Demos around N America for 2018 Venture

[utadventure]

I had a chance to ride the 3 gen Venture this afternoon. There was some good points but nothing that would make me rush out and buy one today.

 

I liked that they returned to the frame mounted fairing, the seat and center of gravity is lower than 1st or 2nd Gens, power was good from the v-twin. Storage is large and you can even open the truck with a passenger on. Power was good even when accelerating in 4th rather than 3rd up a hill. The windshields ability to adjust was nice. At 5'10", in the lowest setting I could see over it and in it's upmost position I looked through it, but just barely. Wind buffeting may be an issue for the passenger.

 

The mirrors vibrated whether stopped or moving. It is hard to get a good opinion of a tour bike when you don't get to ride more than 15 min and where you don't exceed 40 mph. While it was 90* during the ride, it wasn't overly hot as the rider but I reached down and believe heat may be an issue for the passenger.

 

I could enjoy this bike, even the v-twin, but time will tell regarding the reliability of the air cooled engine. I also looked at the brakes and wonder if they will be reliable after they age a bit as they may be undersized.

 

Definitely give this a try if you can.

 

Dave