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!

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!

So, you're getting the nagglies worked out. Good. You're riding an Eluder, right? Good to read of your heat generation experience at 82 F.

I'd also suggest that you create a copy of that access code and place it somewhere also, out of your abode. Just double and safe redundancy. If you have a bank deposit box...that is cherry for this. A jump drive/printed copy tucked away.

Cheers,

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

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

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, Idaho to Montana's Flatlake. I'll make 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 by 07:00 hours that Friday...iron-butt rode to Moncton, New Brunswick, (had booked a room at a nearby hotel a mile from the airport), got there around 17:00 hours, 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.

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you!

Happy Easter to you and yours Rich, safe rides...and we always should remind ourselves------>...ride--->, to ride again!

Happy Easter, everybody!

Here's the procedure from the service manual

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

Yes, I am considering it. I had an extra one when I had my Harley. I kept the battery out of the spare and gave it to a friend that was along on the trip. I never had a need for it but it was nice to have it just in case. Looking online, it appears it is anywhere from $160 to $195 for a replacement fob if I am looking at it right. The service manual does give the procedure for adding/removing fobs to/from a bike.

Do you have a site where you ordered you Key Fob. $160-$195 is cheaper than the cost we were quoted.

I bought mine from Yamaha of Cucamonga for $152.10.

SKU: (2DF-86261-00-00) XMTR. COMP.

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

 

thanks,

 

Rich

Mine too!

Not sure what steps (Steps 6&7) I see many people are saying they didn't have in their manuals. I realize many of these comments are old, yet I am sure there are some new Venture Riders out there that may want to get an additional fob, I just did. I paid $179.17 for mine. The procedure in the manual is convoluted, but it worked. I just had to get the steps correct in my head. Once I did, I finally got it programmed. If any one needs the procedure, let me know,

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....

Hi I just got mine it took a week to get it costed $ 250 I got it becuse ya never know if you loose the the first one then your stuck. I met a guy on a ride in North Carliona who lost his for a Harley and was lucky enought to have a 2nd one at home otherwise it was a long walk back to kentucky ..anyway now I'm tring to program the thing and can't find any good information

..anyway now I'm tring to program the thing and can't find any good information

I have not tried it myself, but if I understand correctly: put your original fob away, out of range. Then, using the code under the spare key, follow the emergency start instructions in your owners manual. you'll be pushing that button in the front of the right(?) saddle bag up to 54 times if your key number is 999999 (6 numbers times nine corresponding entries).

I am pretty sure I read about it in this forum - if it's here, FREEBIRD will provide a link when he has a chance.

Anyone else have their key number memorized? I got lucky with a number that has an easy, biblical reference. But I also have a picture; it's written in the manual, and like a phone number in the tour-pack on top of my trunk rack....