would you buy a RSV again?

[beyeker]

I'm on my 5th Royal Star, (3rd Royal Star Venture), over 160,000 total trouble free miles. Nobody makes a better bike, I know I've had 28 total bikes, 7 differant brands, including 2 1500 Wings. No offense Brake Pad, but are you sure thats not a Harley you've got?

[stvmaier]

Hey Guys (& gals??), Well...I pondered all the valuable info in your responses, and.............I DID IT!!!!1 Got me a shiney new '08 Charcoal/silver RSV!!!! And so far I LOVE it!!!! Granted....I only have 300 miles on it,but....it's incredible.Smooth ride,plenty of power,storage,cruise......the list goes on & on.....I'm rambling,sorry...I'm just so excited about it!!!! The wife & I have a trip planned(1st one) The first week of June. Headin south to Biloxi,ms, across florida to the east coast Then,stopping in West Virginia to visit some old Military friends for a day, then back home.CANT FREAKIN' WAIT!!!

[Mariner Fan]

Yes, when it comes down to it, there isn't a better bike for a tall guy than a Venture. Yea, I hate the whine but I'm comfortable and I can always turn up the radio!

[HGWT]

The only way I would buy another is if Yamaha did some major upgrades i.e. Fuel injection, ABS brakes, gps system, cell phone blue tooth, wireless headsets, windshield wipers, cup holders, and a custom seat. Other than that I will keep the one I have since I already put this stuff on mine.

[spear]

. . . and again, and again!

[thebighop]

Dern Tootin I would!!!

[Guest 05RSMVTEXAN]

I have a RSMV, 2005 model. I dearly love this bike and the pleasure it brings me & my wife. Like anything there are things that I wish were different. MPGs are one of them. Especially now at $4.00 a gallon basically. The other, is I wish it was fuel injected. I have driven the fuel injected touring bikes like the Harleys & the Goldwings, man I like the fuel injection! And the last one really doesn't have to do with the bike, but Yamaha dealers seem to have an attitude. Not all, but most. Other than those 3 things I really don't have a gripe about the RSV. It offers alot more positives than negatives. The comfort is great! And my wife is comfortable. There are just enough accessories for the RSV to make it fun and personal. The stereo, intercom, CB, MP3 make it nice. The cruise is wonderful. And I like the adjustable headlight. And then there is the 5 year warranty. I had a 05 RSTD before this 05 RSMV. My side bags wouldn't close right, then they would stick. The carbs got out of sync. Coughed, farted, belched, my goodness it was embarrassing at times. I've had NO problems with the RSV. Sometimes I hold my breath. But as I have already said, there are so many more positives than negatives. I ride with Harley owners that I swear their bikes are more in the shop than on the road. And the cost of Harley work is $$$$$!!!!! My bike has never been in the shop for anything. But I'm staying humble!

[dharnie]

In my new life with my new wife we got us an 800 Kawa Vulcan. & rode it 1 year. She liked it so I wanted to upgrade and got us a very quiet Honda 1100 Shadow. Rode it 2 years. Very nice, reliable and comfortable ride. The little woman was scared to death riding with the big semis and zipping cars. Wanted to upgrade and wrestled with decision that we all have. Could not go the big bucks for a full dresser. Found a guy who had a 01 stored that he could not ride for years. Got a deal on it.

After 3K miles this spring I finally stopped looking around for an upgrade. I feel like the RSV is at the top of the food chain. The wife even enjoys the rides on the interstate roads. It has so much acceleration that I now simply get out and away from a tight jam with all traffic on the road.

It does have the terrible whine which is annoying when cruising. I put fishtails and Pilot speakers and never notice the whine anymore. So I am happy.

I read that the GWs had whines up to the 1500 engine until they got the bevel in the gears at the correct angle.

Yes I like being at the top of the motorcycle line-up, but I think I would prefer a sport touring if I didn’t have my lovely passenger on the back. So I will keep her (if she keeps me!) and my RSV.

I commute with it and it sure makes my work day much more fun going to & from. I never come home tired anymore because I come in off the commuter “race track” with adrenalin still pumped up in me! Sometimes hitting the curves at 80-90 mph the bike wobbles a bit. So I just need to slow down a bit I guess!

Another RSV? Sure, why not?

[kantornado]

YES!!! I would buy one again!! Would like a NEW one if Yamaha comes out with a FI maybe a bigger engine (not that important to me engine has plenty of power) but they have to get rid of the cassette player. If Yamaha makes no changes then a 08 or 09 with warranty. I just put a MP3 player on mine and wished I would of done it 2 years ago when I first bought the 02.

All bikes have there own unique sound. The whine I read about from other owners I really don't understand??

Mine has one but so did my beloved 83 and I never gave it much thought and figured it was just one of the quarks of the bike and was not sure if the whine was a timing chain whine or rear-end but got used to it and after awhile it just became one of the things I got used to and it has just became part of the rhythm of the bike.

Like I have posted before when I bought my 83 I only figured to own it

for a few years like all the rest of the bikes I had before, but 20 years

and lots of smiles later I finally sold it (not because I wanted to but it just happened) and I have not regretted it.( OH wait that's a lie) I wished I would of bought brand new. I will in a couple more years.

The RSMV is without a doubt a FANTASTIC motorcycle it is far and away a great bike. My lovely NAVIGATOR says it is the most comfortable bike from a passengers view point.

The HD's,Triumph,Norton I have owned I could write pages of things I hated about them. But there is a very small list on the Yamaha and it has nothing to do with the reliability of the bike. That 83 got me home

(almost 400 miles) on 2 cylinders because of the electronic module.

What other bike could do that. It never left me stranded either and I can not say that about other bikes I have owned.

I really hope this thread helps other people who are thinking about what type of scooter to get.

They are really getting a good cross section of different opinions.

I will buy another VENTURE..............................Ron

[Guest browngre]

I too have rode a lot of bikes including a Wing for 14years. Hadn't rode in 8 years and decided to get back into riding and bought my 05 RSV in November of 04 and haven't regreted it. The only thing I have replaced is my cancel switch under warranty and I think that was because I may have depressed it too long while riding in a group. You cannot bet a five year warranty anywhere. I have put many "extras" and "toys" on it and even thought about going to a Wing or Ultra, but every time I think about it and then look at my RSV in the garage, I go why. Regarding the cassette, best thing there is the AUX jack, take my I Pod shuffle, plug it in, clamp it onto my patch connector cord and full song selection up to 216 songs, battery life for days. Can't beat that for $80. Placed my GPS TomTom on a RAM mount and everything is set. I get a lot of great comments from even Harley riders (especially when they fine what is standard equipment) on the looks. If your into noise, spend $400 and change the exhaust, if you passenger likes quiet, your all set. My standard phrase is "it looks better than a Harley (lots of curves without that box look), sounds better than a Harley (my exhaust have that great rumble tone), and rides better than a Wing (if you test ride a new one their very top heavy also)." Do it again in a minute.

[friesman]

I don't bother posting much here anymore but this isd worthy of my comments... I wouldn't buy another Yamaha anything if they were the only supplier on the planet.

 

This 04 I own is a piece of crap. I seriously considered sticking lemon picture on it and driving it around.

 

I walk out into the garage to go for a ride and I never know if it will start, most times it won't. It eats batteries. It also eats spark plugs.

 

When I park it somewhere it always draws a crowd who all think it's a beautiful looking bike and then I tell them all the problems I've had with it and how wonderful Yamaha is to their customers and they shake their heads.... I figure I've hurt Yamaha more than any single person in North America.

 

My next bike will be a Honda. Not a Wing, don't like where the feet go, but they have some really nice cruisers and I'll make one look kinda like the venture and I'll bet it won't cost me near the grief this one has.

 

Just thinking out loud here, but if its still under warranty, message me and let me know if you want to sell, perhaps we make each other a bit happier.

 

Brian:cool10:

[dharnie]

SPUD - You will not be happy attempting to convert the Honda VTX to try to come up with a Venture. I tried and it is not the same thing. The biggest items will be the fairings. The after markets just do not work safely. Over 65 mph is unstable according to folks over on the Sabre forum. The front end is too light. I had a shield on my VT and if the bars were not held with at least one hand, the front wheel went into a frightening wobble. Not so with the stock 01 RSV I now ride. You can find lowers if you have crash bars and slip shields over them. Not sure how that would affect safe handling either.

 

Then of course there is the 130 hp V4 Honda ST1300 which, acccording to the boys & girls who post on that forum, seems to be a great ride and it pretty much comes with all the goodies. I came close to getting one just before I got my RSV. Might still get one some time in future.

Edited May 19, 2008 by dharnie

[Freebird]

If I were looking for a new bike, I would at least try to look at one of the new Triumph Rocket III tourers. Would get expensive though by the time I added the trunk and a fairing.

[beyeker]

Spud, I see your Venture is a trike conversion. I suspect your many problems you are having could be due to a poor conversion effort.

[Freebird]

I don't know what kind of problems he's having but if I remember correctly, that is the Voyager trike kit. Easy on and easy off. Really not much that it can mess up.

[DavidD]

I have owned my 02 Midnight since new in April of 2003 and have put just 16,000 miles on her with no problems what so ever. Sure there are some things that Yamaha could do to make this bike even better, and hopfully they will. However, even if they didn't and I had to replace this one for whatever reason. I would do it again in a heart beat. There are not any other bikes out there that I know of that offer a 5 year unlimited warranty which should tell something about the confidence that Yamaha has in this machine.

[Ranger175c]

http://www.starmotorcycles.com/star/products/modeloverview/ls/2009/model_overview.aspx

 

I dont see the Venture or RSTD as an option for 2009 on this link. Wonder if Yamaha will have a 2009.5 Venture/RSTD option?

[ediddy]

If I had to anwer today the answer would be no. Too many problems with the bike.

[CreekIP]

http://www.starmotorcycles.com/star/products/modeloverview/ls/2009/model_overview.aspx

 

I dont see the Venture or RSTD as an option for 2009 on this link. Wonder if Yamaha will have a 2009.5 Venture/RSTD option?

 

Could be, they are bringing back the V-Max with a 1679cc EFI powerplant. Maybe they're making some of the changes on the Venture some here are seeking?

[Guest BigJohnD]

I have ridden since I was 16...to long ago to really talk about. I have had many different bikes along the way...they all make me smile in their own little way.

 

In 2006 I crashed a 99 Venture...my stupid mistake, not the bikes. Since then I have owned a half dozen bikes...Valkyrie Interstate and Kawasaki Nomad in the mix. I just was not happy...until I found another 99 Venture...I am happy again.

 

I like the comm controler, the comm/audio being wired stock, the passenger audio control, the AM/FM, the MP3 jack, the casset, the cruise control, the toe heel shifter, the floor boards for both riders, the turn signal cancel, the locking hard bags, the seat, the leg room for me...dang...I love it all. If you ride some of the other bikes you will find out pretty soon that not all bikes have these stock. The Venture is pretty much all there. I wish the headlight was better, but I don't drive much at night anyway.

 

I have other bikes still...different ones for different things...but if I want a comfortable ride that makes me really smile...it is back to the Venture.

 

So...I guess that is a long way of saying yes. And when and if I need another bike, the Venture is the one I will be looking for.

[hig4s]

I've owned a lot of bikes, and test road tons of touring bikes before deciding on the RSV, and it was a very tough decision between the RSV, Goldwing, and BMW-LT. After 9000 miles, if I were to be buying a new bike, it again it would be a tough decision..

 

My bike has a slight whine but as long as I keep the oil changes fairly fresh with full synth it is not really noticeable. The intercom quality is not the best, the wife and I both hear hiss loud enough to cause headaches after a few hours if we have the volume up high enough to hear each other. She keeps her volume off and I tap her leg when I want her to turn it up, I keep mine down to where I can barely hear her then turn it up when she talks. The over all wind/engine/everything noise is a little loud but not loud enough I need earplugs (like I did on several of my previous sport-touring bikes) but as I get older I find it bothers me more and more. But on the plus side, it is more comfortable than either of the others for me. Price and warranty unbeatable. I don't mind carbs. If I had it to do over again I might go with the BMW, (not that they don't have their own set of problems) just because of how quiet they are. Of course if I had the BMW, with the cost of the bike and maintenance, I might not be able to afford to ride as much.

[friesman]

 

I just replaced yet another battery just today... the good news is Canadian Tires, where I bought it, didn't charge me for this one..!!

 

Ive had a lot of trouble over the years with Canadian tire batteries, I thought it was my alternator in the car until I bought a Sears diehard and never had another battery issue....hmmmm. My own personal experience with Canadian Tire stuff is that its usually cheaper for a reason..... I tend not to buy their stuff that can wear out or break anymore.

Brian