2018 Venture - Selling yet?

[Mike G in SC]

Just saw a post from a member, Jozipp in AZ, asking about the display on his 2018 Venture (with reply by Freebird, noting this is the first post by a 2018 owner).

 

It is mid December. Yamaha said, after August/September did not work, they would hit the floor in December.

So, I looked on Cycle Trader and I see one in Sacramento, CA. Says, IN STOCK. $26,999.

Just talked to my SC dealer and he was expecting January.

 

Link to dealer page:

https://www.cycletrader.com/listing/2018-Yamaha-Star-Venture-with-Transcontinental-Option-Package-5001065677

 

So, guess they are starting deliveries to dealers. (??)

[Sylvester]

Just saw a post from a member, Jozipp in AZ, asking about the display on his 2018 Venture (with reply by Freebird, noting this is the first post by a 2018 owner).

 

It is mid December. Yamaha said, after August/September did not work, they would hit the floor in December.

So, I looked on Cycle Trader and I see one in Sacramento, CA. Says, IN STOCK. $26,999.

Just talked to my SC dealer and he was expecting January.

 

Link to dealer page:

https://www.cycletrader.com/listing/2018-Yamaha-Star-Venture-with-Transcontinental-Option-Package-5001065677

 

So, guess they are starting deliveries to dealers. (??)

 

So Mike are you in the market for an air cooled V-twin?

 

[Mike G in SC]

So Mike are you in the market for an air cooled V-twin?

 

 

Hey Jim,

I don't dislike the two new bikes. I have ridden the new Venture 3 times and the Eluder once. I think they have a good bike for what it is,,,, but there is that HEAT issue.

I did not notice the heat in Redwing, MN. The ambient temp was near 75-80 degrees and the humidity was low. I did use the air diverters.

But in Charleston, SC, the temp was 85-90 and 100% humidity. The heat on my left thigh was bad on both the Venture and Eluder. I forgot about the lower diverters, which may have made the difference.

 

I replaced my RSV with a GW trike for my two up a couple years ago, if I got a NEW ride (2018), it would probably be a new Goldwing. I really LIKE that 6 cylinder water cooled.

 

But, after sampling the new Venture last summer, I decided to replace my 2006 110K mile RSTD with a "new" 2006 RSTD with 6K miles. I've either moved stuff over re-bought stuff, putting new tires on it too. SO, I got my new bike!

I am hoping that Yamaha Star line will get it back together and get out some models that folks will like. It can only benefit this group and our STAR Touring family.

 

Mike G in SC

Edited December 14, 2017 by Mike G in SC

[BigLenny]

I just walked out of our local Yamaha dealer, and the owner said they are showing to be receiving one the last week of December.

 

He said he was told by the Yamaha rep that the delay was do to a leaking gasket they discovered. They discovered it on the assembly line, and then realized they needed to stop production to get it corrected, and pull back all the ones they had already made so they could retrofit them with the redesigned gasket.

 

Could you imagine the PR nightmare Yammy would've had if they had released that bike and it started having an oil leaking issue?!!!. The HD comparisons would've been flying around pretty hot and heavy. LOL.

[Flyinfool]

Well they copied everything else on the hardley......................

[Condor]

I just walked out of our local Yamaha dealer, and the owner said they are showing to be receiving one the last week of December.

 

He said he was told by the Yamaha rep that the delay was do to a leaking gasket they discovered. They discovered it on the assembly line, and then realized they needed to stop production to get it corrected, and pull back all the ones they had already made so they could retrofit them with the redesigned gasket.

 

Could you imagine the PR nightmare Yammy would've had if they had released that bike and it started having an oil leaking issue?!!!. The HD comparisons would've been flying around pretty hot and heavy. LOL.

Ya know with all the BS that the rep's were dishing out during the 'wait' for the new Venture, I would take anything that they said with a grain of salt

[cowpuc]

Ya know with all the BS that the rep's were dishing out during the 'wait' for the new Venture, I would take anything that they said with a grain of salt

 

 

:guitarist 2::rotfl:

 

 

[yzernie]

Picking mine up in the morning, they were putting the finishing touches on it before they closed tonight.

 

 

Edited December 16, 2017 by yzernie

[yzernie]

Ya know with all the BS that the rep's were dishing out during the 'wait' for the new Venture, I would take anything that they said with a grain of salt

With all due respect, Yamaha has historically made sure any new release was spot on before hitting the showroom floors. This new Venture is no exception. IMO, the reps can be full of BS, after all they are salesmen, but this delay was warranted.

[cowpuc]

WOWZY WOW WOW WOW = SHE'S A BEAUTY YZ!!!!!:thumbsup::thumbsup:

Please allow me to be the 1st to congratulate you = JUST GORGEOUS!!:thumbsup:

 

HI THERE BRAND NEW 2018 YAMAHA VENTURE,, YOU PRETTY THING = OUR FIRST NEW BORN 2018 HERE IN THE CLUB AS FAR AS I KNOW?? WOW ARE YOU PURDY!!!

 

THANK YOU for sharing the pictures of your new Venture YZ!!! I am looking forward to hearing all about the good times the two of you are about to embark on!!

[Condor]

With all due respect, Yamaha has historically made sure any new release was spot on before hitting the showroom floors. This new Venture is no exception. IMO, the reps can be full of BS, after all they are salesmen, but this delay was warranted.

 

And.... with all due respect not all salesmen stretch the truth... Only when it comes to cars and Ventures...

Nice looking scoot. The same color as the one I went to see up here in NorCal/Rocklin. Your's might even be the one I looked at?? I'm sure they left it with a dealer when the tour was over. Makes no sense trucking it back east again. Being from Hesperia it's going to be interesting how it handles the heat. Keep us posted on your experiences..

[yzernie]

Mine came off the ship last week and was at the dealership on Friday the 8th. They had to wait a week for the Transcon kit to arrive a and put it all together yesterday. Curious about the heat as well but I'm confident it isn't going to be any worse than my HD. My son's Stratoliner doesn't have all of the bodywork like the Venture but I never noticed the heat on it....at all. Will be picking it up in a couple hours and I'll post some pics.

[RDawson]

I really like the looks of the fairings on these bikes. I have an MKII I'm starting to think of customizing. Since I have a brother that did the body design and built the molds for most of Hannigans new stuff the last several years I'm thinking a third gen style fairing on my first gen bike might be in the future. :mo money:I had really planned on selling it and keeping the RSV but who knows, this could be fun.

[grubsie]

Mine came off the ship last week and was at the dealership on Friday the 8th. They had to wait a week for the Transcon kit to arrive a and put it all together yesterday. Curious about the heat as well but I'm confident it isn't going to be any worse than my HD. My son's Stratoliner doesn't have all of the bodywork like the Venture but I never noticed the heat on it....at all. Will be picking it up in a couple hours and I'll post some pics.

 

 

Well??? We are all waiting (at least I have been) and holding our breath for your first impressions of the new scoot. I can't speak for everyone else, but I can only hold my breath for so long.

[Rafterd]

Well the one I rode in Dallas, it was 101 degrees that day. I didn’t notice any heat at all. : )

 

congrats on on the new bike. In about 3 years I’ll be looking for one too.

[yzernie]

I apologize for the delayed reply. New bike, a 1 year old grandson for Christmas, etc, etc.

 

2018 Yamaha/Star Venture, Transcontinental

 

First impression?...well, it's freakin awesome!!

 

I don't even know where to start, but I'll go front to back...

 

- Front tire...I don't use Bridgestone tires so I was unsure of how it would handle. Not only does it not follow the road snakes but out here in Califreakia they grind the concrete of the freeways parallel with the way you are traveling. There is always two areas right in the tracks that have ridges in them and although they do catch them the 'wiggle' is nothing like the HD Ultra.

 

- Fairing...wind management is way better than my HD Ultra, glove boxes are easy to get to and use on the fly, instrumentation is spot on, speedo seems to be more accurate than past RSV models.

 

- Headlights/Front turn signals...WAY better than the LED lights on my HD. just as bright but put out a better beam pattern. The brights are...well...bright, really bright. The fog lights really help light up the dark spot close to the bike. The turns signals are bright too and have a good visible pattern to the sides too. Bright enough that they light up the reflective road signs really well.

 

- Hand controls...There is a learning curve there because most things are opposite of my HD but after riding for a while the controls are a non-issue. I do wish they hand controls were lighted because at night with thick gloves on there is no way to tell if you are pushing the correct toggle. trial and error I guess!!

 

- Fuel tank...I feel like I am piloting a KC135 Stratotanker but it was easy to get used to the extra width (especially knowing the added distance I'll get out of a tank), the fuel door seems a little flimsy and I fully expect to be reading of people breaking them trying to fuel the bike, especially out here because we have those spring loaded vent hoses on the nozzles. The nozzle will click off before the tank is full and you can easily put in another half gallon of gas.

 

- Rider controls...Excellent. I have some nerve damage in my right wrist and had to raise the bars up a bit to be more comfy for me. I also adjusted the levers to a more comfy position for me. Foot controls are good but I may end up moving the foot brake a little forward but not going to do anything until the billet brake pad comes in.

 

- Infotainment system...Harmon Kardon is also on my HD so I just had to learn the different formatting. Everything that I have used, including the NAV, had worked flawlessly. NAV did seem a little slow when in the city and high rise buildings but I have learned the antennas for both the NAV and XM are buried in the fairing. When they have the fairing off I am going to ask them to relocate both upward and to the front of the bike. No reception issues so far but I'd feel better if they were relocated.

 

- Stereo...It's a Yamaha stereo system. It blows away my HD "Boom Audio" system. Clarity at 25mph or 90mph (so I was told by a friend ) is spectacular. It will go all the way up to the volume limit with no distortion.

 

- Headset plug in...I was amazed to find my HD lower cord worked with the bike. PTT is easy to get to and audio clarity is only as good as your headset. I have used J&M stuff for years and all works very well. I even made a call to the wife while on the freeway and she said the clarity of the call was better than me being in the car or truck. So, all good!!

 

- Seat...The seat is comfy and after 1450 miles it seems to be breaking in just fine. The most comfy motorcycle seat I have ever had was my 2005 RSV and this seat is pretty close to that one. I ordered the taller backrest but I don't have it yet.

 

- Brakes...My HD has linked brakes so the transition was pretty easy. If you are not used to linked brakes there is a learning curve but it's not that bad. I haven't gotten on the brakes real hard but the stopping power is what I expected from Yamaha, smooth and powerful.

 

- Engine...Here is where I really am impressed. First thing I noticed was NO SHAKING at a stop light of stop sign!! I did my first 600 in touring mode and after the service I started playing with the sport mode. What an amazing difference between the modes. In sport mode I took off from a red light and almost ran into the back of the car in front of me...lol. Where it really helps is in slow speed, two up riding. So far, I am averaging 38+mpg but I live in a rural area so just about all of my riding is at highway speeds...55-80mph.

 

- Transmission...Shifting is smooth and even smoother with a few miles on it now. Shifts are crisp and neutral is easy to find when stopped. No whiney trans noise either.

 

- Clutch...Prototypical Yamaha hydraulic clutch, flawless operation. City riding did not show any clutch fade from heat. Shifting did get just a little bit notchy feeling in the city and when it got really hot but I expected that. Nowhere near as bad as my HD.

 

- Final drive...Quiet. I don't have an issue with a belt drive like some do and you don't lose hp/tq to the rear wheel like you do with a shaft drive.

 

- Rear seat...Can't answer that as the wife hasn't been on it yet cause she has been busy and now sick. I refuse to ride homo with my buddy to see how the back seat feels!!!

 

- Storage...HOLY SMOKES, this thing has enough room for small children in the saddle bags. The trunk is caverness and I can easily fit our full helmets in there with room for other things. The USB in the trunk is awesome for charging my phone or iPad while rolling down the road. The right glove box also has a USB cable but with my garage remote Velcro's to the side closest to me there isn't enough room for my phone in there. The glove box is kind of kidney shaped and if I move my remote to the front of the glove box the phone will fit just fine. Going to have the wife make me some felt liners for the glove boxes.

 

- Rear tire...Same as the front I posted above. My only concern is none of the major tire manufacturers have that exact same tire size...yet...200/55R16. It is the same size rear as on the new Goldwings so I'm sure the tire folks are working on getting it out there. There are plenty of manufacturers with 200/60R16 tires out there and I'm sure 1/4" of mounted height won't be an issue. I checked under the rear fender and there would be plenty of room for that size.

 

- Rear lighting...Brighter than the front turn signals when on brake or turn. Lots of light back there but for me riding on the dark rural roads and highways I may add son additional lighting back there. Once I get my service manual and see what kind of amps are available I'll decide what to do.

 

- Antenna's...Not much to the CB/radio antennas. They seem to be doing the job just fine. CB has some static on transmission and receiving and I have traced the ground toward the front of the bike but the tank would have to come up to see where it ends up. Hoping it is just a loose ground as is so common with motorcycle CBs.

 

 

I am absolutely pleased so far. I'm a realist and know anything with moving parts can have an issue but so far all is well. Plan on putting on many more miles this winter. Doing some personalization and experimenting to the ergonomics of the bike (rider controls, handlebar positioning, windshield) for my liking but this is a damned nice scooter and Yamaha did really well with it. Any questions, feel free to fire them off to me.

[cowpuc]

I apologize for the delayed reply. New bike, a 1 year old grandson for Christmas, etc, etc.

 

2018 Yamaha/Star Venture, Transcontinental

 

First impression?...well, it's freakin awesome!!

 

I don't even know where to start, but I'll go front to back...

 

- Front tire...I don't use Bridgestone tires so I was unsure of how it would handle. Not only does it not follow the road snakes but out here in Califreakia they grind the concrete of the freeways parallel with the way you are traveling. There is always two areas right in the tracks that have ridges in them and although they do catch them the 'wiggle' is nothing like the HD Ultra.

 

- Fairing...wind management is way better than my HD Ultra, glove boxes are easy to get to and use on the fly, instrumentation is spot on, speedo seems to be more accurate than past RSV models.

 

- Headlights/Front turn signals...WAY better than the LED lights on my HD. just as bright but put out a better beam pattern. The brights are...well...bright, really bright. The fog lights really help light up the dark spot close to the bike. The turns signals are bright too and have a good visible pattern to the sides too. Bright enough that they light up the reflective road signs really well.

 

- Hand controls...There is a learning curve there because most things are opposite of my HD but after riding for a while the controls are a non-issue. I do wish they hand controls were lighted because at night with thick gloves on there is no way to tell if you are pushing the correct toggle. trial and error I guess!!

 

- Fuel tank...I feel like I am piloting a KC135 Stratotanker but it was easy to get used to the extra width (especially knowing the added distance I'll get out of a tank), the fuel door seems a little flimsy and I fully expect to be reading of people breaking them trying to fuel the bike, especially out here because we have those spring loaded vent hoses on the nozzles. The nozzle will click off before the tank is full and you can easily put in another half gallon of gas.

 

- Rider controls...Excellent. I have some nerve damage in my right wrist and had to raise the bars up a bit to be more comfy for me. I also adjusted the levers to a more comfy position for me. Foot controls are good but I may end up moving the foot brake a little forward but not going to do anything until the billet brake pad comes in.

 

- Infotainment system...Harmon Kardon is also on my HD so I just had to learn the different formatting. Everything that I have used, including the NAV, had worked flawlessly. NAV did seem a little slow when in the city and high rise buildings but I have learned the antennas for both the NAV and XM are buried in the fairing. When they have the fairing off I am going to ask them to relocate both upward and to the front of the bike. No reception issues so far but I'd feel better if they were relocated.

 

- Stereo...It's a Yamaha stereo system. It blows away my HD "Boom Audio" system. Clarity at 25mph or 90mph (so I was told by a friend ) is spectacular. It will go all the way up to the volume limit with no distortion.

 

- Headset plug in...I was amazed to find my HD lower cord worked with the bike. PTT is easy to get to and audio clarity is only as good as your headset. I have used J&M stuff for years and all works very well. I even made a call to the wife while on the freeway and she said the clarity of the call was better than me being in the car or truck. So, all good!!

 

- Seat...The seat is comfy and after 1450 miles it seems to be breaking in just fine. The most comfy motorcycle seat I have ever had was my 2005 RSV and this seat is pretty close to that one. I ordered the taller backrest but I don't have it yet.

 

- Brakes...My HD has linked brakes so the transition was pretty easy. If you are not used to linked brakes there is a learning curve but it's not that bad. I haven't gotten on the brakes real hard but the stopping power is what I expected from Yamaha, smooth and powerful.

 

- Engine...Here is where I really am impressed. First thing I noticed was NO SHAKING at a stop light of stop sign!! I did my first 600 in touring mode and after the service I started playing with the sport mode. What an amazing difference between the modes. In sport mode I took off from a red light and almost ran into the back of the car in front of me...lol. Where it really helps is in slow speed, two up riding. So far, I am averaging 38+mpg but I live in a rural area so just about all of my riding is at highway speeds...55-80mph.

 

- Transmission...Shifting is smooth and even smoother with a few miles on it now. Shifts are crisp and neutral is easy to find when stopped. No whiney trans noise either.

 

- Clutch...Prototypical Yamaha hydraulic clutch, flawless operation. City riding did not show any clutch fade from heat. Shifting did get just a little bit notchy feeling in the city and when it got really hot but I expected that. Nowhere near as bad as my HD.

 

- Final drive...Quiet. I don't have an issue with a belt drive like some do and you don't lose hp/tq to the rear wheel like you do with a shaft drive.

 

- Rear seat...Can't answer that as the wife hasn't been on it yet cause she has been busy and now sick. I refuse to ride homo with my buddy to see how the back seat feels!!!

 

- Storage...HOLY SMOKES, this thing has enough room for small children in the saddle bags. The trunk is caverness and I can easily fit our full helmets in there with room for other things. The USB in the trunk is awesome for charging my phone or iPad while rolling down the road. The right glove box also has a USB cable but with my garage remote Velcro's to the side closest to me there isn't enough room for my phone in there. The glove box is kind of kidney shaped and if I move my remote to the front of the glove box the phone will fit just fine. Going to have the wife make me some felt liners for the glove boxes.

 

- Rear tire...Same as the front I posted above. My only concern is none of the major tire manufacturers have that exact same tire size...yet...200/55R16. It is the same size rear as on the new Goldwings so I'm sure the tire folks are working on getting it out there. There are plenty of manufacturers with 200/60R16 tires out there and I'm sure 1/4" of mounted height won't be an issue. I checked under the rear fender and there would be plenty of room for that size.

 

- Rear lighting...Brighter than the front turn signals when on brake or turn. Lots of light back there but for me riding on the dark rural roads and highways I may add son additional lighting back there. Once I get my service manual and see what kind of amps are available I'll decide what to do.

 

- Antenna's...Not much to the CB/radio antennas. They seem to be doing the job just fine. CB has some static on transmission and receiving and I have traced the ground toward the front of the bike but the tank would have to come up to see where it ends up. Hoping it is just a loose ground as is so common with motorcycle CBs.

 

 

I am absolutely pleased so far. I'm a realist and know anything with moving parts can have an issue but so far all is well. Plan on putting on many more miles this winter. Doing some personalization and experimenting to the ergonomics of the bike (rider controls, handlebar positioning, windshield) for my liking but this is a damned nice scooter and Yamaha did really well with it. Any questions, feel free to fire them off to me.

 

OUTSTANDING YZ:thumbsup:!!! Very very well done = THANK YOU:thumbsup2: for taking the time to write such an amazing ride/ownership report = it is GREATLY appreciated!!

 

Also = MAJOR CONGRATS ON THE 1 YEAR OLD GRANDSON !!! New bike AND a 1 year old grandchild to celebrate Christmas over = DONT GET NO BETTER THAN THAT!!

 

IMHO, your report deserves it's own thread over in the 3rd Gen section as well as here where you have put it... I hope you dont mind but I think I will copy/paste it over there too.. The Water Hole is really nice for exposure BUT things have a tendency of scrolling out fairly quickly here and getting lost in the shuffle = I would hate to see that happen to our very first genuine owner/operators report on that gorgeous scoot of yours!!!

Hope your ok with that!!

[yzernie]

Absolutely, I forgot to put comments about the suspension.

[cowpuc]

Absolutely, I forgot to put comments about the suspension.

 

Thanks!! Here is where the new thread is: http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?133983-YZEARNIE-S-NEW-3RD-GEN-Our-FIRST-genuine-owner-operator-3rd-Gen-Ride-Report!!

 

If it were me I would do all the updating of your write up over there so your bike gets its just reward of its own thread BUT that is up to you.. Might be a REALLY good idea to stick more of those GORGEOUS pictures there as well cause I KNOW some of these varmints cant read and LOVE to look at pics

 

DEFINITELY looking forward to hearing/seeing more about your new scoot!! CONGRATS YZ = she's a dandy!!