Any suggestions between a used Royal Star, Road Star, or V Star?

Hi,

I currently ride and own a 2002 Honda VFR Interceptor (Sport Touring bike) and had the 86 Honda Interceptor before that. Now in my early 30s, I am thinking about making the switch to cruisers since I enjoy longer scenic day rides, relaxing and enjoying the scenery more, and want to stay comfortable. My arms and wrists start to get uncomfortable with my bike after an an hour or two of riding. Maybe once a summer, I'll do a weekend trip. Once every month or so, a day trip. And finally, I still do a lot of quick 1-2 hour short rides around the city or suburbs of Boston for fun, commuting (with traffic), running errands, etc. So looking for something versatile. I'm 5'9 and 185 lbs.

After a bit of research, I found the Road Stars and Royal Stars were highly recommended. I've also always heard the V Star recommended over the years. So, I'm hoping someone could give me some suggestions based on my riding style and a break down of the pros and cons of each. I read the Royal * is v4 so feels smoother and has power at higher rpms. I do like the stop and go pickup of my sport bike, so I'm not sure if the Road *'s V twin is better in this regard? Does the v4 mean much longer lasting engine? Unfortunately the dealers around Boston don't let riders ride the bike, also I might have a problem finding a Royal Star in the dealer since they don't make them anymore, but I'll try my best to find one and and compare the models by sitting on them. If it's any help, I have rented a Harley Davidson Soft Tail Heritage and a HD Road King. I fell in love with the feel of the Road King over the Heritage. It was more comfortable and felt like it handled better with more power. 300 miles in a day felt like nothing in it, and it was still great for bumming around the local city streets at stop and go traffic. If I enjoyed the Road King, which of the 3 Yamaha models would be a better fit?

Here are some Craigslist ads I was looking at:

1996 Royal Star, 30K Miles - $3k

2005 Royal Star, 16K Miles - $4.2K

2000 Road Star, 30K Miles - $3.95K

Any input would be much appreciated for this Yamaha Star newbie! Thanks.

Coming off those Interceptors you will REALLY appreciate the V-4!! Might wanna dig around in the "history" area here at VR and take a quick check as to when mother Yamaha went back to the higher HP though.. I think up till 03 or something, the RSTD Royal Stars were trimmed a lot.. Nothing wrong with the V-Twin Yams either but, like I said, if your use to Honda V-4 umpph, you will LOVE these Yams.. Durability wise - the Yam V-4 has proven wayyy into nothing short of amazing in what it will put up with, tough as nails - if ya take care of its maintenance needs.

Now, all that said, if your thinking you would like to ride a comparable bike to a Harley Potato masher,, Yam V-Twins are great. Personally I think Yamaha comes closer to the "sound" of the Harley.. I also think the V-Stars (I happen to be in love with the Raiders) are great bikes - very durable!!

Best wishes in what ever you choose to ride Ty!! Oh yea,,WELCOME TO VR!!

Puc

Agree with Cowpuc on V4. Once I test road one I knew it was for me. Take the 05 and never look back!

Hi there Tyler.

I have both the Royal Star Venture as well as the older Royal Star Tour Classic II 1998.

Yamaha made the older Royal Stars with 64 HP motor from 1996 to 2001.

In the meantime though they introduced the "Big Queen" the Venture the year 1999 and produced it through 2013. The Venture had the same engine but with bigger carbs and different cams as well as counterbalancer with an output somewhere around 104 HP.

In 2005 they introduced the Royal Star Tour DeLux that has the same V4 engine as the Venture and produced it through 2009.

Now all of these bikes have ample power and even though the older Royal Stars from 1996 to 2001 have less horsepower and lack of counter balancer then the power is quite sufficient and the lack of a counter balancer does not give any kind of shake. It is actually very smooth running engine.

By reading through your post I would suggest that you look for a Tour Delux with low mileage. They are easier to use for around town riding but have ample power and comfort for long distance riding. The Venture is quite top heavy and one has to show it a little respect when coming to a stop and not as nimble for town riding. But one does get used to it and I personally use my Venture for town riding all the time without any problems.

You should be able to find a good bike for the following amount based on my research on the internet but I follow these prices pretty much from month to month. The price is based on the oldest year and then goes up. And of cause every once in a while there is a bike for a lower price and a good deal to be made and some are more pricier:

Royal Star 1996 to 2001: From around 2.500

Royal Star Tour DeLux 2005 to 2009: From around 4.000 US$

Royal Star Venture 1999 to 2013: From around 4.000 US$

Good luck with your search

I started on an 09 vstar 950. Found it wasn't quite enough horse for long distance comfort.

Then 09 Royal Star Tour Deluxe. The liquid cooled V4 changed the experience completely, but I wanted more storage and creature comforts, like a cassette deck.

By this time I'd found Ventureriders, so my dealer had an easy time selling me a '12 Venture. I kept the TD because his idea of a fair trade in value was ridiculous.

Which bike?" It's always an interesting decision because it comes down personal preference. I doubt I'll ever go back to a Vtwin because, to me, the V4 feels so much smoother. The RSTD is easier to handle in traffic and at slow speed, but the difference, to me, is more in my perception of the weight and balance and my need to remember which bike I'm on and make appropriate slight adjustments to riding style. The Venture is more comfortable, carries more stuff, good electronics, incredible cassette deck.

I tend to figure out what my most demanding use will be and buy a machine configured to do that. Seems safer than buying smaller and forcing it right to the limit of capability. That's how breakdowns happen.

The Venture will do everything you describe in your original post, with comfort and ease. The Tour Deluxe can do all of it but may be a little stretched for carrying capacity on multiday trips. The Road Star can probably do it all, but you may find yourself making compromises about what you carry and the comfort and ease of the trip.

All are fine rides and, if treated with respect, will serve you well. Match the tool to the task.

The '05 would be my choice, even though it is a few more $$$. Plus, for some reason, when I see a bike on a trailer, I always click the next button.

The Road star is a long stroke, push rod V-twin. It's not a high revving engine but will pull like a tractor. It's a dry sump engine so oil change is PITA. It's got separate lubrication for the primary chain so that's another service point. Belt drive, which I like.

The V-Star is an overhead cam V-twin with wet sump oil like you're used to - drain one place, fill at the engine and watch the level in the window. The 650 and 1100 are shaft drive and carburated. The 950 is fuel injected and belt drive, not sure about the newer V-star 1300 whether it's shaft or belt but I believe it is fuel injected. The 650 is light on power and may be too small for long rides. 950 people will debate whether it's large or heavy enough. The 1100 and 1300 should easily be comfortable all day motorcycles.

The Royal Star is a carbureted, shaft drive V-4 with a wet sump. Definitely big enough to be comfortable and probably most similar in maintenance and feel to the bikes you're used to.

 

The V-Star is a carbureted, shaft drive V-4 with a wet sump. Definitely big enough to be comfortable and probably most similar in maintenance and feel to the bikes you're used to.

v4

Everybody knows the black ones are the fastest.

v4

Sorry, meant "Royal Star". Fixed original post.

Thanks for the responses guys!

So I think I'm leaning towards the 05 or later 2nd gen Royal Star Tour Deluxe if I can find one available. I'm not really considering the Venture since I don't need the full tour package, ride solo, and don't really do that many long trips.

Waiting to hear back from that one ad on the 05 Royal Star Deluxe for $4100 but so far no response. There is another 05 Roy Star Deluxe for $3900 but it has 75K miles on it. That seems a bit high and worried about maintenance and future resale if I decided to sell in a few years. Are those assumptions correct? There is also a 96 Royal Star Tour Classic available for $2900 but I'm unsure about it since it has the lower horsepower and is the older model. I do like the look of it though, and single owner and extremely well maintained. Are there other design differences that make it worth holding out for the 2nd gen 2005+ models? HP that noticable?

P.S.

If I can't find a Royal Star, are the V-Twins like Road Star, V Star, (even considering the Kawasaki Vulcans) noticeably different when on the Highway since they aren't classified as Touring bikes? Do you get fatigued a lot quicker? How about around town? I keep hearing about about Twins having better lower RPM torque, and I'm not sure I would miss that with the Royal Star.

Thanks!

I own a 2009 Star 1300 Tourer, its a water cooled v twin, but looks like it isnt, its fuel injected, 5 speed, belt drive. Gobs of power, very quiet smooth motor, the engine is well liked by owners though the early model years had teething problems, stripped steering head nuts, fork klunks, poor handlebar pullback, factory set too lean from factory but easily fixed by a 50 cent part to fool the oxygen sensor. But its a cruiser trying to be a part time tourer, i see them for sale well below NADA prices.

I think with some upgrades they are a good value for the money, the newest versions have batwing fairings.

Tyler,

Welcome to the site. I ride a 2007 Royal Star Tour Deluxe and absolutely love it! I think you ought to go with the Tour Deluxe. You will never regret it. This bike is a great mixture of cruiser, or tourer. You can take the windhsield and backrest off with the click of two levers, and the bike turns into a completely different machine. Or you can load it up, hit the cruise control, and let it ride. Yes, i did mention cruise control. The other bikes you mentioned do not come with a cruise control, and trust me, you will love that feature. The notion that a Venture has more storage room than an RSTD isn't necessarily true. The Royal Star Venture has a fairing on front while an RSTD has a windshield. The Ventures fairing houses the radio and gauges, but doesn't offer storage bins. So, you're not going to be able to store more on a Ventures fairing than you are on an RSTD's windshield. The back of a Venture has a nice lockable trunk, but, it doen't mean it has more room than a large t-bag that you would mount on your luggage rack on the RSTD. My wife and I have ridden our RSTD to over 20 states, and we have a huge bag mounted on the back that I'm almost 100% sure will hold more than we could cram into a trunk. Having said that, I do love the Ventures, and I wanna own one someday. Even though I know I will potentially give up some storage capacity when I switch to the Venture. Anyway, I say get yourself an RSTD. You can't beat the V4 motor, and what I like most about it is; not very many people have them. I love the fact that pretty much everywhere I go, nobody knows what my bike is. VStars and Road Stars are everywhere. They're a dime a dozen. Don't be a follower. Get an RSTD and be unique. LOL.

I have a VStar 950 Tourer, an 89 Venture Royale and a 2005 Royal Star Venture. each is unique in it's own way.

The 950 is a fantastic run around machine. I've ridden 300 to 400 mile days on it. Yea, the motor gets "busy" at 80 mph, but it handles well in all situations. it's light on power... but 2 up...I have no problems going up 7 mile long hills at 7% grade at 75mph. Gets 48 to 52 mpg and never needs anything other than tires and oil. VTwin, FI and belt drive.

The 89 VR is a sport touring bike. High center of gravity, full frame fairing and tons of stuff on it. Goes like a bat, handles like a cheeta in heat and is very comfortable. It is my goto bike if I'm going camping in the woods and hills. It loves to rev and run and carries gobs of goodies. You can lay that puppy down and scream around a corner that most bikes would cry to be able to do.

The 05 RSV is my "lets go get some ice cream 2 states away", bike. it loves to run on interstate at 75. Carries two people and gear with aplomb. By far, much prettier than the Harley Ultra it was designed after. It also is fast as long as you let the engine rev...higher gearing for cruising.

So there ya go....not one of the bikes I have are what you are looking at...BUT...that said...the RSTD would be the scoot I would recommend. It has the V4 power and high revving engine that you like, can carry 2 up or stuff for days on end as a tourer...but can be stripped down quickly for around town rallys and fun! Well balanced, easy to work on and very reliable V4 with shaft drive.

The Yamaha engine and drive trains are bullet proof if taken care of....they will go 100 - 200K plus! My two Ventures are closing on 50K and in excellent shape.

So, I agree with Lenny...if you can find a well taken care of RSTD with around 50K miles on it, It will do everything you want with minimum issues. Resale value will never be a long suit with a metric bike....but you won't have any troubles selling it if you take care of it. Plus, the people and wealth of information on this site are worth the $12/year to help you when and if you need it.

david

Thanks, I'm really itching to find a Royal Star Tour Deluxe! My main question is, is the older 1996-2001 Royal Star Tour Classic that much different? As mentioned in my last post, I found a '96 and it looks very similar to the RSTD. I know the HP is less as it's a tuned down VMax Motor, but any other big design changes? I can't seem to find that info anywhere. Or would you just recommend holding out for a '05+ RSTD. I did find an 05 but it has 75K miles.

Last bit of advice then I'll stop bothering you guys!

Look around for older 1st Gen Venture and ride the Best for a while!!!

((Or would you just recommend holding out for a '05+ RSTD. I did find an 05 but it has 75K miles.))

I just bought my 05 RSV with 50K on it last month. I paid $4K for her. I consider she's just getting broken in. Seriously. She's now got 53,900 and I'm riding her on 3 hour trips (each way)... each week or more. I changed tires, changed oil and filter and hit the road.

If the bike has been taken care of.....and you can tell that my looking at it and asking questions...it's going to do well. All mechanical things break down once in a while...but a good well-cared for Yamaha minimizes that concept nicely! My 05 RSV.

Shame you weren't able to get in on the RSV that sold recently by a member with over 100K miles. I would have gone for that in a heartbeat. Good price and those miles would not bother me...cause I know the bike was well cared for. Good luck...keep your eyes open...!

I recently made the switch from a venture to the roadstar. I want look back . I love the venture and may have another in the future but really digging this 1600 v twin. Love the sound and the way it pull like a mule down low. And yes with a few add on's can be ran long distance just like the venture. Longest so far for me was 6 hours in one day and got off and played in a pool tournament then rode back that night.

now I have been thinking since my last post. Seems to me you are leaning to a rstd or rstc. Both of which are great bikes but both of which cost more than a second gen . Why not get a 2nd gen and remove the trunk then you have all of the electronics of a venture and none of the long run gear for the looks of the tc and td

Thanks guys for all the advice! I just bought a beautiful 2005 Royal Star Tour Deluxe on EBay. Have to drive down to NJ to pick it up this week!!! Only 28k miles for $3,750 and supposedly well maintained.

Can't wait to join the family!

Now that's a steal! Enjoy and welcome to the family!

Good find. you will enjoy the ride. May take a couple of rides to get use to the weight but find once you relax you have a hell of a bike.

Good looking bike! Enjoy it!

I started 4 yrs ago, (when I new I was retiring), with an '01 Road Star that was all souped up and loud as heck! Bought an '06 Royal Star Venture and have made many changes and upgrades based on help I've received on this site. As far as I'm concerned, you can't get a better deal than a RSV for comfort, durability and pure pleasure....Welcome and, good luck!!!!

Thanks guys for all the advice! I just bought a beautiful 2005 Royal Star Tour Deluxe on EBay. Have to drive down to NJ to pick it up this week!!! Only 28k miles for $3,750 and supposedly well maintained.

 

Can't wait to join the family!

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