Yamaha took the wraps off the luxury touring model it began teasing some time ago. The all-new Star Venture is a massive machine (claimed wet weight is over 950 pounds) with every imaginable comfort and touring amenity as standard equipment. Yes, that includes a reverse gear to make parking easier. A full featured “infotainment” system is, of course, part of the package, and should help keep the rider and passenger amused while draining the 6.6 gallon fuel tank.
Here is the full press release from Yamaha:
CYPRESS, Calif. – June 5, 2017 – Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA, today introduced the all-new Star Venture touring motorcycle model combining a new level of power, technology and comfort features that will redefine the luxury touring motorcycle market.
JOURNEY FURTHER
Powered by an air-cooled 113 cubic inch (1854cc) V-twin fuel-injected engine, the Star Venture incorporates never-before-seen features on a touring model like forward-reverse ‘Sure Park’ parking assist, dual-zone audio capability, “Drive Mode” settings that adjust throttle response, traction control, adjustable rider backrest, heated grips as well as rider/passenger seats and backrests, a fully featured infotainment system and more. These features set the all-new Star Venture apart, while Yamaha’s renowned quality, performance and reliability plant it firmly on top of the luxury touring segment.
“The all-new Star Venture is one of the most highly anticipated and important new motorcycles to come from Yamaha in years, and everyone here is extremely excited to introduce this impactful new model to the world of touring enthusiasts,” said Mike Doughty, General Manager of Yamaha’s Motorcycle Group. “As the ‘Journey Further’ tagline indicates, the Star Venture will make you want to travel farther and experience more while enjoying the comfort, performance, and technology features you expect from Yamaha.”
ENGINE
The Star Venture boasts a massive and torque-rich 113 cubic inch (1854cc) air-cooled V-twin engine with a class-leading 126 pound-feet of torque providing smooth and responsive power delivery even when fully loaded. The huge torque and relaxing V-twin pulse are complemented by lightweight forged alloy pistons, carefully-tuned twin counterbalancers and advanced composite engine mounts, which combine to deliver a smooth and comfortable ride on long days in the saddle while reducing fatigue. The engine’s semi-dry-sump design lowers the effective center of gravity by allowing the engine to sit lower in the frame. An external oil tank is integrated into the aluminum subframe to centralize mass and reduce weight, and a compact oil cooler is hidden between the front frame down tubes to help maintain ideal engine temperatures.
Developed specifically for the needs of long-distance touring, the Star Venture’s new six-speed transmission features ratios chosen to make the most of the huge low-end torque – from brisk acceleration in lower gears to relaxed highway cruising. At 75 MPH in sixth gear, the Star Venture cruises along at an ultra-smooth 2750 RPM.
The most technologically advanced luxury touring model in history, the Star Venture features a new Yamaha Sure-Park System that provides forward and reverse drive modes simplifying otherwise potentially tricky parking situations, even on rough or poor traction surfaces.
Yamaha’s Chip Controlled Throttle (YCC-T®), a ride-by-wire throttle control system, converts the rider’s grip input into calculated throttle control providing precise and refined responsiveness. Yamaha D-Mode allows the rider to choose from two different throttle response settings – an ultra-smooth touring mode, and a sport mode for sharper response, while the traction control system helps prevent wheel spin when dealing with reduced traction road conditions. Yamaha is the first manufacturer to offer this type of system in the full-dress touring class. A finely-tuned cruise control system also comes standard on the Star Venture providing for less fatigue and improved fuel economy.
The Star Venture’s exhaust system features a twin-muffler design with a throaty V-twin exhaust note. To achieve optimum sound quality, Yamaha carefully developed the exhaust tone throughout the entire RPM range in collaboration with the audiophiles at Yamaha Music.
Paired alternators – mounted low and forward in the engine cases – provide ample electrical power for the heated seats and grips, audio system and lighting. With 750 watts of total output, riders can add common electrical accessories and usual heated apparel without taxing the motorcycle’s charging system.
INFOTAINMENT
The all-new Star Venture features a state-of-the-art infotainment system mounted high in the cockpit for maximum visibility. A 7-inch full-color LCD screen displays an array of information. Controlled via touchscreen, handlebar controls or voice commands via accessory headset and mic, the infotainment package gives the rider access to vehicle control and data, a range of audio sources and wireless Bluetooth® communications options. The locking fairing storage includes a USB charging and interface port. By integrating vehicle systems into the infotainment console, running data such as trip computer functions and tire pressure can be easily confirmed on-screen, while elements such as the heated seats can be controlled by the rider.
Boasting paired high-performance speakers, the Star Venture audio package features AM/FM radio and can also play pre-recorded music or stream Pandora® from a smart phone via the onboard USB, AUX stereo or Bluetooth® wireless connection options.
CHASSIS & SUSPENSION
The Star Venture is built around an advanced hybrid chassis designed for light, agile handling with confidence-inspiring stability. The main steel frame provides optimal rigidity, while the rear aluminum die-cast subframe reduces weight and centralizes mass creating balanced straight-line stability with agile handling on curvy roads.
A 46mm telescopic fork features damping and spring rates selected to offer an ideal balance of bump absorption and high speed handling, all without losing a light and responsive road feel. The rear suspension system features a linkage-type, gas-pressurized, remote reservoir shock to create a compact design for optimized handling. As with the front fork, damping and spring rates were carefully considered to give the Star Venture an ideal balance of comfort and road feel, with convenient rear shock tuning thanks to a remote preload adjuster.
Unbeatable braking confidence is achieved through high-performance, triple-disc brakes featuring advanced electronic control. Yamaha’s Unified Braking System dynamically adjusts front and rear brake force balance in real time to ensure linear braking feel and power, and Yamaha’s refined antilock braking system (ABS) prevents wheel lock-ups when dealing with reduced traction road conditions.
Lightweight front and rear aluminum alloy wheels are finished with machined detailing that highlights the combination of lightness and strength. Up front, the 18-inch wheel features a 130/70 radial tire for light and neutral steering feel, while the rear 16-inch rim mounts a large 200/55 radial for stunning style and road grip.
Both rider and passenger can customize their comfort and ride position. Five-position hand levers and a 3 position back rest with adjustable heat control on both the seat and backrest cater to the rider, while height-adjustable passenger floorboards and a heated seat and backrest keep the passenger comfortable.
Air management is crucial for any long distance touring motorcycle. Providing more air flow in hot conditions and reducing air flow in cold weather was a key element in the development of the Star Venture. A stylish full-coverage fairing provides ample wind protection, and the electronically adjustable windscreen offers more than 3.5 inches of vertical positioning. External visors at the middle of the fairing can be adjusted to direct air towards or away from riders depending on conditions. And ducted vents inside the lower fairing can be opened or closed to further customize airflow for changing conditions. An array of heated contact points, including grips, rider seat, rider backrest, passenger seat and passenger backrest all come standard.
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
The Star Venture also includes a class-leading 6.6-gallon fuel tank and all-LED lighting. The side cases, top case and upper and lower faring storage compartments provide a combined total of 37.3 gallons of storage volume. The USB outlet-equipped fairing storage compartment, side cases and top case all feature electric locking lids straight from the factory. Yamaha’s Smart Key system with remote key fob allows for easy access to the luggage system and fuel tank cap, offers an “answer-back” function for locating the motorcycle in a crowded parking area and provides for simplified starting.
TRANSCONTINENTAL OPTION PACKAGE
A range of infotainment upgrades are available with the Star Venture Transcontinental Option Package, including GPS navigation with points-of-interest and route logging to help simplify the planning, sharing and uploading of ride routes from a home computer. A CB radio system can link riders to other road users, while SiriusXM® and SiriusXM Travel Link® provides satellite music, weather and traffic information. With an extra pair of high-output passenger speakers and Yamaha’s exclusive Dual Zone audio control – allowing rider and passenger to select different audio sources, hold private phones calls and more with an accessory headset and mic – the Transcontinental Option Package offers one of the most advanced infotainment systems ever featured on a motorcycle.
Along with the infotainment upgrades, the package includes supplemental LED fog lamps, an additional pair of storage compartments for the passenger and an alarmed security system.
The all-new Star Venture will be available in Granite Gray and Raspberry Metallic at Yamaha dealers beginning in August 2017 with a MSRP of $24,999 for base models, and $26,999 for models equipped with the Transcontinental Option Package. Authorized Yamaha dealers will begin taking orders through a Priority Delivery Program immediately following the model introduction on June 5th, 2017.
To find out more about the Star Venture, visit https://www.yamahamotorsports.com/transcontinental-touring/models/2018/star-venture.
See more of MD’s great photography:
I have been waiting for this bike, just not this motor. Yamaha blew it, they should have used a retuned version of the motor in my 2014 V-Max. Air cooled? Ball dropped, IMHO. It was so easy…..
As a former solo motor officer in California, I can appreciate all the comments heretofore mentioned. As far as weight goes, that is all on tires if the operator is riding it correctly. Unfortunately, keeping all that weight on the tires takes training and practice, practice and more practice. For those of you that have been around Harleys and Harley riders it seems to be all about image and how loud the bike can be. I also want to know why it doesn’t have crash bars and luggage bag guards. If it tips over and you don’t get you foot out of the way it can easily break your leg and tear a bunch of stuff in your ankle when the floorboard tips inward and traps the riders foot between the engine and the floorboard.
And, can you just imagine the cost of repairing all that plastic from front to back just because it tipped over???!! OMGOSH!! $$$$$$$
BTW: I ride a Harley Street Glide Special, because I trained on Harleys. Doesn’t mean I wouldn’t consider something else.
I got to sit on one of these beasts today, play with the switches, activate the forward and backward parking assist. It is a big bike and I am not a large person. At 5’6″ with a 26″ inseam I was suprised at how easy it was to throw my leg over the seat, I was able to heft it off the sidestand without getting a hernia, and was able to sit on the seat and flat foot it on both sides. That was amazing. It is a large motorcycle. Ergos felt good and the driver floorboards are long, the seat felt good. I imagine there will be people that will love this bike. Not my style though.
Saturday I will be attending Yamaha demo days and will be riding an FZ-10 and an FJR and probably a Bolt Scrambler ( ypu are allowed to ride 3).
They are more my style.(standards).
Can’t believe it another want-to-be Harley. Why not buy the real thing. Air cooled? Maybe they are old hd trade-ins.
LOL!! Not hardly the wheelbase on a Harley Ulra is 64″, Wing a tad over 66″, and this beast is 67.3″ (I think). And, with that big fat tire on the rear it is made for going in straight lines or gently twisting roads, not for doing a solo motor officer training exercise of an 18′ key or riding “The Dragon”. (Although, since there is room to spare doing it on a Harley, a good rider could do the “key hole” on it)
The video spoke volumes about the handling of the bike when,in the video, a rider had to “duck walk” it to make a rather wide left hand turn. Jeeezzee Louise, Yamaha, at least have a professional rider on the thing when you’re showing it off to the public!
Here’s a YouTube link to a rider doing the “key hole” exercise https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-V1PqA7vwk
Yamaha has been the most in touch with the market manufacturer in the last 10 years. So this was due. This will not fill a niche, it will not take market share from anyone. It will be not be a success other than it could unseat the Edsel as the undisputed King of vehicle dissapointment.
new Venture debut last weekend at Americade…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaGKETTT_qU
I understand Yamaha’s intent to keep loyal patrons from jumping ship to HD or Indian. But, is Yamaha trying to invade the HD/Indian market and ride WITH them or independent OF them? Does Yamaha see any defection from HD/Indian TO the new Yamaha? The infotainment system looks like one of the best yet. Actually, the whole package seems appealing to me, albeit for two areas. 1) No electronic windscreen and 2) no liquid cooling.
“…and the electronically adjustable windscreen offers more than 3.5 inches of vertical positioning.”
I understand the Indian Chieftain and Roadmaster have been getting into the Harley riders market. But, many Harley riders are very image conscious with all the Harley logo stuff they wear, H.O.G. membership and the number of Harley riding club (not to be confused with the 1%’ers) It’s like, I can afford to ride this and you have to ride the imitation kinda snob appeal, right?
Harley has to appeal to the “emotions” of the riders, not the quality or handling of their motorcycles, because their are better built bikes with better handling for less money.
I have a Harley Street Glide Special. I trained on a Harley and enjoy taking long trips on it. I’d probably enjoy taking long trips on most any touring bike that I have spent the time on. Hard to say.
No mention of whether a chain, belt or shaft final drive? Not that I’d want this heavy beast, just curious. I’m sure Honda will come up with something new for the sport touring crowd . . . . soon??
belt on the right side. You can see it in the 2 pics of the black one above
What a freakin’ barge. Definitely not to my taste. Looks nice enough for people who like such things, though. I hope Yamaha sells a bunch of them and ploughs the profits into something more interesting.
I can understand that in Yamaha’s product portfolio, this sort of bike has a place, in light of that market being filled by GW’s, the various H-D big baggers, and the successful onrush of similar rides from Indian: They’d like a piece of that pie. After the decline of the easy credit money pulled down the sales rates on the R6’s and R1’s, they’re looking to replace those dollars in a less volatile and more lucrative end of the market. I get all that.
I’m certainly not into these things, and I’m a huge Yamaha fan, but so help me, this thing looks like it needs to be Safety Yellow with ‘Caterpillar’ decals, or Green and Yellow in a cross promotion with John Deere. But don’t get all shook up, I think the same thing about GS BMW’s. I just don’t understand motos that cost over 20 grand, weigh almost a thousand pounds, and get worse gas mileage than a Toyota Corolla.
But, that’s just me . . . . .
I had a look at one at Americade last week. Oddly the bike looks better in photos than it does in person, not that it’s bad looking. The exhaust note is very quiet with a bit of a “chirpy” sound to it. The engine has a lot of visual mass. Yamaha didn’t have any in the demo fleet so I wasn’t able to ride it.
Fat motorcycle.
I love how every other line of propaganda mentions lightweight or weight saving…..and it still ends up weighing half a ton. I suppose someone rides these but it snot me and I own a Yamaha.
The air cooled big v twin was targeting the Harley crowd for sure. We’ll have to wait and see how it plays out. Now it’s time for Honda to up the styling and horsepower on the Goldwing. Hop up that flat six and make it lighter and sharper and continue to sell lots of them.
I think the 1800 Goldwing is more than powerful enough, plus it still has superb reliability and handling. They could look at weight reduction, though.
The 1800 Gold Wing is lighter and more powerful than this already so why would they need to add more performance to compete with it?
they don’t need to but owners and fans have been begging for a refresh for awhile now..2000cc, 6 speed, adjustable windshield etc
Ok, but Yamaha just suggested people are begging for an air-cooled v-twin with more weight and lower performance.
I’m thinking that Yamaha feels it will be easier to take sales away from Harley than to cut into the Wing Nut market.
124 ft lbs is hardly low performance.
Only in America is BIGGER better for everything. Why would anyone need a 2000cc goldwing?? How many cars run on a 1600 to 1800cc motors just fine with all that weight. Why not just buy a Boss Hog with a 454 big block. I want a light motorcycle!!
Obviously you have never ridden across the U.S.A. two up with luggage, where there are large day long expanses of nothing, and 80 mph speed limits.
You want light? Buy a CBR or Ninja 300
“People” don’t always buy what they “need” but what they WANT.
A person can get around town in a rebuilt Yugo, but want a Rolls Royce or Bentley. It can just be a matter of image, not “need”
Fun fact: this Yamaha makes more torque than the Wing.
The ironic thing is that new Harleys have water-cooled heads.
Twenty six grand and no electric windshield adjustment?
Uh, no.
“A stylish full-coverage fairing provides ample wind protection, and the electronically adjustable windscreen offers more than 3.5 inches of vertical positioning.”
Thanks. Missed that.
Now that I have had a day to think about it, this seems like a total cash-grab from Yamaha. The motor is already amortized, air-cooling means cheaper assembly costs..so I gather that Yamaha’s cost for this bike is ~60% of what a new s6 or v4 would cost. So, essentially they are playing Harley’s game: invest in the look, keep the equipment primitive and rake in the bucks. Hopefully this windfall (from bloated, diabetic boomers with room in their garages) will subsidize some ground-breaking machines from our tuning-fork friends.
Cash grab? Not one will sell at MSRP.
If I had more time to ride I would have already worn out my Stratoliner, probably at 150K miles, and moved on to an Indian.
Good luck wearing out that Stratoliner…I think 150K is accurate
Wow. You win the Sarcasm Award for this particular post.
This engine is brand new, so i’m not sure where you think Yamaha will save money…
Seems like more of the same. I am sure that it is a great bike. Are there really enough people in this market for another overweight touring cruiser? I know they are popular but I am not interested in a 950 lb motorcycle
re: “a 950 lb motorcycle”
admittedly given the gross tonnage it could use a set of electric bogey wheels that drop down/retract up in to the superstructure.
You strong-legged young bucks go for it. Too much for my spindly old-man legs.
Sit on it before you dismiss the mass. After sitting on the bike at Americade, the CoG is really low and the bike is not nearly as heavy as you might think. It’s still a pig, but not a big fat one.
The weight of the bike should always be on the tires. If you’re referring to lifting it up off the ground, I can see your point because it doesn’t seem to have a luggage bag guard to hold on to.
Here’s a video of a female lifting up a tipped over Harley,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyWpIKC_Br8
Wow, a lot of bias here against air-cooled engines, and praise for liquid-cooled ones.
My buddy’s 2012 BMW opposed-twin BMW has just surpassed 180,000 miles (he’s retired and REALLY likes to ride), and it has never been apart.
Another buddy’s liquid-cooled Honda ST1300 really bakes one’s legs when temps reach the 90s (those darned radiators).
My experience is that the blanket statement of “liquid-cooled, good” and “air-cooled, bad” is a gross over simplification.
Agreed
The speed will be limited by those two barn door ducts in the wind there. Air cooled advantage is weight savings and lower complexity. I don’t see those in play here.
I was interested, almost excited, until I got to the ‘air cooled V-twin’ part. I saw the name Venture and thought that this thing was a liquid-cooled V4 like the original. This looks really good, like a lot of offerings from the now-defunct Victory brand, but it seems that everybody has to build a Harley me-too. Ugh! Indian is the only brand that will truly give Harley a run for the money and owner loyalty for that type of bike. I don’t particulary care for either, nor this bike for that matter.
Almost makes me cringe, I own a fz7 and fz9 and they come out with a air cooled tank.. Wow.. What are they thinking?
One thing right, they did put a analog type tach on it.
But why must they only build bikes you and I want? They already built you a 7 and a 9 and some other versions of those bikes (I’m waiting on an XSR700 myself). This one is clearly for other folks and from what I hear it’s a really good riding bike. Not one I’d buy either but there are people that will.
Remember when 74 cu inches was an adequate power plant for a tourer? How are the other manufacturers will respond to this? Is 1000 plus pounds going to be the new norm? Is an 8 cylinder goldwing in the works?
re: “Is 1000 plus pounds going to be the new norm?”
easy, easy, quit looking at my gut, I’M WORKING ON IT…!!!
With the popularity of the Cycle Vision VROD tourer you would think HD would produce a clone. I.e. mid-sized water-cooler tourer for the aging consumer group.
Popularity? I’ve never seen or heard of this V-Rod conversion until you mentioned it. After googling it, i see why.
Wow speechless as to why they would bring out a bike like this. Over 950lbs.! Very disappointed with Yamaha.
re: “Wow speechless as to why they would bring out a bike like this”
if i were to hazard a guess, i don’t think it’s so much to INTERCEPT people who were already riding or going to buy Harley’s, but to fully flesh out the line-up and keep those who are already IN the Yamaha fold from leaving. you know like when they want to upgrade cause i’ve seen this kind of “inadvertent defection” many times in the past, customers (who would otherwise be loyal) go off to another brand just because you outright LACK something in the class they want. from a manufacturing standpoint post recession, we have evidence Yam’s clearly been trying to cover their bases in terms of new model entries.
”
“inadvertent defection” many times in the past, customers (who would otherwise be loyal) go off to another brand just because you outright LACK something in the class they want.”
You mean like Honda ST 1300 owners needing an upgraded model only to be ignored by Honda buying FJRs and R1200RT’s
Q: You mean like Honda ST 1300 owners needing an upgraded model only to be ignored by Honda buying FJRs and R1200RT’s(?)
A: yes.
With this I agree. Since I was a kid, i’ve been a Yamaha fan. I try other brands, but always come back. Ride a super tenere now, love it. easy to maintain, easy to ride, room for my 6’5″ body, and once you’re underway, it seems to lose weight. Doesn’t break like my brother’s KTM adventure. That POS ruined my trip to the Barber Museum.
I am not ready for a touring rig, but my guess is that Yamaha DOES know what they’re doing, and with not a HUGE investment in R&D, can meet the needs of their (aging – i am not turning any younger either) existing customer base. I think that austinzzr 1200 has it fundamentally correct – providing something for your customer base to keep them in the fold. They make enough $$$ for the business case, which is all that they are after.
I signed up to ride one. We’ll see. I did ride a new Harley last year, and it was better than i thought, but still not good enough. At least i’ll have something against which to compare.
The styling is fine, but for Chrissakes, put the friggin’ VMax engine in it!!!
+1
+2
+3
+19
I hear ya, but that’s just the wrong engine for this type of bike. Period.
needs update v-4, looks like some fools were listening the fools from california, where it was designed
Air-cooled is heavier and hotter than liquid-cooled. An air-cooled V-twin in a touring sled is a ridiculous choice except to the Harley cognoscenti. Reaching out to that crowd with a Yamaha label is also ridiculous. If you want one, wait a year and get them for 1/3 off.
Yamaha has many fine engines better suited to the job of powering a touring sled. They are also capable of much more refined designs than a throwback to the Eisenhower era. I agree with Cylcemotorist, the FJR1300 is a superior machine — in every way.
The Royal Star 2 nd gen was v4 and did not sell as many as the roadstar vtwin.
If your into long distance touring just hop on a Gold wing and go. For those of you that have never rode one I suggest you take one for a spin. Talk about a smooth torquey engine. Extremely comfortable and handles surprisingly well. Also the K1600 BMW too.
An Air cooled V-Twin with belt drive is no match for a six cylinder shaft driven machine.
Particularly when it comes to long distance touring.
sorry i think you are wrong, ive owned fj,fjr,1rst and 2nd gen of venture, goldwing, now a k1600, 1600 is a great fun bike, just when your touring and a semi goes by it pushes it side to side, the goldwing did not, love yamaha stuff, but air cooled.
There is no doubt the Goldwing is mechanically one of the soundest and most well designed machines out there. I have ridden one, amazing machine by any standards. I just wouldn’t own one. The stereotype is strong with that bike.
Personally, I think Yamaha should limit production to 500 units and just cut their losses. Hopefully they can sell those.
agreed….. i’m thinking this model is going to be a sales flop too… ;(
$25,000 for a 950 pound 1854 cc motorcycle.
I’d prefer a $12,500 475 pound 927 cc motorcycle.
I guess that would be the FJ9.
I guess you are single.
Lol the front of this looks like an ’13+ CBR600RR with the hooded head lights
for a cruiser Norm G gives a thumbs up on the styling.
Q: omg why…?
A: hello Mcfly, those side pods are a total styling throw back to the Wayne Rainey/Eddie Lawson Y-ZED-R 500’s…
https://tinyurl.com/y7y4ra77
Ok, they give you enough information to determine performance in 6th gear. If you’re turning 2750rpm at 75mph, that means you have an overall gear ratio of 2.62:1 assuming a 24″ tire diameter. So there’s 126 lb-ft x 2.62 = 330 lbf of thrust to move 950 + 200 lbm of bike and rider. That’s 0.287 pounds of thrust per pound of vehicle.
A GL1800 spins 3300rpm at 75mph, that’s a 3.14:1 ratio. I’ve seen that the bike produces as much as 123 lb-ft and that it weighs around 800 lbm. So, there’s 386 lbf of thrust to push 1000 lbm of bike and rider. That’s 0.386 pounds of thrust per pound of vehicle.
That means the Gold Wing has about 34% more acceleration than the Yamaha – this is assuming that the tires are similar diameter, both bike’s weights are accurate and that they are close to their claimed torque at those speeds. Still, until there’s a shootout, my money is on the Honda in a top-gear roll-on test.
I like it. Has cool lines, looks comfy as all hell, all the modern amenities and gadgetry, and very unique yet graceful looks. It would definitely get close consideration were I in the market.
Not a huge fan of the choice to go air-cooled, but it almost looks like they’ve built in the capability to go wet in the future with those side inlets. Pop a couple radiators in there and Bob’s your uncle. No chassis overhaul or redesign needed.
I like the styling. There are about a million ways to make a touring bike unattractive but Yamaha has managed to escape all the pitfalls.
On the power plant choice my guess is most U.S. riders surveyed want an air cooled V-twin. Most riders aren’t too well informed. Yamaha went with the survey.
American riders don’t understand the advantages of liquid cooling. If asked they would respond, “Just more stuff to go wrong.”
Personally I would go with the very refined FJR1300.
Geez air cooled… can’t hardly believe it..
How is this any more advanced than any other touring bike available currently? Personally, though I prefer Yamahas, I still feel like the Honda-six and BMW-six are more technically advanced than this. This does provide another option for the “v-twin or nothing” crowd though – because there weren’t enough options already.
I wish they’d provide some sort of performance metric. How am I to know if this thing will accelerate any harder than a King or a Wing – or a CX500 for that matter?
All them funky electronics is what they are talking about, its a motorcycle please keep it simple!!!
Great, another freaking V-Twin. 🙁 And air-cooled at that 🙁 :-(, and don’t give me the… Oh, but’s air and oil cooled. For an engine this size, in this category, it should be liquid cooled to avoid frying you like so many like this do. Maybe they engineered this differently. But regardless, no AIR COOLED V-Twin in a tourer for me. The rest of the design except for again the Harley look alike mufflers are rather good. I just wish everyone would quite putting a V-Twin in just about all touring bikes. Thank You Honda for sticking with your flat six, wish Kawasaki would update the old Voyager XII. Too many people fall for the great Harley marketing and image.
Yamaha sure is taking a risk with this bike at that price. 25 to 27k are Indian and Harley prices. It will be better than the others but will it sell. I hope so.
This thing is out of date the moment it hit the pavement. For that money I’ll buy an Indian and turn heads, not stomachs.
I don’t see the advantage of this over a real Harley. It makes no sense to use air cooling or a V Twin. You could just get a Harley. And then you’d have a Harley. I’m not buying another Harley because I don’t want air cooling or a V-twin. Now, I’m not buying this one either.
You could have a Bandit 1250, if Suzuki would give it cruise control, some bags and heated grips.Then you’d have something.
Over 950 pounds, a reverse gear, and four headlights. So, basically, it’s like a car that can tip over.
You know what would have been very cool here, especially for a Yamaha? A two-liter, liquid-cooled Triple. With all the raves Yamaha has received for their recent Triple, a big-bore/mondo torque Triple powering a luxo-barge would have been a brilliant departure from the norm, and a real game-changer for the class.
The press would have (Nick Harris voice) “aaaaabsoluuuutely” eaten it up.
Dang it, a retuned Vmax motor would have been the business in that bike, and it would have used a shaft too! After all the trend setting that Yamaha has been doing over the past few years, it seemed like they could do something very special with this type of bike. Unfortunately they followed Polaris’ lead with Victory and stayed conventional. Hopefully it will turn out better.
Gosh, another over-priced overweight brand new antique passing itself of as a new touring machine. How “inspired.” Yamaha has not made a touring motorcycle since 1993 when they abandoned the market to Honda and BMW. The inspiration here, or lack thereof, comes from the marketing department and not the engineering or customer feedback department. Behold the torque brick.
I’d take a Rocket 3 Touring and pocket the $10k
With that much plastic hiding the front of the motor, why not just go with liquid cooling and achieve much greater engine performance, in addition to the usual reduction in rider-baking heat? For Yamaha to go with a me-too Twin in this instance is just awful, but to dumb it down further with air cooling is borderline insulting. Do they really think that riders of $27K Japanese luxury tourers actually want to ride H-D clones?
Go your own way, Yamaha. Ditch the air-cooled Twin nonsense. Make something distinctive and iconic, as BMW did with their I6 KT. Drop in a liquid-cooled V4 producing 150 lbs of torque and similar hp, with all the usual electronic safety nets to keep riders from getting too stupid for their own good.
Gotta do it. Otherwise, once Honda finally reveals their next-gen Flat-Six Wing, this Yamaha will die on the vine.
+1
How much room is left in bloated, diabetic boomers’ garages at this point?
Tons of garage space fool, we have all the money…
I’ll put it next to my 2 Harleys, Tahoe, and Mustang GT. Still have space for wife’s Toyota and kid’s new Beetle.
well, I guess that answers that question…
Along with “Wow, how many vehicles can one guy have with not one of them appealing to me even slightly?”.
As well as “How did Donald Trump get elected?”
It looks like designers were inspired by the look of US muscle cars- especially Dodge Coronet 1970.
1970 Dodge Coronets, especially the R/T and Super Bee, were freakin’ awesome cars!
FFS not another damn V-twin!!! Can Americans buy anything else but V-twins???
No kidding. I’ve always thought that it had at least something to do with people who came of age driving American cars in the the 50s/60s/70s being accustomed to high-torque at low-rpm, and not trusting reliability of high-revving engines. Kinda like how people still insist on 3,000 mile oil changes.
Nice! Heavy bike and no crash bars?
Picking this thing up after a tip over will make picking up an adventure bike seem like a piece of cake.
Good looking machine.
That’s a pretty bike, but 950 lbs?! I’d hate to be riding and encounter a situation where that weight proves to be a challenge to my safety versus a lighter bike.
bout the same as a full touring Harley…i can assure you the Yamaha will handle better
Upon reading “most advanced” and forward/reverse cruise, I half expected to see integrated “landing gear” next……. I’ve seen some older couples falling off their ‘wings and Electra glides at stops, so a bit of <5mph support wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing……………………
Yeah, so where do they bolt on the lead to these things?
heck, i’m considering moving down from a 2015 v-strom 650 to a honda cb500F for a lower seat and less weight. don’t need no stinkin’ heavyweight tourer. cool beans, though, if it suits other riders.
I like it but wouldn’t spend $27K on a motorcycle. Get a Miata!
Agreed. When you get to this point you might as well be driving a car. You’d get better fuel economy, better protection, more safety features, and probably better resale value. With a Miata you’d be out in the open too.
But then again why do we really ride?
wow..your on the wrong website..most of us would never consider a Miata over a motorcycle..lol..$27,000 for a Miata…yikes !
If you’ve owned a Miata, you would understand..
Miata popped into my mind over this type of bike too. I’ve been riding for 53 years and wouldn’t go for a monster tourer like these bike as nice as they may be. So yes I’d consider a nice used Miata with an upgraded infotainment system for less money.
I’ve owned a Miata. I would get another Miata before I’d buy a $27K, two-wheeled land yacht.
Bottom line, if it’s too fat for easy lane-splitting then I’d rather have a Miata for light touring, and a normal bike for real riding.
I agree with PN. A roadster is a fun option for touring. Open air when you want it, no helmet required and your passenger sits beside you, in comfort. The roadster can pull a small luggage trailer behind it, too. Roadsters are fun to drive and at the price of these big touring bikes they are a viable option.
Why is it that yamaha made their air cooled bike look water cooled when HD was able to make their water cooled bikes look air cooled?
it has an oil cooler..still liquid and works well..think the side ducts are more of a performance look over liquid cooled…similar to Kawasakis Ram air design
More similar to the elephant ears Buell was putting on his 1125R for the radiators. Don’t think Kawi ram air ever looked like that. I really do like Yamahas, just think they under engineered the drive train and needlessly over styled the body work. It will be interesting to see how well these sell.
Kind of too bad Yamaha abandoned the V-4 if you ask me.
It was unique in this genre.
Anyways, I’m really curious what it costs to take this in for servicing?
Gotta be about as much money as it weighs.
Not that unique V-4 touring used in the Suzuki 1400 and the first Yamaha Venture as well, both failed long term sales. The V-4 platform although one of the best engine designs possible just didn’t catch on, shockingly motorcyclists seem to be an odd bunch. But your point is well taken, big rig touring is either flat six or V-twin.
The V-4 from the V-Max would have been perfect for this bike. Shaft drive, big power. V-4 tourers didn’t falter because of the V-4. It was styling, weather protection, and luggage. This bike has good styling. Removable luggage is mandatory for many reasons. Service, clean-up, and packing. So, ho-hum, yawn, another V twin HD copycat. I had really hoped for more.
sad to see the V4 go….such a smooth powerfull motor..heavy though !
V-twins are narrow enough to allow the rider to comfortably straddle the engine. Allowing for further forward seating. Which provides a more natural position from which to control a bike, compared to the waayy swept back tillers and awkward “deadlift with the bar 2 feet in front of your knees” feel required on Gold Wings and BMWs. A V4 would compromise that.
They’re making progress, much more than you can say for Honda and their nearly two decade old Gold Wing of which I had at one time. I’m quite happy with my nearly 350 pound lighter and sportier R1200RT, I know comparing touring rigs to sport touring isn’t really fair.
Honda GoldWing still rules in total long distance comfort, durability and service costs. Go to a GolWing meet and no less than 5 generations of Wings will be present. BMW has a rich history and many platforms can also be seen at those events, but to discount the merits of a touring platform based on weight is silly. The GL 1800 rocks in the twisty sections and has the poundage the ignore freeway airflow disturbance.
Maybe it’s just because I’m heavy myself., but this freeway airflow disturbance thing has always been kind of a mystery to me. I’ve never noticed the issue on any bike over maybe 450 lbs. Helmet buffeting behind big trucks, yeah, but that’s more a windshield issue.
Maybe you should try riding in New Zealand. I rode the North Island Desert Road at about a 30-degree angle in a straight line! Freezing cold Antarctic winds forced me to do that. This was on a Honda CX500, no lightweight. We have huge wind speeds here, which demand attention as they come in gusts out of nowhere. A hurricane anywhere else is just everyday weather for us. This always surprises visitors. In my childhood, poplar tree limbs would come down every other month outside our house, and sometimes whole trees. Still, some of the best riding roads anywhere, if dangerous for tourists in campervans.
Wind is a different story, I thought he was just talking about turbulence from other vehicles. Having spent a lot of years in Kansas, I’ve done battle with crosswinds on lots of bikes…and actually the worst ever was pretty heavy, a BMW K1300S. That thing might as well have been a barn door.
freeway airflow disturbance, meaning chop or cast off wind from things like empty car carriers, or transports.
Natural generated cross winds provide increased experience in safe riding and pucker factor. Kiwi’s have some very hazardous road conditions that non residents are seldom exposed to. For info concerning Kansas wind issues see THE WIZARD OF OZ.
May not be entirely fair, but in the case of the R1200RT I can’t imagine one is giving up much vs. the Wing/K1600/Harley/etc. I suppose passenger comfort is the big difference?
The RT’s huge protruding cylinders makes it hard to stretch out ones knees on long rides. Many long distance boxer riders, have switched to the GS/GSA because of this, as those at least make standing up for a while less awkward. The ‘Wing has awkwardly protruding cylinders as well, compared to V-twin, but at least they are individually smaller.
Why would the RT be different than the GS in that respect? Foot peg placement?
Higher, wider, straighter handlebars and a tank, seat and fairing designed with standing up in mind.
I welcome the competition. I’m not a fan of V-Twin long distance riding. I like my K1600 but confess the “Infotainment” system of Harley, Indian, and now Yamaha make the BMW system an outdated/incompatible piece of CRAP that it is.
FYI….Yamaha just came 1st for most reliable manufacturer based on a 4 year period of maintenance..BMW were in 9th place…give me the Yamaha !
I don’t discount reliability but it’s not #1 on my list, especially when buying a motorcycle. On the other hand, who really wants an unreliable motorcycle? That’s just my point, bikes (and cars) today are better than they’ve ever been so I am of the feeling that most everyone will be happy with their purchase but if something should happen it’s going to be relatively rare. Just buy what gets the juices flowing.
Just as long as drivers in cars don’t start complaining of distracted motorcycle riders.
Amen! I can see it now…one-handed riding as people play with the touchscreen. Yikes!
you can scroll with the buttons..safer
I like the styling. Guess I shouldn’t knock it ’til I’ve tried it, but once we’re talking this kind of money and weight I think I’d be much happier with a nice, lightly used Miata and a few grand left over for vacation expenses.
Enjoy your flat cornering and getting in touch with your female side. Miata’s are for young women, but in your case get a automatic so you be a slave to ordinary.
all in fun
I will, thanks. (I’ll probably also have more luck getting a woman to come along for the ride in the Miata.)
Anyway, when I’m feeling more “masculine” I can just take one of my bikes, or my manual transmission car 🙂
lol….this is a motorcycle website…why you talking about cars…especially the Miata…too funny !
Just buy a car already.
Gold Wing all the way if this is what I am doing.
not curious..the Yamaha could be better ?
more up to date for sure !
Nice effort by Yamaha in this market segment.
The scoops look like they’re for simultaneous gathering and storage of large quantities of nuts
The Yamaha Hamster.
Trike that beotch
I must say, I think the styling on the bike is great. After that I am not so impressed. But I can’t say enough about how good it looks.
Ok it looks awesome, I’ll give it that. Classic but also modern and cool looking. But other metrics are not good, weight(!) especially and mpg. Price puts it right up against goldwings and Harleys. I’m disappointed (but not surprised) in the air cooled vtwin choice. It may yet be a great bike but I was hoping for something more outside the box.
Nice bike, however I won’t be in the market for this type in the future. The one comment I will make is that the engine Raider and Stratoliner was much prettier. You just stand in awe looking at it. This engine has a much plainer almost industrial look. The intake box is as bland as it can get
Air cooled. Imagine that. I thought the Road Star was a good design with a water cooled V-4.
“Further” means “additionally.” Don’t they mean “Journey Farther”? What does “Journey additionally” mean?
Journey Further – Journey with all the farkles!
Roadstar is the air cooled v twin, your thinking of the royal star.
its oil cooled..not air
It has some pretty cool features, like that electrical engine (forward and reverse) for parking maneuvers!
Not my kind of bike but it’s nice to see Yamaha still upping its game!
Now for a 145HP FJ-10 please!
For that kind of $$ I’d go Harley all the way!
ive sold Harleys…..you guys just buy them..coz its a Harley..the Yamaha will do everything better..maybe not as cool if thats what ya want…club membership.
It is priced at or above an Electra Glide
Aimed at the Big Touring couple or wannabes. Great electronic package, we will see about yet another Big Twin in the market. I thought H-D had locked this market up. Infotainment is pretty easy mark to hit, you can hi this out to any number of subcontractors. Will this bike be a rival? The weight is redic.
Looks like a Buell that inhaled too many donuts.
Odd that Yamaha would choose to pursue this market segment now. Except for you-know-who the bloated touring bike market has collapsed. I think Honda sold maybe six Leadwings last year. This won’t penetrate HD’s touring segment and the Goldwing guys won’t give up their sixes for a V-twin.
Are you serious? 950# tourer with air cooled v twin. Never. Hot traffic and your toast. Stop trying to copy Harley and design a water cooled multi cylinder tourer of your own. Something practical
The engine is air and oil cooled.
“stop trying to copy Harley”…after seeing the motor it looks like Yamaha is copying Indian to me more than Harley.
That’s Harley money, and people with Harley money are buying more Harleys.
The more I see these …. things from other manufacturers trying to do H-D, the more I respect what Harley does. Never thought I’d say that
Well, good luck-I do think a drive shaft would have been a better choice. Also grey seems like an odd color.
“I got a FEvah, and the only cure, is MORE COW BELL!” Or in the case of this bike, “bigger side air scoops!”
Heavier than a Lead Wing, with 1/3rd the number of jugs? Wow!
950 lbs? Gadzooks.
I would have never thought “reduced traction road conditions” could be encountered with 950+ lbs resting on two tires.
Not really any different then 2000+ pounds sitting on 4 wheels in a car.
I think they could have used something other than a V-twin. Nothing against V-twins, just not the right right application for this type of machine. A triple or four cylinder would be more in line with this bike’s mission.
As a former Goldwing owner and a current Road Glide Ultra owner I can say your statement is wrong. Loads of low end torque coupled with a good gear box makes for a great touring machine. You have more range of foot positioning available due to the narrowness of the vtwin and that’s important when you ride 12 to 14 hours a day.
Touche!
Back in the sane-age, before market driven differentiation for the sake of it, bikes were gravitating towards Inline 4s and V-twins. As those are the most ergonomic. A transverse 4 is narrow enough to not impede lean angles, yet can be placed entirely in front of the rider. A V-twin is narrow enough to be straddled comfortably.
Anything else is a weird kind of compromise, and should be used sparingly, like a spice. And mainly to obtain a specific effect. Not tortured by some marketing men into being somehow “better” than the “big2” layouts at anything all that pragmatic. (Singles and P-twins for smaller/cheaper/lighter bikes (and dirt bikes) excepted.)
A victory look a like. Cruiser buyers shop American.
Since Victory is going out of business on their behemoth maybe Yamaha hopes to take their place. I know a Victory owner who says the only reason he got that bike was to please his wife. He calls it his white whale. He has other brand bikes too that are a lot lighter.
That’s how I ended up with a 2012 Goldwing. The wife told me she’d come with if I bought the Goldwing.
yaa Buddy ..Harley all the way ! so predictable
It looks ok and I wish Yamaha luck but I really have my doubts about another $27K touring machine right now,the market seems a tad over-sold at the moment.
Yamaha is large, full-line, and well liked enough, that having a luxo tourer in the stable may make sense, even if for no other reason than to prevent loyal owners from having a reason to go somewhere else.
As wealth is becoming ever more concentrated, more and more of the profits from bike sales, are coming from selling another bike to those who already own many, and who aren’t going to spend three months searching far and wide for the best “deal.” A guy with an R1, an FJR and other Yamahas (and a dealer) he is happy with, is likely easier sold on a YamaHarley than on a regular Harley (or ‘Wing). And I bet this thing is priced to be very profitable, like all full dressers are.
I didn’t see reference to self cancelling indicators or cruise control. It must have those, I suppose. I just didn’t see it mentioned.
I didn’t see any mention of self canceling turn signals either but it does say this,”A finely-tuned cruise control system also comes standard on the Star Venture providing for less fatigue and improved fuel economy.”
It has self cancelling signals, they cancel at 15 secs or 150 meters distance. Taken from the Canadian Yamaha website.
It also has 4-way emergency flashers.
looks great.
If I am to nitpick:
a) videos do not talk much about mechanical qualities of the machine
b) one video shows avg mileage below 40mpg… I thought an aircooled twin should be 50s range (will wait for test reports)
c) does not appear to have any advanced safety features (like airbags, collision warning systems, etc). I suspect this is where a new-yet-to-be-announced Goldwing will exceed Yamaha
It looks nice. If I were in the market for a full touring bike, I would certainly give it a look…
Filmed in the beautiful state of Oregon. Cool! These are my riding grounds. When the weather is right, there are lots of cool places to see around here. The bike looks pretty nice. I’m glad to see they’re keeping this engine in the lineup. I thought it might go the way of the Stratoliner.
Beautiful Machine…front end design reminds me of a 1968 Pontiac Firebird. This replaces the Victory attempts at modern V-Twin luxury touring. Max torque is everything for heavy touring bikes, looks like Honda has real competition for the 18-yo Gold Wing. Just missing the air bag, but not sure how many lives/injuries have been truly saved with Gold Wing air bags so far–any stats on this?
“…front end design reminds me of a 1968 Pontiac Firebird.”
Exactly what I thought after first seeing the photos.
Behold the all new Venture Royale where excess is always the way to go in the future. Why settle for 4 or 3 wheels when what you really want is the same bling on 2 wheels?
Looks AMAZING! Could not give enough credit to the designers of this bike. Very cool front Fairing. The disappointments- I am Slightly let down about the engine. I was hoping for something new and exciting from Yamaha, Possibly a Big Straight four or an opposed four. I am also discouraged by the Belt drive a little, Belts are fine however they do make noise and get misaligned. Also belts do wear over time and they are always ridiculously expensive as I have recently learned after replacing one on my raider. I am familiar with this engine and it is fine and has very good torque however it does have a tendency to get FREAKing HOT and also makes a lot of noise. Anyways, regardless of how negative this post may sound I am sure Yamaha has worked very hard on this and it is a quality bike that will put a smile on your face- I cant wait to test ride one.