Yamaha Royal Star Midnight Venture reviews

I own two Yamaha cruisers, a '87 1300 Venture Royale (yes, with an E), which I bought the summer of '19 w/86k on it (all stock) which still runs like a champ..an incredibly smooth riding machine! One negative at least for me is, unlike the passenger who has floorboards, the driver has foot pegs instead, which makes a huge (comfort wise) blood circulation/leg muscle cramping difference, floorboards all around makes more sense on a cruiser. I bought my '07 1300 Midnight Venture late summer of '20 w/17k on it, runs like a beast. There are two negatives so far, one (unlike my '87) no passenger arm rests option, at least not that I can find, which I think is odd since it is a "2 up" cruising bike and the other is the trunk is way to shallow. I prefer full-face helmets but can only fit "half" helmets in it, unlike my '87 which easily fits two full-face helmets. As for riding/handling characteristics of either bike under various weather conditions, I cannot comment, I am a "fair weather rider". All-in-all..so far, both are awesome bikes! Show less

As an old motocross rider, I had never ridden street bikes much so I really didn't have a frame of reference. I do now. I bought my 2007 RSMV in May and I love everthing about it. With 19K already on, it was well broken in and the power is strong all the way through the band. A six speed would have been nice on long trips, the only reason I didn't give it 5 for performance. My bike looks and feels brand new and for $8K less than new so I am extremely pleased. I think HD's are too expensive for what you get. The only thing my bike doesn't have that HD's do are the HD insignia's and carburation instead of FI. One pet peeve - a cassette player? Come on man! Great Bike! Show less

Over 350000 miles in 40yrs of riding on the road and I saved the best for last. It just don't get any better than VENTURE. One ride on this bike will get it done. Show less

I own a 2006 Midnight Venture. This is the 4th bike I've owned and the best by far. This bike is powerful and comfortable for the long rides. It's great for two up riding. This handles twisties better than any cruiser I've ridden. The radio sounds great at 70+ MPH. The cruise control works great. This bike is carbureted, but it is very responsive and mine always fires right up, even on cold mornings. I've heard other owners of this bike complain about primary gear noise. All I can say is that mine does not whine. I think this is an awesome bike and would recommend it to anyone wanting a long distance tourer. Show less

If you're looking at buying a Royal Star Venture, buy one! You won't be disappointed! I own a 2003 Midnight Venture that I bought in '04, used, with 5,000 mi. on it. I transferred the remaining 5 year, unlimited mileage warranty (no charges either!), and only had to use it twice for minor repairs. I've put over 20k trouble free miles on it since then. This bike is the best bike out there in my opinion. It is rock solid!! I pull a clam-shell type trailer quite often for extended camping trips, and it has plenty of power for it, and then some. The ride is awesome; stereo is very clear sounding at highway speeds and electronic cruise control works great. You have probably read reviews about gear whine issues. Well I'm here to tell you that I have not heard any from my bike, or other friends' bikes at all. I also own a '97 Royal Star Tour Deluxe, and it has the same engine with 40k+ on it - no gear whine at all. My only complaint is the Ventures are not fuel injected. But the carbs (4 of them), do work fine. It's just that it's very cold blooded in the cold morning start-ups. You just have to warm it up a bit longer, that's all. Buy one, and then you to will soon learn that it is the best long distance carrier out there on the highways! Ride safe. Show less

I have now had my Royal Star Midnight Venture for one year now and I can say that I still absolutley love it. If there was one thing that I would change on it, it would be just a little more horsepower. That can be remidied fairly easy. I added leveling links from diamond r and what a difference. It makes the bike feel totally different. Raising the back shortens the rake of the steering and also lowers the center of gravity slightly, making the bike much more nimble. Now I can throw it through the s curves with all the confidence in the world. I am very pleased with what Yamaha has built and I will probably ride this one for a very long time. One thing about the horsepower. I did not mean to imply that there is a lack of power. I have had it in the tripple digits a few times, and she does it with ease, so power is not bad just some times in the lower rpm ranges it would be nice to have a little extra umph when in a higher gear. Anyway no complaints. My Yamaha dealers service department has also done a wonderful job of taking care of me and my bike. Anything that I have had an issue with they have more than come thru. Show less

I have ridden my Midnight Venture on several long trips from NC to CA and I have only had one problem. A vapor lock. I loosened my gas cap, listened to a whoosh and everything was a go from then on. I would recommend a Venture to anyone that wants an excellent touring bike. I also have a GoldWing and I prefer the Venture when riding by myself. Double, I prefer the Wing. Show less

I read all the reviews before buying. It was a choice between this and a Harley Ultra for me because I wanted the classic styling, plus I couldn't afford the price tag of a Gold Wing. This bike has the styling, but it is a lot quieter than a Harley, which is great for me (no more ringing in my ears after a long ride). One review mentioned gear noise, but I can't even hear the gears on the highway -- the bike is quiet enough to actually hear the stereo at comfortable volume levels on the highway! I only complained about 3 things after my first 100 mile cruise on the bike: 1) Heat on the feet -- there is no airflow below the shins, and the heat from the engine makes it quite warm for the feet. I will have to solve this by buying a set of lower wind vents to help with this, but the Yamaha part is $248CDN -- pricey! This is the reason why I only gave the bike 4 stars for comfort. Otherwise, no complaints! 2) The brake pedal is too close to the engine for me, but I'm starting to get used to this now. 3) I missed the clock in the odometer of my last bike -- but I discovered that all I had to do was hold down the Select button for 2 seconds to make the clock appear -- problem solved! (OK, so that was a very minor problem, but I couldn't find anything else to complain about.) This bike is a perfect fit for me. Being a tall rider the bike height is just perfect, and doesn't feel at all top heavy for me. I have now worries about ever dropping it. Smooth power, a quiet ride, and it handles like a dream. Gearing is good and it purrs along comfortably at 60 mph. My wife's only complaint is that maybe there is too much room for her on the back seat! Other than that, she's really riding in comfort. Show less

Bought a new (left from last year's stock--3mi. on odometer) '06 Midnight Venture, about a month ago. Commute about 55mi. each way to/from work. Mechanically, seems excellent, so far--a good, solid, secure feeling when riding. Read reviews about being top-heavy, which concerned me before test-riding. My previous bike was a 2000 Kawasaki Voyager XII, so the Venture doesn't feel that top heavy, relatively speaking. Had issues with the sound system not responding to controls when temperatures were under 50 degrees F, but dealer checked connections under the fairing, and no problem, since. No other issues, at this point. Quite satisfied with decision to buy this bike. Clutch basket chirp, which I read about before buying, is a little annoying, but doesn't happen at hwy. speeds, so I'm dealing with it. I understand that it can still go on, even if the basket assembly is replaced. Show less

This is truly the best bike I've owned. Bought it new last year 2006. Put 4500 kms on it last year. didn't want to get off. Handles well. Stereo's great too. It's just an awesome ride. What else can I say? Show less