2018 YAMAHA STAR VENTURE TOURER

Motorcycles are purposely marketed to get someone on the back of them, and yet small, hard, and high seats are the norm until you get to the touring category. But even then, seat straps, hot seats, and lack of amenities reign supreme. Yamaha seeks to change that with its latest fully dressed tourer, the Star Venture.

To prove it, big blue invited journalists and the toughest critics of all—their significant others—to come ride the new bike through Idaho and Montana over three days. For Team Gustafson, this meant bringing my new wife Kari. T

THE V-TWIN OF THE VENTURE

Yamaha’s survey results revealed touring customers love the noise, sensations, and torque of a V-twin.