Yamaha Star Venture may not come to India

Yamaha has taken the covers off the Star Venture luxury cruiser motorcycle in the United States. This full-size luxury cruiser has been labeled as the Intercontinental tourer by Yamaha. It rivals the Honda Gold Wing, Indian Roadmaster and BMW K 1600 GTL.

The Star Venture is priced at $24,999 (approximately Rs. 16 lakhs) in the US, and for an extra $2000, one can get the Transcontinental package that offers LED fog lamps, additional stowage compartments for the pillion complete with USB charging ports and an alarmed security system.

As the engine does not meet Euro-IV norms, it is quite unlikely that this motorcycle will make it to Indian shores thanks to our recently introduced BS-IV norms. Besides, the strong hold of Harley-Davidson in this segment means the Star Venture won’t sell as much as it deserves to.

The Yamaha Star Venture sits on a rigid, hybrid chassis that uses steel for the main frame, while the sub-frame is made of die-cast aluminium. Suspension duties are taken care by 46 mm forks up front and a linkage-type, gas-pressurised rear shock with a remote adjuster for easy adjustment of preload.

The motorcycle runs on a 130/70 section tyre with an 18 wheel up front and a 200/55 section tyre with a 16 wheel at the rear. ABS is standard and Yamaha is also offering Unified Braking System that adjusts front and rear brake force in real time to provide strong, linear braking performance.

Visually the motorcycle features a humongous fairing that is home to the quad, full-LED headlamps, an electrically adjustable windscreen that offers up to 3.5 inches of up/down movement, now that’s a cool feature. There is also storage with USB for charging any electronic devices.

Placed inside the fairing is a 7-inch LCD that is controllable by touch or handlebar controls or by the rider’s voice. The LCD features a Navigation system, Bluetooth connectivity and also a 2-speaker music system to keep the rider entertained on long rides.

There are large side bags and a top case (that is wide enough to accommodate two full face helmets) that offer 141-litres of total luggage carrying capacity. The motorcycle is also equipped with a keyless lock and ignition system and the luggage cases come with factory-fitted electric locks.

The Yamaha Star Venture is powered by an 1854cc V-twin engine that churns out 171 Nm of torque and comes paired to a 6-speed transmission while the final drive is handled by a belt. Yamaha hasn’t stated the power figure but that massive torque indicates that the motorcycle is a powerful one.

To cool down this behemoth of an engine, Yamaha has a simple air-cooling as well as a compact oil-cooler (that’s hidden between the chassis down tubes) that helps regulate engine temperature. Traction control and riding modes are standard on the motorcycle.