Driving report Yamaha XVZ 13 TF Royal Star Venture

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Driving report Yamaha XVZ 13 TF Royal Star Venture

Dream ship

It will enter German ports in April 1999 and should be available for around 31,500 marks: the Royal Star Venture, Yamaha’s new supercruiser for the big tour.

Yamaha is falling from one extreme to the other, it seems. First of all, the Japanese shock the competition with their Supersport blockbusters? and now present the XVZ 13 TF Royal Star Venture, a motorcycle that will heat the minds no less. After the BMW K 1200 LT, the Honda Gold Wing and the Harley E-Glide Ultra Classic, there is now another »Mister Bombastic«, a new dream ship for cruiser fans, created for enjoyable travel.
A weight of more than 400 kilograms is a record, which, according to Yamaha, “made extensive redevelopment of the engine and chassis necessary”. Simply taking over the nominally 74 PS strong V4 engine of the XVZ 13 A Royal Star would not have been befitting in view of this mass. For the Venture with 98 hp, significantly more power is promised, which is to be achieved, among other things, through sharper valve timing. Furthermore, the engine, which is rigidly connected to the frame, inhales its mixture through larger carburettors, now with a diameter of 32 millimeters. Two voluminous air filter boxes ensure that the thick ship does not run out of breath.
On the chassis side, the Venture differs from its »little sister« XVZ 13 A in that it has a thick main frame tube that runs under the tank, which is intended to give the steamer sufficient stability even when fully loaded. A new, now standing rear shock absorber provides the cruiser-sized damping comfort.
Since the Indian summer literally falls into the water on the first trip in the US state of Maine, the 300-kilometer tour brings in-depth knowledge of weather protection: thanks to the thick running boards and the wide leg shields, shoes and lower legs remain largely dry. The sweeping windshield ?? in the German version it is cut by around 20 centimeters ?? also protects the upper body in an exemplary manner, albeit not entirely without disturbing turbulence. Only the thighs get thoroughly wet in the long run because the fashionable, but more show-oriented additional wind deflectors along the mighty stanchions are not particularly effective. In return, the seating comfort of the Venture fully deserves the title “suitable for long journeys”. The well-cranked handlebars allow an upright, relaxed sitting posture, thanks to the wide and well-padded saddle, even after a three-hour drive, the very best doesn’t hurt too much.
And when the next day the sun was shining and the deciduous forests were shimmering in the most beautiful colors, after another 200 kilometers it was clear: sailing on a big ship is really fun. Of course only if you get involved in the venture? and as quickly as possible to throw reservations overboard. Of course, such a colossus doesn’t slide from one curve to the next by itself. But it is not true that it was only good for driving straight ahead. The Venture can be persuaded to lean at a brisk pace without any great emphasis? accompanied by the metallic crunch of the running boards that touch down early.
The air-assisted, underdamped spring elements in the bow and stern work very comfortably, but the Venture is still sufficiently stable even with a brisk pace and spares the driver from unpleasant sweating. The front section, however, takes some getting used to, as it feels as if it was wrapped in cotton because the handlebars are comfort-consciously stored in rubber. Developing a feeling for the front wheel is therefore quite difficult at first. In addition, the extra wide front 150 mm roller is quite sensitive to ruts. The Venture’s front braking system requires a strong hand, but in combination with the powerfully biting rear window, the load can be reliably brought to a standstill at any time. Unfortunately, the venture captain looks in vain for an ABS.
And the revised engine? He is quite unimpressed by the weight of the Venture, never seems overly strained, drives nicely in the lower to medium speed range and spares the driver from annoying vibrations, which is typical for V4s. Despite all the inconspicuousness a real character actor who speaks very cleanly. And the venture? if it has to be ?? very nimble to the end of the speedometer scale, so to 180 km / h. Not only because of the easy-to-use cruise control, the entertainment value of this engine is at least as great as that of the standard cassette radio (with four 14 watt loudspeakers) and the obligatory intercom.
No, it’s mainly due to the sound: It easily outperforms that of the on-board radio. With its two long stainless steel end pieces, this 1294 cm³ V4 opens up indescribably beautiful worlds of sound, which the Japanese manufacturer should quickly have patented. Yamaha swears stone and leg that this experience should also be retained in the German Venture version.

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