The new Star Venture blurs the line between modern and traditional with a big V-twin engine, crossover styling and every modern touring bell and whistle known to man…and then some.
Today?s luxury touring motorcycle market is a much different kettle of fish than it was in the 1980s and ?90s, when sophisticated German and Japanese bikes with their smooth multi-cylinder engines defined the genre. Harley-Davidson?s subsequent dominance of the heavyweight touring market and the modernization of its bikes has had a huge influence on luxury-touring preferences, to the point that today we?re left with just the Honda Gold Wing and BMW K 1600 GTL carrying the multi-cylinder flag among a sea of V-twins. And as our Kings of Comfort comparison showed (Rider, August 2015), the latest Harley and Indian dressers have evolved to the point that a flat six or four-cylinder engine is no longer required for a motorcycle to excel as a flagship luxury touring machine. Our two-up test ride took us more than 700 miles from Boise along the Salmon River and over the Bitterroot Mountain Range in Idaho and Montana. Despite the high temps, the Star Venture and a Camelbak kept us supremely comfortable the whole time.
So, what?s the problem" Riders who want modern luxury still have the Wing and GTL, and the traditional/emotional crowd can choose among any number of well-equipped V-twins with retro styling. Well, Yamaha says these two approaches have left many riders confused and unable to choos...