Let the discussion begin.

[Venturous]

btw, one doesn't "settle" for a Goldwing. Riding one is anything but....

 

Agree. I did end up buying a 40th anniversary wing early this summer and have since logged 12,000 miles on it (them). I am very happy with it. But it will never be as comfortable to ride as my RSV was nor as cool looking. But it most certainly will out run, out maneuver, out tow, and out brake the RSV. The heated grips, seats, adjustable windscreen, XM weather are also kinda neat.

[Eck]

I would give up my wing if the Venture had:

Electronic ignition-do away with the carbs- standard

mp3 player (or better) in place of cassette player - standard

adjustable air shocks just like the wings have - standard

Engine must be at minimum 1800cc to 2000cc - standard

ABS is standard

adjustable windshield- standard

weather radio info - standard

center stand - standard

A darn good output alternator - standard

Am/FM stereo that out does the wings standard radio system

How about some good lighting in the rear--- standard

How about some really good LED fog lights- standard

Adjustable headlights just like the wing has- up . down right / left

All ball bearings in goose neck with grease fitting - standard

All ball bearings in swing arm - standard - with grease fitting - standard

Throatier exhaust system - standard- make it SOUND like a motorcycle

 

 

 

 

[Venturous]

... but I do miss the cassette player...

 

NOT!

[Barrycuda]

I would give up my wing if the Venture had:

Electronic ignition-do away with the carbs- standard

mp3 player (or better) in place of cassette player - standard

adjustable air shocks just like the wings have - standard

Engine must be at minimum 1800cc to 2000cc - standard

ABS is standard

adjustable windshield- standard

weather radio info - standard

center stand - standard

A darn good output alternator - standard

Am/FM stereo that out does the wings standard radio system

How about some good lighting in the rear--- standard

How about some really good LED fog lights- standard

Adjustable headlights just like the wing has- up . down right / left

All ball bearings in goose neck with grease fitting - standard

All ball bearings in swing arm - standard - with grease fitting - standard

Throatier exhaust system - standard- make it SOUND like a motorcycle

 

 

 

 

 

nice list. Basically you need to make a hybrid to make this list.

[Dragonslayer]

I have been a Yamaha enthusiast for many many years and they have proven to me over and over again that they are TOPS!! Owned a couple early YZ monoshock MX bikes way back and they were AWESOME!! My little RD350 and RD250 (remains still in my basement) were giant killers - proving Yamaha's superiority in R&D!! My 73 XS650 beat across the country with me on its back several times, chopped it and rode it many more miles until sold. Bought a brand new 650 Special, AWESOME "cloned" mini Harley that saw the west too!! My faith in mother Yamaha has been proven 5 times over by my continual riding of the 1st Gen Ventures starting in 1987 until present day with my 83 that has almost 300k on it!! Fact is, folks at Yamaha, I AM READY FOR THE NEXT PHASE!!

All that said, here is my feeble wish list:

 

1700cc V-4 "V-Max" motor.. Detune it if you must (just like before) but please,, dont do another V-Twin - got enough of em.. You guys can do it,, I KNOW YOU CAN!!

Shaft drive!

EFI with a tunable tuner - even if its an add on - please provide one so we can tune it!!

LED lighting.

Engine guarding and saddle bag guarding.

Adjustable bars like on the first gen.

Factory tank and windshield bags.

Fixed Fairing.

Get the same Doctors who advised you on constructing the seat of the 1st Gens (cant remember what you call those guys) to advise you on this one - my kids, wife and I LOVE what they did!! Keep the seat height difference between the rider and passenger no more than 3 inches (2 is great) - raising the passenger higher causes weight imbalance and makes slow speed riding harder.

Ease of removal of the trunk(s) for changing rear tire.

Center stand.

Forward boards with normal foot pegs located rearward so standing up while riding is still possible, shift and brake levers at both locations (no heal toe please).

Hand warmers.

Key removable rear trunk and bags.

Grease zerks on all main pivot points.

High output stator even though it has LED's.

Double check the gear sets in the tranny and make sure they ramp up solidly.

Oversized clutch to insure NO slippage in high gears with xtra weight.

42 millimeter front fork tubes with progressive springs.

Imbed reflective tape (or use reflective paint) in paint lines (like pin striping) so all profiles of bike light up when grazed by car lights.

Add a large foot onto side stand - tired of bending over to pick up stand plate after parking on loose ground.

Explore which tire sizes are the most common and build around those standards so tire choices and finding them are easy.

Remember those long grips you used on the first gens? Use those, I love bending them back onto my knees.

Enclose the motor well to keep ANY objectional heat off both riders BUT - use lots of venting with plenums to act as heaters when needed.

Windshield it so the rear rider remains in the protective air pocket - functional vents in shield and fairing to adjust air movement if needed (hey,, could be asking for servo operated shield but I dont care for more things to go wrong).

6 speed Over drive tranny.

Use GOOD solder, especially with ECU pins. QC the daylights out of it! DONT go cheap and trust the Chinese!!

Dont short us on wire harness leads so wiring is tight - xtra 1/4 inch really helps!!

Make fairing panels easy to remove but not so they fall off.

Supply printable shop manual disc and printed well written owners manual. Supply GOOD factory tire pressure guage.

Chrome is out for me, I LOVE dull stainless (like the pipes on the "New" V-Max),, matter of fact,, build mine with no rustable chrome and all dull stainless!!

Intercom, CB and radio would be nice.. Keep the tape deck.

 

OK, if you REALLY are reading this and you like what I am talking,, PLEASE make mine just a little faster in stock form than anyone elses.. Not that I would ever use the extra pazzaazz but I have buddies that I gotta compete with and just KNOWING I have the fastest one would be worth an extra grand to me:big-grin-emoticon:

 

I KNOW you can do it!! Keep the faith mother Yamaha - I AM!!

Puc

 

Hey Puc,

I was digging on everything you said until you got to the tape deck part. The tape deck needs to be extinct on the planet and replaced with modern camera, smart phone blue tooth, satellite radio mps and internet capabilities ,gps navigation technology.

[camos]

Hey Puc,

I was digging on everything you said until you got to the tape deck part. The tape deck needs to be extinct on the planet and replaced with modern camera, smart phone blue tooth, satellite radio mps and internet capabilities ,gps navigation technology.

Tape deck??? I had to laugh, just couldn't keep it back. Didn't keep track but there were quite a few requests for a CD changer. That's about the same as requesting a cassette deck. Talk about dinosaurs in the best tradition of Yamaha.

 

For all of those who wish for accessories up to and including the kitchen sink, remember for every dollar spent at the factory the end price goes up a 100. To have everything you would probably be looking at $35,000 out the door. A Bluetooth enabled radio with the ability to connect to satellite and plug in a thumb drive or MP3 for music and storage. A couple of small Bose speakers would give decent sound while parked or, I hate to say this, while riding without a helmet. Headsets are the only way to go while on the highway.

 

The FJR 1300 is very close to what I would want in a 3rd Gen. All Yamaha would have to do is remodel the rear end to be more like a 1st Gen with larger bags and a trunk and a comfortable seat for two. This would not require very significant changes. Mount the controls in a neutral position with the option of moving them forward or back about 6 inches to suit the kind of riding most would be happy with.

 

Dual purposing the basics is a great way to make a profit while broadening the appeal to more folks. Something like that would have no competition from other vendors.

[baylensman]

1700cc V-4 "V-Max" motor.. Do not detune- recam or time (Engine control module maybe) for better milage at set speeds

Shaft drive!

EFI with a tunable tuner - even if its an add on - please provide one so we can tune it!!

LED lighting.

Engine guarding and saddle bag guarding.

Adjustable bars like on the first gen.

Factory tank and windshield bags.

Fixed Fairing.

Get the same Doctors who advised you on constructing the seat of the 1st Gens (cant remember what you call those guys) to advise you on this one - my kids, wife and I LOVE what they did!! Keep the seat height difference between the rider and passenger no more than 3 inches (2 is great) - raising the passenger higher causes weight imbalance and makes slow speed riding harder.

Ease of removal of the trunk(s) for changing rear tire.

Center stand.

Forward boards with normal foot pegs located rearward so standing up while riding is still possible, shift and brake levers at both locations (no heal toe please).

Hand warmers.

Key removable rear trunk and bags.

Grease zerks on all main pivot points.

High output stator even though it has LED's.

Double check the gear sets in the tranny and make sure they ramp up solidly.

Oversized clutch to insure NO slippage in high gears with xtra weight.

42 millimeter front fork tubes with progressive springs.

Imbed reflective tape (or use reflective paint) in paint lines (like pin striping) so all profiles of bike light up when grazed by car lights.

Add a large foot onto side stand - tired of bending over to pick up stand plate after parking on loose ground.

Explore which tire sizes are the most common and build around those standards so tire choices and finding them are easy.

Remember those long grips you used on the first gens? Use those, I love bending them back onto my knees.

Enclose the motor well to keep ANY objectional heat off both riders BUT - use lots of venting with plenums to act as heaters when needed.

Windshield it so the rear rider remains in the protective air pocket - functional vents in shield and fairing to adjust air movement if needed (hey,, could be asking for servo operated shield but I dont care for more things to go wrong).

6 speed Over drive tranny.

Use GOOD solder, especially with ECU pins. QC the daylights out of it! DONT go cheap and trust the Chinese!!

Dont short us on wire harness leads so wiring is tight - xtra 1/4 inch really helps!!

Make fairing panels easy to remove but not so they fall off.

Supply printable shop manual disc and printed well written owners manual. Supply GOOD factory tire pressure guage.

Chrome is out for me, I LOVE dull stainless (like the pipes on the "New" V-Max),, matter of fact,, build mine with no rustable chrome and all dull stainless!!

Intercom, CB and radio would be nice.. Keep the tape deck.

 

This is so close to my wish list its scary! A few minor changes.

An Electronic cruise control that works!!!

fully interfaceble blue tooth system for my phone. (any brand no I phone only crap)

blue tooth headsets interfaced to entertainment system

built in sat nav and sat radio.

TPS monitor

a big MFD with Tach/Speedo as main display then down the sides volt meter digital in volts,

gas guage in gallons (liters for our canuck friends),

TPS read out front and rear in PSI (kilopascal for nothern types)

Oil pressure,

gear shift indicator.

standard fog/passing/hiway lamps

standard foot rest on the engine guards

Lighted (l.e.d.) caliper cover front

Push button electric reverse ( pusing an 800lb bike up hill back words in cowboy boots sucks!!!!!!)

Luggage rack for trunk and side bags.

Hidden antennas

Bring back the on board air controller for the suspension.

 

MSRP of around $17500.00 ( 0% financing for 6 years with trade in of any venture)

 

OPTIONS EVERY YEAR SO WE CAN MAKE THESE OURS!!!!!

Color options every year. ( more than one color and black)

upgrade for two tone paint. ( your color over silver or black)

upgrade option to leather seats in colors (black tan horse hide ect)

upgrade to full chrome on all exposed parts. NO Aluminum showing

upgrade to euro black finish as above.

upgrade to brush stainless finish as above.

upgrade to white wall tires front and rear.

[cowpuc]

Hey Puc,

I was digging on everything you said until you got to the tape deck part. The tape deck needs to be extinct on the planet and replaced with modern camera, smart phone blue tooth, satellite radio mps and internet capabilities ,gps navigation technology.

 

Oh man,, sorry I missed this Slayer!! My "Keep the Deck" comment was encouraging Mom Yam to just hang on to any left over tape decks they have = dont need it on my scoot!!

 

This is so close to my wish list its scary! A few minor changes.

An Electronic cruise control that works!!!

fully interfaceble blue tooth system for my phone. (any brand no I phone only crap)

blue tooth headsets interfaced to entertainment system

built in sat nav and sat radio.

TPS monitor

a big MFD with Tach/Speedo as main display then down the sides volt meter digital in volts,

gas guage in gallons (liters for our canuck friends),

TPS read out front and rear in PSI (kilopascal for nothern types)

Oil pressure,

gear shift indicator.

standard fog/passing/hiway lamps

standard foot rest on the engine guards

Lighted (l.e.d.) caliper cover front

Push button electric reverse ( pusing an 800lb bike up hill back words in cowboy boots sucks!!!!!!)

Luggage rack for trunk and side bags.

Hidden antennas

Bring back the on board air controller for the suspension.

 

MSRP of around $17500.00 ( 0% financing for 6 years with trade in of any venture)

 

OPTIONS EVERY YEAR SO WE CAN MAKE THESE OURS!!!!!

Color options every year. ( more than one color and black)

upgrade for two tone paint. ( your color over silver or black)

upgrade option to leather seats in colors (black tan horse hide ect)

upgrade to full chrome on all exposed parts. NO Aluminum showing

upgrade to euro black finish as above.

upgrade to brush stainless finish as above.

upgrade to white wall tires front and rear.

 

2 great minds = Rock n Roll brother!!! Looks like we made it thru another September with no new scoot - NOW MOM YAM HAS ANOTHER YEAR TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT SO WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO REALISE ALL OUR EFFORT AND DREAMS!!!

[Flyinfool]

I heard Yamaha has spent huge amounts of money developing a new touring bike. They have something almost ready to release. and then they look here and most are saying that they would not buy the air cooled V twin that they came up with. Most have said that the spy photos are fugly.

Did we scare them into dropping the idea of a big touring bike?

Did we scare them into following our blueprint to a touring bike and they are redesigning to be closer to what we said we would buy?

 

Hey we can only guess and dream at this point. We have been let down AGAIN.

I am sure that there will be another bunch of folks that will jump ship and switch to another brand before the next September rolls around. Most ship jumpers never come back.

 

OK, I'll shut up now.

[baylensman]

Hey we can only guess and dream at this point. We have been let down AGAIN.

I am sure that there will be another bunch of folks that will jump ship and switch to another brand before the next September rolls around. Most ship jumpers never come back.

 

OK, I'll shut up now.

I'm actually thinking of jumping models. the Raider is really tugging at me!! I could get the Raider for daily driving keep the Venture for weekend rides with my sweetie and hold off on another tour bike till full retirement, that give MOM YAM a few more years to fill my wish list LOL

[mraf]

My choice.

[baylensman]

My choice.http://www.venturerider.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=107894

 

Air inlet, for the turbo looks a little smallish!

[vzuden]

Guy working the Yamaha booth yesterday at the International Motorcycle Show in Chicago said this year in "June" when asked if he had any knowledge of a new Venture. When asked what engine can be expected he said "they aren't telling us".

Do I believe him about June? No. But thought I would share anyway

[BuckShot]

Good luck guys............I have been waiting for Yamaha to catch up sense 1986 when they peeked. The 99 and up are nice bikes, but are lacking to say the least. At least BMW...Harley...and Honda have made improvements over the years. Not Yamaha....same old outdated bike and now they have stopped making it AGAIN....

 

Upgrade the Yamaha to Goldwing standards like they used to be and maybe they will sell and catch up to Honda again in a few years.

 

You want a Yamaha that runs and acts like a Goldwing....expect to pay the price.

Edited February 13, 2017 by BuckShot
i

[M61A1MECH]

Current rumor over on the Delphi forums is 12 June is the date for the new Venture to be introduced.

No specifics on the platform, performance or styling.

 

So lets see what happens on the 12th of June. Maybe something / maybe nothing.

[vzuden]

I heard the same thing at the International Bike Show in Chicago last month

[Condor]

If you don't mind, I'm getting tired of holding my breath..... I've been waiting so long I've gotten to old to GAD....

[videoarizona]

Well...the timing is about right for this being the year. But.....

[Pegasus1300]

I couldn't wait any more and I had to go to 3 wheels anyway so I went to a Spyder RT and I love it. Lots of advances,fuel injection paddle shift transmission,Stabilization,traction control,power steering,auto leveling. Just a great ride. I've put nearly 20,000 miles on it in 18 months even with 2 winter shut downs.

 

I hope they do bring the Venture into the modern world. I have always felt that the V4 engine was the perfect motorcycle engine. I rode ventures for 30+ years but it was time for a change.

[YamahaParExcellence]

I thought to bring this very first forum entry back to the forefront....on the font page.

 

I see where the angst, resistance for acceptance, and animosity to the current 2018 SVTC comes from, by some active posters. I get it. I really do. We do, actually...my wife and I both.

 

We waited for over three years to trade up to a new Wing model, from our 2008,...and were stunned and shocked by what Honda finally put out, as a tour model, and the new, updated Wing.

So, do I read these posts within this thread...and get it? Yeppers... They (the thread contributors) had certain ownership-needs, and they were not met upon the Reveal. Same for us, regarding the 2018 Honda 'Goldwing'. We get it....

 

Personally, with riding the new 2018 Star Venture. Personally, I think it is the best Tour Class motorcycle I have ever owned to date. That includes all prior Honda Goldwings. They were great bikes on their own merit. Personally...and that word can not be over-stressed...on many of my 'tour needs/emotional (excitement and interaction created)/feature list', this one tops them all. Personal comment...other's will certainly not agree. Other's will. Name of the game..

 

Just interesting to have this now up at the top...and let others see the threads...the responses...and dwell upon them, post the 2018 release to market.

 

Joe

Edited May 20, 2018 by YamahaParExcellence

[American]

I owned a 1989 GoldWing GL1500, took a break from riding from 1992 until 2013 and I bought a 2013 Victory Cross Country Tour, it was a good bike but I saw the writing on the wall with Victory even as most Victory owners were in denial and even my local Victory dealership refused to believe that Polaris would shut down the Victory brand.

 

So in 2015 I purchased a new 2016 Harley Davidson Ultra Limited Low, it was a twin cool twin cam engine and was an ok bike after putting in another $5,000 dollars to make the suspension work and doing a stage one kit on the engine plus replacing the windshield and some other parts. The one thing I just did not like was it developed a vibration in the 30 MPH range in 3rd gear that would just drive me nuts, and of course when in traffic in Florida in the 45 MPH zones you get stuck traveling 30 MPH in 3rd gear.

 

Honda came out with the 2018 GoldWing Tour, I was interested, liked what I saw, then read that you could not put two full face helmets in the trunk. Well we did go look at a new 2018 GoldWing Tour with the DCT transmission and boy did I like the bike on the showroom floor, this was a Honda dealer in Sarasota, Florida. First thing my wife and I did was try putting our helmets in the trunk, they fit but barely and I could see them getting scratched up but they did fit so it was not a deal breaker yet, now my helmet is a small and my wife wears a xtra small and they are Corsair X helmets with Sena 30K headsets on them.

 

Where the problem jumped up on the GoldWing Tour was the trade in, we were right side up on the Harley so there was no negative money to deal with, but the first words out of the salesman's mouth was to say he was going to insult me on a price on the Harley, that they are not good bikes, this and that. I could see where this was going and it was going to be a total waste of time so I simply thanked the man and said I don't want to waste his time or my time and we were leaving but the damn salesman just would not let it go and kept on and on about the Harley. I again told him look I don't want to waste his time or mine time thanks anyway.

 

My local Honda dealer would not even talk to me about a price and just ignored me which is standard with that dealer in Ft. Myers. They have a bad reputation anyway.

 

That is when I went and looked at the new Yamaha Star Venture in Punta Gorda and liked what I saw. I made a deal with them on the trade in for the Harley and left with a new 2018 Yamaha Star Venture Transcontinental that has far more storage room than the GoldWing Tour has. All in all I think I bought the best touring bike on the market right now in the Yamaha Star Venture.

 

This 2018 Yamaha Star Venture Transcontinental is much more advanced than the old 1989 Honda GoldWing GL1500 was, the Victory Cross Country Tour while a nice bike does not hold a candle to the Star Venture, and the Harley Davidson Ultra Limited Low, well the vibration I just got tired of, don't know why so many think it is a good thing but I did not like it. The bike itself was nice enough but man the vibration was the killer for me.

 

So now the Yamaha Star Venture Transcontinental reigns supreme with my wife and I and I don't feel any need to be buying replacement parts or doing a stage one kit to the engine, this bike has all the power I need and it is pretty darn comfortable the way it is, I did order the Yamaha Star Venture high backrest as I have some issues with my back but I have to tell you so far with the riding I have done my back has not bothered me at all and when the tall backrest finally comes in I think it will be just right all the way around with some more lower back support.

 

Yamaha as far as I am concerned you hit a grand slam home run with the Star Venture motorcycles.

[YamahaParExcellence]

I owned a 1989 GoldWing GL1500, took a break from riding from 1992 until 2013 and I bought a 2013 Victory Cross Country Tour, it was a good bike but I saw the writing on the wall with Victory even as most Victory owners were in denial and even my local Victory dealership refused to believe that Polaris would shut down the Victory brand.

 

So in 2015 I purchased a new 2016 Harley Davidson Ultra Limited Low, it was a twin cool twin cam engine and was an ok bike after putting in another $5,000 dollars to make the suspension work and doing a stage one kit on the engine plus replacing the windshield and some other parts. The one thing I just did not like was it developed a vibration in the 30 MPH range in 3rd gear that would just drive me nuts, and of course when in traffic in Florida in the 45 MPH zones you get stuck traveling 30 MPH in 3rd gear.

 

Honda came out with the 2018 GoldWing Tour, I was interested, liked what I saw, then read that you could not put two full face helmets in the trunk. Well we did go look at a new 2018 GoldWing Tour with the DCT transmission and boy did I like the bike on the showroom floor, this was a Honda dealer in Sarasota, Florida. First thing my wife and I did was try putting our helmets in the trunk, they fit but barely and I could see them getting scratched up but they did fit so it was not a deal breaker yet, now my helmet is a small and my wife wears a xtra small and they are Corsair X helmets with Sena 30K headsets on them.

 

Where the problem jumped up on the GoldWing Tour was the trade in, we were right side up on the Harley so there was no negative money to deal with, but the first words out of the salesman's mouth was to say he was going to insult me on a price on the Harley, that they are not good bikes, this and that. I could see where this was going and it was going to be a total waste of time so I simply thanked the man and said I don't want to waste his time or my time and we were leaving but the damn salesman just would not let it go and kept on and on about the Harley. I again told him look I don't want to waste his time or mine time thanks anyway.

 

My local Honda dealer would not even talk to me about a price and just ignored me which is standard with that dealer in Ft. Myers. They have a bad reputation anyway.

 

 

That is when I went and looked at the new Yamaha Star Venture in Punta Gorda and liked what I saw. I made a deal with them on the trade in for the Harley and left with a new 2018 Yamaha Star Venture Transcontinental that has far more storage room than the GoldWing Tour has. All in all I think I bought the best touring bike on the market right now in the Yamaha Star Venture.

 

This 2018 Yamaha Star Venture Transcontinental is much more advanced than the old 1989 Honda GoldWing GL1500 was, the Victory Cross Country Tour while a nice bike does not hold a candle to the Star Venture, and the Harley Davidson Ultra Limited Low, well the vibration I just got tired of, don't know why so many think it is a good thing but I did not like it. The bike itself was nice enough but man the vibration was the killer for me.

 

So now the Yamaha Star Venture Transcontinental reigns supreme with my wife and I and I don't feel any need to be buying replacement parts or doing a stage one kit to the engine, this bike has all the power I need and it is pretty darn comfortable the way it is, I did order the Yamaha Star Venture high backrest as I have some issues with my back but I have to tell you so far with the riding I have done my back has not bothered me at all and when the tall backrest finally comes in I think it will be just right all the way around with some more lower back support.

 

Yamaha as far as I am concerned you hit a grand slam home run with the Star Venture motorcycles.

 

 

Amercian, as you have seen by my uploaded pictures, I have the higher backrest...and at 6' 3", it does a great job of supporting you right in the lower lumbar. On my longest 400 KM adventure on Saturday, it has you fit into that saddle, like truly, a ball fits into a baseball glove, with the higher profile, being the player's thumb. It brought that analogy up to my mind, because you are sitting 'into' this saddle, and not perched upon it. I have no intentions of Corbin'izing this ride...as they did a bang up job on the comfort and shape for a large man, such as myself. If you don't have the lower wind deflectors, (and I know they are costly...), I most highly recommend them as well. Where they bring in cool air...or deflect it away from you...is where in my opinion, that standard deflector set should have been deployed. The mid height, brings air to your mid chest, and right down to your ankles, by swirl. The co-rider also feels the same wind envelope.They also bring in an air stream right over both jugs...and can only add to the service life of the motor. My wife is also crazy over this bike...and she herself, said , this was a huge blessing-in-disguise, the 2018 Wing not being a tech updated version of the 2017 release. So...I guess things happen for a reason. I needed a change from GoldWings...and this was the answer...told to me, each and every time I now sling a leg over Charlotte! This has been a fantastic purchase experience to date.

 

Cheers n' Beers.

[DanielM]

Prior to this SVTC, i rode the hell out of a 2002 and then 2012 2nd gen. Last fall I started seriously researching a replacement with plan to pull the trigger early this year. Made a list of musts:

 

- no damn carburetor!

- abs

- 500 mile day comfort

- heated seat and grips

- did I mention no carb?

- electronics comparable to modern cars (blue tooth, GPS, etc.)

- decent warranty and expectation that I can reliably put high miles on it

 

 

I spent months reading every review I could find of every manufacturer's entry in the luxury touring space. Kicked a lot of tires, test road everything I could. For me, the SVTC was winner by a huge margin. Nothing else was even close.

 

Perhaps if Yamaha decided to call this bike something else other than Star Venture the conversation might be a little different. Looking at this new bike through the lens of comparison to the 2nd gen you're not going to be looking at it the right way. It's like comparing apples to oranges. I've put a couple of hundred thousand miles on the 2nd gens and a little over 5,000 on this one so far. The SVTC has absolutely nothing in common with the 2nd gen. All they share is the name.

 

This is a brand new bike for Yamaha. I try to look at it as such with no expectations based on the name and my years of riding previous generation Ventures.

 

So far I have no regrets and believe that I've made the right decision. Brand new model with no track record so it will be interesting to see how I feel a year and 30,000 miles from now.

 

Sent from my SM-G955U1 using Tapatalk

[YamahaParExcellence]

Prior to this SVTC, i rode the hell out of a 2002 and then 2012 2nd gen. Last fall I started seriously researching a replacement with plan to pull the trigger early this year. Made a list of musts:

 

- no damn carburetor!

- abs

- 500 mile day comfort

- heated seat and grips

- did I mention no carb?

- electronics comparable to modern cars (blue tooth, GPS, etc.)

- decent warranty and expectation that I can reliably put high miles on it

 

 

I spent months reading every review I could find of every manufacturer's entry in the luxury touring space. Kicked a lot of tires, test road everything I could. For me, the SVTC was winner by a huge margin. Nothing else was even close.

 

Perhaps if Yamaha decided to call this bike something else other than Star Venture the conversation might be a little different. Looking at this new bike through the lens of comparison to the 2nd gen you're not going to be looking at it the right way. It's like comparing apples to oranges. I've put a couple of hundred thousand miles on the 2nd gens and a little over 5,000 on this one so far. The SVTC has absolutely nothing in common with the 2nd gen. All they share is the name.

 

This is a brand new bike for Yamaha. I try to look at it as such with no expectations based on the name and my years of riding previous generation Ventures.

 

So far I have no regrets and believe that I've made the right decision. Brand new model with no track record so it will be interesting to see how I feel a year and 30,000 miles from now.

 

Sent from my SM-G955U1 using Tapatalk

 

What is galling some posters here, that have, or have ridden prior year named Ventures...I felt the same exact way when Honda revealed the 2018 Wing. I thought...they should have retired the name; GoldWing, with the 2017 model, and brought forth the obvious successor to the ST-1300...with the new moniker of the Honda ST-1800. From where they took their design ques...that would (IMPO) been more transparent. That is the ridership they hope to have cross over...and not obviously present 2001-2017 current Wing owners. A lot of present Wing riders, some of my friends included, feel that Honda simply threw them to the side, and abandoned them. I can only imagine that this is the case, amongst current Venture (any gen) owners, and what they had hoped would be the next 'Venture'.

 

I think that both companies should have clearly made a break-away, with the new from the old. As you say, there would have been 'Venture mourning' but along with that, an intellectual acknowledgement that either Honda or Yamaha has the right at any model year, to end production of a certain franchise. It's when they drastically alter that franchise, as in the case of the 2018 Wing, and the 2018 S Venture... and the franchise name remains intact, is when resentment enfolds. My take, anyway.

[RDawson]

What is galling some posters here, that have, or have ridden prior year named Ventures...I felt the same exact way when Honda revealed the 2018 Wing. I thought...they should have retired the name; GoldWing, with the 2017 model, and brought forth the obvious successor to the ST-1300...with the new moniker of the Honda ST-1800. From where they took their design ques...that would (IMPO) been more transparent. That is the ridership they hope to have cross over...and not obviously present 2001-2017 current Wing owners. A lot of present Wing riders, some of my friends included, feel that Honda simply threw them to the side, and abandoned them. I can only imagine that this is the case, amongst current Venture (any gen) owners, and what they had hoped would be the next 'Venture'.

 

I think that both companies should have clearly made a break-away, with the new from the old. As you say, there would have been 'Venture mourning' but along with that, an intellectual acknowledgement that either Honda or Yamaha has the right at any model year, to end production of a certain franchise. It's when they drastically alter that franchise, as in the case of the 2018 Wing, and the 2018 S Venture... and the franchise name remains intact, is when resentment enfolds. My take, anyway.

You nailed it. Look back to the 80s Mustangs, Chargers, and for goodness sake a 4 cylinder Camaro. They all resembled their ancestry somewhat and carried the badge but were nearly brand killers. The Venture faithful ride 4 cylinder water cooled peg draggers that will eat HDs for lunch and go for 250k miles or more without major rebuilds. I know it's marketing but I still can't wrap my head around changing that platform. I have a 32 year old bike that I can tour on or go tear up the twisties. Maybe it will pull in some Harley faithfuls but I believe the 1800 water cooled boosted power plant would've been the Venture boom we were looking for. Having said that I'm somewhat technology phobic, I envision lots of problems with so much tech on a bike being ridden in the rain. I hope in 30 years while I'm sitting in a corner of whatever nursing home my kids imprison me in eating jello and drooling on myself somebody proves me wrong with a 2018 Yam with 300k miles and going strong. But for now I'll stay with 4 pistons and 10,000 rpms.