My west coast brother VentureFar is not the only one who LOVES doing reviews/testing!

[cowpuc]

While my dear friend/brother VentureFar may be the best of the best in his ability to detail, write and execute the most excellent of excellent reviews when it comes to bikes and the paraphanalia thereof his brother here in the Mid West is still king of !!!

Here is my latest in my quest to honor the art of myth busting.. Something we all should be interested in and partaking of because (and this is my new mantra) = TRUTH MATTERS!!

This is a copy/paste of the "body" of my article (how do like that lingo coming from the mouth of an amuteur writer Neil ) that I posted under the vid on Youtube..

 

Ever since the new Star Yamaha air cooled 1850cc Venture was introduced (NOTE: what I am myth busting here actually started long before the new models inception though) I have heard over and over again that keeping the old V-4 Yamaha Venture in high R's was/is necessary to maintain needed performance for everyday touring needs, in other words,, thinking you are going to enjoy touring at low rpm (less than 2500 r's) and enjoy it on a V-4 is wishful thinking... While I am no expert about the V-4's, my experience with the tiny little 1200cc V-4 that I have ridden over 1 million miles, two up and fully loaded in all conditions and environments, finds me as still a solid believer that the need for high R's to maintain needed torque for touring a V-4 Venture is a myth. This little video is something I produced in an attempt to show what I am talking about.. While indeed, as I proved in another video set on youtube, the absolute need to short shift the new model due to its extremely narrow power band (rev limited at 4750 R's) succumbs majorly to the extremely wide power band of the little V-4 (see my other videos comparing the two bikes), this we proved. The idea that the V-4's wide powerband and massive HP gains over those of the larger cubic inch engine due to this shows some kind of low end/low rpm torque deficiency of some sort on the V-4's part is craziness.. I can not tell you how any times, thru how many towns the three of us (bike/wife and self) have putted silently thru in 5th gear at 25 mph/1400 RPM only to tap the throttle at the end of the town and run back up to touring speed after passing thru without downshifting. This is one of the reasons why and proof of why it has always been my opinion that once adequate torque is met to get the weight of the load of the bike moving, that any wasted over torque costs you in possible gains of HP due to design needed for producing that torque. Of course, if I were using my bike to pull 40 ton down the highway like a semi or drag a semi truck behind it like the recent Polaris Indian to HD challenge shows I would definitely see the need for dropping some possible HP gains over more low rpm umphhh BUT I have never done that (I do have a CDL license and have driven semi tractors so I know of what I speak). Waste not!! Keep that in mind as you watch this little 1200cc perform in the torque craving environment that Tweeks (our bike), TIP (my wife) and I often ride in.. Also,, if you happen to have one of the new Ventures and would be willing to take our challenge and post a video up doing the same thing as we are doing in the vid,, fully loaded, two up, top gear at 25 mph and whack the throttle to 90 so we can compare it would be greatly appreciated.. DONT CHA LOVE THIS STUFF!!! I DO!! Get out and ride!! Puc

 

and the vid:

 

 

[saddlebum]

Your not alone on this cowpuc I too often cruise my 1300 along at less than 1500 RPM in 5th and was still able to accelerate even if there was a slight up Hill grade without the need to down shift. Does the bike just get up and go under full throttle? No, but it does gather speed. Now granted if I need to quickly get up and move I need to drop 1 or two gears but for just a lazy comfy cruise along 5th gear suits me just fine. I will sometimes shift 1,3,5

Edited July 27, 2020 by saddlebum

[cowpuc]

Your not alone on this cowpuc I too often cruise my 1300 along at less than 1500 RPM in 5th and was still able to accelerate even if there was a slight up Hill grade without the need to down shift. Does the bike just get up and go under full throttle? No, but it does gather speed. Now granted if I need to quickly get up and move I need to drop 1 or two gears but for just a lazy comfy cruise along 5th gear suits me just fine. I will sometimes shift 1,3,5

 

I actually discovered the extreme low end abilities of the little V-4 by serindeputy and out of profound necessity many years ago when touring on my first, no second gear 1st gen Ben (I always said Mom Yam could have just as easily built the MK1 1200cc as 4 speed and saved me a ton of short shifting past a blown 2nd gear for 100's of thousands of wonderful miles.. I was always amazed with its ability to crawl up mountain roads in tight corners (talking the bicycle trail width uphill hairpins on the west bound end of Skagg Springs road in California mountains) in 3rd gear at 1600 r's... Just crawling uphill like granny gear in low range in old clyde our 82 Ford airport plow truck... Yeah,,, you know exactly of what I speak you old saddlebum!!

[VentureFar]

In 2018 when I was on my test Iron Butt with the Star Venture TC I was on the phone with Puc and he asked me to do this torque test. i10 freeway between LA and Phoenix with speed limit of 75 ( I think) he asked me to slow to 25mph is 5th. I think it took me 15 minutes to find a hole in the traffic where I could slow to 25 on the freeway. No matter how big the gap is, if you slow to 25mph on an interstate the pack catches up with you mighty quick. He was doing the timing and I was calling out the speeds. I seem to recall it took 18 seconds to get back up to 75 but I could be mistaken. Anyway, I couldn't have asked for a more fun "riding partner" on a lonely stretch of road than Puc.

Keep us honest and speak "truther".

VentureFar...

[saddlebum]

I actually discovered the extreme low end abilities of the little V-4 by serindeputy and out of profound necessity many years ago when touring on my first, no second gear 1st gen Ben (I always said Mom Yam could have just as easily built the MK1 1200cc as 4 speed and saved me a ton of short shifting past a blown 2nd gear for 100's of thousands of wonderful miles.. I was always amazed with its ability to crawl up mountain roads in tight corners (talking the bicycle trail width uphill hairpins on the west bound end of Skagg Springs road in California mountains) in 3rd gear at 1600 r's... Just crawling uphill like granny gear in low range in old clyde our 82 Ford airport plow truck... Yeah,,, you know exactly of what I speak you old saddlebum!!

Hey ! Who you call'n old

[cowpuc]

In 2018 when I was on my test Iron Butt with the Star Venture TC I was on the phone with Puc and he asked me to do this torque test. i10 freeway between LA and Phoenix with speed limit of 75 ( I think) he asked me to slow to 25mph is 5th. I think it took me 15 minutes to find a hole in the traffic where I could slow to 25 on the freeway. No matter how big the gap is, if you slow to 25mph on an interstate the pack catches up with you mighty quick. He was doing the timing and I was calling out the speeds. I seem to recall it took 18 seconds to get back up to 75 but I could be mistaken. Anyway, I couldn't have asked for a more fun "riding partner" on a lonely stretch of road than Puc.

Keep us honest and speak "truther".

VentureFar...

 

I know,,,, I was soooooo stinking and wanted to be riding next to you again :biker: soooo badly during the gathering of data for that review my brother!!!!! Think of alllllll the fun you and I could have had and all the questions we could have answered about comparing the two,,, truth be known @VentureFar,,, if Tweeks/Tip and I coulda pulled that off we would all probably still be out there in the desert somewhere gathering data for an all time endlessly awesome, second to none,, Mr VentureFar's ultimate of ultimate Ultimate's motorcycle compare-off's!!!

Oh well,, we still had fun with it brother and I seriously that the end result, the review,, was top notch!!!

[VentureFar]

I know,,,, I was soooooo stinking and wanted to be riding next to you again :biker: soooo badly during the gathering of data for that review my brother!!!!! Think of alllllll the fun you and I could have had and all the questions we could have answered about comparing the two,,, truth be known VentureFar,,, if Tweeks/Tip and I coulda pulled that off we would all probably still be out there in the desert somewhere gathering data for an all time endlessly awesome, second to none,, Mr VentureFar's ultimate of ultimate Ultimate's motorcycle compare-off's!!!

Oh well,, we still had fun with it brother and I seriously that the end result, the review,, was top notch!!!

 

 

MOM stop kissing me in front of my friends!

VentureFar...

[cowpuc]

MOM stop kissing me in front of my friends!

VentureFar...

 

MOMMMM,,Neil's being naughty,, calling me names and sassing you again,,, and wont let me kiss him ..... "Neil,, stop pickin on your brother!!!!!!!!!! You should be glad he likes to embarrass you in front of your friend,,, he only does it cause he loves you ":stickpoke:

 

THANKS MOM!!

[ecbaatz]

Cowpuc, I am only about 2.5 hours from you if you want to compare the 2018 star venture. Should be a lot of fun!

[cowpuc]

Cowpuc, I am only about 2.5 hours from you if you want to compare the 2018 star venture. Should be a lot of fun!

 

NOW WE ARE COOKING WITH HOT GREASE!! That would be a riot EC!!

[ecbaatz]

NOW WE ARE COOKING WITH HOT GREASE!! That would be a riot EC!!

 

 

Yes it would be!!