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Some initial Impressions. Nice job Yamaha.


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Some initial impressions. Just completed my first long-ish ride, with mixed driving. 20 miles per hour, up to about 80 miles an hour, in the city, near the coast, up in the hills. I did a little bit of all of it over couple hundred miles and several hours.

 

The engine. I have had a lot of bikes with imperfect fueling, lots of experience with Power Commanders and map modifiers and such. I'm happy and a bit relieved to say, the fueling on this bike is wonderful. It's been a long time since I've hopped off a bike at the end of the day and thought the engine was fine the way it was. Yeah, the red line is a bit low, but there's so much usable torque where you need it without drama, it works great for this bike. I kind of had to remind myself to short shift a few times instead of looking for more power in the higher RPMs. At the end of the day, the engine and I were getting along famously.

 

The wind protection. I have the short windshield which is fine at low speeds but not so much fun at highway speeds. Actually did not find the buffeting to be that bad, more like noisy airflow. I ended up using earplugs later in the day which made a huge difference. I've already ordered the medium windshield, we'll see how that works.

 

The handling. I test drove in Electra Glide and an Indian Chieftain before purchasing the Yamaha. Hands down the Eluder is easier to ride (and smoother), the Indian is a very close second. I'm trying to figure out where Yamaha put the 800 + pounds of machine ?! This bike is easier to handle and more confidence inspiring to ride then the spec sheet implies. Absolutely zero complaints with the size of the bike or the handling characteristics. Funny, a lot of people who haven't ridden these bike seem to point out how heavy are... after you ride it, you realize quickly it's a non-issue. I wouldn't go so far as to call this bike a sport-tourer, but holy smokes it a pleasure ride, nice job Yamaha!

 

The Heat. The engine heat is noticeable. Probably more so than many water cooled bikes. I've had bikes with heat issues before, you sort of learn to live with it. I think the jury is out on this detail for me. That's said, a really hot day in stop-and-go traffic, I can imagine it being an issue.... I may look into the accessory vents, see how that might help. Overall, I'm not super concerned about it but it's on my radar.

 

Okay, what else can I say? Aside from some idiosyncrasies, Yamaha did an amazing job with this ride. I'm super happy with it. Still fine-tuning things. As I rode today, I imagined putting some info out there for other people on the fence with this bagger. You just can't go wrong with this bike. I'm not sure how much of Harleys business Yamaha will capture. It's not a domestic product and there's just no way of getting around that. But, for anyone looking at these bikes and objectively comparing their merits, the Venture and Eluder seem like solid choices.

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Great write-up and very much the same way I feel about my SVTC. The heat really hasn't bothered me at all and in fact, I don't feel much. Haven't got stuck in a long line of traffic though. It is certainly no worse, and I don't think as bad, as the 2013 Road Glide that I had. Time will tell.

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Did you see that UFO on the left hand side of the first pic. Must have wanted a test ride.

 

Didn't realize that seagull was so close! Birds+new bike=disaster. I must not let my guard down....paint must stay perfect....

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  • 2 weeks later...

BEAUTIFUL CJ,, A MAJOR :ice_congrats-vi6886 on the new scoot and a double :welcome::welcome1::RED: for the 2 of you!!!!

 

:scared:,,, those wheels remind me of an Evo Sturgis HD I bought/rode/sold a number of years ago,, amazing how one little fine line of red can set off to a perfection an already work of art ain't it... Always loved em and they sure look AWESOME on your scoot!!! All the very best in your upcoming adventures!!!

Puc

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