Yamaha XVZ 1300 Royal Star Venture

Previously called Yamaha, now Star, the bike is pretty much based on a recipe that proved successful despite the fact that that at a certain time during its evolution, the Royal Star Venture was basically decimated by a certain Honda touring motorcycle that we all recognize as the leader and top innovator of the class, the Goldwing.

Star spotted the gap between touring motorcycles powered by enormously big V-Twin engines and the six-cylinder Goldwing and offers the V-four-powered Venture with benefits in between those of a regular touring motorcycle and the ultimate one. It is all about the consecrated 79-cubic-inch, liquid-cooled, 70-degree V-four; DOHC, four valves per cylinder engine which, to be quite honest, we were expecting to get fuel injection this year, but didn’t. Still, fed through four 32mm Mikuni CV carburetors, it develops 97hp at 6,000 rpm and 89 ft.-lb. at 4750 rpm. So this is kind of a Honda Magna of tourers and it sounds damn good.

The way that all that power and torque are being transmitted makes it so unique and the wide-ratio, five-speed transmission with 5th-gear brings a major contribution to the riding experience. The shaft is the key to a long and cheap servicing life of the final drive and, of course the Royal Star Venture has it.

Weighing 869 lbs and not being bothered in showing its weight, this Star features highly-resistant frame as well as air-adjustable suspension that would deal with all that mass. Also, the brakes feature hydraulic discs (two 298mm front and a single 320mm rear).

Star fits it with the Harley-Davidson-like front end with the big windscreen and all, but there’s plenty much to it. With comfortable bucket-type rider and passenger seats (this last gets a backrest as well) long rides are the thing to wish for and with a 15-gallon trunk and 9.3-gallons sidebags, there sure is plenty of storage space to exploit. Furthermore, like on any veritable touring motorcycle, cruise control is of the essence so that riders will enjoy the fourspeaker sound system/CB radio/intercom compatible sound system during those long rides most likely across the States.
If there’s something through which the 2009 Star Royal Star Venture (and all of the previous model years) distinguishes, that’s got to be style. Star went for the bold somewhat old-school design and really made this Japanese bike look American. This thing is massive from all angles and yet looks compact and built around the rider’s touring needs in complete comfort.

Up front, that 150mm wide tire wrapped around the 16-inch wheel is supported by the chromed forks of which you’ll be seeing very few due to the presence of the fairing surrounding the large, powerful 12V 60/55-watt remote-adjustable halogen headlight as well as supporting the high mounted windscreen. Behind that sits the vintage-style console and instrument panel.

That fuel tank will eat 6 gallons of gas and underneath it is the beautifully crafted powerplant to which it delivers. Seen from the rear view mirror, this thing is pretty scary as it is not only tall, but very wide also. Yet, the rider seat is positioned only 29.5 inches from the ground and, as supposed, offers sofa-like accommodations.

The rear end looks almost as good as the front with the trunk and sidecases. Underneath those stand the chromed exhaust pipes and in between, that rear tire is also 150mm wide.

Contributing to the amazing fit and finish are not only the deep valanced fenders, but also the flawless paint with extensive chrome and brushed stainless steel accents. Colors available for the 2009 mode year are Candy Red/Raven and Seashell Raven. This last also adds an “S” to the model name.