| Author | Message | ||
     Rick_a |
The XSR700 is making it to the U.S. It's a little smallish and weakish for me. My DR fulfills any role this would fit and more.  | ||
| Teeps |
Hughlysses Posted on Sunday, November 19, 2017 - No love for the new KTM 790 Duke? Yes please! I'd have one if it was available right now at a cost of less than 12 grand msrp. The Guzzi above could work too, but again not in production until late next year. Street Triple R or RS are in the cross hairs now... | ||
| Jaimec |
My only issue with the Yamaha is the radiator. It should be blacked-out so it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb. Other than that, it's pretty cool. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Get an XSR900 - it has a black radiator  | ||
| Jaimec |
I rode one of those and really liked it a couple of years ago in Lake George. | ||
| Pwnzor |
Take it off, paint it around the edges and put a black grille over the face of it. Black out the front fender too, if we're doing all that. | ||
| Ratbuell |
I think the silver fender is a nod to the old-school chrome fenders of yore... | ||
| Jaimec |
I think if it isn't chromed it should match the paint on the tank. | ||
| Tootal |
It's hard to tell but is that stripe on the tank white or silver. If it's silver then I get the fender color, but then again, a red fender with the same stripe would have been better. But then again, they didn't ask me!  | ||
| Ratbuell |
We just pulled our first XSR700 into the showroom. Silver and charcoal. Front fender, headlight, and center tank console are all charcoal. Slick looking bike, nicely balanced. We don't make 'em "hot" this time of year so I couldn't drive it - yet - but I like the look. Silver rad on a silver bike almost looks like bodywork. Blends a bit better. https://cloud.yamahamotorsports.com/library/img.jp g?id=59c2e07d2a0ab7223c26882b&w=840 | ||
| 86129squids |
Hey Joe- a reminder to tell us about your saddle time in that new Yammie Venture cruise boat... Not that I'll ever be in the market for a new one of those, or a Wing, or any $20K plus cruiser- but as category benchmarks for each brand, I'm always curious. That Hossack style fork on the new Wing is pretty interesting. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Yep, everyone wants to see those...neither the 'wing nor the Venture will be seen in the wild till at least calendar '18. Definitely plan to spend time in/on both, though, once they arrive. | ||
| Jaimec |
I got to ride the new Venture in Columbus back at the end of September during the AIMExpo. Best thing is, I got to ride it in REAL WORLD conditions (heavy urban traffic). Only heat complaint I had was felt on my feet and that was solved by sliding them farther out on the floorboards instead of right up against the block. I'm used to the snappier acceleration of a light-flywheeled multi-cylinder bike so the heavy flywheel twin felt "off," but the engine never felt strained and the engine did pull strongly throughout the rpm range. The electric "park assist" was fun to play with in the parking lot, too. Seating position was good, though I prefer my feet almost directly below my thighs, not out in front (makes it harder to stand up over bumps, or to ride standing up to stretch my legs). Still, the boards give enough room to play around with, and they were far from the feet-forward position on the Harley V-Rod or the Indian Scout. All in all, it is not a bad bike. I want to test ride the new Wing in Daytona in March to see what that one is like. On paper, it sure looks like a winner. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Did you play with the power modes at all on the Venture? Supposedly toggling from 'tour' to 'sport' makes quite a difference in throttle snap... | ||
| 86129squids |
I kinda wish they'd used the new gen V-4 V-Max motor instead of a twin, what with Yamaha tradition and all... V-Twin vs. flat-six. Looking forward to the comparos. | ||
| Jaimec |
As a matter of fact, I did. At the start of the ride, they recommended we leave it in "Tour." About halfway through the ride I flipped it to "Sport" and they were right... it was a little too "twitchy" in the congested traffic we were in, so I flipped it back into "Tour." | ||
| Tootal |
I kinda wish they'd used the new gen V-4 V-Max motor instead of a twin The four cylinders buzz and that's why I'd never own another one. The cadence of a V-twin doesn't bother me. I'd like to ride one too but I'm afraid the fuel consumption is below what I expect from a touring machine. | ||
| Jaimec |
I had the original Venture Royale back in 1993. That engine did NOT buzz. There was a bit of a rumble letting you know there was something going on, but that was about it. The engine had a 72 degree V (instead of the more balanced 90 degree) so it had counterbalancers to cancel out the primary and secondary imbalances. | ||
| Tootal |
My Dad had a Venture Royale and you are correct, it didn't buzz like an inline, but I still preferred the lope of a V-twin. I remember my Dad racing me one day and that big top heavy behemoth pulled my K100RS BMW all the way to 110 mph but wind resistance and gearing caught up with him and I ran away after that. Very impressive machine though! | ||
| Jaimec |
The Venture Royale was the original "Hot Rod Luxury Tourer." I put over 40,000 miles on mine, but unfortunately the materials used to build it just didn't hold up over time. The exhaust collector under the engine was just cheap steel and rusted through twice. It was NOT inexpensive to replace, either. The plastic used for the trunk was a bit too thin and everybody I spoke to who had one for more than a few years experienced cracking on the bottom half. Plus, the shifter-shaft seal (trying saying that a few times fast) could not be replaced without breaking the shifter itself. I loved that bike, but really don't miss it at all. My K1200LT is faster, handles better, and 18 years and 210,000 miles later has also been less problematic. | ||
| Tootal |
I loved everything about the K1200LT but the saddlebag room. Now I don't know if anyone would consider this porn but my brother has embarked on an unusual project and since the V-Max was mentioned I show you the V-Max Trike!  So if you remove the gas tank from under the seat and build a frame using existing holes and mount a motor for a Winch driving a roller and you have reverse!  | ||
| Ratbuell |
More of a tongue-twister: shift-shaft-seal. The "er" makes it too easy! | ||
| Jaimec |
On long trips, two-up, I just removed the CD carousel. The bags don't LOOK big, but they are DEEP. We routinely took two-up trips two weeks long with nothing more than what we could fit in the hard luggage and a small duffel lashed to the luggage rack on top of the trunk. Then again, my wife is an experienced motorcycle traveler who knows what to bring, and what can be left behind. Of all the new bikes introduced, the one that really calls to me is the new Wing. It has the ONE feature so many manufacturers seem to have forgotten: The ability to run on regular, 87 octane gasoline!! | ||
| Crusty |
It has the ONE feature so many manufacturers seem to have forgotten: The ability to run on regular, 87 octane gasoline!! That alone is a very compelling feature. | ||
| Rkc00 |
My new ride http://www.mjrphoto.net/Photography/Mikes-Quiver/2 017-Indian-Chief-Vintage/i-FxhNrPZ/A | ||
| 86129squids |
Slick! Congrats, now you can invest in some serious wax/leather/chrome/shiny stuff polishes... | ||
| Rkc00 |
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| Rkc00 |
I will be posting my Uly up for sale in the for sale forum. PM me if you are interested | ||
| Jaimec |
All that leather is going to need some maintenance to keep it looking good... just sayin'. It looks GREAT now, but... | ||
| Jaimec |
I checked out the new Wing at the NYC IMS and I was disappointed at how SMALL the saddlebags were. I think my K1200LT's bags can hold more (with the CD player removed from the right side bag). The trunk looks "adequate." When the GL1800 first replaced the GL1500 they downsized the luggage and took a lot of heat over it. After manufacturing moved back to Japan (so they could build more CARS in the US) they increased the size of the bags. Why on EARTH would they shrink them again? There are SPORT-tourers out there with bigger bags for God's sakes! |
