough.
I like this bike and I really like the looks of it. Yamaha makes superior engines and the styling is great. I am surprised it hasn't sold better. After watching this video I'm going to go down to my Yamaha dealer and get a test ride if they have one.
You can blame the dealers on this one. I tried to buy one in 2019 and was not allowed to test ride it. Not buying a bike without riding it. Ended up buying an Indian.
@@mikeg4762 Thats crazy! who buys a vehicle they cant take for a test ride? I guess you do have three days to cancel a finance contract, so there's that time for a different type of extended test ride. Like when our local Slingshot dealer first opened, No Test Drives were allowed unless you handed over the 1200 dollar down payment before.
Thanks for the video. I'm seriously considering buying this bike. Was gonna go GW but all reviews indicate this is more comfortable (especially two up) and it has about the same number of bells and whistles. The Kawasaki is nice but way behind in technology. I understand the wing is faster but who cares when you are just touring. I heard the Yamaha has tons of torque and one reviewer rode his 100,000 miles with no issues.
I ride a Kawasaki Vulcan Voyager 1700 for a pretty simple reason, I can afford it! I purchased it new in 2018 for $17500.00 USD. I now own the bike and can afford to ride it all over the USA. While I would like to own that $53000.00 Harley, I can't. It's all about getting out there on whatever you can.
Mr. Palladino, Yamaha is terrible at marketing their motorcycles. They get a lot of attention on the racing circuit, but nobody realizes they make street bikes for just about anybody. I think they rely a little too heavily on word-of-mouth advertising. That being said, not all dealers are alike. The place I bought mine move these pretty well, they have 2021 models and they provide excellent service. They also know how to sell these bikes.
Yamaha has regular demo rides which makes it easy to try and create bias. Honda is I think smoother but impossible to test. Kawi has best demos yet but, it feels like they miss just a little bit of something.
Same for our dealer. They have sold 7 out of their dealership, with price being for most the truly deciding factor, and not that the bike is this or that.
A touring bike doesn't have be so heavy. Over 900lb is crazy for a motorcycle. The BMW R1250RT will go anywhere in comfort two up with luggage. Me, I'd go for a basic Road King and travel lighter.
Watched this again, it makes 76 hp, the previous V4 generation made 100 hp and was available in the Venture and the lighter Tour Deluxe, which I currently own and am thinking of trading in or selling. Its been a great bike but I want to change now after riding it for years.
Thanks for the video. I had a Road Star and got rid of it because the ergonomics. A true touring bike needs to be sittable all day for many days and that low seat height is its biggest problem.
It's a winner in every sense. 127 ft/lbs of torque and in sport mode it can take most v-twins and with a 6.5 gallon tank, you'll go quite a distance between gas ups.
Good job on the honest opinion. I have that same bike but in Red. I chose it over the Gold Wing because of the awesome seat height. After you get used to the bike, the rev limiter is never an issue - by the time you get over 4K rpms, you're way out of the torque range and would be better off in the next gear anyway.
Yep...I agree. I never ever go over 3,000 as top of torque is produced at 2,700. There is no need to ever go over 2,700 RPM before the next gear upshift, even at full throttle. That is how this engine was designed, as you know by owning one as well.
I rode on . I liked the legroom and the seat is awesome . I don’t know why it doesn’t sell either. My 2013 Vic is still kikn at 78K but Ill at least give this Yamatapper another look when its time. My 79, 1100 special has self cancelling signals on a timed system so I was glad this does too. Thanks for giving this bike some attention Ride on Jerry !
Looks like a very smooth ride. I like the looks too. I ride a Harley Fatboy and have a Holding " in the wings" I bought for my youngest son. After a couple of years he decided he didn't want it, so I got it back. I'm a little too short for it. The other thing is I'm a right below knee amputee from a distracted driver running over me on my old Harley. I'm 5'7" later in day, because I'm old. I may watch these, for a future purchase. Thanks for video review!
@@ralphvalkenhoff2887 And yet the Road King out sells the any of the Star models. Other then the Venture and Eluder, currently I'm not seeing any V-twin cruiser models listed on the Yamaha website. I reckon' that the reason that riders choose H-D over the metric cruisers are for all the reason Jerry eluded to in the video; dealer servicing and resale.
There is too much plastic and some might look closer and find covers hiding the real look of the motor itself but they are AWSOME just the same just cheaply made to keep price point but very smooth
"The focus group wanted an air-cooled V-twin". The focus group just wanted a Harley, that's it. This is the answer why Star Venture or Eluder sold so badly. But I quite like those Yamaha's.
You are correct. If people are going to spend that kind of money they buy a Harley. If they can't afford the Harley or won't spend 27K, they buy a Kawasaki Voyager or Viquaro for 16K
They screwed up making it air cooled. I ride a Yamaha royal star with the liquid cooled v4 with no issues. My buddy rides the air cooled Harley and in traffic or low speed or hill climbing his roasts his legs while I'm just cruising.
I loved those bikes when they first came out. I test rode several and loved it but the heat on my left thigh, the valve adjustment@15k, and lack of accessories kept me from buying one. I ride 12kto 15k a year and the valve adjustment is time-consuming and expensive at the dealer to have them do it.
Have one and I love it once it gets going is like been on a Cadillac, Is made for the no rush ride that makes you just enjoy and devour miles and miles of confort ride.
I didn't know anything about this bike. But low HP, over weight, low redline, air cooled but surrounded by tupperware, but has premium price, etc. I think your review covered pretty much why it's not popular with consumers. You mentioned there was a poll to see what riders wanted, so it makes me wonder who was polled if it isn't being purchased.
Lol.You just described the characteristics of a Harley, which has half the reliability but sells just fine. Many people were interested in the venture / eluder platform but it wasn't marketed properly so that people could test ride them and have flexible finance and warranty options. It's why Japanese cruiser and touring bikes are on the decline. Motorcycling in general will pretty much die with our generation because the couch potato kids have no interest in anything but exploring cyberspace.
@M. B. Ingersoll both Indian and Harley dealers encourage people to test ride their motorcycles. It's probably why they're both able to sell more of the high end bikes.
Willa...talk to anybody that actually OWNS one...and you will get a much more positive and different 'bent' on exactly WHAT and HOW this bike does its business. I own a 2018, and both my wife and I love every inch of it.... Owners...those who made the decision on their own to buy, and not be influenced by comments, and reviewers that spent 1/2 an hour on the bike...and that most didn't even know half the controls...or how to do this, or that...and commented through their frustration(s). Want to truly know about this bike? Sit down with an owner at a Tim Horton's...spend the time to drink a coffee..and you will get the true grit...and probably with a by the side of the bike, 'proud owner' tour of all the features, let alone the simply DROP DEAD sounding Sound System. I blow people away all the time with that gem...and you should see the smile on my face, as I do that!
@Kev Campbell Quick question: I started riding Harleys in the late Sixties when I bought a Chopped Panhead at the age of 16. Since then I've owned a chopped Knuck, a stock Shovel, and now a Road King Blockhead. I've also owned a couple of Hondas and a Norton over the half century+ I've been riding. When did I become a d bag?
This is the 3rd gen for the Venture. The 2nd Gen (1999-2014) was the best. Looks like a classic bike, but rides like a dream. I have a 2009 that is like new and is awesome.
Great video... thanks for sharing this. A fine motorcycle in it's own right I'm sure. Here in the Midwest where I am.. I would be afraid of getting service & parts if and whenever needed.. warranty or not. Honda & Yamaha dealers here are getting scarce....
After having a look for review. First of all Thank a lot for really pure plain and independent review, boss. This is mandatory think for my why I having a look of your channel. Second, the windshield on that bike controlled by small buttons on the tank. Third your just convinced my how it's pity what those perfect motorcycles are not delivered to Russia. I promise I'll buy First which will..be delivered officially to Moscow. Hope to see you with StarVenture at low speed training
Windshield adjustment to full up or down is done by the buttons to the left of the gas door on the tank. But if you want to adjust the windshield someplace in the middle you have to use the adjustments accessed through the infotainment system.
I had a Yamaha Venture for about a year. It is the only street bike I ever dropped and I dropped it about ten time in that year. It was very top heavy and at slow speeds you could not turn it. It did however go in a straight line pretty good once you started moving. A real Turd.
The Venture was traditionally a V-4, this bike should have come with the second gen VMAX 1700 V-4! To stick the Stratoliner 113 engine in it and reduce the horsepower is ridiculous! I do love the front view of the fairing though, it reminds me of the late 60's Pontiac Firebird front end. I'm just going to keep my 2006 Stratoliner S!
It's a great looking bike. I've watched most if not all reviews on it and think it would be the motorcycle for me but unfortunately their not available in Australia. I'm hoping in future year's it comes to Oz so I can take one for a test ride or at least get an up and close look at it. Thank you for filming your test ride, I've wondered for a while what your thoughts would be about the Star Venture.
So totally true...totally! Fully two up, and packed...in the Rockies, I set the Cruise to 70 in 6th, and it never bogged or faltered. Up and down the mountain passes...a sheer trooper. This is a totally 'sleeper' secret jewel of a ride that only those that bought one...rode it over a thousand miles to familiarize themselves with its engine torque management, and ergonomics...know of. If one truly wants the pinnacle of heavy hitters, Grand Touring motorcycles...this is the one. I say that, with 7 Goldwings in my past, and a 2008 GL1800 traded in on my 2018 SVTC.
My father has one of these, it truly is a fantastic motorcycle. Easy to handle, ride, and easily the most comfortable cruiser on the market. It’s biggest downfall is the motor. While it is more than enough power and torque (never had an issue passing or getting up to speed), it doesn’t fit the character of the bike and in the back of your head you just know it. No Yamaha should ever hit the rev limiter under 5k rpms anyway lol. A liquid-cooled twin would have suited it much better.
I had went from an 2012 Suzuki M109 to 2018 Yamaha Star Venture Transcontinental. It took me a minute to get used to the low redline. You run out of 1st gear my other side of intersection. I had gotten myself to a point where I could shift my sound and it made it n better. I had also Darkside mine and loved it. I also rode 2 up to Florida and back pulling a trailer. On return trip we rode straight back to New York. Oh, it was 32 degrees when we left New York.
looked at it and tried it on an 85 degree day. Crazy heat from that motor!!!! The exact same reason why the Harley and Indian where scratched off my list. Needs liquid cooling. Bought a BMW K1600 GTL and very happy with my choice!
@@MoeStOnge-qz5dv Moe, most everybody who has 'test' ridden this bike, and who have complained of heat...is this. The bike is brand new...and after you run the engine (it breaks in slow, due to the low rev's) about 30 percent of 'test day ride' heat is gone. Also, with the addition of the lower wind deflectors, there then is basically as low heat to the rider as with the two outside facing Goldwing rad vents. I have over 50,000 miles on my 2018 now...and it is as a cool running cockpit as my 2008 GL1800 was. This is a truthful statement from a rider that bought a 2018, and now in 2022, still enjoys this magnificent Grand Tour mount. Heat? Not even a factor...and the only thing on my mind, is gas prices, and inflation...but not heat from this powerful and torque-ie engine. Hand's down, a better Grand Tour experience than I had on my Wing. (The Wing was a great bike, but the SVTC, even eclipses that experience!)
I would have loved to buy one, but the dealer wanted Harley money for it. I really liked it, but I only keep my bikes a few years, and I know resale value is going to be terrible. Bought an Ultra Limited instead.
Yamaha built a bike that was WORTH the graft that Harley charges for their lineup. In fact...with what this bike has that even their CVO does not EVEN offer...makes that 'Harley Money' asking even a better deal all round. The Ultra Limited is a fine bike...but if that was the only reason you passed a SVTC by...because of the Harley Money they asked for it (SVTC), ...you (in my opinion as an owner of a 2018 SVTC), truly missed an opportunity to own the most advanced V-Twin engine and motorcycle ever produced... Your Ultra Limited does not have many of the features...that comes standard on the Yamaha SVTC...but that of course does not diminish your enjoyment of your ride...but just an observance. Safe rides, no matter what you slip your leg over...
I had a 1985 and a 1986 Venture. They were the most comfortable touring bikes ever made. My wife and I put in several 13 hour days and weren't even tired. Looks like Yamaha has gone backwards. Those early Ventures put out 100hp.
Yamaha made a mistake not putting a liquid cooled V4 (from the VMax) in that bike or at least stuck a couple of radiators on that V twin. I was cross shopping that bike when it came out against the Road Glide and the Rodmaster, but I couldn't settle on any of them. I've grown to love my Kawasaki Concors 14 liquid cooled inline four. Also that 4500RPM redlibe was too short for me. I'm glad I held out for a liquid cooked V twin because I feel like Harley is going to get there, and I have the Challenger tempting me.
Totally agree, had yamaha used the vmax motor at its current power level in the vmax, I think this bike would have done great, and I'd probably have to have one.
As much as I love this bike I agree with you on a few point. I hit redline too fast on it when merging on the freeway and I would have liked it to be liquid cooled but I still like it way better than the Harley I had before
Price and the fact that like in your neck of the woods, the local Yamaha dealer refused to let anyone test ride that bike. Even my buddy who showed up on a Victory Vision( a beast of a bike) was refused a test ride. He was going to buy one but that was a deal breaker.
Jim let a woman test ride a new Goldwing. She grabbed a handful of throttle and crashed it. Jim did not sell another bike that day and spent the afternoon talking to policemen and filling out accident reports for insurance. He said he would "NEVER" let it happen to him again. That was over 10 years ago and he is still in business.
Well Chris, you don't get test rides in Canada. Most Canadians of the 60's, the 70's, and the 80's...relied on reading the first and test ride impressions of the top selling magazines of the day, and if that interested you enough, you'd go to the dealer and walk around...talk it up, sit on the bike, perhaps some had gas to fire up the bike...but there were no models put into service as a test ride. I bought all my bikes from the early 1960's to the present, without a personal test ride...and I never regretted any purchase. I CONSUMED all the magazine articles on the bike, the positive, the negative, and made my decision after sitting on the bike in the showroom to see how it fit my frame, back posture, butt, etc. Manufacturer test ride days, were not much there, for the decades I just mentioned. Now, at least, you can sign up for a test ride in that manner...but for a dealer on his own to have stock to ride...it never happened, or if ever...rarely.
the man who taught me how to work on bikes was a master mechanic and a good friend, and he had the ( first gen venture royal ) big 4 cylinder and he knew how to tune it up, that thing was a beast, i had a 1984 kawasaki 1300 voyager maroon and black with gold pin stripe, she was fully loaded for the day and had a inline 6 water cooled engine. those were the good old days
When Yamaha first came out with these bikes I was strongly considering buying one but came across a 18 ultra limited with a little over a thousand miles which is currently my second bike also have a 07 road liner Yamaha with basically the same motor as this venture but a dated version of it which I actually love gets down the road just fine and never really had any complaints about excessive heat coming from the motor burning my legs ashame these bikes aren't selling Yamaha makes a good motorcycle their motors are bulletproof with reliability!
Actually there IS a reason that they just didn't 'get off the ground'...and the TOTAL blame is with Yamaha Corp. What happened for those that do not know...is this. When they first had the big reveal at one of the Bike Event (I think it was Sturgis...) and they brought out the SVTC onto stage...it did generate a big stir. The bike was loaded to the 9's with tech, even a C.B. Radio on the Transcontinental. Well...pre-orders were taken. But...folks...here's what truly happened. There was an 'issue' with the first few production models coming off the assembly line...and they DID NOT deliver to pre order customers as promised...that being in September/October of 2017 for the 2018 model. In fact, it was almost into April 2018 where actual models were finally getting to the North American Yamaha Warehouses, and then shipped to the pre-order dealers. But...many, many pre-orders were cancelled as Yamaha NEVER DISCLOSED what the 'defect or hold back for delivery' was....many pre orders got alarmed and scared, and canceled their orders, got their deposit back, and bought elsewhere. What finally was 'semi-officially disclosed, was that due to bad training, those on the assembly lines, were not pre-lubing the lobes of the camshafts, and in the first few delivered, the camshaft lobes were self destructing...and scarring/destroying the bottoms of the lifters. Metal shards and debris was borking the engines. So...when they finally nailed down what was happening...and made SURE the assembly line workers properly (as the engine came to their station) LUBED with 'break in' pre lube, the camshaft lobes, for the first critical moments of operation of the mating of the cams and the lifters...(and was secondly discovered, that some of the lifters produced by 3rP were NOT properly hardened, and/or or as well, were slightly too large out of spec to run in their support sleeves, so were NOT properly rotating to spread contact wear over the entire follower bottom surface...and so the lobe just ground a trench into the bottom with result of failed valve actuation. All of this...was corrected before the bulk of the first year 2018's left the factory...but it took a hit, that bikes that were not canceled, were at least 5-7 months late for the big reveal promotion delivery dates. The Buying Public's wind left the sails...all Big REVEAL sales 'momentum' was lost...and THAT is why the bike failed in sales....Yamaha, ..should have been totally up front with buyers...those looking to buy...and motorcycle magazines that they discovered a flaw that could be easily corrected, before shipment...but they never did...kept silent...and let pretty serious rumors spread for what might have stopped shipment. This...(all Yamaha Corp's fault)...led to the ultimate demise of this bike, with only a four year production run. The model is now E.O.L. (End of Life) in 2021...there are no 2022's being produced, and again...a fine fine V-Twin, that Yamaha BUTCHERED , in the introduction, and promotion of this fine bike.
I have a 2013 Stratoliner S, love it Got my ecu flashed from Ivan, opened up the airbox and installed freedom true duals!! This thing would fly if it had wings!! Lol
That's a matter of opinion. My brother had a 2019. He wasn't all that impressed and he's always liked goldwings. I've owned just about every brand including Harleys and now a chieftain and had some issues with both American bikes but still wouldn't trade my Indian for anything else. It just suits my tastes.
Yap, with a Goldwing and Valkyrie under my belt, and 50 years riding, it’s my opinion, nothing can compare to the Goldwing engine. And the bike is pretty good too.
@@wb999999 Don't be offended but a lot of you goldwing loyalists have the same disease as Harley brand loyalists. You don't think there's anything else out there that can measure up because you never ride anything else. I'm not saying this is YOU. I'm just saying it's a common theme.
I own this bad boy in a 2021 metallic blue, I love it and I’m soooo glad I practiced with ride like a pro videos or else I might not be able to take tight turns with my wife on the back with an almost a one thousand pound bike…it has a tour mode and a sport mode, sport is definitely more aggressive.
Yamaha makes excellent bikes. I have owned 2 of their road bikes. My problem was not with the bikes, but the local dealerships and their service departments. I hade less than desirable experiences with them.
I agree. I could write a horror novel entitled “Yamaha Service Departments”, based upon my experiences over the years lol. The first two Yamaha service departments I took the new Venture to (purchased it at a dealership 150 miles away) none of the technicians had ever seen one before and actually declined to service it. They recommended a 5 star Yamaha dealership a little further away. I’m comfortable taking the bike there now because they have some seasoned technicians there, thankfully. This kind of stuff doesn’t ever happen at a Harley or BMW dealership.
960 lbs(dry) 76 hp, redline below 5k , $27,000 ,soft seat, 29 deg lean angle, No wonder no one buys them Pretty hard to compare to HD or GW Clueless cliff
I rode one of these a few years ago at a Yamaha demo day and absolutely love the styling. Despite the weight it hides its size well and is quite nimble. The spec sheet is deceiving as I found the power to be plenty and the chassis quite willing to handle twisty roads. I would have purchased one but the price is still high on used examples and the selection is limited.
I test rode one at Daytona in 2019. I liked it in every way except how quickly you hit the rev limiter. I left Daytona on my Road King and went and bought a Ultra Limited. I didn’t even make it home to TN before I had the Limited. My wife was surprised.
@@rhoodj My current bike is a ‘22 Ultra Limited. The one I bought on the way home from Daytona was a ‘19. I put lots of miles on since I bought that one… near 100,000. Then, between Christmas and New Years of ‘22, I traded for the new one. I already have over 30,000 miles on this one.
Thanx for the video...as it's a real bummer that Yamaha stopped making all there big cruisers as they collect dust. I own a 2015 raider and that bike as well was sitting in the dealer for quite some time but really happy I jumped on it. I traded the little brother in (Stryker) for it and don't regret it at all. Yamaha had the eluder and really liked that one as well. Take care and ride safe.
Hey Jerry, my brother and I demoed the Star Venture at Daytona this week. We both liked the bike but we were not happy with the rev limiter kicking in at 4300 rpm.
I waited for Yamaha to come out with a tourer and when the news of this came I was very excited. I was really disappointed by it being an air cooled v-twin. I would have settled for a water cooled engine. The main reason I didn’t buy it was because every review complained of engine heat. Bought a BMW GTL when Honda came out with the tiny Goldwing. Now I’m riding my Yamaha FJR as the Beemer sits in the shop with a driveline failure.
Heavy set buddy of mine finally gave up his FJR. Went to a used Goldwing for the larger size because didn't want the smaller new one. He loves the performance, but he did spend a lot of coin right away on aftermarket suspension. He's loving the Goldwing. He considered a BMW but couldn't justify the maintenance costs. He's a Harley hater so didn't even consider one. To each his own. America is still free for the moment......
All air cooled v-twins throw off some heat and the Venture is no exception, but then so did my Harley. Every water cooled bike I’ve owned has had water pump issues (with the exception of my Concours 14 - a most excellent bike btw). Not saying air cooled is better, just saying. Love the GTL but fear it’s reliability issues which perhaps explains why they hold their resale value the least of any Beamer.
@@motocyklowywagabunda7038 I’m still awaiting word exactly what happened. It’s a 2018 and either the drive shaft or the bearing in the final drive or both. I thought they had those issues ironed out.
@@Omnivic It is strange as K1600 has completely different final drive than R models and I never heard of broken final drive in new K bikes. Mine is 2012 so early model with over 45 k and everything works fine but I do my maintenance myself so change of oil every 6 k and lubrication of splines in the shaft.
Yamaha Venture folks on the Facebook groups love them and swear by them. I personally do not own one but they seem pretty popular outside this post. Great videos Motorman!
I have a 2007 Stratoliner, purchased NOS 2009. Flawless. This Venture must put down way more than 78 HP. My Strat goes through tires like they're free. Also, no idea why it's rev limited at 4,500. Not that you need to go higher, but Yamaha knows how to build bullet proof racing engines.
Nice run after all. I am currently running '92 yamaha virago750 also air cooled and just dream of a big dog like this one. Not sure yamaha has it for Europe...
I owned 1 for 22 months. I wish you would have read up on it before you rode it. The turn signals do self cancel. Just takes longer. Buttons and controls are easy to use once you study them quickly. Bike is actually great on Tail of the Dragon. You can also start off in 3rd gear on this machine. Looking at bikes Your on it has a few accessories on it. Not selling well because Yamaha isn’t pushing it with a lot of advertisement on it. Price wise it offers more than the Harley Davidson Ultra Limited which I own a 2021. It also has more power then the stock 114 M8 motor.
Finally a real comment... I owe a 18 for about 5 months and is my daily ride. I love the bike!!! When all bikes are new they are expensive, that is what it is... Have here 2 1800 vtxs and a yamaha roadstar, will say that the Venture is a fantastic bike, no bikes are perfect but might say that HD is a no no, too expensive bike with no power and tons of mechanical issues. If you want a great harley you have to pay for 3 metrics brand new to maybe have something worth it. Love Indians but price depreciates like crazy... that's my 2 cents...
@@jimfreeman7656 I did watch entire video. And I’m a subscriber to his page. However if you ride the SVTC you will notice it takes a long time for signals to self cancel.
As a 58 year old who's ridden Honda's, Kawi's, and Harleys (currently riding a 2014 FLSTFB), I can honestly say I'd ride this bike without hesitation. Too many folks get caught up in brand recognition and allow it to define them. Ride what you like, period. This is a damn good lookin' sled.
True that no one buys it. It's like 960lbs and has a redline of a diesel engine. It's probably fabulous for reliability and function, but it's just not popular. Look up Paul Pelland, long haul paul. He put 100k miles on one of these on a year and half I think to raise money for MS. It's built well for sure.
I and everyone I personally know that owns one have has issues. IMO it is the leasy reliable bike on the markey. STAY FAR AWAY! Kymco, Hyosung, HD all are better than this Yamaha.
@@my.motorrad are you Facebook groups regarding this motorcycle and I was actually shocked as you were to hear the issues people have been having. One of them involves the valves and it's a major job to have the work done in a timely. Most dealerships don't get your bike back to you for over 6 weeks. I've also had a lot of issues with their infotainment system dropping the Bluetooth connection. Apparently there's a firmware update people can do that makes it slightly more reliable. If you people are posted issues with the rear brake apparently the caliper can seize up. All in all people buy Yamaha primarily because they tend to have the most reliable bikes of any manufacturer. This particular model not only doesn't have better reliability but it also has an incredibly low RPM limit which really holds back the potential of this bike.
@@shotgunscott Sorry to hear of your misfortune. I’ve read some of the horror stories on the forums, but I haven’t had any issues with mine so far (knock on wood) at 8k miles. My biggest fear is finding a competent technician at the dealership to do the service work. Most haven’t even seen one before, let alone worked on one. I do my own oil changes, but I don’t want to tackle changing spark plugs or valve adjustments.
76 HP for a motorcycle that weighs over 900 lbs speaks for itself, when you compare it with other bikes similarly weighed. And being air cooled at locations where the temps are triple digited during the summer is not an inviting experience.
In fairness though, the bike is not slow by any means. When people talk about the hp of the Venture they use the hp at the wheel and then compare it to other bikes hp numbers at the flywheel. The Venture has more like 98 hp at the flywheel. But it’s got 126 ft. pds. of torque. Torque is what it’s all about with heavy luxury touring bikes not hp. Yamaha knew what they were doing in the design of this bike. They understood that torque is the key to moving a large bike efficiently.
The engine heat that a bike throws at the rider doesn't have much to do with whether it is air or liquid cooled. I have a 2019 Kawasaki Concours 14, liquid cooled, but I've read that earlier years of the same model had a significant problem with the radiator exhaust air cooking the riders legs. The fairing was redesigned to direct the air further out and not directly on the legs.
I had an 83 Venture. I put 85,000 miles on it in 10 years. It had a seat height larger than my 30 in. inseam and was quite warm in hot weather. The seat was more comfortable that any Harley I've owned.
Yamaha seems to be closing up shop when it comes to street and touring motorcycles. They build nice bikes, but their dealers act like they don’t give a crap if you buy a bike from them or not. That’s not how to sell motorcycles. It’s time for Yamaha to either get it together, or call it quits in the motorcycle arena.
