2018 Yamaha Star Eluder

[vzuden]

Probably since the Eluder and RSTD are comparable

[Russbug1]

The stated tq is at the crankshaft, as it is with all manufacturer's specs.

 

A 107 ci Milwaukee 8 motor dynos approximately 78 hp and 98 lb-ft of torque at the rear tire. But, the tq figure for the M8 is at around 3,500 rpm, so the TC will feel much punchier at normal rpm's.

 

I owned a Yamaha Stratoliner for 10 years and absolutely loved that bike. At about 5 years in I added a programmable ECU and slip@on pipes. The power increase was amazing. Unfortunately, she started wearing out and was costing too much in repairs. Since Yamaha stopped making this bike, I bought a Kawasaki Vaquero. After one year I lost interest and was disappointed in the engine performance, sticky lifters, noisy belt drive and rattles. I waited for the Star Venture to come out and bought it. Black on black. Installed the low backrest and bag protectors. Will be installing fog/driving lights soon. Just ordered a leather tank top cover that covers center of tank from seat to gas cap area. Yet to install. Being familiar with the 1854 engine, I can tell you that the new 1854 is a much improved power plant. Yes it now has a 4750 redline. But I never have a need to go that high. It is an absolute torque monster with power to spare. It is more powerful than the Stratoliner even after mods. With two up I can climb a steep incline with no problems. And fast? Yes, it is fast! Passing in any gear is a blast. It is also the most nimble and well balanced bike I have ever owned. And I have owned many. I can turn on a dime with two up without a worry. The stock seat is also well designed. Not as good as the Mustang seat, but darn good for stock. Every stock seat I have ever owned had to be replaced with something better. Not this one! The engine is noisy just like the old 1854. But I am already use to that. It took some reading to figure out the Infotainment Center, which has way more than I will ever use. I purchased a second key fob since it is a keyless setup. Unfortunately you only get one with bike purchase. They should sell you two. The heated seats work great and the stereo is plenty loud. I am 6’ and some change and experience little to no buffeting with low screen. Yamaha nailed it in my opinion. This is the best bike I have owned. I absolutely love it!

[Russbug1]

That back rest bracket is a bit hideous!!!!! If I were to spend that kind of cash I would probably go with the HD Road Glide...

I may just end up with a F6B

 

I purchased the short backrest and it looks great on the bike... I also had the same reservations when I saw it in the pics. Much better in person. I think it fits the bike well and my wife says it is comfortable!

[snyper316]

I purchased the short backrest and it looks great on the bike... I also had the same reservations when I saw it in the pics. Much better in person. I think it fits the bike well and my wife says it is comfortable!

 

Would like Pictures...

[Russbug1]

Would like Pictures...

 

You bet... tomorrow. Thanks, Rich :-)

[Russbug1]

Would like Pictures...

 

Here you go... took me a while to figure out the picture process. Let me know if you can see them or not.

 

Thanks, Rich

[snyper316]

That back seat looks brutal, but that back rest don't look to bad. Kinda like it myself.

[Russbug1]

The new Star Eluder.

 

http://ridermagazine.com/2017/09/06/2018-yamaha-star-eluder-first-look-review/

 

The Eluder is a fantastic motorcycle... I purchased one last month and have clocked 1200 miles. I am super pleased. I owned a Stratoliner for ten years and enjoyed that bike to the fullest. The Eluder is a much better well rounded bike. You have to see it in person and ride it to appreciate it.

 

Rich :-)

[snyper316]

Here you go... took me a while to figure out the picture process. Let me know if you can see them or not.

 

Thanks, Rich

 

Should post the rest of that beauty

[Russbug1]

Should post the rest of that beauty

 

I will do that.. I agree. She is a beautiful bike in looks and performance. Super pleased!

 

Thanks, Rich :-)

[snyper316]

I will do that.. I agree. She is a beautiful bike in looks and performance. Super pleased!

 

Thanks, Rich :-)

 

Just call me plum crazy, But If they had a Plum Crazy Purple I would be more upset I couldn't get a loan!!

[Russbug1]

That back seat looks brutal, but that back rest don't look to bad. Kinda like it myself.

 

My wife likes it better than the Mustang seat on my last bike. She told me after today’s 120 mile ride that she experienced zero fatigue. And she likes the comfort of the backrest. Happy wife, happy life!

 

Rich :-)

[snyper316]

 

Maybe its the looks and I'm pretending its a v4 but still think it would look good with plum crazy purple with black and gold pin stripes.

 

Sent from my LG-M255 using Tapatalk

[Russbug1]

New article about Eluder @

 

http://ridermagazine.com/2018/01/15/2018-yamaha-star-eluder-first-ride-review/

 

One thing they keep lying about in the articles (cuz I guess they just don't know enough) is that the engine will NOT need valve adjustments. It will.

 

Manual says every 24,000 miles...

 

Rich :-)

[Russbug1]

 

Maybe its the looks and I'm pretending its a v4 but still think it would look good with plum crazy purple with black and gold pin stripes.

 

Sent from my LG-M255 using Tapatalk

 

Funny you mention plum crazy... I saw a video that indicated the front fairing was designed after a Plymouth Barracuda.

 

Rich :-)

[Russbug1]

I purchased the short backrest and it looks great on the bike... I also had the same reservations when I saw it in the pics. Much better in person. I think it fits the bike well and my wife says it is comfortable!

 

I noticed the Yamaha website shows the taller backrest, which I don’t care for. I can see why people have reservations.

 

Rich :-)

[Russbug1]

Funny you mention plum crazy... I saw a video that indicated the front fairing was designed after a Plymouth Barracuda.

 

Rich :-)

 

This bike also comes with a hydraulic clutch, which feels a whole lot different than a cable operated setup. I am used to it now and it works great. At first I was thinking what the hell? No longer :-)

 

Rich

[cowpuc]

The Eluder is a fantastic motorcycle... I purchased one last month and have clocked 1200 miles. I am super pleased. I owned a Stratoliner for ten years and enjoyed that bike to the fullest. The Eluder is a much better well rounded bike. You have to see it in person and ride it to appreciate it.

 

Rich :-)

 

Enjoying your ownership ride reports and updates Rich = thank you!! Also enjoying any and all 's (I LOVE 's) = thank you for taking the time to share those too!!!

Got a question for you. Noticing here that you owned and rode a Strat for ten years. I have spent some time on an 06 Strat owned by my nephew. After attending the unveiling of the Venture at Americade and calming down some (I was one who was really for a 1700cc VMax V-4 Venture), my wife and I packed up our 83 and headed for Sturgis to demo them. Having ridden the Strat considerably and many V-Twin Harleys/Indians - I thought the new 113 Venture felt considerably detuned in comparison to its counterpart Strat motor.. To me it felt like it was missing 10 to 20 horse by my "seat of the pants" dyno and its memory of my nephews 06 Strat. Matter of fact,, I commented to my wife and even the demo guys that it felt "88 inch Harley Twin Cam"ish to me in its performance (those were 70ish horse - maybe).. Later I noticed a cutaway motor (have posted vid of it) at the Star tech tent and, seeing that Yamaha added an extra balance shaft and an extra alternator to the motor it occurred to me that the extra weight on the crank of the new 113 may have been part of the lack of performance I had perceived. Having not had the chance to ride an Eluder and as a comparison, I would be curious of what your "seat of the pants" dyno tells you when comparing your old Strat performance experience with the new one?

I also had quite a conversation out in NY and also at Sturgis with the Yamaha/Star guys and some of that fun :Im not listening toing centered around potential heat problems that riders may experience by Yamaha going with air cooling.. Having listened carefully to the techs in both places explain to me that "Yamaha had 100% solved that issue" I/we were anxious to find out just how true the claim was. Before we demoed the Venture I told my wife that I thought comparing a stripped air cooled bike to a fully faired with lowers bike would not be fair. I questioned the techs at Sturgis about the possibilities of removing the lowers and it was confirmed the lowers were not removable so I formed my opinion (and have written about it for months now) around a comparison between Harley's non-water cooled 103's and the 111inch that Polaris puts in their Indian model and the Venture all with lowers.. I thought the Yamaha fell right in between the Polaris (hottest IMHO) and the Harley (hot but no where near as hot as the Polaris). I also felt the new Venture was considerably warmer than the Strat but considered the Strats open air profile and the fact that its exhaust is tucked in differently (both sides exit on the right) than the Venture to be part of the cause for this.. Does this line up with your thoughts on a heat comparison?

 

Glad you found us and really look forward to maybe meeting you somewhere on the road this season!! One thing for sure,, that GORGEOUS scoot of yours will not be hard to spot when out there CTFW

Puc

[Russbug1]

Enjoying your ownership ride reports and updates Rich = thank you!! Also enjoying any and all 's (I LOVE 's) = thank you for taking the time to share those too!!!

Got a question for you. Noticing here that you owned and rode a Strat for ten years. I have spent some time on an 06 Strat owned by my nephew. After attending the unveiling of the Venture at Americade and calming down some (I was one who was really for a 1700cc VMax V-4 Venture), my wife and I packed up our 83 and headed for Sturgis to demo them. Having ridden the Strat considerably and many V-Twin Harleys/Indians - I thought the new 113 Venture felt considerably detuned in comparison to its counterpart Strat motor.. To me it felt like it was missing 10 to 20 horse by my "seat of the pants" dyno and its memory of my nephews 06 Strat. Matter of fact,, I commented to my wife and even the demo guys that it felt "88 inch Harley Twin Cam"ish to me in its performance (those were 70ish horse - maybe).. Later I noticed a cutaway motor (have posted vid of it) at the Star tech tent and, seeing that Yamaha added an extra balance shaft and an extra alternator to the motor it occurred to me that the extra weight on the crank of the new 113 may have been part of the lack of performance I had perceived. Having not had the chance to ride an Eluder and as a comparison, I would be curious of what your "seat of the pants" dyno tells you when comparing your old Strat performance experience with the new one?

I also had quite a conversation out in NY and also at Sturgis with the Yamaha/Star guys and some of that fun :Im not listening toing centered around potential heat problems that riders may experience by Yamaha going with air cooling.. Having listened carefully to the techs in both places explain to me that "Yamaha had 100% solved that issue" I/we were anxious to find out just how true the claim was. Before we demoed the Venture I told my wife that I thought comparing a stripped air cooled bike to a fully faired with lowers bike would not be fair. I questioned the techs at Sturgis about the possibilities of removing the lowers and it was confirmed the lowers were not removable so I formed my opinion (and have written about it for months now) around a comparison between Harley's non-water cooled 103's and the 111inch that Polaris puts in their Indian model and the Venture all with lowers.. I thought the Yamaha fell right in between the Polaris (hottest IMHO) and the Harley (hot but no where near as hot as the Polaris). I also felt the new Venture was considerably warmer than the Strat but considered the Strats open air profile and the fact that its exhaust is tucked in differently (both sides exit on the right) than the Venture to be part of the cause for this.. Does this line up with your thoughts on a heat comparison?

 

Glad you found us and really look forward to maybe meeting you somewhere on the road this season!! One thing for sure,, that GORGEOUS scoot of yours will not be hard to spot when out there CTFW

Puc

 

 

good morning... I purchased the Stratoliner the first year it was available, which I recall was 2007. Black Cherry paint scheme. first Yamaha bagger with fuel injection if my memory serves me right. in stock engine configuration, a decent get up and go engine. revs were in the 3500-4000 where the power increase ended. anything after that was unnecessary strain on the engine. don't get me wrong, it got my 207 pound frame around with no problem. just not at scorching speeds. I rode it like that for 5 years. at that point I thought what the hell. let us add some mods and see what she will do. I left the stock air boxes and filters installed. I added a Power Commander ECU and D&D slip-on pipe. the Power Commander MAP for my configuration was absolute garbage. bike surged and popped. I found a guy in either Nevada or Arizona, don't recall exactly, named Jaffo who was well known for putting together MAPS and selling them with instructions for $50. he had an excellent reputation. I called him and he hooked me up big time. his MAP woke that Stratoliner up like no other. it turned into a tractor puller on steroids. bike freely revved to 5500 and became SUPER fast. I rode it like that for another 5 years before finally selling it due to costs associated with repairs. engine still ran great with 55,000 clocked miles. she was just wearing out in other areas. so, how does my new Eluder compare to the modified Stratoliner? better is the word. I think the power is equal or better on the Eluder side. the Eluder engine is definitely a lot smoother and has more torque. and this is a STOCK Eluder engine I am comparing to my modded Strat engine. that is how good this new engine is. if a Power Commander, air filter and pipes are added, this bike would be unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!!!!! in good ol' California, we are stymied by ridiculous emission laws. I am waiting one day for the government clowns to start enforcing smog on motorcycles. anyways... I loved my Strat. it was a fantastic bike. perfect? no. the Strat weighed somewhere around 745 pounds and my Eluder is roughly 100 pounds heavier. yet the Eluder is a far superior motorcycle in all compartments. the Eluder is so nimble for an 850 pound bike it makes the bike feel like 300-400 pounds. very easy to maneuver and so well balanced going straight and turning on a dime. I could not do that with my Strat. the new engine in stock form is far superior to the stock Strat engine. it is smoother and has a lot more torque. I would much rather have lower end grunt than upper RPM speed. I don't like having to rev the engine high to get somewhere. the Eluder does not require much to get up and go. the valve train is just as noisy as the Strat was... I have heard test riders complain or think the engine is low on oil. I wish I could reach into the computer screen to tap the guy on the shoulder and tell him it is normal. I got used to it with my Strat. Yamaha also designed the dual exhaust to make different sounds. the left side has a pop pop sound and the right side is tuned like a sport bike. combined, they make a pretty cool sound. I had to do some research to find out why they sounded differently. it was also confirmed by the Yamaha mechanic. I am telling you... this new Yamaha bagger is one awesome ride. Yamaha did a great job. so far I am super pleased. I will have to wait until the summer time here in the California valley to assess the heat on the left leg. my Strat pumped out heat also. as a matter of fact, it also directed a ton of heat under the seat, which could be felt in the warmer weather. did it burn me or make it impossible to ride? nope. when screaming down the highway, all was good. on the Eluder GT I have, there are two manual vents down near the floorboards. I am told that they do a good mob dissipating the cylinder head exhaust heat when opened. I can definitely feel a difference riding when they are opened. it creates some good additional airflow. the fairing and cowl on this bike is so well designed it does a great job eliminating unwanted air around my legs. so the vents are well placed. I think I answered your question. if not, let me know. have a wonderful day : - )

 

Rich

[Russbug1]

Here you go... took me a while to figure out the picture process. Let me know if you can see them or not.

 

Thanks, Rich

 

Here are some more photos of my bike today before a short ride... this bike gets better and better each ride!

 

Rich

[snyper316]

That bike sure looks better without the tour Pack and I can live with the name too[emoji23][emoji23]

 

Sent from my LG-M255 using Tapatalk

[tlende]

I have a 2018 star eluder and the seats suck looking to find if anyone has replaced their 2018 venture seat.

[snyper316]

If you don't l I'ike your seat I will gladly swap you bikes lol. They are sexy as heck...

 

Sent from my LG-M255 using Tapatalk

[TWater]

I plan on purchasing the Eluder GT in a few months and have a question to anyone who already owns one. Do all the locking compartments lock automatically when you walk away and the security system engages?

[Du-Rron]

I plan on purchasing the Eluder GT in a few months and have a question to anyone who already owns one. Do all the locking compartments lock automatically when you walk away and the security system engages?

 

You can get the whole owners manual for free from Yamaha @

https://www.yamahamotorsports.com/motorsports/owners-manuals