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Update 2018 Yamaha Star Venture 11,147 Miles On Odometer

12K views 36 replies 16 participants last post by  CheezyRider 
#1 · (Edited)
Turned over 11,000 miles on the 2018 Yamaha Star Venture and thought I would provide an update.

The bike runs great, plenty of power, if you want a little more sporty mode then just push the mode button on the right side of the handle bar to Sport Mode and the ECM map changes to a more lively map over the Touring Mode.

Sport mode is active through the low and mid range and really livens up the response. Want to go back to a more laid back ECM map just push the mode button again and it changes back to the Touring Mode.

Oil results from Blackstone Lab are showing the engine is wearing very well with no problems.

Ride quality is outstanding with good tire wear, I am getting 3,000 miles per 1/32 of tread depth, so if you run the tread down to the wear bars that is using 7/32's of rubber and at my readings comes out to 21,000 miles tire wear for the rear tire. Tire wear is always dependent on the right wrist but so far I am getting very good tire wear out of the Bridgestone tires.

The sound system is outstanding on this bike, I am including a couple of youtube videos one of them on fuel mileage and one on the sound system quality.

Fuel mileage is outstanding, here are five fill ups all two up riding with stop lights and traffic involved with open road riding as well.

9/9/18: 174 miles 3.399 gallons 47.94 MPG

9/27/18: 189.2 miles 3.940 gallons 48.02 MPG

10/5/18: 143.7 miles 2.931 gallons 49.02 MPG

10/13/18: 145.9 miles 2.938 gallons 49.65 MPG

10/17/18: 181.2 miles 3.780 gallons 47.93 MPG

This is real world two up riding.

Sound system video:



Fuel mileage video:

 
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#2 ·
Thats some great MPG. Would you say you ride on the easy side of things? Or maybe a better question would be, is this much better than you ever got on your Vic?
 
#3 ·
I ride this bike the same way I rode the 2013 Victory Cross Country Tour and the 2016 Harley Davidson Ultra Limited and I get better fuel mileage from this Yamaha Star Venture.

I don't drag race from stop light to stop light or stop sign to stop sign and ride with traffic. Just normal everyday riding and in the fuel mileage receipts I posted those were trips for lunch from Cape Coral, Florida to Sarasota, Florida and back just riding around enjoying our day.
 
#5 ·
Regarding the Tour mode vs Sport mode: is it really selecting between 2 maps, or is the Sport Mode just a more aggressive throttle mode like an electronic 1/4 throttle ring?
 
#8 ·
Another owner talked with Yamaha directly and they told him that it does change the ECM map, adding more timing and fuel as well as quickening the throttle response, so it is not just an electronic 1/4 turn like a cable throttle system. I had the 1/4 turn throttle ring on my 2013 Victory Cross Country Tour and this Yamaha is a much more noticeable change when you go into sport mode. Again sport mode operates in the low and mid range, once you go past the mid range it is operating just like the tour mode at that point.
 
#7 ·
Redvic,
If you can. Please post a short video of how to take the trunk off.
Interested in seeing how the big Yamadog converts into a bagger.

Thanks,
Webby
 
#10 ·
Redvic,
If you can. Please post a short video of how to take the trunk off.
Interested in seeing how the big Yamadog converts into a bagger.

Thanks,
Webby
While you can remove the trunk it is an involved job and really is not designed to be removed and replaced like the Victory Trunk on the Cross Country Tour bikes.
 
#9 ·
Thanks!
 
#12 ·
Here is the first video I did on the seat heaters, grip heaters and where my battery tender cable was. Being in SW Florida I had not used the heated seats or grips so I was not completely familiar with how they worked so the above video was a follow up.

 
#14 ·
One more video showing the keyless system and how the key FOB works, you can turn off the key FOB on this motorcycle. The Trunk, saddlebags and the right front fairing cover all lock and unlock with the key FOB and the ignition is keyless.

 
#16 ·
Great videos. Glad your enjoying you new Yamaha Star Venture Transcontinental.
Would love to see a video while on a ride. Maybe explaining the different modes and showing the performance difference. A stop light burn out ? Then a hard run with some red line shifts!
Just kidding. Thanks for sharing. Really a nice bike !
 
#20 ·
I have ridden this bike and one negative was the service interval--
Now at 11k, aren't you looking at a valve adjustment in 4000 miles?

You sound like you ride like a gentleman-- I love Bridgestones....but never have seen anywhere near the mileage you're talking about and I can't imagine it on a bike that heavy with that much torque. Heavier bike = more wear. I try to be conservative, but love hammering the throttle, haha.

The ride modes are quite pronounced. I didn't like the Sport mode much. It was too jumpy to give my passenger a smooth ride.

Glad you can post this stuff on here-- the VOG is a great forum.

I hope they continue to evolve the bike and ditch some of the bells and whistles and chrome doo dads and do an "8-ball" version.
 
#21 ·
Have you done any performance mods yet? Great videos by the way, looks like a great bike.
 
#22 ·
Short video on how to change the clock settings, here we are in 2018 and still clocks in electronic items can be a challenge to change until you figure out the right procedure, in this case you have to uncheck the GPS button to get full access to the clock functions.

 
#24 ·
I have ridden this bike and one negative was the service interval--
Now at 11k, aren't you looking at a valve adjustment in 4000 miles?

You sound like you ride like a gentleman-- I love Bridgestones....but never have seen anywhere near the mileage you're talking about and I can't imagine it on a bike that heavy with that much torque. Heavier bike = more wear. I try to be conservative, but love hammering the throttle, haha.

The ride modes are quite pronounced. I didn't like the Sport mode much. It was too jumpy to give my passenger a smooth ride.

Glad you can post this stuff on here-- the VOG is a great forum.

I hope they continue to evolve the bike and ditch some of the bells and whistles and chrome doo dads and do an "8-ball" version.
If you don't want all the bells and whistles then look at the standard Star Venture, it does not have all the features of the Transcontinental model and is $2,000 dollars less.

Yamaha recommends checking the valves every 16,000 miles but with the hydraulic lifters I am betting that like the earlier version of this engine used in the Raider and Stratoliner it will be rare to find it needing a valve adjustment. My understanding from those who own this engine in the other models dealers tell them if you don't hear it ticking don't bother checking the valve as they don't find them out of adjustment much.

I read one guy who did not do his first check until 50,000 miles and it was not out of spec.

The only thing I recommend is using an oil with 1500 parts per million of ZDDP (Zinc, Phosphorus) due to the flat tappet style cam and each cam lobe and lifter operating two valves and two valve springs, that will ensure you have a sacrificial coating on the cam lobe and lifter to protect them.

These new oils have reduced the amount of ZDDP and the new anti wear additives do not coat the parts the same as ZDDP does so you can risk scaring the cam lobe and or bottom of the lifter where it contacts the cam lobe. This is on any flat tappet style cam system by the way, if you have low spring pressures you can likely get away with the new oils, but in this engine you have one cam lobe and one lifter operating two valves and two valve springs at once.

In my opinion why take the chance, just run an oil with 1500 PPM of ZDDP or more and you will have proven protection for a flat tappet style cam. I run Redline 10w-40 motorcycle oil in mine for the ZDDP content.
 
#25 ·
Hmmmm...
If they had hydraulic lifters, there could be no adjustment....that's the point of the hydraulic lifters.
There also must be a means of adjustment, which would be, I assume, a screw type or shims like in the Moto Guzzi -- which also calls for 15k adjustments.

What you say is encouraging-- I figured Yamaha had learned from HD and created a reason to bring dealers more service business. I do not want to be running to a mechanic every year for an expensive service .
Victory, HD, and Indian have hydraulic lifters --hence no adjustment procedure.
 
#27 ·
this may or may not make any sense as i have no mechanical talent but i remember thinking that a valve adjustment on my vtx was going to be a big job . apparently honda has strategic holes here and there where you just pull a plug or a bolt and adjust from there, no need pulling valve covers off. had it done around 40,000 mi's and that babe ran like new after that , not that it ran that bad before though. memory isn't a strong point here so i could be way off :question:
 
#28 · (Edited)
I finally saw one these on the road the other day. It was the same model as @RedVic 's bike. These bikes look much better in person than in the photos we have all seen. Very good looking machine! @RedVic I'm glad this bike is working well for you. That is awesome!
 
#30 ·
I did a video on the trunk space showing two full face helmets in the trunk. The new Honda Goldwing is a real challenge to get two full face helmets in and depending on how large the helmet is even a single full face helmet in its trunk. One helmet is a Arai Corsair X size small and the other helmet is an Arai Corsair RX-7 size extra large. Those who are used to the Victory trunk and saddle bag space will be happy with the trunk and saddle bag space on this Yamaha as well.

 
#33 ·
Blackstone Laboratories Used Oil Report 4000 Mile Run
I changed the oil at 12,000 miles this run was for the full 4,000 interval. I sent my third oil sample to Blackstone Laboratories and this is the result.

Oil brand: Redline 10w-40 Synthetic motorcycle oil

Oil use interval: 4,000 miles

Unit: Engine Yamaha 1854cc V-Twin

Comments: Bill, This is an excellent third report for your Yamaha. You've run this oil longer than the first two samples, and wear held steady. That's excellent - it means you're getting less metal per mile. Not all engines wear exactly like average, and this case yours is better than most. You've got good averages established for the engine, those numbers in the unit/location column compare quite well against the universal averages. The oil is holding up well too, with a very strong TBN reading of 8.3. No fuel or water showed up, & the viscosity is fine for a 10w-40 oil.

Miles on oil: 4,000

Miles on unit: 12,000

Sample Date: 11/03/18

Make Up Oil Added: 0

Elements in parts per million

Aluminum 5 Universal Average 7

Chromium 0 Universal Average 0

Iron 5 Universal Average 12

Copper 2 Universal Average 7

Lead 0 Universal Average 1

Tin 0 Universal Average 1

Molybdenum 543 Universal Average 77

Nickel 1 Universal Average 1

Manganese 0 Universal Average 1

Silver 0 Universal Average 0

Titanium 0 Universal Average 0

Potassium 0 Universal Average 2

Boron 14 Universal Average 76

Silicon 13 Universal Average 10

Sodium 9 Universal Average 55

Calcium 2980 Universal Average 2521

Magnesium 7 Universal Average 182

Phosphorus 1748 Universal Average 1213

Zinc 1946 Universal Average 1410

Barium 1 Universal Average 1

SUS Viscosity @ 210F 73.1 Values should be 65-76

cSt Viscosity @ 100C 13.77 Values should be 11.6-14.8

Flashpoint in F 430 Values should be >375

Fuel % <0.5 Values should be <2.0

Antifreeze % 0 Values should be 0

Water % 0.0 Values should be <0.1

Insolubles % 0.1 Values should be <0.6

TBN 8.3 Values should be >1.0
 
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