Looking at 2006 RSTD

[Falcon241073]

I recently lost my 2006 VTX1300 in the floods in the Memphis,TN area. Dealing with insurance company now on the total loss settlement.

 

Now with the basic background out of the way. I am looking at a 2006 royal star tour deluxe black. Dealer is asking $8999. Actually two dealers 100 miles apart. One bike has 4400 miles the other has 6800 miles. Got one dealer down to $7999 and am sure I can get the other down to that too. Is this a good price. Both bikes look show room clean.

 

What are the known issues with this bike? How's the maintenance? What are the must have accessories? Is the seat a must replace and if so what's the recommended seat? What are the must do mods?

 

I know yamaha makes a good bike. Just not overly familiar with this one. Anything I need to look for or check before buying?

 

Sorry for so many questions. I'm sure the search tab would answer most of my questions but I like the answers fresh lol. And Im being a little lazy. Sorry.

 

 

Thanks for the help.

 

Ps

I am an ok wrench and am not scared to do my own work.

[Stoutman]

What are the known issues with this bike?

• Not many riders like the stock Bridgestone tires. I changed to Avon tyres (British) at 5000 miles and never looked back.
  
• Rear shock fails, not prevalent but common enough to be discussed on this board.
  
• Gear box whine due to square cut gears. Each bike seems to be different, and the perceived volume differs. Ride the bikes to see if there is a difference to you.
  
• Carbs need to be synchronized to make the bike run well. This is not difficult but you need the four tube manometer.
  
• Carbs are carbs. I’d be careful buying a 5 year old bike with low miles and four carbs.
  
• Tighten all the screws, especially the engine covers and the rear bag hinges.
  

How's the maintenance?

• This bike is easy to maintain. Change the oil, sync the carbs, grease the rear splines, valve adjustments every 26000 miles ( I’m pulling the valve number from memory)
  

What are the must have accessories?

• Lights front and rear for safety.
  
• Chrome
  

Is the seat a must replace and if so what's the recommended seat?

• I say yes. The stock seat gave me a numb butt after 30 minutes. I’ve heard some on this forum that don’t mind the stock seat. I switched to a Mustang seat. Other brands are favored by other riders.
  

What are the must do mods?

• Leveler links for the rear suspension raise the bike about an inch and make it handle better at low speed. Switching the front tire to a 130 helps if you don’t want the seat any higher. I wouldn’t say the links are a Must do, but I won’t go back.
  
• Good tires
  

I’m sure I left some things off. Others are sure to chime in here. Plenty of information on this site.

[Phoneman1981]

Hello Welcome to the site. I sent you a Private message with my thoughts. You should enjoy a RSTD, I know I like my 2005. Support and friendships from this wonderful site make owning a Yamaha Venture, RSTD or any other brand of bike for that matter an enjoyable experience. Keep us posted on what you decide upon.

[Phoneman1981]

What are the known issues with this bike?

• Not many riders like the stock Bridgestone tires. I changed to Avon tyres (British) at 5000 miles and never looked back.
  
• Rear shock fails, not prevalent but common enough to be discussed on this board.
  
• Gear box whine due to square cut gears. Each bike seems to be different, and the perceived volume differs. Ride the bikes to see if there is a difference to you.
  
• Carbs need to be synchronized to make the bike run well. This is not difficult but you need the four tube manometer.
  
• Carbs are carbs. I’d be careful buying a 5 year old bike with low miles and four carbs.
  
• Tighten all the screws, especially the engine covers and the rear bag hinges.
  

 

How's the maintenance?

• This bike is easy to maintain. Change the oil, sync the carbs, grease the rear splines, valve adjustments every 26000 miles ( I’m pulling the valve number from memory)
  

 

What are the must have accessories?

• Lights front and rear for safety.
  
• Chrome
  

 

Is the seat a must replace and if so what's the recommended seat?

• I say yes. The stock seat gave me a numb butt after 30 minutes. I’ve heard some on this forum that don’t mind the stock seat. I switched to a Mustang seat. Other brands are favored by other riders.
  

 

What are the must do mods?

• Leveler links for the rear suspension raise the bike about an inch and make it handle better at low speed. Switching the front tire to a 130 helps if you don’t want the seat any higher. I wouldn’t say the links are a Must do, but I won’t go back.
  
• Good tires
  

I’m sure I left some things off. Others are sure to chime in here. Plenty of information on this site.

 

 

Very Nice Summary !!!!

[Phoneman1981]

Hello: Do not be surprised if the speedometer is not accurate. Many owners seem to notice this same issue. My Speedo is off 7 mph at 65 miles per hour. If my speedo shows 65, I am really only going 57 mph. Degree varies depending on your speed. The faster you go the more it is off. More accurate at slower speeds. Some owners have installed a Speedohealer to correct the problem. Otherwise I like my bike more every day!

[jer878]

I recently lost my 2006 VTX1300 in the floods in the Memphis,TN area. Dealing with insurance company now on the total loss settlement.

 

Now with the basic background out of the way. I am looking at a 2006 royal star tour deluxe black. Dealer is asking $8999. Actually two dealers 100 miles apart. One bike has 4400 miles the other has 6800 miles. Got one dealer down to $7999 and am sure I can get the other down to that too. Is this a good price. Both bikes look show room clean.

 

What are the known issues with this bike? How's the maintenance? What are the must have accessories? Is the seat a must replace and if so what's the recommended seat? What are the must do mods?

 

I know yamaha makes a good bike. Just not overly familiar with this one. Anything I need to look for or check before buying?

 

Sorry for so many questions. I'm sure the search tab would answer most of my questions but I like the answers fresh lol. And Im being a little lazy. Sorry.

 

 

Thanks for the help.

 

Ps

I am an ok wrench and am not scared to do my own work.

 

How about the Venture that I have in this post. Lots of goodies on it.

 

http://venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?threadid=59738

[new guy]

[is the seat a must replace and if so what's the recommended seat?]

I highly recommend a Butler seat mod that's the best deal out there!

Also or first Ride that bike and listen to the motor I have a 06 I bought in 09 with 900 miles

and my only regret is the clutch basket whine. I have a screamer and that's with the I basket replacement that you can read about on this site. All in all the best bike for the $$ out there. The only other mod's that I would recommend are slipons and driving lights.

Pat (new guy)

P.S. You can find info on the seat mod in the classified section.

[Stache]

Hello: Do not be surprised if the speedometer is not accurate. Many owners seem to notice this same issue. My Speedo is off 7 mph at 65 miles per hour. If my speedo shows 65, I am really only going 57 mph. Degree varies depending on your speed. The faster you go the more it is off. More accurate at slower speeds. Some owners have installed a Speedohealer to correct the problem. Otherwise I like my bike more every day!

 

 

Wouldn't that be 8 off?

[RandyR]

I ride an 08 RSTD. If you look around you can find a NEW old stock 0 miles RSTD for about the price you quoted. That means the 5 year warranty starts at purchase. The best in the business.

 

here's my take on it.

 

The seat is as comfortable as any of the dozen or so stock motorcycle seats I've owned over 40 years of riding. yes it can be improved and customized. Actually its a pretty good stock seat.

 

The stock tires likewise can be improved upon, but generally you can wait until they are worn out thru riding. I did, and unless you're pushing the bike to the limit in twisties they're ok. btw, this is an 800+ lb motorcycle and I think riding it like a 400 lb bike is an accident waiting to happen.

 

If you ride 2 up with 500lbs of rider & passenger expect to replace the rear shock at 40,000 miles.

 

I don't think levelling links are needed. The slightly narrower 130 front tire does improve handling though.

 

gear box whine. yep. But most motorcycles have whine of some kind. Probably not significantly worse than your VTX. probably not as quiet as a Honda ST or BMW K.

 

The bike is relatively easy to work on. Everything you need to know is posted here in this forum somewhere. But if treated well, the norm is that major failures on the RSTD are very rare.

[Godlover]

I agree totally with Randy. I sent you a pm about what I paid for my 07 with 3 1/2 years of warranty and 1200 miles. Better deals are out there and it is a fantastic bike!

[Dave77459]

Hey, I ride an '06 RSTD. However, it is a Midnight. Not sure what a "black" RSTD is??

 

I'm gonna pick on Randy's post, but only because he addresses much of what I want to say.

 

I ride an 08 RSTD. If you look around you can find a NEW old stock 0 miles RSTD for about the price you quoted. That means the 5 year warranty starts at purchase. The best in the business.

A lot of the value in the bike is the warranty. An '06 has the warranty up--mine is expired. I bought mine at $9300 almost three years ago, with almost 3 years left on the warranty and 2000 miles.

 

The seat is as comfortable as any of the dozen or so stock motorcycle seats I've owned over 40 years of riding. yes it can be improved and customized. Actually its a pretty good stock seat.

 

I had mine modified by Rick Butler, a member here. It has been good for 50,000 miles, but I think it needs the foam replaced.

 

The stock tires likewise can be improved upon, but generally you can wait until they are worn out thru riding. I did, and unless you're pushing the bike to the limit in twisties they're ok. btw, this is an 800+ lb motorcycle and I think riding it like a 400 lb bike is an accident waiting to happen.

 

I disagree, but then mine came with the Brickstones. Truly awful tires. If the bikes you are looking at have stock tires, they are probably dead anyways. Upgrade ASAP. I really liked the Avons with a skinny front, but Roxie is wearing Dunlop E3s now. Either is a HUGE improvement over what she came with.

 

If you ride 2 up with 500lbs of rider & passenger expect to replace the rear shock at 40,000 miles.

 

Maybe it is because I have on 400 Lbs, but my shock is still good at 56,000 miles.

 

The bike is relatively easy to work on. Everything you need to know is posted here in this forum somewhere.

 

The OP has already stated that he is too lazy to search for answers, so he isn't a candidate for getting the most out of this forum.

 

For my part, the must haves are passing lamps, an air horn, the 100 LED tail light, and additional rear running lights (e.g., the running/turning light conversion). The rear especially doesn't have enough light.

 

There used to be a thread here called "Royal Star Tour Deluxe Owners unite!" that we used to list upgrades done to our bikes. I am really not sure why, but it was deleted. Too bad, because that was where I listed all the mods done to my bike and where I found other mods to dream about.

 

If you can find a fairly priced example, an RSTD is an excellent bike.

 

Dave

[V7Goose]

There are a couple of very significant issues you need to know before you look at one of these bikes - several have been mentioned, but I want to stress them a bit more.

 

First, these are FANTASTIC bikes - I personally prefer the Venture because I want full dresser and more comfort, but the bikes are virtually the same other than that.

 

You are coming off a big twin - you CANNOT try and ride the RSTD like your last bike - it will feel like a tired dog with bad shakes. This is a V4 engine, and you MUST keep the revs up while trying to accelerate quickly; unfortunately, there is no tach to help you. But the engine has a rev limiter at 6,500 RPM, so you absolutely cannot hurt anything by trying to over-rev it!

 

To learn how the bike behaves, and what power is there, keep these two things in mind:

 

1. Sometime during your test ride, snap the throttle open in 2nd gear and hold it there until you feel the engine falter (that's the rev limiter), then kick it into 3rd and try it again for as long as you dare - you probably will not hit the rev limiter in 3rd, since that will take you to 96 MPH! You do not need to use revs like that in normal riding, but coming off a big twin, you WON'T understand this bike until you do this.
   
2. You can ride around in city traffic all day in 5th gear, even down as low as 40 MPH with no problem at all, but you CANNOT jerk the throttle open at those low speeds and expect anything but pounding and shaking. Even 60 MPH (about 3,000 RPM in 5th) is a bit too low to jerk the throttle wide open in 5th, so if you are running below 60 and want to pass or generally step out fast, better kick it down to 4th, or better yet, 3rd.
   

My next comment is about handling - before you test ride it, pay attention to what tires are on it - if it has Bridgestones, the bike will feel like it weighs 10,000 lbs in parking lot turns - don't let this worry you, as it is easily fixed, just be aware that it is NOT a characteristic of that bike, just the most horrible tires anyone stupidly put on it. On the other hand, if the bike has Dunlop 404s (the other stock possibility), it will handle about average - those are not great tires, but neither are they terrible.

 

Now let's talk briefly about engine whine - most of these bikes have a bit of it in some narrow RPM range, but it is not bad enough to even comment on. HOWEVER, a very few of them have a terrible scream, and that is a prime reason to find a fairly new RSTD/Venture with low miles (the first owner got surprised with a bad whine and couldn't stand it). The only way you can possibly know if the bike you are considering has a whine problem is to give it a good test ride - whatever it sounds like is your business, but don't agonize over if it is bad or not - if you think it will bother you, it WILL, so look for a different bike without the scream.

 

That's about it - if you like to ride and check out the bike like we have said, you will absolutely LOVE either the RSTD or the Venture.

Goose

[jemorrisonjr]

I own a 2006 RSTD.... I LOVE IT!!! This is not your daddys bike... at slow parking lot speeds its a PIG... but get it out and about.... sweet ride..

 

And you can do a lot to it to make it ride nice....

 

Only reason I didnt get a Venture is the fairing... UGLY... but the rest of the bike is a Venture....

[Stache]

2009 RSTD new off the dealer's lot 3 weeks ago. (exactly 1, count em twice, 1 km on the clock when I rolled it out of the showroom. Just passed 1400 and climbing.

 

I traded a V* 950 on it, and oh wow. Took me a while to figure out that the V4 likes to spin fast, but once that idea kicked in..... what a ride.

 

You're going to love it. If you can find a new - in the box - buy it. The 5 yr unlimited mileage warranty is a huge advantage.

[Falcon241073]

I was to lazy last night lol. Going to look at one today. I have been on the Vtxoa board for my old bike and like stated here it is a very helpful site with very friendly people.

 

I thank everyone for their answers. Very helpful. I have seen a new 08 &09 for sale but have not inquired on asking price yet. Where would be reasonable to start on my part?

 

And the black comment was the bike color.

 

Again many thanks for the info. I'll defiantly keep this site in my list if I buy the RSTD.

 

Looked and sat on a roadking today and like the RSTD better for stock feel.

 

Wish me luck.

[Drahthaar]

My experience may be very relavent to you. A month ago I traded my 1300 VTX for a midnight 2006 rstd with 5400 miles. Please take the following comments with no offense imtended to riders/lovers of the VTX. The Honda is a great cruiser and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it. However:

 

-Just the extra goodies (cruise control, floor boards, heel-toe shifter, hard bags, windshield) make the rstd much more bike than the vtx

 

-Try as I might(multiple windshield/lowers combinations) I could never get decent wind protection on my VTX. The stock shield on the rstd is not perfect but very good.

 

-Above 50 mph, the rstd is the hands down winner, effortless smooth touring from the v4.

 

-The suspension on the rstd is much better and smoother...handles the bumpy twisties better than the vtx.

 

-The VTX sounds better...no doubt...and under 55 or so is a comfortable bike. Over 55 I could never quite find happiness with the vibration of that rigid-mounted v-twin. Hands fell asleep...wifes back and butt tingled badly at 65 mph and yes, we had upgraded to a mustang seat and pillion.

 

Stock seat is ok on the rstd...better than the stock on the vtx.

 

-My rstd is not much of a whiner.. a little in 3rd at about 35 mph but not obnoxious...never had any whine issues with the vtx but the honda has a massive clunk shifting gears, smoother shifting on the yamaha.

 

-If you ride 2-up, the bigger heavier rstd seems to handle that load better...the air suspension really helps.

 

Again...not meant to bad-mouth the VTX, but if your interest is in a little more touring ability, the rstd has it.

[Drkngas]

Dealer is asking $8999. Actually two dealers 100 miles apart. One bike has 4400 miles the other has 6800 miles. Got one dealer down to $7999 and am sure I can get the other down to that too.

 

When I bought my '05, (with 5200 miles on it) last year I walked into the dealer with cash in hand and drove off for $6300+ttl. Dont be afraid to start low. Really low.

[Phoneman1981]

Wouldn't that be 8 off?

 

Yes it would. LOL. It was 3:30 in the A.M. Take care....

[5 Buck Kanuck]

When I get on the throttle in 3rd it seams like I am either braking traction or the trans is slipping any ideas.???????

[Freebird]

Most likely the clutch spring is weak. Easy fix.

[billmac]

If I was going to spend that much it would be a Venture. I bought my 07 RSTD with 7000 miles for $5200.00. cheaper to find an owner that can't or don't ride anymore because it's too much bike for them.

[bill4you502]

Hello: Do not be surprised if the speedometer is not accurate. Many owners seem to notice this same issue. My Speedo is off 7 mph at 65 miles per hour. If my speedo shows 65, I am really only going 57 mph. Degree varies depending on your speed. The faster you go the more it is off. More accurate at slower speeds. Some owners have installed a Speedohealer to correct the problem. Otherwise I like my bike more every day!

 

I use a GPS on my bike & my car (Just because I can ) I trust it more on the bike for reading mph:bighug:

[speakerfritz]

forget the dealers...find a private seller and save a few grand.