Really it sounds like a chopper? that would be a reason for me to walk away. I like a nice engine sound like a maseratti sedan , that whole loud pipes thing just isnt for me.
I think it'll do well. The luxury touring market is competitive with the BWM K1600gtl, the Harley Electraglide Ultra and the Roadglide ultra, and arguably the reigning king, the Goldwing. The Kawasaki Voyager is sort of the budget entry into the field but shouldn't be counted out as it is a very competent tourer with enough bells and whistles to be counted as a luxury tourer, just not quite on the same level as the others. The Yamaha FJR has been at the top of the big sport touring range pretty much since day one, and when it isn't, it's close. Yamaha knows how to do touring. I think this one will definitely give the others a reason to take a long look at their bikes and where they need/should update and improve them, especially the Honda as it is the longest serving bike in the category (but still my personal favorite). I think that making it a V-twin is a bit of a gamble seeing as the two best bikes in the category are 6cyl and the air cooled thing is a mistake IMO, but everything else looks right on the money. The price tag is not out of line compared to the competition either. An Ultraglide is $30,000+, a Goldwing is $31,000+ and the BMW K1600gtl is $32,000+. Heck, the big sport touring bikes like the FJR and the Concours are $19,000+ and the BMW R1200rt which sort of lands in the middle between the FJR and the K1600 is $21,000 base but gets up to $28,000 quick when you start adding factory options.
I can't wait to see some reviews on it and how it stacks up, especially against the Honda!
Virtually no one riding a sport touring type bike would be looking at this new Yamaha as an alternative IMHO and, yes, the Goldwing seems to be in a class of its own.
I know that the older I get, the more I find these bikes appealing! I'm not ready to give up on ST bikes just yet (although I may consider and ADV Touring bike next just for the comfort) and I don't have $30k so its only pie in the sky talk right now, but if I did have that kind of $$ I'd take a long hard look at one. I am hoping to get out on a demo ride with a Goldwing this summer. I'd probably happily ditch my Bandit for one!
Really it sounds like a chopper? that would be a reason for me to walk away. I like a nice engine sound like a maseratti sedan , that whole loud pipes thing just isnt for me.
Am I the only one bemoaning the loss of the v4?
That motor was amazing. If they had stuffed a v4 into it and kept the Venture heritage, they would have been on the right track. With the demise of Victory, there's room for a futuristic, fully capable tourer... putting a big air-cooled twin in it is a nod to heritage, which is at odds with the looks. Which I kind of love.
Yamaha builds a GoldWing....