Yamaha Pulls the Wraps Off New Star Venture Touring Bike

Comfort for two is a clear priority for this massive cruiser.

byEric Brandt|
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Last month Yamaha Motorcycles ran a “Journey Further” video series. The series involved riders of their Star cruiser motorcycles talking about how much they love them and what they’d like to see on a new model. It was a hype campaign for the new Yamaha Star Venture transcontinental touring bike, which was just unveiled last night.

The all-new Venture is a big, well-equipped cruiser that looks very well suited for traversing a whole continent-worth of road. According to Yamaha, the bike “combines emotional V-twin performance with cutting-edge comfort and technology."

Yamaha Motorsports

It’s easy to see that comfort for two is a priority on this beast. Both seats are heated and adjustable, the grips are heated, the passenger floorboards are adjustable, and you get a 7-inch infotainment system with Bluetooth, voice control, and optional navigation. Other deluxe options include SiriusXM, dual-zone audio control allowing the driver and passenger to listen to different audio sources, LED fog lamps, and a security alarm.

Power comes from a 45-degree, air-cooled, 8-valve, 113 cubic-inch V-twin engine with 126 lb-ft of torque and horsepower still unknown. It has six gears, the top two of which are overdrive, bringing revs down as low as 2,750 rpm at highway cruising speed. There’s also a new Sure-Park system which is an electric motor with both forward and reverse drive for when you don’t need all 113 cubic inches to park your bike.

Yamaha Motorsports

Finally, there’s the styling. A Harley knockoff this is not. It has modern, swoopy styling that kind of reminds us of the recently deceased Victory brand that made famously futuristic touring bikes like the Vision. Yamaha did a nice job blending heritage and modern design in the same way a lot of car companies are doing now.

This is a unique bike that splits the difference between a retro Milwaukee-style cruiser and a more modern, less traditional touring bike like a Honda Gold Wing. It’s clearly aimed at—shall we say—more mature riders? Let’s just say it would make a great Father’s Day gift for grandpa this year if you love him enough to fork over the $24,999 base price.

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