Yamaha Venture
Yamaha Venture
Nostalgia on tour
MATTHEW MILES
JOURNALESTS TEND TO BE A SKEPTICAL LOL AFTER ALL, a good reporter can't take manufacturers' claims at face value. So when we learned that Yamaha's new fu1l-dress touring rig was based on its Royal Star line of cruisers, we envisioned a slower, heavier, plasticencrusted Tour Deluxe. Yuck.
Boy, were we wrong.
Truth is, the Royal Star Venture is not only powerful. but it's the smoothest, most comfortable and arguably the best-looking tourer the Tuning Fork company has ever produced. And that's saying a bunch.
Yamaha hasn't had a luxury-touring bike in ts lineup since the Venture Royale was dropped in 1993. But with sales in the category up 22 percent, something had to be done.
The opportunity to build an all-new touring bike from scratch might seem like an invitation to pile on every imag inable touring-oriented amenity, but Yamaha instead focused on balanced performance. Strong acceleration and passing power were essential, company spokesmen empha sized, but not at the expense of feel and long-range corn fort. As such, the Venture's hotted-up, liquid-cooled, dohc V-Four makes 30 percent more horsepower than previous Royal Stars, yet it’s geared tall enough to cruise at low revs.
There’s a revised chassis, too, with solid, precise handling, a plush ride and roomy, comfortable ergonomics. A Harley-Davidson Electra Glide-esque fairing and loads of accessories are also standard, the latter comprising such niceties as cruise control, AM/FM stereo cassette, CB, fuel gauge, clock, twin tripmeters and a high-output generator.
The engine may be based on that of the Royal Star, but don’t hold that against it-this thing’s a runner. Displacement is unchanged at 1294cc, but a new crankshaft and pistons, stiffer valve springs, revised cam timing, TPS-equipped 32mm downdraft carburetors and enormous dual air cleaners-one on either side of the engine behind the leg shields, so as not to hamper aerodynamics or fuel capacity-bump output to a t
claimed 98 horsepower at 6000 rpm. Torque is up, too, for a pavement-rippling 89 foot-pounds at 4750 rpm. (The last Royal Star we tested made 63 bhp and 74 ft.-lbs. of torque at the rear wheel. Get the picture?)
At the bike’s autumn introduction in Maine, gawking leaf lovers and intermittent rain showers limited backroad speeds to about 50 mph-great for cruising, not so good for evaluating engine performance, brakes, cornering clearance, etc. Between cars and storms, though, we managed a few brief blasts through the gears, which quickly confirmed the aforementioned power increases. Moreover, as revs raced toward redline, the engine emitted a guttural roar that smacked of VMax intake snort. In fact, during the design process, Project Leader Tom Watanabe considered Mr. Max’s stepped VBoost system, but deemed it wrong for the intended market.
Watanabe did juggle the transmission ratios. We sampled two low-mileage, pre-production machines, and both shifted positively, even if downshifts were a bit notchy. Fifth is stepladder tall, and best not used around town, or for passing dawdlers on two-lane backroads. Out on the open road, however, where the Venture can stretch its legs, the overdrive gear makes great sense. Even with the speedometer hovering at an indicated 90 mph, revs are so low that engine pulses barely reach the rider. Considering the engine is solidmounted, the absence of vibration is a pleasant surprise.
As noted, the new chassis was designed for greater rigidity and more responsive handling. The central-backbone, twin-downtube frame has steeper steering geometry and, as noted, employs the engine as a stressed member; note the beefy castings tying the frame to the forward cylinder heads. Air-adjustable suspension is located at both ends (Yamaha advises maximum 7 psi in each fork leg and 57 psi in the shock to compensate for the additional weight of a passenger and luggage). Up front, the conventional fork uses Royal Star spring rates, but with increased compression and rebound damping. A link-type, single-shock setup is fitted out back, offering more than 4 inches of travel. Not bad, considering seat height is a low, 29.5 inches.
Steenng effort is remarkably light, but not flighty. The Venture tips easily into corners fast or slow, yet high-speed stability is excellent. Parking-lot maneuvers are handled with ease, belying the bike's claimed 807-pound dry weight. Stopping duties are managed by a trio of twin-pot calipers clamping 298mm front and 320mm rear rotors. While the wet conditions necessitated that we reserve judgment on high-speed handling, "whoa" certainly complemented "go."
Unadorned with the plastic cladding so common on tour ing bikes, the Venture's chrome buckhorn handlebar is posi tioned perfectly. Ditto the folding floorboards. Controls are easily within reach, and neither the heel/toe shifter nor the automotive-style brake pedal fouled booted feet. Indeed, post-ride discussions revealed no complaints regarding ergonomics from riders large or small.
Some did dislike certain aspects of the art-deco dash treat ment, complaining that the liquid-crystal speedo and fuel gauge were difficult to read, especially in bright sunlight. Others disagreed, praising every aspect of the "neo-classic" styling that carries over through the panel behind the pas senger seat. Most did concur, however, that the tiny, dash mounted buttons used to toggle back and forth between the clock and twin tripmeters were unnecessarily 4 small. Not so the easily accessible stereo, cassette, intercom and cruise controls, which are large enough to operate with gloved hands.
Une Key actuates the ignition iocate~ near tne steenng head, where it belongs) and unlocks the trunk, saddlebags and dual helmet locks. Besides swallowing two full-face helmets, the trunk incorporates a nifty catch that safely holds the lid in the "up" position. That way, hands are free to fumble for gloves, maps, etc. The large, top-opening sad dlebags are equally user-friendly.
At presstime, Yamaha had not established a suggested retail for the Venture. Blame a rollercoaster Japanese econo my. A safe guess, however, is in the $16,000 range. So while not exactly a stone-cold bargain, the bike should retail for a lot less than BMW's new K1200LT, Harley-Davidson's Electra Glide or Honda's Gold Wing SE. Expect the Venture to hit showrooms mid-December, 1998.
Unless you're the skeptical sort, that is.
