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New Yamaha Venture. Hmmm...

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I could see trading the Ultra for one in a couple yrs. The thought MitchnTx had in his story about age was funny. I remember being pulled over on my way to Granbury back in my 20's. I had more hair and a beard back in those days and wore a full face helmet. My 75 Honda had ape hangers and I sat low in the seat. HP passed by and turned the lights on. I thought what now. I wasn't speeding. They walked up and I removed my helmet. They weren't sure I was old enough to be riding. I was older than both of them. I offered my license and insurance. It ended with an apology and have a nice day.
 
Seriously, 967 pounds and electric motors to move it around. Not my thing that porky stuff but is has great features for that market.
The exhaust was tuned by the Yamaha Audio division so I hope to hear one soon, looks great but air cooling in 2017 ?
 
An air cooled V twin on a comfort bike.

Now that's revolutionary.............................:yawn:

God made water so motorcycles could be comfortable.
 
I can see that the belt drive might have been chosen over shaft to help keep weight (and cost) down, but this thing is still considerably heavier than a GL. The motors to scoot it around are pretty much a must when it weighs nearly half a ton.

The air cooling really seems a glaring mistake. Big flagship techy cruiser, and they don't include the "revolutionary" (in 1975 when Honda came out with the GL) feature of liquid cooling so you don't have to sit on a small sun when in traffic? I have to imagine that decision contributes to it's massive weight, the amount of metal fins needed easily outweighs a radiator and gallon of coolant. A retuned VMAX v-4 would have really made some waves. Yamaha is already rocking the boat from the HD/Indian competition with the styling, why not do it with the engine also?

Still, I really dig the style, finally a fresh face in the cruiser world. Harleys have become generic to the point of being practically invisible, the GL1800 isn't far behind, and the Indian's fairing just doesn't really do it for me.
 
RWhitehouse said:
The air cooling really seems a glaring mistake. Big flagship techy cruiser, and they don't include the "revolutionary" (in 1975 when Honda came out with the GL) feature of liquid cooling so you don't have to sit on a small sun when in traffic?
Click to expand...
I don't think many people are going to buy this to commute..


RWhitehouse said:
I have to imagine that decision contributes to it's massive weight, the amount of metal fins needed easily outweighs a radiator and gallon of coolant.
Click to expand...

And hoses, thermostat, water pump, overflow bottle, and brackets.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk
 
RWhitehouse said:
I can see that the belt drive might have been chosen over shaft to help keep weight (and cost) down, but this thing is still considerably heavier than a GL. The motors to scoot it around are pretty much a must when it weighs nearly half a ton.

The air cooling really seems a glaring mistake. Big flagship techy cruiser, and they don't include the "revolutionary" (in 1975 when Honda came out with the GL) feature of liquid cooling so you don't have to sit on a small sun when in traffic? I have to imagine that decision contributes to it's massive weight, the amount of metal fins needed easily outweighs a radiator and gallon of coolant. A retuned VMAX v-4 would have really made some waves. Yamaha is already rocking the boat from the HD/Indian competition with the styling, why not do it with the engine also?

Still, I really dig the style, finally a fresh face in the cruiser world. Harleys have become generic to the point of being practically invisible, the GL1800 isn't far behind, and the Indian's fairing just doesn't really do it for me.
Click to expand...

My 2001 GL1800 only weighs a tad over 800 lbs, the new Yamaha weighs in 150 lbs over that. I would have like to have seen a detuned VMax motor with touring chassis built around that. The VMax motor with only 100 HP would still be very respectable.

I know I was disappointed a few years ago when we were led to believe by Kawasaki that were going to redo the Voyager XII. I lot of us believed that they were going to detune the Concours 14, and build a touring chassis around that drivetrain. Instead we got the V-twin Voyager 1700. That is partly why I am riding a Goldwing today.
 
I know I was disappointed a few years ago when we were led to believe by Kawasaki that were going to redo the Voyager XII. I lot of us believed that they were going to detune the Concours 14, and build a touring chassis around that drivetrain. Instead we got the V-twin Voyager 1700. That is partly why I am riding a Goldwing today.
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And that's precisely why there's a Voyager XII in my stable.

The new yammie is as heavy as the old Beemer K1200LT, and about the same complexity.
 
You make a good point on the water cooled thought. I grew up riding air cooled machines. My first water cooled was the 03 KLR then the Boulevarde in 06. At times both could be a little warm in the summer. The Ultra can certainly get warm, especially in the summer. It is not anything I can't live with. It doesn't bother me that much. I purposely bought the standard Ultra instead of the Limited. My thought process was that " water cooled " was just another add on that could give issues. With today's technology, am I off base ? If you were to lose the water cooling ability during a ride, maybe in the middle nowhere, how far could most bikes go without damage to internal parts ?
 
I would agree 950 is too heavy. I will say that for my size and weight I have to watch where I park the Ultra. It is around 860. Kinda embarrassing to get help to roll your bike back. I would have to sit on and take a ride to see how it would handle.
 
Choosing an air cooled V-twin is a strange decision in 2017 when even HD is moving toward water cooling their touring bikes. You have to wonder where all that weight is since it's about 60 lbs heavier than both a Gold Wing and Electra Glide. It just seems like a bunch of odd choices were made for this bike.
 
Hotboot said:
Seriously, 967 pounds and electric motors to move it around. Not my thing that porky stuff but is has great features for that market.
The exhaust was tuned by the Yamaha Audio division so I hope to hear one soon, looks great but air cooling in 2017 ?
Click to expand...

Here you go.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSmXplMzNO8"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSmXplMzNO8[/ame]
 
2 alternators and the automotive GUI screen with dual zone audio, and the electric motor to move it probably adds a few pounds.
If they water cooled the heads and added shaft drive it would have been too heavy.....;-)

Looks great rolling away, still want to hear one at full boil. Yamaha does good audio.
 
Hoodcounty said:
...The new yammie is as heavy as the old Beemer K1200LT, and about the same complexity.
Click to expand...

Nope. The LT scales dry at 760ish. But the cg is crazy high comparatively.
Methinks the GL1500 was the previous heavyweight champ at 800+ dry.

I will say the LT, like many other German designs, is overdesigned and underbuilt. I would expect this yammie is not underbuilt based on track record.
 
dukey33 said:
Nope. The LT scales dry at 760ish. But the cg is crazy high comparatively.
Methinks the GL1500 was the previous heavyweight champ at 800+ dry.

I will say the LT, like many other German designs, is overdesigned and underbuilt. I would expect this yammie is not underbuilt based on track record.
Click to expand...

2006 K1200LT with full oil and 1 gallon fuel is 873 on certified scales.
Without rider/pillion or luggage. Checked mine a few times.
 
My voyager 1300 with six water cooled cylinders two separate charging systems, two air compressors, 13 locks, four crash bars is only 930lbs wet.
 
focus frenzy said:
My voyager 1300 with six water cooled cylinders two separate charging systems, two air compressors, 13 locks, four crash bars is only 930lbs wet.
Click to expand...

Will you be riding it to a pie run? The uninformed, unwashed masses need to see it in action.
 
Zephyr said:
Will you be riding it to a pie run? The uninformed, unwashed masses need to see it in action.
Click to expand...

NO! its job is to collect dust as it is a very poor excuse for a motorcycle and I hate picking it up.
 
Demo rides:
(dunno if "Dealer Demo" is not the same as factory demo events)

Motorcycle Dealer Demo
Freedom Powersports - Hurst
633 NE Loop 820, Hurst, TX 76053
Ph: 817-285-9999
Fri, August 18, 2017 - Sat, August, 19, 2017

Motorcycle Dealer Demo
Maxim Yamaha
420 Central Expy S., Allen, TX 75013
Ph: 972-359-0202
Fri, August 25, 2017 - Sat, August 26, 2017
 
Only 900 lbs Lol
I remember doing qualification course on the old Venture. You drop it quite a few times, and I probably more than others. I could only pick it up once by myself and spent me. Had to get help thereafter.
 
And Star adds a bagger to the line up. Eluder
https://www.yamahamotorsports.com/transcontinental-touring/models/2018/star-eluder

img.jpg
 
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