[The 2018 Star Venture Proximity Key FOB....]

Here's the procedure from the service manual http://www.venturerider.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=111990http://www.venturerider.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=111991

 

steps 6 & 7 were missing from the copy of the manual I obtained from the dealership... interesting.

 

thanks,

 

Rich

[The 2018 Star Venture Proximity Key FOB....]

Great to read, Rich...great to read. Our 'instincts' told us so, last October, lol I'm nearing my mid 60's and our muscles and joints are er..ah...challenged most mornings, lol. That was another reason we went bonkers over not only heated seats (we had that on the Wing) but also a heated back rest for her 17 inch wide 'Lazy Boy', back there, as well as my Tall rider backrest. I didn't pick up those heated passenger hand grips, but the dealer told me, that if they get one in as dealer stock, they will call us, and we can demo them, by having her try them out. If she likes them...I'll guess that will be the last acc' for the bike. We pretty much have everything we want upon delivery.

 

We have lost so many friends of late (in their 50's and 60's) to mostly cancer of this, cancer of that; prostate, breast, stomach, lungs...that we said...TOUR, while the touring is good...for there is no tomorrow, only a promise, that doesn't yet exist.... You can be here today...and gone in two months...two months...one of our dearest friend's wives, that we toured with, all with Wings. Yep...two....months from diagnosis. He is not a good solo rider. He needs to part of a team...so sad.

 

Ride that Eluder, like you stole it!

 

Joe

 

thanks Joe and God bless you and your family... may the two of you be blessed with MANY more highway miles on your awesome ride. Happy Easter my friend : - )

 

Rich

[The 2018 Star Venture Proximity Key FOB....]

Have always had the side bag luggage inserts for the Wing, and a great thing to have stopped at your hotel, in the evening. Up...out...and done. Also, sometimes, my wife can't take the trip out to our center-of-tour, so she books a flight (this has worked like a charm, so many times...) to the nearest major airport at our terminal destination. I pick her up. (Happy Wife, Happy Life) She has her side-bag luggage insert already packed. We greet and kiss..I hand her her full face, her tour jacket...pack her perfectly fitting (to the gun-wales, lol) luggage bag she had as carry-on...and we are off for a day's ride, or to the hotel I booked us into, for a good night's sleep.

 

I think we're going to take this route, for our planned Boise, Idao to Montana's Flatlake. I'll take the ride out from Toronto, will pick her up at the Boise Airport, we'll do the 1400 miles return to Boise together, and then she can enjoy a comfortable flight home...and I can enjoy riding the SVTC as solo. This has really worked for us, if your wife also has to work her career around yours and hers. I highly suggest it to the reader.

 

We did this on our trip in '16 to Nova Scotia. She had some work to do late that Friday night...so I took off on the Wing...iron-butt rode to Moncton, New Brunswick, (had booked a room at a nearby hotel a mile from the airport), got there late Saturday evening, and her flight came in from Hamilton, Ontario via WestJet, at 17:00 hours, Sunday. She came out of the airport terminal, happy, refreshed...we took off towards the Nova Scotia border about 40 miles away...and then made for our first night's lodging, a bed and breakfast near the Bay of Fundy petrified cliffs. We use this strategy, for trips that would fatigue her on the long out-bound, unless stopping in various places is part of the trip, and not me just iron-butting to a particular terminal start tour location. On the way past Moncton, on the way out...I dropped her off at the airport, and said our good-byes, kiss 'n flight. I arrived two days later, back onto the driveway. She came out, with a coffee and sandwich, and welcomed me home. Helped me unpack the bike... Good stuff!

 

Do you plan on doing dedicated touring this year with your sig other, or mostly day or weekend trips? Just curious.

 

we are not iron butts. LOL we are planning a trip to Yosemite this summer, which is a 4 hour ride each way. We are so comfortable on this bike it should be no problem. I am getting older and the muscles and joints don’t work like they use to. However, this is the most comfortable bike we have ever owned :-)

 

Rich

[The 2018 Star Venture Proximity Key FOB....]

So, you're getting the nagglies worked out. Good. You're riding an Eluder, right?

 

Cheers,

 

Yes... Star Eluder GT. I installed the medium windshield and eliminated all buffeting. Now I can hear the engine and exhaust sing and I also hear the stereo much better. I installed the fog lights, which helps significantly during night riding. I installed the bag lid protectors. And purchased the bag inserts. Keeps our stuff from flopping around. I bought a tank bib but not sure I like it enough to install it. Time will tell.

 

:-)

 

Rich

[The 2018 Star Venture Proximity Key FOB....]

I totally agree with you...this proximity thing, is, as far as I am concerned,...merely a new-tech gimmick!

 

Give me a key and a keyed ignition any day. You get two keys...you can cut as many as you want...and they all work, without having to do a Voodoo dance. It seems all new bikes are going this way. I will say though, that it is probably the best means of anti-theft there is. You can't merely bust off the ignition tumblers...or press two wires together anymore...so I guess in the long game...it is a boon for us. But honestly, the only thing your FOB should have been used for, (like my 2008 Gold Wing) was to open and/or lock your storage areas without having to insert the key into all three of them, and find the bike with the PANIC key. That's all...we never missed Proximity and things unlocking or able to start the bike, as we walked towards it. ---------> Gimmick. Wow..this saves me the 'bother' and five seconds, of having to reach into my pant pocket and pull out a key, insert, and start the engine. The day that I am that lazy, I probably should not bother leaving the house...

 

I agree that you should have gotten two. A $27,000 to $32,000 dollar bike...and they can't throw in another part that probably costs Yamaha $10.00-$30.00 to produce enmass. Unless of course, they KNOW they morally **should have**..but used this as an almost guaranteed revenue stream, from most owners, pockets...

 

Can you imagine having a crapped out FOB...(not battery dead, but circuit board dead) (you dropped it from your hands...yep...) and in the pouring rain, or at night, (perhaps with mosquitoes ringing the dinner gong to their friends and family) ,you have to putz around with the open the right side bag...chant three times...press button two times, rotate your body 360 degrees, tell your wife or girlfriend that you love her ( and mean it...the system can tell and is politically correct...) also, sell your first born...if you don't have one, the bike won't start....and then key in your PIN (unless you lost that too...) and do all this within the 8 seconds..or start all over. People would bring lawn chairs and popcorn to the parking lot. You don't get a show like this too often...

 

Like you...I love everything about this bike...but would have wished Yamaha would have given you two keys...and an a keylock tumbler ignition, and taken $1,000.00 dollars or more off of the MSRP...

 

The one thing I don't understand..is that whomever had to have his/her entire security system/ignition start installed new..is only (from what I read in the manual) necessary if you lose your unique-to-the-bike access code. Who in their right mind, would not go home the first day with the bike, and take a jump drive and make ten or more copies of this access code? Or print it out, and keep in in your purse wallet as a camouflaged numerical number? That's the first thing I'm going to do, the day I bring my bike home. Make multiple copies and put them into my deposit box, and other secure places for quick access. Who wouldn't DO THIS?!?!? You'd only have to replace the whole unit..if you lost that code shipped with your bike, and given to you with the rest of your documentaion on delivery day.

 

Agreed... I made a copy for my wallet and the original in the fireproof filing cabinet. And another reason why I purchased a second FOB. I also carry two spare batteries in my bike bag. I have had three issues, which all have been fixed. The first was a frequent chirping from the security setup while riding. The updated infotainment software solved that. The second was the gas cap door, which is electronic. The catch was not aligned and it would hang up. Unfortunately there is no adjustment. The dealership modified the catch on the door and moved it over a tad. Problem solved. The third was an annoying rattle from the bag lids. Whenever I went over a bump or a pot hole there would be plastic to plastic rattles that sounded like I was driving a junker. I attached felt pads about a 1/4” tall on the underside of the lid where it sits on the rubber bag stoppers. In addition the dealership modified the the lid hinge allowing it to raise up a hair. This fixed the noise, which is 99% gone. Again, there is no designed adjustment. Other than that, this is one fantastic bike! I hear a lot about engine heat on the left leg when temps are above 75 degrees. Today we rode 120 miles in 82 degree weather and the heat was normal to me on both legs. No more heat then I experienced on my Stratoliner. My seat on the Strat got hot. Not on this bike. Everything Yamaha put into this bike is damn near flawless. Torque for days and plenty of passing power. It is like a tractor with a turbo. With 2 up I cannot even feel it. I could feel it on my Strat even with performance mods. The suspension is easy to adjust and performs exceptionally. My bike is black on black and looks sinister. I love it!

[The 2018 Star Venture Proximity Key FOB....]

Wow..that's not good...but perhaps some 'pull it out of the fire' is that you can download the manual from Yamaha's site, so I'd imagine that that would be the latest version for leave-out's and corrections. That's the route I'm going to take first. What a bummer, that they even charged you for that. They made some coin on the sale of that second FOB, off you already. If the tech was on the phone for two hours...that would be Yamaha's prerogative to compensate them...not YOU! That sucked. It was their omissions upon sending the manuals out to the printers...

 

There are directions in how to second pair a Proximity FOB, bike video out upon YouTube, but for the 2018 Gold Wing. Perhaps one of us, or you, could do also such, for the SVTC, and make sure we all have access to that proper procedure. Did you watch the tech do it? BTW, I think that I might slip over the border and pick one up in the U.S. Here, in Canada, they throw you over the pork barrel...and..er...ah...

 

Cheers,

 

Joe

 

I actually received a discount on the FOB... the suggested retail price is $250. I did not watch the technician doing his thing as I had no clue there was a problem until I inquired 90 minutes later. after the tech finally figured it out, he showed me the Yamaha online manual with the instructions, which were the same ones I used and failed. the manual is missing a few steps. it went from step 5 to step 8 without showing steps 6 & 7. I don't mind paying $50. if anything ever goes wrong, they will cover it. the programming of the 2nd FOB is basically the same as the emergency manual key process when your FOB dies or you lose it. unfortunately, it did not work for me and the dealer initially. Yamaha should have provided 2 FOBs just like a new vehicle. the dealership told me the cost to replace the entire unit (not including labor) should the FOB and emergency access code be lost is nearly $4,000. apparently they had to replace one already because of this. I am not a big fan of the FOB setup. I prefer a key and keyed ignition switch. but oh well... I am obviously getting older. LOL

[The 2018 Star Venture Proximity Key FOB....]

Has anybody thought of purchasing another key FOB, for tour redundancy? I've been thinking of that over the last few days. What a PITA, if your battery, OR, simply the electronic internal circuit board fails...and you are now having to go through the whole ringamarole of using the manual key and messing around with your included start-up security code. That..frankly, to myself, is PITA territory!

 

I don't know what a second one costs as I post this...but seriously am thinking of carrying a second one, as simply, back up and convenience.

 

Anybody else considering this? Just curious....

 

Good morning:

 

I ordered a second key FOB nearly a month ago and just received it this past week as it was on nationwide backorder. I paid just a tad under $160 for the FOB and $50 to have the dealership service department program it. I initially tried using the bike manual but it did not work. The dealership used the same instructions and also could not get it to work. The service technician was on the phone with Yamaha for about 2 hours until they were able to finally get the second FOB working. The bike manual appears to have a few steps missing in the print. And apparently Yamaha told the technician that the manual is not correct. Best of luck to the rest of you!

 

Rich : -)

[Possibly getting my new bike today.]

It's actually made by Harmin, who is owned by Samsung. They have temporarily (Yamaha's choice of word) stopped the ability to download the Infortainment Software updates, from both the American and Canadian Yamaha sites. They claim a technical difficulty with the latest version 12.0.6 If you have already downloaded this onto your computer...I suggest you do not attempt to update your bike with this. That was the very one, they wanted to prevent going out to the wild....

 

thanks... I have and will continue to have the dealership service department handle this : - )

 

Rich

[Possibly getting my new bike today.]

Yamaha along with everyone else realized that the new upcoming riders want all the gadgets and gizmos... It's bitter sweet but I think it's gonna get even more hi tech with electric.. Would you ride an electric motorcycle if you could get 200 mile range? I don't think it would be as cool, but it will be more common in the future.. I will try to learn as much as I can, and be safe while riding with a big smile on my face this summer!

 

no sir... I have zero interest in electric cars of any type. and that goes for motorcycles! the main thing is to enjoy your new ride : - )

 

Rich

[Possibly getting my new bike today.]

I hope all options that are advertised will be possible. There's alot if Bluetooth connectivity between the rider and passenger phone. Dual zone output of the audio. There's alot of different scenarios that need to be tested. Im afraid to mess with too much until I know it's perfected.

 

most of this electronic stuff is way out of my league... hell, I use a flip phone for goodness sake. I did not purchase this bike for the electronic goodies. so I will most likely never use any of it. my wife and I do not use any electronic communications when riding. when we have to talk we yell loud enough for both of us to hear. LOL

 

I used to work on all of my cars until it got to the point you needed a computer to figure out what was wrong. now I go straight to the dealer for maintenance and repair. I read a chain of discussions here on this website from a guy trying to rebuild a 20 year old Yamaha that used a bank of carburetors. I don't know if he ever got her figured out, but the poor guy was so frustrated at the end of each day working on this complicated machine that I felt bad for him.

 

anyways, best of luck to you : - )

 

Rich

[Possibly getting my new bike today.]

Congrats Mimurph, mine is 000705 and already needs a software update for a Bluetooth issue. Driveway still has ice so no ride yet.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Make sure you download the update through the Yamaha website. The unit is made by Samsung. I was told that folks who used the Samsung website update ended up frying their communications system requiring a new head unit. My bike had the original program, which caused multiple warning messages and chirping as I was riding. The dealer updated the system at no cost and I no longer have any issues. Enjoy :-)

 

Rich

[Pictures of my 2018 Yamaha Eluder GT]

Here are couple of pictures of my new Eluder GT and my first impressions and some comparisons between the ELUDER GT and the 05 RSV I previously owned

 

Eluder GT – First Impressions / Comparison with my 05 Royal Star Venture

A week ago I purchased a 2018 3^rd Gen Star Venture GT at Houston Motorsports after 10 mile test ride. First impression was WOW! what a difference the redesign of the retro style Royal Star Venture. Immediately noticed a significant difference in the seat height. The old model left people my height vertically challenged in achieving a flat footed stationary position. The modern design provides me with a solid foot on the ground with some knee bend. Next was the change in weight of the bikes. It comes up off the stand easily and has a well-balanced feel.

 

I was leery about taking the bike out, having never ridden one (it is actually the first time a dealer has let me test ride any bike I have purchased) and the less than comfortable first experience when I got on my brand new 2^nd Gen for the first time. Once in motion, any trepidation I had felt went away. The bike is very nimble at slow speeds, responsive to very little throttle and the clutch is very smooth. Once on I turned onto the street and gave it some gas, it moved out nicely. I would say the torque of both bikes is similar (it has been a while since I have had my 2^nd Gen). First gear has a higher speed than the previous model (not being a mechanic, I can’t say the gear ratios are different or not with any certainty). The Eluder GT has the six speed transmission like the previous version, but, also has 2 different ride “modes”, a touring and sport mode. I haven’t experiment much with them (I had to read the manual to know what the mode button did other than show a T and a S on the console). According to the book it lets the bike response be like a sport bike (to some degree) or the standard touring bike responsiveness. The first negative of the bike was the windshield, it was too short, and the wind buffeting was the first thing I noticed. Toss in a crosswind and it only made it worse. I will admit that it is something that I got used to after 2 days of riding to work, but coming from a taller windshield, it was something that I knew I would change on the very first ride (the dealer threw in the medium windshield including installation). On my 2^nd Gen the stock shield was too tall and I ended up going to the Clearview medium windshield.

 

Speaking of consoles, the new console is light years ahead of the 2^nd Gen, but in all fairness, technology has advance so much it couldn’t have stayed where it. It is a combination of analog speedometer and tachometer, the odometer and gear indicator are digital and the GPS/Infotainment Center is touch screen digital, has a big display that can be toggled to show Audio, GPS, Phone, MPG, Battery and Communications connection information. All of this is controlled from a set of buttons on the left side of the handle bars. It takes some getting used to (reading the book really helps too) but given what it does it is pretty intuitive as well. The Eluder GT is alarm equipped and uses a key-less radio frequency fob like may of the new cages. The ignition took me sometime to figure out since it only requires a push, hearing a click and turning the knob. Overthinking Tom, though you had to push, hear the click and keep it depressed while turning the knob (which, by the way does nothing). If the buttons on the fob are pushed too many times trying to figure it out, it locks out for about 5 minutes as an added anti-theft safety feature.

 

Mother nature has cooperated 3 whole days for me to ride it, 2 days to work and back (53 miles each way). Today I got to ride to the dealership to have the new medium windshield installed, and a bit of around town before heading home(about 50 miles. The taller windshield makes all the difference in the world with the wind buffeting. Who knows, if Clearview offers up a windshield for it, I may invest in one, I like the S-curve at the top and the vent you can get in them. The bike has a 6.6 gallon tank an to date I have been getting 38 mpg on the freeway and 37 in the around town riding. If memory serves me right, the RSV I had would get about 36 on the highway and less in town. I am interested to see if the mileage stays as high or gets better after the break in period.

I know this has been long winded, but those who remember me from my days on the forum as DK Knight, it is to be expected. It is nice to be back, I hopefully will be able to make it to some of the ride-ins that come up and make some new friends in the local area, I was happy to see so many in the Cypress/Houston area. Those to the north (Dallas/Ft. Worth, Austin and San Antonio) ae only a couple of hours away and would be great to have a lunch meet and greet. I remember one of the reasons to ride was to find a good place to eat!

I will post more as I get more saddle time and miles behind me on the bike.

 

 

 

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=111800

 

Well, I went ahead and ordered the taller windshield... I noticed a lot of buffeting during my last ride with cross winds. Looking forward to less wind in my eyes :-)

 

Rich

[My 2018 Yamaha Star Eluder GT]

Here is my 2018 Yamaha Star Eluder GT... I have now clocked roughly 1300 miles and find this bike getting better and better every time I take it out. I am looking forward to a longer ride once the weather starts to warm up and dry out.

 

Just ordered Yamaha saddlebag liners and fog lamps.

 

The only other accessory I am looking at is the medium Yamaha windscreen. I am 6 foot and some change. The buffeting I experience with the short windscreen is minimal. The medium windscreen would definitely eliminate all buffeting. The medium windscreen is 6 inches taller than the short windscreen. All I need is the short windscreen to be roughly 2-3 inches taller. Time will tell.

 

Thanks, Rich : - )

 

 

 

 

[2018 Yamaha Star Eluder]

Here you go... took me a while to figure out the picture process. Let me know if you can see them or not.

 

Thanks, Rich

 

Here are some more photos of my bike today before a short ride... this bike gets better and better each ride!

 

Rich

[2018 Yamaha Star Eluder]

Enjoying your ownership ride reports and updates Rich = thank you!! Also enjoying any and all 's (I LOVE 's) = thank you for taking the time to share those too!!!

Got a question for you. Noticing here that you owned and rode a Strat for ten years. I have spent some time on an 06 Strat owned by my nephew. After attending the unveiling of the Venture at Americade and calming down some (I was one who was really for a 1700cc VMax V-4 Venture), my wife and I packed up our 83 and headed for Sturgis to demo them. Having ridden the Strat considerably and many V-Twin Harleys/Indians - I thought the new 113 Venture felt considerably detuned in comparison to its counterpart Strat motor.. To me it felt like it was missing 10 to 20 horse by my "seat of the pants" dyno and its memory of my nephews 06 Strat. Matter of fact,, I commented to my wife and even the demo guys that it felt "88 inch Harley Twin Cam"ish to me in its performance (those were 70ish horse - maybe).. Later I noticed a cutaway motor (have posted vid of it) at the Star tech tent and, seeing that Yamaha added an extra balance shaft and an extra alternator to the motor it occurred to me that the extra weight on the crank of the new 113 may have been part of the lack of performance I had perceived. Having not had the chance to ride an Eluder and as a comparison, I would be curious of what your "seat of the pants" dyno tells you when comparing your old Strat performance experience with the new one?

I also had quite a conversation out in NY and also at Sturgis with the Yamaha/Star guys and some of that fun :Im not listening toing centered around potential heat problems that riders may experience by Yamaha going with air cooling.. Having listened carefully to the techs in both places explain to me that "Yamaha had 100% solved that issue" I/we were anxious to find out just how true the claim was. Before we demoed the Venture I told my wife that I thought comparing a stripped air cooled bike to a fully faired with lowers bike would not be fair. I questioned the techs at Sturgis about the possibilities of removing the lowers and it was confirmed the lowers were not removable so I formed my opinion (and have written about it for months now) around a comparison between Harley's non-water cooled 103's and the 111inch that Polaris puts in their Indian model and the Venture all with lowers.. I thought the Yamaha fell right in between the Polaris (hottest IMHO) and the Harley (hot but no where near as hot as the Polaris). I also felt the new Venture was considerably warmer than the Strat but considered the Strats open air profile and the fact that its exhaust is tucked in differently (both sides exit on the right) than the Venture to be part of the cause for this.. Does this line up with your thoughts on a heat comparison?

 

Glad you found us and really look forward to maybe meeting you somewhere on the road this season!! One thing for sure,, that GORGEOUS scoot of yours will not be hard to spot when out there CTFW

Puc

 

 

good morning... I purchased the Stratoliner the first year it was available, which I recall was 2007. Black Cherry paint scheme. first Yamaha bagger with fuel injection if my memory serves me right. in stock engine configuration, a decent get up and go engine. revs were in the 3500-4000 where the power increase ended. anything after that was unnecessary strain on the engine. don't get me wrong, it got my 207 pound frame around with no problem. just not at scorching speeds. I rode it like that for 5 years. at that point I thought what the hell. let us add some mods and see what she will do. I left the stock air boxes and filters installed. I added a Power Commander ECU and D&D slip-on pipe. the Power Commander MAP for my configuration was absolute garbage. bike surged and popped. I found a guy in either Nevada or Arizona, don't recall exactly, named Jaffo who was well known for putting together MAPS and selling them with instructions for $50. he had an excellent reputation. I called him and he hooked me up big time. his MAP woke that Stratoliner up like no other. it turned into a tractor puller on steroids. bike freely revved to 5500 and became SUPER fast. I rode it like that for another 5 years before finally selling it due to costs associated with repairs. engine still ran great with 55,000 clocked miles. she was just wearing out in other areas. so, how does my new Eluder compare to the modified Stratoliner? better is the word. I think the power is equal or better on the Eluder side. the Eluder engine is definitely a lot smoother and has more torque. and this is a STOCK Eluder engine I am comparing to my modded Strat engine. that is how good this new engine is. if a Power Commander, air filter and pipes are added, this bike would be unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!!!!! in good ol' California, we are stymied by ridiculous emission laws. I am waiting one day for the government clowns to start enforcing smog on motorcycles. anyways... I loved my Strat. it was a fantastic bike. perfect? no. the Strat weighed somewhere around 745 pounds and my Eluder is roughly 100 pounds heavier. yet the Eluder is a far superior motorcycle in all compartments. the Eluder is so nimble for an 850 pound bike it makes the bike feel like 300-400 pounds. very easy to maneuver and so well balanced going straight and turning on a dime. I could not do that with my Strat. the new engine in stock form is far superior to the stock Strat engine. it is smoother and has a lot more torque. I would much rather have lower end grunt than upper RPM speed. I don't like having to rev the engine high to get somewhere. the Eluder does not require much to get up and go. the valve train is just as noisy as the Strat was... I have heard test riders complain or think the engine is low on oil. I wish I could reach into the computer screen to tap the guy on the shoulder and tell him it is normal. I got used to it with my Strat. Yamaha also designed the dual exhaust to make different sounds. the left side has a pop pop sound and the right side is tuned like a sport bike. combined, they make a pretty cool sound. I had to do some research to find out why they sounded differently. it was also confirmed by the Yamaha mechanic. I am telling you... this new Yamaha bagger is one awesome ride. Yamaha did a great job. so far I am super pleased. I will have to wait until the summer time here in the California valley to assess the heat on the left leg. my Strat pumped out heat also. as a matter of fact, it also directed a ton of heat under the seat, which could be felt in the warmer weather. did it burn me or make it impossible to ride? nope. when screaming down the highway, all was good. on the Eluder GT I have, there are two manual vents down near the floorboards. I am told that they do a good mob dissipating the cylinder head exhaust heat when opened. I can definitely feel a difference riding when they are opened. it creates some good additional airflow. the fairing and cowl on this bike is so well designed it does a great job eliminating unwanted air around my legs. so the vents are well placed. I think I answered your question. if not, let me know. have a wonderful day : - )

 

Rich

[Motorcycle.com comparison of 7 baggers]

After going to their web site and reading the article, I see that only 2 of the bikes are water cooled, the BMW and the Kawasaki. The Kawasaki is the second lightest and has a dry clutch as well as being the least expensive by a lot. If I was into baggers which I am not or at least at this time, I think I'd have to take a hard look at the Kawasaki.

 

I owned the Vaquero for one year and had problems with it. I liked the looks. However, I had to put a Mustang seat on it as their stock seat sucked. I also had to install a taller windscreen as the buffeting with the Mustang seat was unacceptable. Sticky lifters after short storage was a bummer too. Kawasaki recommended 10-15 minute warmups before riding. What a pain the backside! Belt wine was annoying. It rattled over bumps and the suspension was rough even after tweaking adjustments. Power was okay but not great. Had to full throttle to pass at high rpm. I did see an improvement with a K&N filter. I liked my Strat much better. The Eluder for me is the best bike I have ever owned. Great machine!

 

My two cents :-)

 

Rich

[Motorcycle.com comparison of 7 baggers]

 

I rode the BMW 1600B and was not overjoyed... no low end torque. It is all the way up in the higher RPMs. Refined? I would say yes. Looks? Okay. Comfort? Okay. My Eluder GT is a much better bike in my opinion. I sat on the Streetglide. It looks nice. But I was concerned about reliability. And you know what they say about Harley Davidsons. Ride ‘me on the weekend and take ‘me to the shop during the week.

 

My two cents :-)

 

Rich

[2018 Yamaha Star Eluder]

Funny you mention plum crazy... I saw a video that indicated the front fairing was designed after a Plymouth Barracuda.

 

Rich :-)

 

This bike also comes with a hydraulic clutch, which feels a whole lot different than a cable operated setup. I am used to it now and it works great. At first I was thinking what the hell? No longer :-)

 

Rich

[2018 Yamaha Star Eluder]

I purchased the short backrest and it looks great on the bike... I also had the same reservations when I saw it in the pics. Much better in person. I think it fits the bike well and my wife says it is comfortable!

 

I noticed the Yamaha website shows the taller backrest, which I don’t care for. I can see why people have reservations.

 

Rich :-)

[2018 Yamaha Star Eluder]

 

Maybe its the looks and I'm pretending its a v4 but still think it would look good with plum crazy purple with black and gold pin stripes.

 

Sent from my LG-M255 using Tapatalk

 

Funny you mention plum crazy... I saw a video that indicated the front fairing was designed after a Plymouth Barracuda.

 

Rich :-)

[2018 Yamaha Star Eluder]

New article about Eluder @

 

http://ridermagazine.com/2018/01/15/2018-yamaha-star-eluder-first-ride-review/

 

One thing they keep lying about in the articles (cuz I guess they just don't know enough) is that the engine will NOT need valve adjustments. It will.

 

Manual says every 24,000 miles...

 

Rich :-)

[New Venture Pricing]

My dealer gave me $1,000 off as well as installing all of the goody extras I bought for free. They also gave me $200 off my new modular helmet. Fun Bike Center in San Diego is pretty good. They did however lose my helmet securing cable and haven't called me back since I pointed that out to them.

 

I have considered making a beefier pair. The stock ones are okay for the unprepared thief. However, side cutters and a hard yank on the plastic mounting hook would free up your helmet. Two came with my bike.

 

Rich :-)

[New Venture Pricing]

Thanks for your info I am really looking forward to getting on this bike I only need the snow to disappear. I know when I sat on the Star Venure TC it fit like a glove that is what made me go from my Goldwing to it.

 

The Venture is different in a few ways. Different seat, windshield etc... I sat on it and also liked it. My wife and I are not iron butts so I saw no need for the heavier machine. I have to say I was not a big fan at first watching the Yamaha videos. But when I looked at it in person, studied it with my eyes and sat on it, I was sold. It is such a well balanced machine. Turning on a dime even with two up is awesome. I loved the 1845 in my Strat. When I modded the Strat I was able to rev it to 5500 and really scoot. But it had some drawbacks. Not super smooth in between gears at lower speeds. The programmed ECU helped some. The new 1845 is different in many ways. It is a stump puller with a lower redline. I have hammered it a few times to go up hills and pass and have never seen a need to go over 3500. It has plenty of torque and is quick in sport mode. And is super smooth between gears. Smoothest bike I have ever owned and I have owned many. And I absolutely love the Eluder suspension. Easy to adjust and works like a charm. So far I am super pleased! As for the helmet cable... it is cheesy in my opinion. If the thief wanted your helmet with that cable, side cutters would do the trick. Also, the snap hook is plastic. I thought about making a pair that were beefier and longer. But hey, it works for the unprepared thief.

 

When you get her out and break it in, let us know your thoughts. Enjoy!

 

Rich :-)

[New Venture Pricing]

I live in Winnipeg Canada Bought mine 2 weeks ago have not rode yet because of limited supply here and we still have snow on the ground only getting 4 TC'S so thought I better acts there is now only one left here for this year the only break I got was $300 off and 25% off accessories. Traded in my 2001 Goldwing reason for switching was on a recent 9200 KMS trip found my legs and hips bothered me on the wing. There is more stretch out leg room on the Venture I have emailed Yamaha about the complaints on heat and they said if a big issue Yamaha would send out a service advisory and rectify hope this is true we shall see the heat issue is making me a little nervous about buying but our weather is never to hot for to long

 

I have clocked 1200 miles on my Eluder GT and have ridden in low 70 temps. I felt the heat but it was no different than my Stratoliner I rode for 10 years. The complaints appear to be during hot summer temps. I will report my findings when that time rolls around. It is the most comfortable bike I have ever owned. Love it!

 

Rich :-)

[New Venture Pricing]

As a long time Stratoliner fan, I was pleased when they finally announced a new touring bike was coming.

 

I demoed the Venture last week. Loved the way it rode. I like the looks and all the modern appliances.

 

I am a bit concerned with the heat that I felt coming from the bike. WAY more than the Stratoliner. Also concerned about the cost of tires.

 

When I received my quote from the dealer, it was straight up MSRP pricing. And they were only going to give me $3500 for my 09 Strat.

 

For those you that have bought one: Did your dealer move off of MSRP? Or did you pay the full monty?

 

Thanks in advance for any replies.

 

I fortunately know the owners of our local Yamaha dealership and have been buying Yamaha bikes from them for 30+ years... so I was able to purchase the Eluder GT for $22,900, which included short backrest and all weather outdoor cover. A great bike!

 

Rich :-)