Here is an interesting post from Delphi forum

Found this over on Delphi Venture forum

New Royal Star Venture Spotted? [royalstar 10132.1]

If it is fact true, I am glad I didn't buy something else already. I love the look of it from the 2 pics.

Had to chuckle at one of the comments over there ... "Much prefer our 'old' model--this one looks like a Victory 'wannabe' to me."

I believe that is the next generation of the Kawasaki Voyager ... look at the fairing ... a lot of similarities to the current one.

Two of them in a row too. Can't really tell if it is a fixed fairing or not.

Interesting.

Engine looks like a V-twin possibly air/water cooled ... like the Kaw.

Engine looks like a V-twin possibly air/water cooled ... like the Kaw.

Well they appear to be rolling test mules.....maybe some of it being the final look and some of it being tested. Probably some of it is purposely not finished to keep things under wraps from public eyes while out road testing them. Those passenger floor boards sure look like they are off a Yamaha 2nd Gen. and are nothing like the Kaw. Voyager pass. boards. Don't think Kaw. would borrow from a Yamaha parts bin even for a rolling test mule.

Of course I just thought of......it looks like a lot of different bikes and maybe some photo shopping going on??!......next Wednesday is April 1st......somebody getting ready early........We Yamaha Venture types are kind of desperate/gullible for this stuff!

But I want to believe!!!!

I just looked at the Kaw website, the reflector on the frong fort is very similar to the one on Vulcan bagger, mounted in a way that I think is unique to Kaw. The saddle bag hinges are also very similar to the Kaw, the rear florboards are similar in size and shape to the Kaw also.

But could be a early April fool.

2015 VULCAN® 1700 VOYAGER® ABS Cruisers Motorcycle by Kawasaki

The venture is headed back to be more like the good ones, the 1st gens!!!

Frame mounted fairing, fairing mounted rear views.

But I do have to agree it looks like a V-twin.

If it is the 1900 Strat engine as some have suggested, the 2nd gens will still be the slowest Ventures.

With the flat black paint it is hard to tell what it really looks like.

I think I like the upper faring but I don't think I like those monster bulbous front lowers.

The storage looks decent enough. I like BIG.

It does look like 1st gen passenger floorboards.

My opinion... it's the Kawasaki Voyager 1700

Can't be a venture, no cassette deck...

As long as we have all been waiting.

Maybe, Could be, Would like it to be.

Side covers, tank center cover, rake, seat, and passenger grab rails make me want it to be.

Oh you guys just cannot let it go. No new Ventures anytime soon. The fairing in the pic looks ALOT like the Voyager. Personally, that thing

looks worse than a Victory. Not as bad as a Goldwing and a far cry from having the styling of a Harley or an Indian. Looks like cah cah to me.

Here's one guys opinion....

Well, I honestly can't tell. I do see parts like the passenger floorboards and etc. that make me lean toward it being a Yamaha. The way I feel about it though is that if it is the new touring model from Yamaha, then call it something else. The Venture has always been and should always be a V4. If they put a V Twin in a bike and call it a Venture, I would be disappointed. It may be a great Twin touring bike but it is NOT a Venture.

Here's one guys opinion....

 

IMHO, it should not be called a ROYAL STAR if it does not have a V4. It may be a Star Venture, but it should not be called a Royal Star Venture if it is a V-twin. ALL Royal Stars (RS, RSTD, RSV) have been V4's and should remain so.

You know, it has always bothered me that Yamaha redesigned the Second Gen VMax with a very nice, large, technically sophisticated, V4 engine and yet has limited that engine to the 'niche' VMax. It seems to me that Yamaha would try to spread the huge cost of development and manufacture of the 1700cc V4 across more of it's product line. Logically, that 1700 V4 would make a killer Venture super tourer. Superior to any current tourer. It just doesn't make any sense that Yamaha would limit that V4 to just one low volume machine.

If that thing is going to be the new Y touring bike, I'm gonna save a lot of money. That thing has to be just plain fugly.....

Maybe it will look better once it is shiny and red........

at several star rallies, the Yamaha reps has always said that the new touring bike would probably be a v-twin using the stratalinor motor which is not a bad motor but not a v-4. it'll be just like the harlies everbody else is making, hot on the legs and noisy as hell. even the victory motors has a loud knock to them as I have heard. Yamaha is just cloning like everybody else, instead of going the old way of designing a great looking "new style" touring bike. I hope it'll be water cooled like the 1300 tour bike, at least they was thinking of all the hours of riding and sometimes heavy traffic we are stuck in from time to time. my "ROYAL STARS" will last my lifetime.

Two words.....Strato tour. I believe the Venture is dead. I said several years ago that the next Yamaha touring bike would use a Big water cooled V twin. I believe we are getting a preview of that bike. It will probably look a lot better with out all the flat black paint and probably some fake plastic parts to hide some details.

Still makes no sense to me that they would build ANY new Venture and not use the new VMax engine. I just don't get it.

I will be interested in either way they go meaning v-twin or v-4. I happen to have both an RSV and a Stratoliner in my stable and I love them both. I do love v-4 power and would hope that if they do go v-twin they do not use Royal Star or Venture in the name, come up with a totally new name.

The Strat motor would make an awesome touring bike motor because its got monster torque with potential for even more. My bone stock Strat will pull away from every Harley in this part of the world, even the ones with built up motors. The Strat has a really low centre of gravity compared to the venture, so if they go v-twin and fixed fairing the bike will be easier to manage at slow speeds, something that some have issue with in its current form.

As said before, I will be in the market by the time they release something, and will be interested in either form.

Watching the video does make me think it could be a new Yamaha. I think the rear floor boards are from the current Venture. But, the thing is ugly no matter what color it is painted. A new Indian Roadmaster, Kawasaki Voyager or a Harley Electra or Ultra Classic are in my future. I love my 07 RSV, but I am getting a hankering to ride something different. So for me, one of the stated options are what will be my next purchase. I really think that my current Yammy will be my last.

One of the things that has been mentioned, and not discussed, is that the 2 pics of the bike were shot in SoCal. Yamaha USA is located in Santa Ana... SoCal. Not sure if any other brands are located in the area....

Also what was glossed over is that test bikes have been known to have extra "cosmetic" plastic added to hide what it really will look like.

I certanily would not try to make any decisions about future purchases based on any spy pics.