cowpuc Posted January 9, 2018 #1 Posted January 9, 2018 (edited) Copy/pasted from this thread: http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?133809-2018-Venture-Selling-yet and hope it's ok.. If its not,, one of you lop eared Mod varmints can blame me and just add the xtra probationary time onto my clock - its ok,, Flyinfool needs the company cause I heard thru the grapevine Freebird has him doing double time:happy34:.... FANTASTIC READ!!! THANKS AGAIN 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.""""" Edited January 10, 2018 by cowpuc Still trying to change the title...
yzernie Posted January 9, 2018 #2 Posted January 9, 2018 (edited) I forgot to put in a topic on suspension. So... - Suspension... --- FORKS...as with any new bike things need to get loosened up. At first they were a little more stiff than I thought they would be. The more I have ridden the more I find the forks to have loosened up and are now nice and smooth. They have a smooth travel through out the range and are very well suited for highway and back road riding. Where I live the roads are not maintained very well, if at all. There is a lot of rough pavement and although they are fine as they are, if I ever have to have them apart I'd probably go with a stiffer fork springs. Now keep in mind they are just fine out on the highway and roads but where the roads are not maintained and the road is better suited to an adventure bike, they are a little softer than I would like them to be and just as I feel the same about my HD forks. AGAIN, out on the highway and paved roads they are very good. Just like their dirt bikes, Yamaha got the forks right. --- SHOCK...I have not adjusted them from the setting they came with which I think is close to the softest position. The shock is WAY ahead of the game when comparing it to the shocks on my HD. There is a section of freeway that has some pretty abrupt expansion joints at the overcrossings and this thing makes me feel so much more stable. When I hit them on my HD the jolt is spine bending and will shut off the cruise control. I hit them with this bike and it is still a jolt but nowhere near as sharp a hit and my spine isn't screaming for help!! Where I really notice a difference is on the side roads where they will be undulations in the pavement and dips (so to speak) the motion of the shock is so much smoother than the HD. So much so I told the wife she will like this suspension much better than the HD. I'll play with the adjusters soon and give my thoughts on the other settings. --- Engine heat...I have done some city riding in toward Los Angeles where you travel so slow from light to light that I never thought I would get the heck out of that cesspool. Please remember it is an air cooled bike so some heat in 30 minutes of stop and go traffic is going to happen. It does put odd some heat BUT it is nowhere near the heat my HD puts off under the same conditions. The majority of it was felt on the left side because the rear cylinder head pipe comes out on that side. It has two heat shields on it and that explains why I wasn't feeling the heat like I do on my HD. When you are moving along, there is nothing felt by the rider and since the CEO has yet to be on the bike I can't say about the passenger. I don't see where it would be any different than what I am feeling. In the shop right after they got it finished. **Cloudy day so it doesn't look as bright as it really is.** In the parking lot still giddy with excitement!! Ready to roll out. The whole shop was out side. At a stop light trying to figure some things out!! LOL Edited January 9, 2018 by yzernie
cowpuc Posted January 9, 2018 Author #3 Posted January 9, 2018 BEAUTIFUL PICS!!! Thanks again YZ!!! Ok,, I will get a head start with the questions and beat the throngs of folks who I know will be on here as soon as they wake up.... What year of an Ultra did you come off from (just so I can figure out its motor size,,, what da heck,, what size motor was your Ultra?).. Was your Ultra stock and how many miles on it? Hows the Ventures performance in comparison? How do you like the feel of the fixed fairing compared to the fork mounted Ultra - does the Venture "feel" lighter in its steering? Did Mom Yam incorporate "cooling fans" in the system that you know of (I have read that question many times and have yet to see a definite answer one way or another - I did test ride em and didnt think to check for one).. P.S.= indeed,, the new Wing has EXACTLY the same tire sizes FRONT and BACK!! Wayyyy cool cause that alone will drive down the tire prices!!! Matter of fact,, a quick check on the Wing parts lists already shows (2) available vendors (Bridgestone and Dunny) and,, get this,,, both of them are now WAYYYYYYYYYYY cheaper then the original quote that Mom Yam had on her price sheet for the new rear tire size (it was over 500 bucks!!)... Noticed something else there too,, both bikes spec a "63H" front and "77H" for rear.... For some reason that "63H" seems kind of light in its load capacity to me.. It will be interesting to hear what others have to say about it... YZ,, what load rating did HD spec for your Ultra - any idea?? 38 mpg+ on a brand new 113inch motored scoot at 55 to 80 mph = sounds AWESOME from my experience!! You'll be up in the 40's after break in,,,,, unless you get in that nasty habit of doing your right wrist flexes on your bike ....
RandyR Posted January 9, 2018 #4 Posted January 9, 2018 Nice. YZ. !!! A great report and pictures. Its sure a pretty scoot. Puk. Ty for keeping the ball rolling.
XV1100SE Posted January 9, 2018 #5 Posted January 9, 2018 Congratulations on getting the Gen 3. Great ride report and this will probably swing those on the fence to look more closely at the twin. Funny your comment on no shake/vibration at stop lights. When I test rode the Ultra Glide before getting my RSV it was one of the things I didn't like about the bike.
grubsie Posted January 9, 2018 #6 Posted January 9, 2018 Fantastic review! Got my juices flowing. How is the power through the gears in both modes? Just cruising and getting on it Or just overall? How does it compare to a 2nd Gen? Congrats on your grandson and beautiful new scoot. Just promise that you will take good care of it so I can afford to buy it in a few years.
yzernie Posted January 9, 2018 #7 Posted January 9, 2018 (edited) BEAUTIFUL PICS!!! Thanks again YZ!!! Ok,, I will get a head start with the questions and beat the throngs of folks who I know will be on here as soon as they wake up.... What year of an Ultra did you come off from (just so I can figure out its motor size,,, what da heck,, what size motor was your Ultra?).. I have had 2011, 2014 and 2016 Ultras. Combined total of 122k for mileage. This last one has the 110ci/1800cc engine. Was your Ultra stock and how many miles on it? This last one is a 2016,completely stock except for slip ons with 27k on it. Hows the Ventures performance in comparison? The performance is really kind of subjective. I haven't drag raced an Ultra so I cannot give a head to head comparison as far as that is concerned. Gearing in 1st and 2nd are lower than the HD, 3rd is about the same and 4th-6th are geared higher. In touring mode it is smooth power delivery and in sport mode it peps it up quite a bit. I'd have to say in touring mode it would be faster than the HD but I honestly don't know. At 80mph rpm in 6th is at 2900 and on my HD it is 3200. How do you like the feel of the fixed fairing compared to the fork mounted Ultra - does the Venture "feel" lighter in its steering? My HD is a Road Glide Ultra and has a fixed fairing. My 14 Ultra had the fork mounted fairing and I will never go back to the fork mounted fairing. The fixed fairing is so much more stable at highway speeds and especially in the wind. I live in an area with a lot of wind and if this Venture had the fork mounted fairing I would not have gotten it. That is how much of a difference the fixed fairing makes. Did Mom Yam incorporate "cooling fans" in the system that you know of (I have read that question many times and have yet to see a definite answer one way or another - I did test ride em and didnt think to check for one).. I do not believe it does and I haven't seen any fan nor heard a fan when I was hot and in city traffic. P.S.= indeed,, the new Wing has EXACTLY the same tire sizes FRONT and BACK!! Wayyyy cool cause that alone will drive down the tire prices!!! Matter of fact,, a quick check on the Wing parts lists already shows (2) available vendors (Bridgestone and Dunny) and,, get this,,, both of them are now WAYYYYYYYYYYY cheaper then the original quote that Mom Yam had on her price sheet for the new rear tire size (it was over 500 bucks!!)... Noticed something else there too,, both bikes spec a "63H" front and "77H" for rear.... For some reason that "63H" seems kind of light in its load capacity to me.. It will be interesting to hear what others have to say about it... YZ,, what load rating did HD spec for your Ultra - any idea?? That's good news on the rear tires. The rear on the HD is 180/65B16, load rating 81H. Front is 130/80B17, load rating is 65H. 38 mpg+ on a brand new 113inch motored scoot at 55 to 80 mph = sounds AWESOME from my experience!! You'll be up in the 40's after break in,,,,, unless you get in that nasty habit of doing your right wrist flexes on your bike .... It will be tough to stay out of it while in the sport mode!! I haven't taken any real long trips but it appears that depending on road and wind conditions 200 miles out on the highway should be doable. Edited January 9, 2018 by yzernie
yzernie Posted January 9, 2018 #8 Posted January 9, 2018 See answers below. Fantastic review! Got my juices flowing. How is the power through the gears in both modes? Just cruising and getting on it Or just overall? See reply to cowpuc's questions. How does it compare to a 2nd Gen? There is no comparison to my 2005 RSV...none. It is a completely different, better, more technically modern bike. Other than the name, there is nothing in common with the RSV. Congrats on your grandson and beautiful new scoot. Just promise that you will take good care of it so I can afford to buy it in a few years. Thanks!! Being a Grandpa is just awesome!! I take care of my stuff because I can't be out touring in BFE and have issues. I'm afraid it may be worn out by the time you get it!!!.
yzernie Posted January 9, 2018 #9 Posted January 9, 2018 (edited) See answers in blue. Yup, read it, Pucster!! I found it to be a very positive and informative write-up! At first, I thought that he was a former Harley rider who found out how superior Yamaha was, but then as I read further I see he had an '05 RSV so I'm saying to myself, hmm, this guy should already know about Ventures and know how more responsive the V4 is over the V Twin! So, that being said, I was very receptive to his comments on its performance! My first Yamaha street bike was a 1973 Yamaha XS650 and I rode Yamaha street bikes until 2011. I kept being told the Venture update was in the works but nothing ever came about so I jumped ship to HD because they had the only thing worthy at the time in touring bikes. I refused to ride a Goldwing because they are for old men!! When I found out about the new Venture I hauled ass down to my favorite Yamaha shop and laid down a deposit...sight unseen. Trying to compare the V4 of my 05 to this V-Twin is not an easy task. They are completely different animals. My 05 RSV had the 4 carbs, K&N air filters and slip ons, the 18 is bone stock. Because of the carbs there wasn't the instantaneous throttle response like there is with EFI. Power delivery of the V4 vs the V-Twin is, IMO, to tough to judge because it is like comparing apples to oranges. The transmission gearing on the 18 is different, O/A gearing ratios are much different, final drive is different, etc, etc. What I can tell you is the 18 gets off the line better at stop lights and stop signs. Roll on throttle response is very good and better than excellent in sport mode. I am not a revver so short shifting isn't a problem for me but it was a concern for my buddy who had a Raider. His learning curve has been short but welcome considering the luxury of the Venture vs his Raider. I haven't ridden one yet, so I am reserving my judgment until I do so. As you should. There is a learning curve with any new bike but I'm confident when you ride one you will like it. Like most of us, I was taken aback with it being an air-cooled belt driven V Twin. I can't argue about there being less loss of power to the rear wheel with belt drive, but I am concerned with the longevity of them versus shaft drive. On my 3 HDs I had a combined 122k miles without even a hint of a belt issue. The highest mileage bike had 68k and the belt had another 40k in it. They did say that riding makes the belts last longer because with anything that is rubber if it is not "Exercised" they start to dry out and lose some of their longevity. I should also add there is a half mile of dirt road to get to the pavement from my house. So on any ride I have to add in a mile of dirt road. No belt issues what-so-ever. The guy lives in California, so he will have some type of judgment concerning heat in the summer, as long as it hasn't been THAT long since he rode water-cooled. I rode for right around 30 minutes in Los Angeles city traffic on a balmy 70* winter evening. Stop and go with a top speed was 15mph for no more than 10 seconds and was in that traffic for what seemed like an eternity. I'd be lying if I said the engine didn't get hot but it didn't get anywhere near as hot as my HDs did and that includes the water head bikes. Most of the heat was felt off the left side where the rear cylinder head pipe routes out. There is a double head shield there and although I did feel the heat, it wasn't as bad as the heat coming off my HDs. So, I am waiting for further comments from our new member, and patiently waiting for other new 3rd Generation Venture members to sign in... Remaining objective, ride reports are subjective and it is easy for me to write my observations and folks viewing them some skepticism. Until my comments are validated by others who have the bikes or when folks get to ride one themselves, I completely understand the lack of first hand knowledge. And honestly, what might not be an issue for me might be an issue for someone else. I know of a guy wo is completely livid that the hand controls are not lighted. For me that would be a nice option and I'll patiently wait for Yamaha to come out with a add on for that. Overall, I am completely pleased and my HD is for sale!! Edited January 9, 2018 by yzernie
saddlebum Posted January 9, 2018 #10 Posted January 9, 2018 Not sure why hand controls would need to be lit. For safety reasons You should know were they are, so you don't take your eyes of the road. JMHO.
yzernie Posted January 9, 2018 #11 Posted January 9, 2018 Not sure why hand controls would need to be lit. For safety reasons You should know were they are, so you don't take your eyes of the road. JMHO. I know where they are and use them without looking. It is simply a creature comfort but thanks for your input.
cowpuc Posted January 10, 2018 Author #12 Posted January 10, 2018 No idea if anyone else ever had this editing issue but I misspelled Ernies name in the title of this thread (got an "a" in there by mistake and tried to correct it).. When I did an "edit" I got to the opening edit page where I could edit the body of the post ok but when I continued on to the "advanced edit" page where I would be able to fix a broken title I got this message (tried a few times and get same message): This page isn’t working Chrome detected unusual code on this page and blocked it to protect your personal information (for example, passwords, phone numbers, and credit cards) Freebird, Don if you have a second would you mind correcting another one of my mistakes for me? The title should read YZERNIE not YZEARNIE as I did it = thank you,, owe ya a Hot Dog and Coke!! Also,, anyone have an idea if I can make adjustment to my browser in case I need to fix another one - could happen anytime ya know!! THANKS!! Puc yzernie,, coming from the HD Road Glide,, how do you assess the cockpit space differences between the two bikes?? I know from experience that the "Glide" has a very roomy cockpit - do you find the Venture to be it's equal? Mind elaborating? Thanks Puc
yzernie Posted January 10, 2018 #13 Posted January 10, 2018 coming from the HD Road Glide,, how do you assess the cockpit space differences between the two bikes?? I know from experience that the "Glide" has a very roomy cockpit - do you find the Venture to be it's equal? Mind elaborating? Thanks Puc The cockpit space compared to my Road Glide is more roomy. It seems to be a little wider than the RG too. It's really kind of an optical illusion because when I look at it side by side with the RG it looks the same or smaller than the RG. But, when I sit on it feels bigger. I'm guessing that Stratotanker KC135-like 6.6 gallon tank causes some of that illusion. As far as reaching the dash board touch screen it is a little farther away from me than the RG. I'm ok with it being farther away because I have the hand controls to use to change things while on the fly. handlebar bends are drastically different between the two bikes. After a lot of tinkering with the bar position it have ended up (for now) pretty comfy with them being raised about 4" from the position they were in when I picked up the bike. I had them to high and they blocked the mirrors so I lowered them a couple inches and they seem all good now with clear mirror vision. I have a backrest on the HD and my backrest for the SV just came to the shop today. Where I really notice a difference is from the back of the riders seat to the tank. The SV has a lot more room for the boys to sit comfortably. Part of that may be the seat is a bit flatter in the front seat/tank junction. Anxious to get the taller backrest and install it.
cowpuc Posted January 10, 2018 Author #14 Posted January 10, 2018 The cockpit space compared to my Road Glide is more roomy. It seems to be a little wider than the RG too. It's really kind of an optical illusion because when I look at it side by side with the RG it looks the same or smaller than the RG. But, when I sit on it feels bigger. I'm guessing that Stratotanker KC135-like 6.6 gallon tank causes some of that illusion. As far as reaching the dash board touch screen it is a little farther away from me than the RG. I'm ok with it being farther away because I have the hand controls to use to change things while on the fly. handlebar bends are drastically different between the two bikes. After a lot of tinkering with the bar position it have ended up (for now) pretty comfy with them being raised about 4" from the position they were in when I picked up the bike. I had them to high and they blocked the mirrors so I lowered them a couple inches and they seem all good now with clear mirror vision. I have a backrest on the HD and my backrest for the SV just came to the shop today. Where I really notice a difference is from the back of the riders seat to the tank. The SV has a lot more room for the boys to sit comfortably. Part of that may be the seat is a bit flatter in the front seat/tank junction. Anxious to get the taller backrest and install it. Have you done any significant 2 up on the Glide? If so,, it will be really interesting to hear some insight into comparing about any wind buffeting differences your passenger may experience between the two bikes.. Also,, if you dont mind me asking,, about what height are you?
yzernie Posted January 10, 2018 #15 Posted January 10, 2018 Have you done any significant 2 up on the Glide? If so,, it will be really interesting to hear some insight into comparing about any wind buffeting differences your passenger may experience between the two bikes.. Also,, if you dont mind me asking,, about what height are you? The CEO has spent hours in the back seat of the RG. I'm curious as well to hear what she will say about this bike and wind management. In all fairness I have a recurved Windvest windshield on the RG so the air stream flows right over both of us. The SV does not have a recurved windshield so the air is not deflected upward so the comparison really won't be equal. I got the shorter Yamaha accessories recurved windshield with part of my the bonus love they gave us preorder folks but I haven't gone to the shop to get it yet. That windshield is 4" shorter than the stocker but the recurve is a huge help in flowing the air up and over you. I'm 5-10 with a 32" inseam, 205#. When I ride with the stock windshield in the lowest position the top line of it is right in my line of sight. At 80mph I get hardly any buffeting, so minimal that it isn't noticeable unless I am paying attention. With the windshield in the up position it is like riding in an elevator!!! LOL
VentureFar Posted January 10, 2018 #16 Posted January 10, 2018 Thank you for taking the time to share all this great ride report and insights with us all. It is appreciated. And so glad you are liking your purchase. I don’t hear any buyers remorse here. Venturefar... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
DblTrbl Posted January 10, 2018 #17 Posted January 10, 2018 I forgot to put in a topic on suspension. So... - Suspension... --- FORKS...as with any new bike things need to get loosened up. At first they were a little more stiff than I thought they would be. The more I have ridden the more I find the forks to have loosened up and are now nice and smooth. They have a smooth travel through out the range and are very well suited for highway and back road riding. Where I live the roads are not maintained very well, if at all. There is a lot of rough pavement and although they are fine as they are, if I ever have to have them apart I'd probably go with a stiffer fork springs. Now keep in mind they are just fine out on the highway and roads but where the roads are not maintained and the road is better suited to an adventure bike, they are a little softer than I would like them to be and just as I feel the same about my HD forks. AGAIN, out on the highway and paved roads they are very good. Just like their dirt bikes, Yamaha got the forks right. --- SHOCK...I have not adjusted them from the setting they came with which I think is close to the softest position. The shock is WAY ahead of the game when comparing it to the shocks on my HD. There is a section of freeway that has some pretty abrupt expansion joints at the overcrossings and this thing makes me feel so much more stable. When I hit them on my HD the jolt is spine bending and will shut off the cruise control. I hit them with this bike and it is still a jolt but nowhere near as sharp a hit and my spine isn't screaming for help!! Where I really notice a difference is on the side roads where they will be undulations in the pavement and dips (so to speak) the motion of the shock is so much smoother than the HD. So much so I told the wife she will like this suspension much better than the HD. I'll play with the adjusters soon and give my thoughts on the other settings. --- Engine heat...I have done some city riding in toward Los Angeles where you travel so slow from light to light that I never thought I would get the heck out of that cesspool. Please remember it is an air cooled bike so some heat in 30 minutes of stop and go traffic is going to happen. It does put odd some heat BUT it is nowhere near the heat my HD puts off under the same conditions. The majority of it was felt on the left side because the rear cylinder head pipe comes out on that side. It has two heat shields on it and that explains why I wasn't feeling the heat like I do on my HD. When you are moving along, there is nothing felt by the rider and since the CEO has yet to be on the bike I can't say about the passenger. I don't see where it would be any different than what I am feeling. In the shop right after they got it finished. **Cloudy day so it doesn't look as bright as it really is.** http://www.venturerider.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=111194 In the parking lot still giddy with excitement!! http://www.venturerider.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=111195 Ready to roll out. The whole shop was out side. http://www.venturerider.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=111196 At a stop light trying to figure some things out!! LOL http://www.venturerider.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=111197 Very nice!!! Did you buy/service your ride at Yamaha of Cucamonga? The parking area looked familiar. I'm guessing it could also be the Yamaha shop in Victorville? I use to live in Fontana before I moved up to Helendale. Road with Star Touring and Riding out of Cucamonga Shop.
yzernie Posted January 10, 2018 #18 Posted January 10, 2018 Thank you for taking the time to share all this great ride report and insights with us all. It is appreciated. And so glad you are liking your purchase. I don’t hear any buyers remorse here. Venturefar... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk No buyers remorse, none, nada, zilch!! lol Very nice!!! Did you buy/service your ride at Yamaha of Cucamonga? The parking area looked familiar. I'm guessing it could also be the Yamaha shop in Victorville? I use to live in Fontana before I moved up to Helendale. Road with Star Touring and Riding out of Cucamonga Shop. Yes sir, I have been dealing with Yamaha of Cucamonga for 45 years, started doing business with them in 1972. You're out of state now? You're lucky!!!
DblTrbl Posted January 10, 2018 #19 Posted January 10, 2018 No buyers remorse, none, nada, zilch!! lol Yes sir, I have been dealing with Yamaha of Cucamonga for 45 years, started doing business with them in 1972. You're out of state now? You're lucky!!! Yes I still ride. I now have an 09 Venture/hannigan trike, Vstar 1100 and just put a 2016 Indian Chief Vintage on layaway. I'm no longer in CA and really enjoy the roads out here. If Jay is still the owner of YOC, tell him I said hi. I use to ride with him as part of Star Touring and Riding. DBLTRBL/Dennis
37 bell Posted January 10, 2018 #20 Posted January 10, 2018 I good report I don't see crack bars. With a heavy bike what will happen when you drop it
CaseyJ955 Posted January 10, 2018 #21 Posted January 10, 2018 I have been critical of the new Venture, at least as much as I could be w/o riding it, mostly because it is not at all what I was expecting. Great ride report, thrilled it's doing the job so well and comparing favorably to HD in most regards. I have to admit it's looking pretty darn fine on the pics. Thanks for taking the time to write this up, I have been quite curious how our members would receive it once folks start taking delivery. Happy trails!
BlueSky Posted January 10, 2018 #22 Posted January 10, 2018 It's a beautiful bike but sitting beside the Harley at the stoplight, it looks like it has a really big butt!
yzernie Posted January 11, 2018 #23 Posted January 11, 2018 Yes I still ride. I now have an 09 Venture/hannigan trike, Vstar 1100 and just put a 2016 Indian Chief Vintage on layaway. I'm no longer in CA and really enjoy the roads out here. If Jay is still the owner of YOC, tell him I said hi. I use to ride with him as part of Star Touring and Riding. DBLTRBL/Dennis I will, I'll be at the shop in the morning. He and Scott still run the place. I good report I don't see crack bars. With a heavy bike what will happen when you drop it "Crack bars"...I LOL'd. There are crash bars, you can barely see them by the foot brake and shifter. Just enough exposed to be able to get highway pegs bolted on. I have been critical of the new Venture, at least as much as I could be w/o riding it, mostly because it is not at all what I was expecting. Great ride report, thrilled it's doing the job so well and comparing favorably to HD in most regards. I have to admit it's looking pretty darn fine on the pics. Thanks for taking the time to write this up, I have been quite curious how our members would receive it once folks start taking delivery. Happy trails! I understand being critical of something so drastically different from what we have come to expect from a Venture. The thing is Yamaha wanted to step deeper into this market and had to make every effort to one up the competition (HD) with unique things on this bike. I liked the V4 of my 05 RSV and I had hoped they would have modified it for this new bike The reality is the V4 would not get very good fuel economy for a touring bike and people would have complained about that too. When I step back and put my mind in neutral, the V-Twin really does make sense for this bike. Torque out the ying-yang, a chassis that is stable at 115mph, so I heard , and the infotainment system that does everything but pour your coffee. I really think it took some guts to step up and go into uncharted territory for Yamaha. I think they did a really good job with it and the best thing is the engine platform is proven for longevity.
Dale124 Posted January 11, 2018 #24 Posted January 11, 2018 Man, I wish I had an extra $30,000 kicking around. I want one! Oh well, maybe one day. Dale .
SilvrT Posted January 11, 2018 #25 Posted January 11, 2018 Man, I wish I had an extra $30,000 kicking around. I want one! Oh well, maybe one day. Dale . DITTO! @yzernie ... Maybe I missed something but I don't recall any mention of "top heavyness" and low speed handling comparison between the old RSV and the new SV ... could you comment on that plz.
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