Would you buy a NEW RSV?

[cowpuc]

No, I would never buy a brand new Royal Star Venture. Why ? Do I not like them ? You bet I do. But the prices on used ones are so low that buying a new one would in my eyes be throwing money out the window. But don´t get me wrong. The prices being offered by dealers on 2013 unused Ventures is a GREAT price for a brand new two up touring bike.

But lets look at the market.

For example a 2008 model with 34.000 miles just recently sold on eBay for 5.400 US$. Tip top shape with a lot of accessories. Thats about 9.500 US$ lower than a brand new 2013 one. Same bike, more accessories and at least 160.000 miles left on the motor if not more

.

Another example from eBay: A 2008 with a Voyager Trike kit, 17.236 miles. Beautiful bike. Listed for Buy it Now: 8.500 US$ - Seller accepted buyers offer that is lower than the Buy It Now price, but offer price tag is hidden. I would blindly guess 7.500 to 8.000 US$.

The thing is, Yamaha´s failure with marketing and supporting these bikes with modest upgrades and accessory´s, like Freebird pointed out, has caused the market to reject them, hence the low price used ones are selling for.

 

I simply love the Royal Stars and for the price I will continue to buy them as long as I need a bike to tinker with and ride. Simply a great bike at a very attractive price. And even the price on a new unridden 2013 is great. I just can´t see why I should spend the money on it when able to get a perfectly good, same kind of a bike, with a lot of accessories for a fraction of the price.

 

Star Fan and I have some pretty close opinion thingys going on here... Mine is probably even more extreme in the economics side of things.. This probably sounds stupid but I still use the "cost per wear" factor that we learned about in Business College (guess that could be stated "cost per mile" with vehicles)...

Thats actually how I got started with my 1st 84 Royale way back in 87... I picked that bike up for $1200 out of an estate auction with just under 20K miles on it, lost stator at 23k, tranny dropped 2nd at 46000, short shifted the rest of the fun out of it and it had a crank failure at 230k..

I vividly remember the statement being made at the auction when I purchased it that if it would have been a Wing with the same options, it would have brought 3 times that price - that was as accurate then as it is now, IMHO.. Even back in its earliest days, the Venture has never been a good seller and I am not so sure that the reason for this had anything to do with the lack of accessories.. I think it had more to do with the connection between the name "Honda" and the masses preception of what that meant/means in the way of being "cool" (this is really not uncommon - Harley still sells way more Street Glides than they ever did the Electra Glide Classic - offered at exactly the same MSRP.. All the Street Glide amounts to is a stripped Electra Glide Classic:confused24:,, proving it is NOT about add ons,, still dont get it, who wouldnt want 3 grand worth of extra HD parts for free)...

Some interesting FACTS about the 83/84 1st Gen Yams compared to the Wing of the same vintage that I know of from experience:

Yam would blow em away - almost like the Honda had its brakes on..

Yam got a good 10 mpg over the Honda..

Yam was a lot narrower at the knees, had much more foot space where the engine stuck out on the Honda..

Honda had big stator problems too, had to pull the engine to repair..

Yam looked like a "commercial grade" bike and handled like a sport bike..

The ergo's on those 1st year Yams were amazing in comfort, stock - 16 hour/800-1000 mile days two up, for days on end = NO PROBLEM.. Those sheep skins, water seats, gel seats and beaded seat covers back then were accessories made for the Wing cause they needed em!!

All things being equal, the Yam should have ended up being the "cult" bike.. But when it comes to the buying public all things are never equal and that didnt happen.. They were as unwanted than as they are today and it showed vividly in sales and in resale value.. Honda smartly took the earnings from those cult following folks and invested it in R n D and finally came out with a real piece of art in the 1800 (IMHO)..

Think about this one,, another perfect example was the Suzuki Cavalcade,, 1400cc V-4,, suckers FLEW and were great riders, fabulous economy!! They were wayyyyy ahead of the Honda Wing in design and technology, the "standard" bike was above a Wing "Aspencade" in accessories.. They had fewer issues too.. I owned a couple of them thru the years (restore/repair for resale) and can say, about the only issue they were known for was loosing the plug in the forward gear shaft causing loss of fluid.. Very easy repair.. Even though it was probably the best bang for the buck and way ahead of the competition, the bike was rejected by the consumers and died a very early death (only made em a couple years) - they just did not sell, no one wanted em.. I bought a gorgeous one back in 92 for 700 bucks, less than 25k, did the forward gear update (original "plug" was still in it but I install the new aluminum plug anyway), cleaned carbs, spotless bike that I almost had to give away to get rid of it - NO ONE WANTED IT:confused24:.. Frankly, I am still surprised the Yam didnt read the writing on the wall and do that with the Venture... Dont get me wrong, I AM GLAD THEY DIDN'T cause I love them but if no wants em (except us VR folks) and ya cant make money on em...........

Bottom line, I think I have a flaw in my charector, I have owned a few bikes valued at over 30k, several in the 20's and a number of them in the 10's,,, all of those have been "investment" bikes (how I made my living).. I can see that $$ value in something that has "irreplaceable value",, kinda like Olivia The Warbike... For an everyday rider,, something with 2 wheels and motor that Tip and I are gonna take out and possibly have to leave laying upside down in the desert,,, hmmmmm,,,, no way on God's green earth am I gonna pay double just cause its "New" - yep Jonas, I agree,, to me it would be tossing money out the window...

 

On the other hand,,,,,,, I wish Yam would re-introduce the 83/84 1st Gen Standard Venture, NO accessories, upgraded tranny and clutch, leave the clutch whine as is so it sounds right and the unknowing slower bikes can hear ya coming, sell em out the door for 7 grand - THAT I would be interested in,,, AWESOME RIDING, LITTLE MOTORED BIKE (by todays standards), AT A FAIR PRICE!!

Edited October 12, 2014 by cowpuc

[Oldodge]

I bought a new 2013 a year ago. I looked at all the brand lineups and the RSV won. The Victory was a close second.

[Yammer Dan]

I got that list of add-ons on my desk. The 2nd gen does not fit me as the 1st gen does but I got ideas!! It is Sweet (Slow) Bike. And you ain't heard my Bubs yet have you Don. And could add a few LEDs to keep Skid Jealous......:whistling:And NO if I were to buy new it would have 8 legs......I think!!

Edited October 12, 2014 by Yammer Dan

[KICKSHOT]

I have to say no. I think Freebird summed it up pretty well when he said. "So that is why I would not buy a new RSV. I think that Yamaha could and should learn a LOT from Harley, Indian, Victory and others about marketing. They are capable of building a fantastic machine but fall way short in everything after that." And yes I have started a "Harley t-shirt collection" but I could never find any Yamaha t-shirts. The selection was very limited much like the accessories and options were.

 

kickshot

[vzuden]

I bought a new 2012 Venture leftover last month and love it. I traded in my 07 Tour Deluxe after I removed most of the accessories. I have added all of them to the new Venture plus a few new, used, and custom made pieces. Plan to add even more over the winter.

I test drove Victory and Indian and while I liked the looks/styling they just didn't feel "right".

[leo3wheel]

No, believe our '09 RSV trike will outlast me. Wife can bury me sitting on it.

[Skid]

I probably would but it will mostly be three wheels. I think the heavy two wheels I have will out last my legs. Although the power in a GoldWing would be nice too

Edited October 13, 2014 by Skid

[Marcarl]

From what I can read here, there are 2 groups,,,, some who buy a bike to ride and the importance of the ride is paramount,,,,, and then there are those who like what their bikes look like and want to accessorize the machine for looks,,,,, and then there are some that perhaps belong to both groups.

For me,,,, I went a different route,,, well just because that's what fit my needs at this time. If I were to be looking at becoming younger,, then I would have stayed with the first gen, buuuuut, if I decided to buy new,,,, and RSV would fit the bill real nice,,,, but then you can guess what group I belong to.

 

Hang on while I adjust the target!!!

[crazygaucho]

1) I own a RSTD no tape deck here

2) don't care much about accessories

I'm reluctant to change anything

and just love it the way she is (been married too long I guess)

will I buy a new one ?

 

definitely NO, because I feel they are laughing at us with this product so I wont give them my business

 

even Vespa (another perfect machine) changed a couple things throughout the years

 

I said this before they have improved the vmax with fuel injection etc

they could've improved our bikes power plant pretty easy

[SilvrT]

I would not buy another RSV no matter what year it is. Even if they come out with a 2015 model that just rocks ... I simply could not afford that. Kinda blew the budget on this Victory and just 2 weeks ago, bought a house so there went all our savings (almost).

 

If I were to sell the Vic due to financial reason's but still had some cash and wanted another scoot, I would probably buy a 1st gen. While I liked my RSMV for some things, both of my 1st gens were a better bike IMO.

[Condor]

 

On the other hand,,,,,,, I wish Yam would re-introduce the 83/84 1st Gen Standard Venture, NO accessories, upgraded tranny and clutch, leave the clutch whine as is so it sounds right and the unknowing slower bikes can hear ya coming, sell em out the door for 7 grand - THAT I would be interested in,,, AWESOME RIDING, LITTLE MOTORED BIKE (by todays standards), AT A FAIR PRICE!!

 

Great post Puc. Personally I think it's the 'H' factor. Honda, Harley. Name association, and familiarity, play a bunch when it comes to a buyer choosing a product... Datson wasn't doing to well until they switched to Nissan, but still haven't knocked it out of the park. Yamaha recognized it, but I think made the wrong choice when they went with 'Star' Motors'.... Personally I think they screwed up, and should have kept it YamaHa. The name has been around since the 60's, and one of the reasons buyers buy is name recognition. Brand loyalty is a strong motivating factor. There are only two reasons why a sale is made. They, the buyer and seller, like each other, or the price is right. IMHO

 

[rickardracing]

No I would not. If for some reason something where to happen to my 07 I would not replace it with another new old stock or a used one. I would more than likely buy a new old stock Kawasaki Voyager. I like that bike a lot. Took one for a very long (40 mile) demo ride. Loved it. Don't get me wrong, I love my 07 RSV, but I would get something different.

[saddlebum]

Accessories are not a big issue with me and like others I like the Carbs and the fact that I can do my own work. I also do not feel the need to buy something just because it is the popular item. Change or new ideas matter only if that change is a significant improvement over handling, comfort and reliability. If I do break down, I would like to think I have half a chance of getting it going again if only to limp home or some destination were further repairs can be made. For me all the chrome in the world is useless when sitting on the side of the road. I am into the motorcycles for the ride not the oohs and awes of others. So would I buy another Venture if I could afford it? Yes I would.

[Ben Rollins]

I am just waiting for yammer to say his is for sale.

[Rick Butler]

Ok Don,

 

You already know my answer......YES, I'd buy a new Venture in a heartbeat because I have an image to uphold. Yeah, I'm pretty much the icon when you think of a loyal Venture bigot. When Yamaha dropped the Venture in 94, did I follow most of my friends and buy a new Goldwing.......no, I found a new leftover 93 and bought it instead. But I didn't jump on the new Venture in 99 (like you did) rather I rode my 93 until 2000 before I bought a new 2001. I was really wanting a black Venture, but when I totaled my 93 on Push Mountain Road in Arkansas in 2000, I had move on a new red Venture. But I redeemed myself in 2002 when Yamaha finally came out with the Midnight and traded for one. And after 140k on the 02, I decided to opt for a backup 07 Midnight for a long trip to Yellowstone and Glacier we made in 2012.

 

Now remember the prototype that Yamaha put out in 05 on the new V-Max and then didn't release and put into production until 2009? And the improvements were pretty staggering especially with the suspension and abs brakes, not to mention the 1700cc fuel injected V-4 engine and completely redesigned drive line. Why on earth would Yamaha put all of that time and money into such improvements on a iconic muscle bike that hardly has any sales to speak of?

 

Well I will suggest that they are doing it for us before they drop this new drive line into the new Venture, along with who knows what in other improvements to the bike. Like maybe 2 versions.....an Ultra or Road Glide clone....with 1900ccs?

 

Now I don't know about the rest of you, but I have been waiting for this change for at least 3 years now and I think we are just about ready to hear about it in a week or so. I was at a Yamaha dealership in Kerrville, TX this weekend and I heard from the management of this shop that Yamaha is going to make a big announcement on 4 or 5 new bikes on the 19th of Oct. And everyone I talked to at this dealership told the same story and the Venture was going to be one of the bikes.

 

So, has anyone else heard about this announcement?

 

Rick

[Venturous]

No, because my next new bike will have ABS brakes.

[cowpuc]

Ok Don,

 

You already know my answer......YES, I'd buy a new Venture in a heartbeat because I have an image to uphold. Yeah, I'm pretty much the icon when you think of a loyal Venture bigot. When Yamaha dropped the Venture in 94, did I follow most of my friends and buy a new Goldwing.......no, I found a new leftover 93 and bought it instead. But I didn't jump on the new Venture in 99 (like you did) rather I rode my 93 until 2000 before I bought a new 2001. I was really wanting a black Venture, but when I totaled my 93 on Push Mountain Road in Arkansas in 2000, I had move on a new red Venture. But I redeemed myself in 2002 when Yamaha finally came out with the Midnight and traded for one. And after 140k on the 02, I decided to opt for a backup 07 Midnight for a long trip to Yellowstone and Glacier we made in 2012.

 

Now remember the prototype that Yamaha put out in 05 on the new V-Max and then didn't release and put into production until 2009? And the improvements were pretty staggering especially with the suspension and abs brakes, not to mention the 1700cc fuel injected V-4 engine and completely redesigned drive line. Why on earth would Yamaha put all of that time and money into such improvements on a iconic muscle bike that hardly has any sales to speak of?

 

Well I will suggest that they are doing it for us before they drop this new drive line into the new Venture, along with who knows what in other improvements to the bike. Like maybe 2 versions.....an Ultra or Road Glide clone....with 1900ccs?

 

Now I don't know about the rest of you, but I have been waiting for this change for at least 3 years now and I think we are just about ready to hear about it in a week or so. I was at a Yamaha dealership in Kerrville, TX this weekend and I heard from the management of this shop that Yamaha is going to make a big announcement on 4 or 5 new bikes on the 19th of Oct. And everyone I talked to at this dealership told the same story and the Venture was going to be one of the bikes.

 

So, has anyone else heard about this announcement?

 

Rick

 

5 more days,,, just 5 more days:backinmyday:

[Yammer Dan]

I am just waiting for yammer to say his is for sale.

 

 

Oh it is for sale. I promised the Warden.... "Brown Sugar" is only $4,000.00 "Ugly" is $3500.00. "Silver" is almost 30 yrs newer and a bunch less miles. Let me see......I'm Trying Honey!! I'm Trying!!!

[Condor]

Ok Don,

 

Now I don't know about the rest of you, but I have been waiting for this change for at least 3 years now and I think we are just about ready to hear about it in a week or so. I was at a Yamaha dealership in Kerrville, TX this weekend and I heard from the management of this shop that Yamaha is going to make a big announcement on 4 or 5 new bikes on the 19th of Oct. And everyone I talked to at this dealership told the same story and the Venture was going to be one of the bikes.

 

So, has anyone else heard about this announcement?

 

Rick

 

I've heard rumors here and there..... Fingers Crossed, but not going to hold my breath....

[Freebird]

I have my doubts also but hope I'm wrong. Would love to see them come out with a new one.

[gez]

Might Yamaha introduce the NEW Venture at the AIM Expo opening on Friday in Orlando?

 

http://www.aimexpousa.com/yamaha-returns-to-aimexpo-as-first-oem-participant-of-2014/

 

And, no, I wouldn't buy another currently available Venture. I'm not sorry I bought mine, but with a 29" inseam and being 63 years old, something with a lower center of gravity would be nice.

Edited October 15, 2014 by gez

[Ace]

On the Yamaha Canada website a big banner pops up right when you enter the site "New Model Countdown 10.16.14"

I'm not holding my breath either, most likely just going to release a new sport bike, probably the one they have the teaser video on.

[Mike G in SC]

Price check: A VR member friend called them. Actually dealer is $14,995 on that bike, not $14 even. Still, 40% below a dressed Ultra or Roadmaster.

 

People are throwing out that Yamaha will be showing several new 2015's next week in Orlando, including a touring RSV replacement. If so, curious on where it will fit. Likely about $24K(?).

(I see that Yamaha has the largest booth. http://www.aimexpousa.com/ ) Show is open to public Oct 18-19. Someone down there, STEVE K?, go, and tell us what you see.

 

At STAR Days in St Charles in July, Bob Starr, Yamaha marketing director for US, told us that something was coming out soon for Venture owners and "please wait".

Me and Jerry Mefford talked to him. I told him if it's not V4 I'm not interested. He said, "then please wait". So, yeah, I would expect something this time.

 

And, seems like it is fairly important to the longevity of this website.

[Gramps69]

Just to add another rumor:stirthepot:. Talking with the factory rep at Sturgis- he said several new models will be introduced at AIM but not the Venture. He said that next fall would be the soonest for a new model:confused24:, hopefully by the rally so I can ride one.

[XV1100SE]

On the Yamaha Canada website a big banner pops up right when you enter the site "New Model Countdown 10.16.14"

I'm not holding my breath either, most likely just going to release a new sport bike, probably the one they have the teaser video on.

 

They also have :

TWITTER

Tomorrow will be one of the biggest motorcycle launches we can remember! And that's only phase one of two! Which...

 

and :

YOUTUBE

Yamaha Motorcycle Teaser

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTkqh-ZRsD0&list=UUDgyTa85EYR4yVaRYds46mw]Yamaha Motorcycle Teaser - YouTube[/ame]

 

I can't access YouTube or Twitter at work so someone else would have to comment on the "teaser"