CaseyJ955

Im onboard with you. Its got all the right stuff in all the right places. 160 hp, 130+ tq. 40+mpg. One thing BMW does is make a world class inline 6. When I heard a bike that had one I was inside out with want. I threw a leg over one and lemme tell ya, like a damn glove and build quality 2nd to none. I declined a test ride because it was around 23k and I seriously would have signed on the dotted line. Its really not a good time for me to drop $2X k. I have asked owners what they think when I see them and all I hear is fast as hell and comfortable as hell with magical handling. I look at this bike the way I looked at the Vmax in 1985. My only reservation is the knowledge that BMW cars/bikes can be finicky and tricky to service. One guy I talked to had a Remus system and described mind boggling torque from 1500rpm on. On paper and according to those who have spoken to me its as close to perfection as a performance tour bike can be. I super want one. I thougbt the gen3 Venture was going to be the Japan bike to call the K1600 out to the mat with a nasty V4 and Yamaha reliability. Boy was that a grave miscalculation! When I saw the mosaic headlamps I thought we had a real bruiser from Yamaha to rival the lone German missle. The gen3 is in a class with most bikes on the road but it would appear that the K1600 has no stable mates and resides in a class by itself. Ever hear one with exhaust? Man, I think I shat myself when I heard the one with the Remus blaze the onramp. Ok, I just talked myself into test riding one. When I'm done working this week I'm going to BMW, since I now know the Yamaha is a real let down. Air cooled, Phhssssss! Phuuu-effen-lease! Its 2017, its time to bury obsolete HD tech, not emulate it! If imma drop 20+ large on a damn scoot it better plaster an irreversible grin on my face! Imma take that cutting edge I6 for a spin through Spearfish Canyon! I lile the new Trophy too but something intoxicating about that rediciously overpowered I6. Did I say I was going to move on and not rant about this anymore, sorry I lied, but this time its for realsies!

I did slap an R6S front right caliper on the back. I read that the bleeder would not be accessable without caliper removal, but I found that I could bleed it no problem, the sidebag was off though. I used semi metalic pads in the rear instead of HH, if I had to do it over I would have used HH back there too. Very happy with the R6 calipers but in looking at them next to the OEM MKII calipers there really isnt a huge difference for fronts. I have not tried it but I suspect Camos is correct about proprtly functioning OEM brakes with good HH pads would be perfectly adequate. I only replaced the calipers because they were ha ging up pretty good and used R calipers were cheaper than OEM caliper kits. What I didnt know then is that bike calipers can often be disassembled, cleaned and reassembled w/o kits.

Yup, thought I got edged out for racy language or something.

Yea, I was making crap up, tried to turn it into a bike I might buy. Drive by wire and ABS were also axed in my version. I made sure to say fiction or it would be mean haha. I can spin a tale, I once had one of my CNAs believing that reconnaissance demons (cacodemons, the name I pulled out of my ass from Doom2) may be surveying her and ever present and unseen, and were looking for people that made bad life choices. It took me 20 minutes to convince her that I did in fact make it all up. Im surprised she never snitched me out for that. If I make stuff up I promise to label it as fiction. I would have believed the S model story. I want it to be true. Careful phrasing and a straight face are quite powerful.

I think you and I are on the same page. It should have V4 and shaft drive. I figured the motor would be retuned for more voluptuous lpw end torque, better MPG (the gen2 Vmax gets pretty ****ty mpg too) and still have robust satisfying midrange poke (rather than not even having a midrange) and of course double that minivan-esque redline. It eludes me. My comment about belt drive being the correct choice was with consideration that the rest of the bike is what it is. Honestly I would have no real issues with this bike if Yamaha were more transparent about even the most basic info during development and they shoulld have never called it a Venture, or even hinted at it. As a now former Yamaha customer I resent the hell out of that. Why did it have to be a big secret grand unveiling, we're all.grown ups, not children on Xmas morning. ****ing talk to your customers Yamaha, no more secrecy and games. Just tell us whats happening, we're grown men and women and we can handle it. Dicks. Im not sure why Im ranting at them, they sure didnt listen before and I dont think tbey are going to start now. On the other hand whoever here buys one, still love ya bro/sis.

A model that was in development next to the just released 2018 Venture Star, known as tthe "S" will be seen as a 2019 model. It will feature a slightly revamped fairing smoothing out the scoops and featuring a 2.5" shorter fixed windscreen. The transcontinental package will not be available on this upcoming model. In favor of weight savings the bike will be devoid of Reverse, parking/directional assist, Nav, dual zone audio, external speaker pods will be deleted as part of the streamlined fairing. Luggage space will be reduced by 30% for aesthetic and aerodynamic purposes as well as further weight savings but capacity is still generous. The only options will be standard stereo/intercom/BT and cruise control. These alterations and some general diet items will bring the curb weight down to 744 lbs. Ride quality is largely unchanged, engine and drive system will be retained but sport tuning, cam/crank reworking, and headwork will raise the redline to 6400 rpm with 157 ft lbs torque available at just 2250 rpm and 116 hp @6100 rpm, also helped by a tunable intake, free flowing sport exhaust with DOT legal and race only quick change baffles which save 36lbs over transcontinental exhaust and delivers a very aggressive and distinctive note like no other twin to date. Compression will be raised to 10.7:1 requiring premium fuel, improved internal oil cooling galleys and a sport shroud system will wisk the significant heat away from the rider and downward in front of the rear wheel asssisted by a light weight pull fan which draws cool air through the heads and cyl blocks. We have to do this because we somehow decided air cooling was still okay. Top speed will be electronically governed at 140mph and the 1/4 mile will take just a lick over 11sec. 5th gear roll ons vastly improved thanks to extra torque and signifcant reduction in weight. Canary yellow, Porsche red and polar white are the color options with rearl teal and Flat Urban Black for an optional $499. Production numbers will be around 30% of the standard non "S" model. Because we deleted virtually all the options production cost is lower which we pass onto the consumer with an MSRP of $18.999 usd up to $19,498 with optional finishes. Preorder now and delivery is expected in the fall of 2018. There, thats my fancy tall tale for the day, and I feel better now.

. Because a belt has no master link, on some bikes lots of disassembly is required to R&R it. As a counterpoint A shaft drive would zap power the bike probably cant afford to loose and the weight of a pumpkin, shaft and housing would add weight this bike cant afford to gain. IMHO a belt was the sensible option for this machine, based on what we know so far.

I was carving out some financial room too. Im actually relieved because im trying to move this year. There are other options out there tbst are quite nice but I was craving the power and revs of the V4, not the power and revs of a Road King. I still have the gen1 which is a fine road bike even with all the hears and miles on her. Im seeing a 1200GS in my future to satisfy the off pavement touring tendancies. IMHO Yamaha's biggest mistake with this bike was the secrecy and Venture name on a very unventurly bike. If motorcycle blueballs was not a thing before it is now. That was a long hyped wait for an air cooled twin that revs like my hydrostatic lawn mower.

If I may be so bold as to speculate. I know the emotion I would have when I grab the loud handle to pass a row of Harleys RVs going up the pass at 70 MPH with some gear and wife on the back. I think that emotion would be frustration and dissapointment followed by a wave of heat no longer seen on a modern motorcycle. I think Don is right, it should satisfy those that like to cruise gently, I'll bet it leaves a stop light with authority amd has a very relaxed cruise, probably built with quality, but your emotional response may not be healthy if you've come to appreciate a bike that can pull fairly hard well into triple digit speeds while revving angerly. I have always liked quick bikes, and fast bikes, performance is part of the appeal of a bike to me.

I could live with a belt drive, belts and chains dont loose as much power as a shaft drive so more of tbe juice hits the road. Shaft drive is still my preference but I would take a belt over a chain. They are lighter requiring less power to spin em fast, less maintainance, adjustment and oiling. Modern belts can hold the power and last a very long time. A belt wouldnt be a deal breaker for me. I just read something that suggested 126 rw-tq and hp probably under 100. A redline somewhere south of 5k and cruising rpm of 2750@75 with a double overdrive gearbox. The double overdrive was on my original wish list but with a redline of a stationary diesel generator it may need those short ratios. On paper this bike looks like a serious pig in spite of impressive rwtq. I guess we'll have to see the reviews as they come out. Its clearly not aimed at me but Im still curious how it handles the 1/4, 0-60 and most importantly 60-100. Im sure it will be a nice bike for the twin guys but I cant imagine the rev limiter cutting in at what will feel like off idle. I guess I see a couple glaring flaws, those being dismal MPG and a very lofty price. I guess it remains to be seen how it performs. Compression ratio is relatively low, as expected with air cooling. I would expect highway performance to be unexciting. Just for the sake of arguement lets assume it has 100hp, 100hp at a redline of 4700rpm is a fair bit pokier than 100 hp at the 8000 or so you can spin the gen1 up to. So it can be less less "powerful" with the same HP rating, other factors being equal.

After a few decades the foam does tend to break down. I spoke with Butler and read thread after thread of praise for his work. I plan to send mine off over the winter. One thing is fur sure, cant argue with the price. Its a fraction what I paid for my custom Vmax seat. My Sprint seat redoo was over $600 and Rick does our seats for well u der 100, im in! Mine is OEM now and probably the best stock seat I have ever had.

Dear Yamaha, Thank you for my early Vmax and early Venture which most notably feature an amazing stompy V4 that is so good its still acceptable decades later. Great work. Also enjoyed the RD400. A 3rd gen Venture, hell yea! Obviously this would be the amazing V4 already in production, what else could a Venture have? The answer is not so exciting, is it? You put a HD level engine in this bike. Did you look at the current market and see a vacuum or void that could be filled with an generic cruiser/tourer with dismal performance and economy. Really? WHAT THE HELL? Did you think adding BT and reverse was going to make that okay? Whos idea was that? You should have told us when you knew that this was no Venture. You let us get psyched for a machine based on the monotonously mundane, garden variety, generic (stop me if you've heard this before) air cooled (stop me if you've heard this before) Narrow angle (stop me if you've heard this before) Vtwin. REALLY? Oh, wait, theres more, its priced like the truly magnificent K1600GTL. How do you justify that? Please regale me with tales of how now common technology and an engine more suitable to a log splitter, bilge pump or garden tractor justifies all the hype and secrecy. A bike nearly 1000 lbs damn near needs the V4 just to outrun a 52 passenger schoolbus, how could we be this far back 30 years later? I thought we were getting a stompy touring bike clad with current engine tech, the next chapter in Venturedom, i started moving things around so that I could buy this bike if you hit the nail on the head. Yup. You hit it on the thumb. Exactly when did you think Venture customers/owners stopped caring about performance? I will likely be buying a new bike in the coming months. It will almost certainly be a Triumph or BMW. Sincerely, Lost customer. There, done, moving on now.

It looks okay from side and rear, front, well Ill bet it looks much more aggressive than it is. If I wanted a quality Vtwin I too would buy an indian, but I wanted a V4, so no debt for me, the ol' gen 1 it will be. I think the two Yamahas I have now are the last I will own. Im going back to Triumph and BMW. I am dissapointed that Yamaha stirred Venture fans up for (wait for it) yet another Vtwin. It better have a top speed of more than a buck ten. My gen1 can cross 100 in 3-4th gears and give me 40mpg near its 30th birthday. It took no imagination to crap out another obese twin, way to take it outside the box Yamaha! Im going to go out of my way to race the first one I see! Let me end on a positive or two. 1. I like the dash, color and seat, tail lights are neat and tasteful. 2. Im positive that its going to pull some guys off HD but positively wont get me off my gen1

Oh my! Thats repugnant! Is this what we have been waiting for? It looks quite bulky and confused about what it is. Unless its 188hp at 7500rpm and 145tq by 2000rpm its another drop in a very big bucket full of big twin cruisers. Side profile not bad but generic and mundane considering all the other bikes out there just like it from at least 5 other manufacturers. Do we have a spec sheet yet? Im terribly disappointed but not terribly surprised. Maybe it will be different in person but the front view is pretty far from clean and flowing. I guess we'll see how it is recieved by those present.

I cant see anything, all I have is commentary herr. Vtwin huh? Seriously? Of soo it better be well into triple digit HP. I cant fine any image yet.

I may do that at some point. I hear the HH padd alone make a huge difference, I put mine on with the R6 calipers so never knew how they might work on factory pinchers. I think the best thing I did was delink. I found this thread that Dingy did awhile back, it seems to shed some light on brake upgrades. Are yours still linked? http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?60986-Master-Cylinder-Caliper-ratio-chart

I have the MKII so I decided to give er a go. If it were any smaller I think it would have to be upgraded. MKII already has 14mm IIRC, I think MKII is something like 12.7 or thereabouts, not quite enough volume displacement for nice fat calipers. Would a MKII work, or ya just tryin to be one of the cool kids that can say you have sportbike hardware on your venture? Seriously would be good to know what upgrades do fit. Its nice to have brake components that arent old enough to buy booze. Also I wonder if a complete front brake system off that bike, calipers, mc and all if it would essentially bolt on, aside from lines.

I wish I knew, im still running the stock mkII MC with the R6 calipers and it seems to work fine. Im glad you had faith in me but now I feel twice as bad for not knowing. haha

Sounds like hes having a blast! He may be among the first to see the new turbo charged FMIC large caliber V4 full dress Venture!

Cool story, thats worth some swag.

Oh, when you add air do not use an air compressor. It can over pressurize super quick and eff up seals. There are some neat little hand pumps on the market for just this thing.

Im going off memory, but I think what I read in the owners manual was high teens one up, and mid 20s 2-up, more for 2up with gear. Im not home so cant check it so hopefuly someone else can be more specific. I think I was at about 18-19 on my last 1000 mile road trip, just 210 lb me with light/moderate luggage. It seemed to work best that way with the more composed progressive forks. I havnt played with the other setting, it seems frozen in place. Maybe easiest to put more air in and let little bits out until you have the right firmness. Welcome to Venturehood! Edit: I jave a royale so not sure where to manually add air to the front but those max out not much more than 12 lbs or so. The rear I believe will tolerate 40, maybe more.

He probably meant combustion instead of compression. Intake obstruction might skew a comp test by giving a false low r/t intake vacuum while cranking, which is why a comp test is normally done with ign disabled and WOT, preferable at op temp. Youtube is generally good for instruction, cocky adolescents taking a compound fracture after trying to skateboard off a barn, a small person lifted off their feet after shooting a 10g and people dusting cops with R1s. So yea, I like youtube!

I dont even remember what I paid for my Snap-on comp gauge set but $165 would have been nice. I have one for diesels that was upwards of $250. Those are locked up in my box, at home I have a K&D (i think) with a bunch of adaptors and a nice case, gave $35 IIRC. For a basic crappy Chinese screw in quick disconnect in a bubble pack on a hook at Autozone or Harbor Freight I'd be surprised if you spend more than $20. It would be fine for occasional use and backyard mechanical andentures. I do all my own work and I couldnt live without one. Its one of my favorite troubleshooting and pre-purchase tools.

Thats good. Im glad you got another beautiful scoot and it worked out. In my experience insurance buybacks are usually silly cheap and well worth it for parts. I guess its not so simple in IL. I figured I could lend a hand helping you at least get your upgrades back, and my reward is defiance of absurd legislation, such defiance warms my heart and leaves me with a pleasant glow After posting here I was thinking about how many decades its been since I've seen a state vehicle inspection or emissions testing station, or paid over $70 to get my plates/tabs for a car or bike.