2018 Star Venture Motorcycle Review
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- Опубліковано 6 лют 2025
- 2018 Star Venture Motorcycle Review - Here are my thoughts after a brief, low speed test ride on the new Yamaha touring flagship the 2018 Star Venture. This is a great example of why you need to ride a bike before buying it and especially compare it to the direct competition before deciding. Specs and looks never tell the whole story. I will review the Eluder at a later date when it's at a dealer with a better course.
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Dude that bike is not for you!
I rode that bike and it’s beautiful!!! Everything you’re complaining, doesn’t match what I experienced. I’ve just turned 54, and this Yamaha venture will be my last! You sound like you don’t nkow what you talking about
ALFONSO thegreat you’re right about that
That's what i thought. Kind of an ass hole.
I took a test ride this Saturday and was very impressed with the ride, engine, and seating. The electronics were nice as well. I had no problem with heat from the engine. I also tested a new Goldwing and the Yamaha was a much better ride.
I rode the bike in lake George NY. Right after I rode the 2018 GoldWing. This bike was way more comfortable. We went thru some twistes and I loved. I was 2 up on both bikes. At 6'2" tall it gave me unlimited leg room.
Bryan...yet another review that really goes beyond simply the stats & numbers and makes you better understand how it is to actually ride this bike. Love it! Thank you for continuing to be among the best reviewers out there!
I believe this bike is in a class by itself, and elicits negative comments from riders who compare it to "their" bike. I own one, and to me it has the right combination of everything to allow an all day, all week, or all month tour. As far as engine heat, any bike gets hot sitting in traffic. I try to avoid major cities anyway, and congested suburbia. The new Gold Wing has been redesigned to be a weekend tourer. I am serious about long distance riding that has to have cargo, comfort, torque & capability.
10:25 Compraring a 650lbs bike to a 950lbs is just stupid, and a touring bike isn't suppose to go 500mph.
I'd like to add that oatmeal is not as good barbeque. *shakes head*
I think this is the last review I will be watching from TwoWheel.
@@POPPASHANGO same for me.
This is the most beautiful bike I've ever seen
I owned one for three years...rides like a dream.
Thanks for the review. I noticed that you didn't adjust the side wind deflectors to bring wind into you. The way they were was outward, which deflected the wind around you. I think that's what kept your legs hot.
I had the opportunity to demo ride a 2018 Star Venture TC today. I agree with everything you said in this review.
Great video. Even better for me because I am in it. It was cool meeting you.
+J Dogg ha cool! You too man!
Bryan,
I have owned fifteen bikes and only my FJR had a gear indicator. I never, ever rely on it. Nor have I ever trusted a neutral light.
A gear indicator would have no bearing on how I ride. My truck has a six speed manual transmission. I don't look at the knob to know when to shift.
Having said that, every bike I have ever ridden, I keep upshifting, looking for that magical gear.
Hey Bryan. I have watched your channel for quite a while and I really appreciate the honest reviews. For me this is a huge disappointment. The lack of engine response and the engine heat are major factors for me. I own an 09' FJR and it's a great bike, and I was hope the new Star Venture would be its replacement. Well, I guess I will have to wait for the redesigned Goldwing. I was planning on testing riding this bike on 29 Sept, but based on your review... there's no need to go. Thanks again.
Thanks for the review, I love Yamaha's and was interested in this bike. I was concerned about the heat on this air cooled V-Twin and you confirmed why I would not buy this bike. I do not like my legs getting heated or burnt when I ride.
I have a short inseam and I do not like riding on hot bikes like HD or the Star Venture. What touring bike do you ride? And what bike would you recommend? BMW is too high and Indians run hot as well.
Your opinion on best overall touring bike that is comfortable, plenty of power, and not overly hot while riding in 80 to 90-degree heat?
This could be the perfect road test as you have to hit traffic for the first 12 miles to get onto highways where I live and that heat would definitely piss me off
This is disappointing, but a nice, honest review
Great honest review, I had high expectations for the bike but your feedback brought it down to earth. Great job!
It amazes me that so many of you take this guys review to heart. Lol. I think you all owe it to yourself to get out there and ride one of these bikes. One man's option and your not even going to give the bike a look?! You know what they say about opinions. I didn't order one of these bikes because its a piece of shit. Get out this spring people and take one for a ride yourself. Then come to your own conclusion.
I completely agree and say it frequently in reviews. You never really know how you’ll like a bike until you ride it. Paper specs mean nothing. That being said, many people know I don’t BS and am darn accurate in my reviews after they ride for themselves.
I don't have to test ride another air cooled v-twin to know it will cook your legs. It is simple physics. Unless the engine is fully shrouded and fan cooled, it will cook your legs. Air cooled engines belong on airplanes.
Joe Blow Unfortunately, getting caught in slow traffic happens all too often in the northeast and I am well aware of cool riding weather living in northern PA. I am an ATGATT rider and I can always put on additional layers to handle the cold, but can only remove so much to handle the heat. I will test ride the Venture if an opportunity presents, as I did like the feel of it from sitting on it at IMS Cleveland. However, having ridden V-twin Harley and Kawasaki bikes, and having owned for many years a Voyager XII and now an LT, I will be surprised if this bike impresses.
My wife and I took one out and thought it accelerated much easier than my Victory CCT. Much smoother too.
I thought the Venture had lower vents that you can open and close. I wonder if they were closed for your demo ride? That would explain the heat on your legs right?
+thedgepath1 no. The heat is directly from the engine.
TwoWheelObsession so was the vent open or closed?
You clearly don't understand. No vents or deflectors do ANYthing when you are not moving. It has nothing to do with it.
TwoWheelObsession So you don't know if they were open or closed. THX
Obviously the vents would do nothing at a stoplight, but when riding you would have airflow(when open) helping the heat to dissipate from the engine in hot summer weather.
In the winter closing the vents would hopefully help keep your feet/legs warmer using the heat coming off the engine.
+thedgepath1 don’t assume so much. They were open. There was also no issue with the heat while moving if you paid attention to the vid.
Great review sir. I was so interested in this bike but your honest and thoughtful review has caused me some pause. Thanks for focusing on what matters most...the ride. Great job.
Thank you very much, really was considering it for looks, but main concern was how it will behave in stop and go traffic in July in Miami... If you're getting fried at regular operation... daily traffic will make my legs charred
Hey thanks for the review, this ole school touring rider enjoyed your comments. Gear indicator loss no big deal to me, self canceling signals are...LOL!
What do you normally ride because you don't sound like your use to big tourers as I have had goldwing s for years and now victory vision and the things your complaining about i.e. The dash view ,handlebars and wide tank are the same on all the ones I have had .
One of my daily rides is and FJR but I have ridden and reviewed almost everything.
Did you get a chance to try the Eluder Bagger? Curious if that is any different kind of a ride to the Venture.
The Venture should have the V-Max engine, like it used to! No one could call it slow then, despite the massive curb weight.
Agreed. However, the V-Max had a variation of the Venture engine. Not the other way around.
John Jones very true.
It doesn't have the VMAX engine so get over it.
Lucky! Yamaha doesn't have demo days closer than a few hours away from my location. Looking forward to seeing you review an Eluder, as well.
Same bike, no trunk, smaller windscreen, slightly lighter.
I'd be interested to know how the lack of the trunk affects how top heavy it feels. Cheers, and thanks for your good reviews.
Wow that sounded like it didn't want to get out of its own way .Thanks for taking the TIME
Thank you very much for this honest review. I was VERY surprised that Yamaha stuck an air cooled engine in there, and with all the do-dads around the engine, you can hardly see the V-Twin configuration. I am hoping you gt a chance to review the new GoldWing! Thanks again and keep 'em coming, ride safe.
Another winner Bryan! Not the bike, the review. I'm most thrilled these days riding a quality sport touring machine. They tend to spoil a man with their power, refinement, and handling ; )
Thanks for telling it like it is with these road reviews.
Ride it yourself and judge. His opinion is different than 99%
I would like to see you do a test ride on the KTM Superduke GT.
Brian! I'm looking forward to your reviews of two new BMW's ... the 310 and the K1600B. Your insights are always humorous and helpful.
I'd be interested in your opinion on the Moto Guzzi Griso. Would you ever do a review on one?
I have been waiting for this video. My top choices for my next bike are this or a road glide ultra. Keep up the awesome work.
Are those bars adjusted properly? Generally the fluid reservoir covers are parallel to the ground in a straight-ahead position.
+Michael Calkins not in all cases.
Great video. I too was sad to see they ran an air cooled twin. I have a 2000 Royal Star Venture and I love the liquid cooled 4 cylinder. I appreciate your honesty on your videos. Next maybe you can get a review on a BMW K1600B?
What bikes are you comparing it to? I haven't heard as many negative comments on any other review of this bike.
+keefer1261 Goldwing, K1600 and Roadglide
The Harley makes sense, but the two others have six cylinders each. Have you ridden the Roadmaster?
+keefer1261 the comparison is against bikes bought for the same purpose.
yeah i was surprised about the negative comments because every other video review says how much torque it has through the whole rpm range how well it handles ect. this is the first review that had more cons than pros. obviously its almost a 1k lbs bike and its not gna be the fastest. the eluder should feel better with 100lbs less weight. but i dont care anyways because IF i buy it this thing is getting a TURBO
Great review and agree about riding a bike first. I actually enjoyed the video mainly because of the Super Tenere on your right.
This review contains a lot of information that other reviews of the same bike have not included. This includes the engine heat problem, the disappointing amount of power considering the size of the engine and some of the foibles of the bike itself. Thank you for a good review.
air cooled might be great for Canada or Alaska? thoughts
Great, honest review. I am very surprised after watching this review, and another test ride review, how slow this new TC is. It appears as though full throttle just kept you up with the ride escorts from Yamaha.
Brian, how tall are you? Trying to compare your experience in the cockpit to what mine would be at 6'1" and 230 lbs.
+Chris Nicol 6 2, 250
great honest review i defiantly would not put it up against a gwing through but i haven't ridden a wing since a 1982 aspencade
Hello TWO. I heard in another Test ride blog that the test bikes had a "rev limiter". Did they explain anything like that while prepping for the demo ride? If the motor is that weak then they were falsely advertising the amazing engine's power. Ride safe!
+Carlos Gonzalez you misunderstood there is nothing different about test bikes
Kind of bummed, was looking for a 2 up touring replacement for my FJR (which I love). My only hope is the new 2018 Goldwing will blow everything else away, I'd hate to settle on the HD RGU, it wasn't bad with the new M8 but am concerned about the heat.
Other testers were said to have opened vents to cool legs in mid 90° weather and were impressed as soon as it started moving. And, changed off touring mode to free up additional torque if this model was so equipped like other versions.
There was no problem while moving and I did both modes.
TwoWheelObsession sounds like you may have gotten a dud since watching other reviews speaking highly of the gobs of torque. 126ft/lbs. Is nothing to sneeze at which should have been on tap while in sport mode. Sorry, let us know if the next one is different. Thanks in advance.
FYI, the gear indicators work based on RPM and speed, there's no "input shaft" input telling the ECM what gear it's in. If you think about it, every gear has a specific RPM range within a specific speed range. That's how they work. My 2013 Vision was like that, as are most other gear indicators. You can buy them aftermarket as well, although I'm sure those are pre-programmed by Yamaha. The reason they go blank when you pull the clutch in is because there's no way for the gear indicator to tell what gear you're in so it goes blank when the clutch switch is activated. Unless you have a specific wired input like the other bikes you mentioned (and my 2014 VStrom 1000) it's RPM/speed related.
Input shaft means engine. Crank speed. Rpm. Same thing.
Ow tall are you? What's your inseam. That will help understand your seating position
6'2 32" - sorry I forgot to mention it in this vid.
I'm not one of those, "I hate the look", guys. I am one of those bikers in transirion. I'm ready for a more comfortable ride for long hauls than my Concours14. I was concerned about the heat and I'm disappointed in the power delivery for such a big engine. I'll reserve judgement until I get to ride it. Great review though. I was looking for something with a little more substance.
Thanx for the review. As always, I find your reviews very informative. I watch all of your reviews and don't seem to remember an Indian cruiser review. If possible, can you do an Indian cruiser (Springfield,Roadmaster,etc) test ride. I would really appreciate your opinion. Ride safe.
+Blackhawk 247 they are there ;)
OK... For one reason or another I can only find he test ride for the Scout60. Not the cruisers. However I'll keep looking... Thnx.
thx bro. love to hear that stryker review
I experienced the same unbearable heat on my left under thigh also.
I don't get the complaints about engine heat (in hot weather!) and off-the-line acceleration for a touring motorcycle. It's akin to griping about the turn radius and gas mileage on a three and a half ton pickup in city traffic. These bikes were conceived, designed and built to spend the great majority of time on the open road, not squirting from traffic light to traffic light.
Why do you feel the need to see the ground?
Can we have a Stratoliner with these improvements, please?
I wander when it be available in the uk
Do you always drive at 4K rpm? This is a twin touring bike- not a crotch rocket. You keep comparing apples to oranges. I never hit the rev limiter on my bike. You are trying to drive it like a sport bike. It's not made to see how fast you can get from point A to point B.
Such a shame. I really like the looks of this. Not a lot of fixed fairing cycles out there and, to me, it looks great, second only to a Road Glide.
What very much surprised me was that it's air cooled. With all that front surface area and big air scoops why not throw a radiator in there?
Honest question: are there any advantages of air cooled over liquid?
+Eric Murphy less weight. That’s it.
TwoWheelObsession , so.... no.
I get the feeling that they should have stayed with the five speed transmission of the raider. But I can hear you overwinding that engine. Short shift it and you will get more acceleration.
I sat on it at my dealership today and I must say that it sits lower than my Victory Vision and the balance is about the same. The bars have the correct grip angle for all day riding and I can't say that about the Vision. Grip angle alone makes it worth buying. My wrist is perfectly aligned.
I'm surprised by the lack of power. I own a Yamaha Raider with that same 1900cc engine and it pulls, never short on power.
It's 1854 and it's not the same, it's been retuned.
That sucks it's an awesome engine in the Raider. And I know a lot of Raider riders were looking at the Venture as a long range option
The Raider is also significantly lighter.
Bryan, I was there later that day around 1pm and rode the Eluder. Not that impressed, but that test ride route was not good at all.
What mode did you have the bike in, touring, sport etc?
Both
Why did they make it aircooled?! And why is it a vtwin they could of made it a v4 and kept the price down because the engine is already on the vmax...
Man that is kind of disappointing honestly. The HEAT issue too..What is up with that! The Bike Looks Good from the side tho. thanks for a great review...not that I was in the market for one, but it just reconfirms my confidence on my GoldWing!!!!
I've read about so many bikes where one rider says it's hot and another doesn't. Try it yourself and make up your own mind.
Love your honest reviews
OH MY! I'm in love! hahahaha!!!
WOW! With HD coming out with the revised 2018 models, then there is the GORGEOUS Cheiftan, and Honda is releasing a all new Goldwing, my my my oh my! The choices and bikes have never been better! Exciting times! ;-D
Thanks Bryan. Thought these looked interesting, but air cooled is a big let down when even Harley has gone water cooled.
Hi, what event is this? I live in Orlando area but missed this event.
+RiderSagar just a demo stop. Gotta watch the manufacturer website schedules
does the handlebar look chintzy a little bit?
Shame about the heat, but at 96°F, I'm sure just about anything with an engine would feel like an oven. Not clear why you're comparing the power to weight with an FZ07. Not exactly it's design intent. It's a two up mile eater. Running it around between stoplights on a hot Fla afternoon probably isn't the best way to explore its core competency, but I understand you gotta take what yer given.
If the new Wing spyshots are the real deal, it won't matter. This one will be out of production in a couple years.
+saddlebag you missed key points. No that heat is not common. The fz remark was about the speed meaning it’s not even as fast as a relatively slow bike. I said nothing about power to weight don’t put words in my mouth. I also specifically said this was the worst case test for this bike.
You said "power." I gave you the benefit of the doubt of understanding that even an engine that makes a lot of power is going to feel slower in a bike that's the size of a baby elephant.
It's been hot and humid up here lately and I even notice heat on my ankles from both of my bikes that I never feel heat from. And where I ride, there aren't even that many stops. Every fully faired air cooled engine I've ridden has put out substantially more toddling around especially on hot days. I don't care for it either, but it doesn't seem to put most people off. Guess they take the sedan on those days.
Also, I found the same thing as you on the claimed Torque Curve/performance. They had a cut away motor at Sturgis (see my You Tube Vids) and I have a theory of why its so lethargic compared to the Strat/Raider line that shares some of the the new 113's engine components (pistons, rods, crank, push rods, heads). Star chose to add another balance shaft in this one as well as another alternator (thats right, x2 balance shafts, x2 alternators) which adds a LOT of weight on the crank - basically neutered the poor thing. Couple that with the heaviness of the bike and bingo - lethargic is defined..
By the way = excellent review, thank you for your honesty concerning using an air cooled belt drive bike as a touring bike..
I love Yamaha for there bikes and the looks of this bike has the sharpness of a batwing fairing yet the frame mounted fairing of a roadglide. Sexy bike bringing back the old butterfly fairing r1(that's what I call the old r1) I view this bike as a capable commuter and of course it's new so gotta work the kinks out . Great unbiased review
Interesting...I believe this is the same engine as the raider, which obviously has tons of power. Maybe they made some changes for this bike?
+Nathan Black it was only based on it.
So it's actually a new engine?
Nathan Black the only thing that is the same is the rods and engine displacement. And that comes from the yamaha rep. They built this engine for this bike. They added balance shafts to this engine so you don't get the low rpm chugging. If you notice the belt drives off the opposite side as the Raider of Stratoliner.
Thanks!
Hmmm I was really looking forward to this review when I saw it come up in my sub feed because I really like the look of the new venture... and the review didn't disappoint at all! But man... what a let down the bike seems to be.
Sounds like a lot of hasty judgments to me. Try it yourself and make up your own mind.
Shadetree surgeon I love your videos. Maybe you can take one of these for test ride and give us an opinion too?
I be interested in hearing your opinion Shadetree. This review almost completely contradicts every one elses.
Here are comments from a motorcycle cop. Very different opinion.
I had a few opportunities to test out the new 2018 Yamaha Venture while at the STAR Days event in Minnesota this past week. For those that were curious, here's my take on this remarkable machine. The overall styling is striking; the videos and photographs I saw beforehand don't do this bike justice. Standing alongside enabled me an opportunity to take in the total package. The term "sleek" has been overused by many who saw the bike in Minnesota, but it is an accurate assessment. I prefer to describe it as having a low, semi aggressive look and feel. Throw a leg over the saddle and you're immediately enveloped by the machine, and I mean that in a good way. You really feel as if you and the bike are one, rather than an afterthought. Lifting this nearly 900 pound touring platform off the side stand takes hardly any effort at all, even for those who are running a tad short in the inseam. The controls (many which are fully adjustable) have a solid, reassuring feel and the handlebar inputs take absolutely no effort at all. Thumbing the starter brings its nearly 1900cc V-twin motor to life with and exhaust note that has a pleasingly throaty sound to it. My eyes were immediately drawn to the infotainment system as it came to life, wow! This baby has everything any serious touring rider would want, navigation, music, Bluetooth and much more. I really didn't spend much time on these niceties, as I was more interested in the performance and handling. I did my level best to put the Venture through its paces on a mix of twisties and long stretches of highway. I deliberately tossed it from curve to curve, and those that were following me can attest that I wasn't shy about how I did it. My first thought was that that a touring machine shouldn't handle this good, but it does. It actually felt like a sport touring bike, inspiring confidence at every turn. The ride was glass smooth, and the suspension swallowed up every roadway irregularity with nary a whimper. The power, especially when set to the "sport" mode was sooth and linear, with no hesitation or vagueness of feel from its fly by wire system. The new Yami also sports a linked braking system with ABS which supplies plenty of smooth and progressive stopping power. Oh, did I mention that the gas tank holds 6.6 gallons...lets face it, I was far more than impressed. The Venture is the real deal and has set the bar for the industry, and the bar is high!
shadetree surgeon I just rode it today . You really have to ride this bike for yourself. Obviously we can't ride it like a fjr1300, due to red line issues. The bike has lots of low end grunt, and is very torquey. The bike feels better around the city in tourer mode, and in sport on the highway. Definetly ride it and formulate your own opinion as no 2 are alike ...
Stay safe
I road one and was impressed after hearing all the bad press. Coming from first an FJR which was to uncomfortable to me then a Raider which is a fun bike but not really a touring bike this is the next bike for me. Got used to the rev limiter pretty quick the weight doesn't feel there when its moving and extremely comfortable great for two up and all the bells and whistles the Raider doesn't have but the FJR did. If this bike had the Vmax motor they wouldn't have been able to keep them in stock.
You think this feels heavy, You have not rid'n the Victory Vision. I have one. Top heavy when fully fueled and will wear you down.
Having owned and loved an '83 gen 1 Venture Royal, I so wanted to love this bike. A departure from the "cruiser" incarnations of the moniker, why on God's green earth didn't they resurect and implement the V4 engine design? After 25 years, think of the advances in engine tech that could have come to bear. My '83 was a real hot rod bagger. Toasted every Wing at the stop light for years and years after even the Gen 2 1300 came out. My '83 had features ahead of the curve, air adjustable shocks, premium (for the day) sound system and electronics, removable bags, EXTENSIVE after market accessory list, top rate styling, linked brakes the list goes on and on. This review is very sad for me as when I saw this release, I SO WANTED to love this bike. Now it seems like a missed opportunity, a legacy to what might have been. I don't see them reworking this bike to the level I'm wanting, so I see it as a short lived, also ran memory in motorcycle history. Too bad, it could have been great.
I'll admit Yamaha has the heritage now to make these bikes. It's far better looking than the old Victory Vision.
TwowheelObSession thanks a lot for the review. But you seem to hate everything about the bike. Is that a personal agenda or a really honest review?
LOL I have no agendas when reviewing. I just tell it like it is.
I feel like this demo ride was a bad demo probably all these bikes. The route was bad, the day was good, Florida heat, I would have liked to see the bike cruise more like you know how you Florida guys cruise .. 80 on the highway. Then hear about the heat , if you feel it or if you don't. Maybe if you went back, and asked for a personal test ride they might give you one, and actually let you ride it. Also I read about the low rpms on this motor, I wondered about that. I really would like to see what it's like getting it up to highway speeds in a hurry. After a while how you were riding, I got the feeling you thought it would be like the FJR lol...
Dbest1a Vlogs I thought the same about your FJR comment, lol. Agreed...super negative review.
I did not have that heat problem with the Stratoliner.
Agree should ride yourself as I loved the bike. Turn signal is self canceling unlike his comment. Bike has great torque so not sure why one would not shift before reaching high RPM as you stay at high torque.
Also water cooling cools the engine not the muffler or other components so I doubt it would be much cooler if at all if it was water cooled.
I think the bike is not ready for production with all the electronics not working. I bought the bike on Jan 6 and it is the end of March and still not fixed. The bike has been at dealer for the last 8 days and they have no idea of what is causing the problem. I called Yamaha customer service, but the person was not much of a help. I would think a bike down this long would be expedited for a fix. A new bike that has not worked since delivery does not cause much behavior change. They are going to have an engineer dial in to help the dealership in a few days. I own 4 Yamaha bikes and this is the kind of service they extend. This is not a good feeling to buy a 30K bike and the manufacture does not care to make you happy or have a bike with 200 miles sitting around. I own an R1M, FZ10, FZ09 and this Venture which does not work. I must say that I traded my Goldwing for this problem bike and I do miss my Honda and the speed of service with any problem.
As of 2022 I would think this Venture is on the way out!
The older royal star also looked better imo. Good review as always!
Would like to see a review of the bmw k1600 b
+J Burdette just watch my k1600gt review. Same bike.
Well it is December 15th and I still have not seen the new Venture. I think they need to go back to the drawing board or just let me spec it. VMax engine and thats it.
That was a pretty rough review......one I didn’t expect after watching several Yamaha promos. From the Yamaha promos, I was expecting a world-killer. The lack of power is especially surprising, considering the engine. I ride a Star Raider with the same engine, although apparently tuned VERY differently. If you give my stock Raider a quick full-throttle, in any gear, you better have a death grip on the handlebars. Nor do I notice any excessive engine heat. When you reviewed the Raider, I don’t recall you complaining about the engine heat. Anyway, thanks for another honest review, apparently Yamaha missed on the Adventure.
Venture (not Adventure). Spellcheck!
One man's opinion. Try it yourself and make up your own mind.
I did. And my review would be EXACTLY like Bryan's.
Nice review. You are right. A bike can't be judged from numbers on a paper. Seems like I won't be trading my Goldwing.
Its a touring bike not meant to be a rocket I love mine 2020 awesome machine!
Cooling fans? There are no cooling fans on it. I never found the heat too bad. I owned one for 3 years and just got tired of the weight other wise one of the nicest bikes I’ve ridden. There are self cancelling turn signals, they shut off by distance travelled. There is a huge difference between Sport and Touring mode!
Good honest & fair review...thanks for sharing
You had the exact same experience I did with this bike but we demo rode in South Texas. Warm humid weather in the city with frequent stops will roast your legs on this bike. I have a raider with the same engine and don't have near the engine heat. Rev limiter also will piss you off while trying to get up to speed in traffic. I love Yamaha but pass on shelling out this kind of $ on this bike.
No gear indicator???
Great review, I also rode this bike. I didn't have the heat issues you experienced, but I'm in New England. I did feel the motor left a lot to be desired and thought it was probably the slowest touring bike I've ever ridden. Also, when I pulled onto the highway I bounced the bike off the rev limiter in the first 2 gears.
HappyJack have you guys ever heard of short shifting? Just saying etc and quickness based mile per hour.is based on shifting points.
Short shifting by choice or because it's mandated is the issue. Not the riding style. If all you're going to do is highway riding then this would be fine, but it will require way too many shifts for daily riding. The sweet spot in the motor was from about 1900 RPM to 3600 RPM. Anything less than 1900 was workable, but not optimal, over 3600 there wasn't much, and obviously nothing beyond the hard ceiling of 4500. For this bike to be happy (and the rider) you needed to stay within that 1700 RPM range. This resulted in an abundance of shifting. Please don't think I don't like Yamaha or their products. Of all the bikes I've owned, my V-Star 1300 was probably my favorite, and I'm currently shopping Waverunners. I love Yamaha and everything about this bike, except the motor. I plan on taking my ride footage and doing some calculations based on distance, time and speed, and see if it is actually slow, or just felt slow. I'm going to try to recreate the full throttle roll on I did on my demo ride with my current HD (103 twin cam) and compare the results. I will post it on YT if I can accomplish it.
HappyJack in drag racing you short shifting when you have a tall gear.or in a semi truck that is empty.
terry likens unfortunately I don't know much about either of these things. I do know I would have liked more motor. I can think of no situation where a 4750 red line is better than a 5750 red line. If you get a chance, ride one of these, maybe you won't agree with my assessment, maybe you will. If you do ride one, get on a new HD Limited soon after. Feature wise the yami will win, but I think you'll enjoy the HD more. They are the same price and the HD allows so many custom configurations that you can correct any point of discomfort, if you're willing to spend the money. I may be biased because I ride a Harley, but I try to treat them all the same. I have ridden about 15 different bikes this season. All were good, some better than others.
How does it shift , clunky or smooth ?
+Bernadette Darragh smooth
Air cooled says it all to me. $29800 OTD for that is a crazy waste of money. I don’t ride motorcycles in the subzero climate. I like to enjoy my rides in Summer heat. Don’t need added on heat from the furnace between my legs. I pass. Next?
I have yet to ride one. Thinking about trading in my 2017 Raider for one. The engine is just a reworked version of the Raiders engine which from what I can tell on paper is a little milder. That is ok with me because these bike are not designed to be the muscle bike the Raider is. It is a big V-twin touring bike and the 1900 is bullet proof. As far as the heat goes... Suck it up people and ride the bike for what it is. Your sitting on an engine. If you don't get that, just be a fairweather rider and take your air-conditioned car out on a hot day. I have had watercooled bikes and have been stranded because the rad sprung a leak at a weld point. Not fun.
And for the love of Yoda... Please stop comparing bikes from two different classes. Nobody compares barbecue to oatmeal. I think I am going to have to opt out of T. W. O. I can't listen to how a V-twin tourer is not a naked street bike. I didn't need to sit through a video to know that.
Excellent, honest review
now i dont know what to get still will test ride