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One of the selling points for the Yamaha Star Venture is the heated backrest. Butthat level of luxury isn’t for everyone. Enter Yamaha’s new bagger, called the Star Eluder, which looks like a Star Venture that went to the gym, shed some weight (and the heated backrest), and gained some muscle.
The Eluder and the Venture are mechanically identical, and there’s a clear family resemblance. These belt-driven touring bikes share the same chassis and air-cooled 1854-cc V-Twin engine linked to a six-speed transmission. However, the Eluder is considerably lighter than the Venture, tipping the scales at 875-pounds compared to the 957-pound Venture. Still a pretty freaking heavy bike, but not bad considering its size. Despite the weight savings, the Eluder gets the same 34 mpg rating as the Venture.
The Eluder retains the hard saddlebags of the Venture but ditches the trunk. It also has a smaller windscreen than the Venture and fewer standard features. Notable absences on the standard options list for the Eluder are a passenger backrest, rear speakers, reverse-drive, heated grips, fog lights, and an electronically adjustable windscreen.
Despite what’s missing on the Eluder compared to the Venture, it’s still a very well-appointed bagger. What does come standard is ABS, traction control, cruise control, and a 7-inch infotainment system with Bluetooth. The optional GT package brings the Eluder closer to Venture luxury by adding navigation, SiriusXM, CB radio, and a security alarm.
The Eluder starts at $22,499 with the GT package bringing the price up to $23,999. For reference, the Venture starts at $24,999 and adding the Transcontinental option package costs $26,999. So, an Eluter GT is still a grand cheaper than a standard Venture.
Although the two bikes are mechanically identical, don’t think of the Eluder as a budget version of the Venture. Think of it as a bagger with a lot of nice features rather than a luxury touring bike made for comfort for two. A passenger will still be plenty comfortable on an Eluder, it just won’t be as luxurious of an experience as it would be on the back of a Venture.
We like the athletic look and bagger attitude that the Eluder brings to the table accompanying the refined Venture. We could even see it giving refuge to disenchanted Victory enthusiasts who are looking for somewhere to turn now that Polaris’ modern cruiser brand is dead.
The Eluder is slated to compete with bikes like the Indian Chieftain, BMW K 1600 B, and Harley-Davidson Street Glide. Yamaha has really stepped up their game in the big bike segment and we can’t wait to throw a leg over both of these touring machines. Check out the video below and “elude conformity.”
