Affordable Motorcycle

A Review Of The 2011 Yamaha Royal Star Venture Motorcycle

Doing away with any pretense of a lack of luxury aboard the Yamaha Royal Star Venture, Star motorcycles engineers have dropped all but the Yamaha Royal Star Venture S for the 2011 model year. Who wants a stripped-down dresser, anyway? Retaining all the style and comfort that riders of Star Motorcycles have come to expect of the brand, the 2011 Yamaha Royal Star Venture S takes the concept of a touring motorcycle, makes it affordable to get aboard, and still packs a serious punch of power when you twist on the throttle, thanks to the generous helping of torque served up by Yamaha's smooth and leggy liquid-cooled V-4 engine.

Upgrades from previous years

Nada. Subscribing to the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" philosophy, Star motorcycles engineers gave purchasers of the 2011 Yamaha Royal Star Venture S a different paint option, but left the rest of the bike be. Not that that's a bad thing. The Venture has plenty of power, loads of comfort, and voluminous cargo capacity.

A V-four engine in a touring motorcycle?

Yamaha has had a lot of success with incorporating new designs into the motorcycling world. One of the most practical and useful of them has been the V-4 engine utilized in the Royal Star Venture. Departing from the V-twin mindset, Yamaha produced the V-4 with the idea to provide solid fuel economy, light weight, and a low center of gravity. Much smaller than comparable twins being used in touring motorcycles, the 79 cubic inch, 1, 294cc liquid cooled engine features dual overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, and transister controlled ignition. Four 32mm Mikuni constant velocity carburetors are definately old-school style with other rides having long since switched to fuel injection, but they get the job done, and that's all that most riders will ask. Smooth and powerful, the V4 engine in the 2011 Yamaha Royal Star Venture S is about all you could ask for a turnpike travelin' two-wheeler.

2011 Yamaha Royal Star Venture S Chassis

The Royal Star Venture S, far from being an uncomfortably tall bike, sits relatively low for its size, providing a deceptively controlled ride. Although the Honda Goldwing might best the Venture in popularity overall, there's no denying that the Yamaha's got just the right stance for a touring cruiser. A telescopic front fork is air assisted, and provides 5.5 inches of travel, while a single shock on the back swingarm provides an air-assisted 4.1 inches of travel. Braking is accomplished by dual hydraulic discs in front measuring 298mm, and a single hydraulic disc resides on the back wheel, at 320mm. The fork-mounted fairing on the 2011 Yamaha Royal star venture S provides plenty of comfort and weather deflection, and an extended 67.1-inch wheelbase allows for some class-leading ergonomics.

Pricing and colors for the 2011 Yamaha Royal Star Venture S

Pricing starts out at $20, 090 for the 2011 Yamaha Royal star Venture S, and can be had in two-tone Impact Blue/Deep Blue only. The seven-spoke cast wheels look good, and all around, the 2011 Yamaha Royal Star Venture S is an attractive, rideable traveler. Wanting for a different color might leave you a trifle unsatisfied, but all in all, there isn't much not to like about Yamaha's bagger. If you're looking for a good ride this summer, this is it.