Which Venture, or Royal Star?

[RideTime]

My knowledge of the Venture and Royal Stars is pretty much limited to what I have read. Since I decided to start riding again, about two years ago, the Royal Star Venture has pretty much been what I have had my eyes on. I did buy a new Suzuki C50 April 09, and while I like it, it just seems not to be quite the bike that I want.

I'd like to get educated on the RSVs and TDs by people that know, not folks that are in the business of selling them, or that just ride a bike once for a review, so I'm asking for some help, so that maybe, I'll not make a big mistake when I pull the trigger on an RSV or TD. What do I watch for, what is a problem but not a big one, and what is a definite "Oh-OH" like for instance, the chirp, problem or not, are carbs and gas a problem, or not?

I like the styling of the 1996 and up bikes, but I also like the "feet-under" feeling of an older standard bike! I am 6'2" and 250 lbs, 63 years old, and need something that "fits"! So, if an older bike will fit and suit me better, then that is where I should be looking and I'll definitely be looking in the "pre-enjoyed" section!

So Folks, can you give me a run-down so that I can figure out what I need to look for, and not go floundering around "in the dark"?

Edited October 22, 2010 by RideTime

[Capt-D]

Hey Ridetime, I think the first question you need to ask is what kind of riding do you want to do? I love my RSMV, but for around town would of love to have gotten the TD, since the Venture does seem to get heavy in stop and go traffic. On the higway for the long haul, the Venture is just tough to beat. Before I bought my bike I did a lot of research and both bikes came very highly rated for dependability which is one of the things I was lookin for. There is a website, powersports.com that has reviews on all the bikes, and it can give you a pretty good idea about both bikes. The 4cylinder powerplant is pretty bulletproof and you can find all the info you need on this website, there is some really great guys here and they always seem more then willing to help out with any questions you have. As far as you size, I have read about a few big boys on this site who say that they have no problem getting comfortable on their bikes, Good luck and ride safe, Capt-D

[RandyR]

I couldn't decide so I have one of each

[abnormalwon]

I concur that figuring out what type of riding you will primarily do is of highest importance. I owned an 85 VR for a while and though I liked it alot I decided to upgrade to a 98 RSTD. After some mods like Linby bars, a mustang seat as well as a bat wing fairing I pretty much had a Venture. The RS had lower CG as well as lower seat height, the ride was good and the bike was pretty much bullet proof. The one thing I realized after I picked up a V-Strom was that I was missing the performance and ergos of the VR. I have now gone back to an 89 VR and loving it. True being older there is a bit more maintenance but the better protection (wind and weather) as well as better feel in the twisty's is well worth it. I will say that I am about your size but a decade younger and with a 32 inch inseam I have added an Aqua-Air cushion to get my butt a tad higher and my legs a little less cramped. Once you figure out what you want in a bike you will certainly make the right choice on a specific bike.

 

All the best,

Norm

[jfoster]

I have the RSTD, if I had it to do again I would have gotten the RSV. I really like the fairing on the RSV for the protection, radio, etc. and would have removed the trunk, but to have it for overnite trips would also be a plus. I think a trunkless RSV would be hard to beat...regardless of how far you ride.

 

If I sold mine today I would most likely buy Stardog's '08 (classifieds)

[ThomWill]

I have the RSTD, if I had it to do again I would have gotten the RSV. I really like the fairing on the RSV for the protection, radio, etc. and would have removed the trunk, but to have it for overnite trips would also be a plus. I think a trunkless RSV would be hard to beat...regardless of how far you ride.

 

Funny how that goes... I think an RSTD WITH a trunk is hard to beat. Did not want the faring, radio, etc. but want that two helmet trunk. So I have the RSTD and soon a Wompus rack and trunk will be added.

[KDFranzen]

I have an 07 RSV and couldn't be happier with it. I am 6'3" and about 245. I like to stretch out a bit, so I added highway pegs to do that. It does, however, get somewhat heavy sitting in traffic or very short around town rides. As far as longer rides go, I love it. We do a lot of two up and its no problem. Good luck on your search. Kevin

[okiestar]

I'm about the same height/weight as you. What's your riding style?

My riding is primarily 2 up all the time. My last bike was a late 80's model V twin Honda.

We purchased a 06 Tour Deluxe used. LOVE the bike. Like some others, had I been around bikes much the past 20 years, I'd have probably searched for a RSV, based on our style of riding. We're not short trip, run around town riders. When we leave the house, we know we'll be riding 300-500 miles typically. That said, the fairing, trunk, etc would be a big bonus for us.

With our children grown and gone, I have plans to keep the RSTD and because of our riding style, hope to add a gold wing to the mix.

Just passed the 12K mark on the odometer. Not a single issue with the bike.

I took a day off yesterday while my wife did not. I removed the backrest and took off. It's rare I ride alone. I LOVE this bike solo. Very enjoyable.

[top]

I rode a 2006 RSTD for 4 years and 58,000 miles pretty much through all kinds of ridding. Great bike. Traded for a 2009 RSV early September. Ride it every day and love it. I enjoy the fairing and radio with trunk. As you see I put on a lot of miles so the RSV is really the best fit. I am 5'7" at 160lb and 62 years young.

[Rick Haywood]

Well I had a gold wing and bought a RSV the end of July and love the bike. I am more comfortable on the Venture than any other bike that I have rode. I have put 14,000 miles on it so far. The farthest I have rode in one day on the bike was 635 miles and I wasn't sore but was tired. Go with the RSV and ride , ride ,ride.

[Condor]

What you need to do is go out and test ride a few. You've already been reading some of the pros and cons, and everyone on this board is going to have a different idea... of what's good for them... That's a decision you're going to have to make yourself. No one's going to help make up your mind.

[RideTime]

I've picked up some great information here from your responses. My biggest problem has been trying to find them to ride! I have seen and ridden one, in the two years that I've been looking for them so I was looking for info to narrow the field somewhat. Last June, I found one at a local Honda dealer 40 miles away, but the seating seemed to have been modified (lowered) and I felt somewhat cramped, but "Oh,what a ride"! It was a 2002 RSTD, had a great sound, rode like Cadillac, but it had, what I later learned, was "the Chirp". If it hadn't, I'd own that bike right now, lowered seat or not, it was that nice! Other than that one, I haven't seen any for sale locally, and I'm going to have to travel a distance to even be able to try out some bikes, so that's why I'm looking for advice to be able to winnow them out somewhat without driving all over the country trying to see what will "maybe" fit.

 

.......... Am I correct in believing that the earlier bikes will be smaller, due to shorter wheelbases, or will their seating heights make that irrelevant? If they are a little smaller, then I don't need to go look at any of them........

...........And in the current design 1996 to present, are there any differences in "room", or are they pretty much the same? If they are pretty much the same, then I can concentrate on that particular generation.

 

My riding consists mostly of heading out to backroads and just cruising, enjoying the ride, and scenery. The wife is not a fan of motorcycles, hasn't been on a bike with me since my oldest son was born, 33 years ago, so I ride solo but like to ride with another bike or two. Riding around town doesn't do a thing for me, and I want a bike that has "legs" so that if I want to put 300 miles on it, I won't need a butt transplant at the end of it! And...... if I do that 300 miles on the slab, then I'd like to feel that the bike is ready willing and able, not just running at the end of its capabilities while exceeding its comfort range!

 

Your answers confirm my belief that these bikes really are pretty much "bullet-proof", and that I've touched on the worst problem (chirp), and that maintenance won't be an issue.

 

Thank You for your replies. Anything that I can learn from riders will help me to make a better decision on which of the Ventures will be best for me and I sincerely appreciate all of your comments and advice.

Edited October 23, 2010 by RideTime

[Capt-D]

Your answers confirm my belief that these bikes really are pretty much "bullet-proof", and that I've touched on the worst problem (chirp), and that maintenance won't be an issue.

 

For whatever reason,not all bikes "chirp", my 06RSMV doesn't, and it seems like a lot of the others don't either, guess it is just the luck-of-the-draw. Good luck!

[Mariner Fan]

My '07 has never chirped. The transmission has a whine but that is it. The Venture is the best bike out there for tall guys. I'm 6'3" and test rode all the other touring bikes. They all felt cramped to me compared to the Venture.

[wes0778]

I couldn't decide so I have one of each

 

Me too,

A '98 Tour Classic (Tour Deluxe with soft bags) for around town and runs to Wally-World.

and a '99 RSV for long trips.

 

Don't confuse the '90s TDs with the '05 and up TDs!

The '90s ones are smaller and less hp than the '05 and ups.

 

The seat height on my 98 is several inches lower than the RSV and that is better for me for in town, since I'm only 5'6" with a 27" inseam.

[N3FOL]

My '07 has never chirped. The transmission has a whine but that is it. The Venture is the best bike out there for tall guys. I'm 6'3" and test rode all the other touring bikes. They all felt cramped to me compared to the Venture.

 

+100 on the RSV. These bikes are perfect for tall riders over 6 feet and as well as riders that are shorter like me standing at 5'5". I have almost 20K miles on my bike and still love my Venture since Day 1. But there is one thing you should remember before buying the Venture...if you buy one, make sure to go out for a ride as much as you can. I heard these bikes hate to be sitting alone inside the garage and it will give you a lot of problems down the road. Regards.

[RideTime]

I took my second ride on a Royal Star today! I found an 08 RSTD that had been traded at a new car dealer about 20 miles away, 5984 miles and asking $7,000! So, today, I took a ride over and they offered to let me ride it around the lot. I said, Thanks, but that wouldn't do it, I had to get it to 60mph or I wasn't interested. They put a tag on it, and inside of three miles, I learned two important things.

First, it fit me very well, and actually didn't feel any heavier than the C50 that I was riding, but it did ride nicer than my lighter bike! She had some whine through all of the gears, but at 50-60 in high gear, she was loud! I did a search on the site after I got back, and found that it seemed to fit right into the "chirp" range of noise, not a whine, or a scream, but a fast high pitched squeaking or chirping sound.

Salesman handling the bike was a bike "drag-racer" and told me he had his clutch baskets custom built for racing for $400 a pop and wanted to make a deal, but I think that going with custom parts would be more of a headache than letting Mr. Yamaha fix it, even if I had to pay for it.

You guys were right, while the 02 RSV felt tight to me, the 08 RSTD felt great. Now I just have to find one that doesn't chirp at me! I guess that they're out there, I just have to keep looking........

Thanks to your advice, I know where to concentrate my efforts now, and I'm not giving up!

Edited October 24, 2010 by RideTime

[RideTime]

I've been scouring all the posts, Googling everything that I could, looking under the rocks, and like everyone else, can't find a way to silence a chirping bike! I knew from experience that windshields really bring all unwanted noises right to the front, kind of focus them, so I took another ride on the bike I tried out last saturday. This time, I rode it first with the windshield, and then without a w/s. I figured that if I could cut the noise by half, I'd buy the bike. Now, I ride with a half-helmet, with a "NasCar" shield, and no earplugs since I ride behind a windshield. So......when I tried out the bike without the w/s on it, I could still plainly hear the chirp up to 40 mph, when wind noise blocked all other sounds out! Normally, with the windshield in place, this is where this bike had started getting louder from 40 up to about 55 where it was kind of piercing. I had hoped that if I could reduce it by 50%, then I would buy the bike, and work on seeing what I could do to the w/s to stop it from being such a sounding board. I don't know what everyone else considers to be loud, because I don't know anyone else who has a Royal Star! But I do know that when the manager took the bike out after I came back, I could still hear it going down the highway 200 feet away from me. Amazingly, he is a weekend bike drag-racer, and when he came back, he said, "Yeah, I hear what you're talking about now." I think that I've got to back away from this one, unless anyone else has something that I can try to quiet this bike! I guess if even if it were free, it still wouldn't be a good buy, if it wasn't going to make me happy. :mo money:So, I guess I'm back to "looking"!

Edited October 28, 2010 by RideTime

[Grisolm1]

My MKII only chirps between 3000 and 3300 RPM. Just ride above or below this and it's great. With the Vmax rear swap it's easier to do now.

 

Did the RSTD bike chirp in a wide range of speeds/RPM's? You had no tach so maybe harder to figure out.

[RideTime]

The whine in the clutch area was always there, if the engine was revved, even if not moving, so I guess my answer is "Yes, it was a wide range, but worst at 55 mph. One of the salesmen said "Just ride faster, when I go to Daytona with my Harley, we always run 80-85"! I told him, it is a lot easier for a cop to stop one bike running 80 all by himself, than to stop 30 bikes running 80, so that probably wasn't a good solution for me!

Edited October 29, 2010 by RideTime