Help for prospective owner...

[Guest cloud-9]

Hi all, thanks for this great forum.

 

Finally, with my beard starting to gray, I am going to get a big touring bike. After a bad experience on an 85 Honda Sabre many years ago riding from Detroit to Austin to New York (ouch), the ability to move around, a forward foot position, and the absence of vibration seem most important. Goldstar and Valkyrie are multi-cylinder and probably smoother than all the V twins out now, but foot position scares me, only one position not far forward, or highway pegs spread too wide. The obvious other choice is the Royal Star. I can't find one in Southern New Mexico to try. I'm in the processes of trying every big V twin, but would have to drive to Phoenix for a Royal Star.

 

I want to know two things mainly: Is the bike with the V4 as smooth and vibration free as a Valkyrie? How close? And up to what speed is the bike/engine smooth and vibration free? 90? Or it that past it's comfort zone? (no I don't cruise like that all the time) I know a Stratoliner is much faster, but only care about being able to cruise fast with no strain on the motor and without it passing into a power band with vibration (hope I am getting what I mean across). Today on a test ride a Honda Sabre 1100 twin was smooth (for a twin) to 85, but at 90 the motor was vibrating the bike and me unacceptably. I want the smoothest most comfortable 85mph cruiser there is. Acceleration means little to me as long as it can pass a Toyota.

 

Thanks for any help...

 

Jim

[flb_78]

The V4 is very smooth at all RPM's.

 

The biggest complaint about the V4 engine Yamaha builds is the noise that it makes.

[DragonRider]

Smoothest out there, I have an 83 Venture and I love it very smooth and comfortable. I also have a V Star 1300, great bike, but not quite as smooth as the Venture, and I hear from those here on the forum that the RSV is the best...........so find one and try it, youll love it...........

[Tom]

I have a Royal Star Venture..The V4 is Not as smooth as the Honda 6 clylinder,as far as engine smoothness,the ride is as good,but the only complaint about the V4 Yamaha is the"whine" of the clutch basket and that is basically a characteristic of the motorcycle.Mine has it but it really does not bother me.Some people it really bothers and I guess if you focus on that one thing it would drive you nuts..that being said the Honda to me has a whirring sound,not really noticable BUT if you focused on that alone it would drive you crazy..Bottom line is ALL bikes have their little quirks and the Yamaha V4 is a great engine as well as the Honda and both are bullet proof engines! Tom

[Bummer]

Yamaha actually put a tiny bit of vibration back into the RSV. Nothing really noticeable, just a little something that's supposed to give it character. The handlebars do not vibrate. It's more of an ear thing.

 

Bear in mind this is not a V-twin. It does not thump like a V-twin. It likes RPMs and will happily spin well over 6grand. Mine reminds me of an indy car engine when it's bumping into the rev limiter at 100 in third (Dyna @ 7250 - no speedo healer). She screams purty.

 

I heard a couple of wingers bragging about placing a glass of water on their bikes and having no ripples. The RSV will probably have some small ripples. A V-twin will fling the glass across the parking lot. Since I don't really need a glass of water on my gas tank, I never bothered to try this.

 

You should really ride one to see. Take mama. Do not be in a big hurry to shift gears. Let that baby breathe. These are very comfortable bikes, and my beard has been all gray for a while now. (I blame it on the kids. Couldn't possibly be mileage.)

[Pilot]

I have had 3 RSV's, a 99, a 03 and my most recent a 07. I have over 500 miles on a Harley Classic and about 300 miles on a Goldwing, around 100K on a 1100 and have riden my buddies Valkeri. Having said that the RSV is the bike for me at the present and the reason is the position. It is the most comfortable bike I have even had the pleasure to ride over 500 miles a day. The Goldwing is smoother but the riding position is not for me I have a problem spreading my legs far enough to rest my foot on the pegs. The Honda doesn't make much noise compared to the RSV but I hardly notice it. My 99 and 03 had the clutch whine but the 07 does not (so far).

 

Try and find one to test ride even if you have to travel a bit to do it, you will be happy you did.

[RoadKill]

I have a 2003 and feel it has a VERY smooth ride. I moved up from a V*1100 and at 80 - 90 it felt like it would come apart. I HAVE to use the cruise on the RSV just to keep from running it up to 90 because I really can't tell much difference in the feel, sound probably, but I have my music on. Coming home Thursday from work I accelerated onto the Interstate at what I thought was not even an agressive manner, just to get in front of an oncoming semi. GPS locked in my Max speed for the day at 97.7 and I still had 2 gears to go. I LOVE my bike. I would absolutely recommend riding one before purchasing though. That is the absolute way to know if it is right for you.

[ahoutzer]

Vibration will no be a problem on the Royal Star Venture (RSV). Seating position is relaxed. According to what I've seen, only the Victory Vision has more range of foot position, but I have heard that bike does have some vibration (big V-Twin). You will want to add a back rest to the RSV if you plan to do a lot of long-distance riding and are concerned about comfort. RSV is comfortable. Others have already mentioned the potential for noise. I think that is the only concern.

[Guest JGorom]

I own a 2004 Venture and a 2002 Wing. The Wing is by far a much smoother ride than the Venture...there is actually nothing out there than can compare to the smoothness and quietness of that ride. That having been said, I am personally more comfortable on the Venture due to the placement of my feet on those nice floorboards, whereas my wife is more comfortable on the Wing. In my opinion, both the Wing and the Venture are fantastic bikes. I don't think you can go wrong with either so my suggestion to you might be to try and see if you can ride both and then decide from there.

[Missionary Rider]

My wife and I just returned from an 8,000 mile ride so I feel somewhat qualified to speak about the Royal Star Venture.

 

Power=plenty - even pulling a trailer

Vibration=almost nil

Comfort=the best in the market - yes, better than a Goldwing

The floorboards let you move your feet around

The seat is big enough to change position

Noise=too much, but that power has to come from somewhere

Price=much more reasonable than a Wing

 

One caveat: If you ride an RSV, realize that your speed will be about 9% less than the speedometer indicates. Yamaha ought to be shot for this. Honda and Harley have them beat at speedo accuracy. Fortunately, a $115 speedo-healer can correct the problem (mine is on order - would love to send the bill for it to corporate Yamaha). Rant complete now. I feel better.

 

If you take your wife for the test ride, you WILL buy the Venture. I know from experience.

Lynn

[bossman]

Greetings and welcome. Where at in southern nm do you llive? I have a 2000 RSV that you could try.

[MikeM8560]

I have a Royal Star Venture..The V4 is Not as smooth as the Honda 6 clylinder,as far as engine smoothness,the ride is as good,but the only complaint about the V4 Yamaha is the"whine" of the clutch basket /and that is basically a characteristic of the motorcycle.Mine has it but it realy does not bother me.Some people it really bothers and I guess if you focus on that one thing it would drive you nuts..that being said the Honda to me has a whirring sound,not really noticable BUT if you focused on that alone it would drive you crazy..Bottom line is ALL bikes have their little quirks and the Yamaha V4 is a great engine as well as the Honda and both are bullet proof engines! Tom

Thats what the stereo is for :smile11:my V4 Is very smooth at all speeds.

[hilliss]

The Ventures still have that "motorcycle" sound and feel. Much more comfortable than the Goldwing or Valkyrie's for the driver (although my wife also prefers the Goldwing or Valkyrie Interstate for passenger seating.

 

Venture doesnt have the vibration a "twin" will have - but will certainly have more vibration than the Honda line.

 

I ride 60 miles a day (work commute) and have also put over 5k on mine in 2008 on trips (2500 miles; 2000 miles; and 500 miles)... one thing most Venture owners and riders will tell you (1st or 2nd Generation) is that you can ride these for long distances and long hours.

 

Got ride of my Valkyrie Interstate because it might as well have been a Honda Civic! You wont be disappointed with the Venture.

[Guest Boomerbiker]

I did my longest trip ever on an '06 RSV - 4197 miles in 6 days from Coldwater, MI to Glacier National Park and back and enjoyed just about every minute of it and I am 60. I do not have the infamous clutch whine that can truly be annoying. Of course the Wing is a supreme tourer by all accounts, but the lack of a heel/toe shifter and floorboard is a problem for some. The special edition of Motorcyclist that I received in the mail today has a comparison among the Victory Vision, Triumph Rocket III, Gold Wing and Hardley Electra Glide. The Wing is the every day bike of choice for the long haul followed by the futuristic styled Vision. Half the fun is looking. Dollar for dollar, it's hard to beat the RSV.

 

If you decide on the RSV, don't even consider it without a test drive. You will usually know within a few miles if the clutch basket will be a problem. I found that out with a test drive on an '05 RSTD - it just screamed. A year later I rode the same bike at the dealer during Yamaha days just for fun (as they made it a demo) and, even with the clutch basket swap, it was still annoying.

 

Good luck.

[Guest cloud-9]

Wow...I come back here and all these answers! Thanks a lot guys. I'm leaning heavily towards the RS. I will definitely try one first. Checking one for whine makes it harder; this small town won't have many for sale. But I'll drive to Tucson, Phoenix, Albuquerque if needed. I'm in Las Cruces, and El Paso is 45 min away.

 

Thanks a lot. Maybe we'll get to ride some day. Having a great forum is important for getting into something like this.

 

Jim

[Guest cloud-9]

Greetings and welcome. Where at in southern nm do you llive? I have a 2000 RSV that you could try.

 

 

Hi Bossman, that's a heck of a nice offer. I sure would take you up on it, even if I have to drive a bit. I am in Las Cruces.

 

Thanks...

Jim

[Yammer Dan]

You could shop E-Bay for a 1st Gen!!! Best of the Best. Save lot of bucks and outrun those 2nd Gens!!! Just kidding go for what you want. If money had not been a object when I got my 1st 1st Gen I may have ended up on a 2nd Gen, Gold Wing hard to tell what kind of junk!!

[bossman]

You have a pm

[Guest cloud-9]

You could shop E-Bay for a 1st Gen!!! Best of the Best. Save lot of bucks and outrun those 2nd Gens!!! Just kidding go for what you want. If money had not been a object when I got my 1st 1st Gen I may have ended up on a 2nd Gen, Gold Wing hard to tell what kind of junk!!

 

 

You're joshing me right? I presume you mean the late 90 models? I thought the horsepower got a big boost in 2005?

 

Jim

[Yammer Dan]

83-93 1st Gens. 99-08 2nd Gens . 2nd Gens can be tweaked to run almost as good as 1st Gens.

 

Yamaha made the Venture from 83 to 93 quit and brought it back in 99 til now. Same big V-4 heart but lot of changes in appearance in newer ones and different add-ons but basically same GREAT Bike now and then!!

[davecb]

One note, Yamaha will replace the clutch basket one time, for free. If you do not like the change, they will reinstall your original clutch basket. I had mine changed, and what a difference. The regional service manager rode mine, and he did agree that mine was much louder than normal. For the money. you will NEVER get more motorcycle than the Venture. I love it...