The 2018 Yamaha Star Eluder is big, it’s heavy, and it’s here. Or at least, Yamaha has given us our first look at the bike.
The Star Eluder is another luxury cruiser, a line that Yamaha seems to have gained a sudden interest in. It’s basically Yamaha’s F6B; if the Star Venture is Yamaha’s counterpart to the Honda Gold Wing, then the Star Eluder is the stripped-down version of that bike, just like the role Honda’s F6B plays.
Not that the Eluder is a lightweight. Most of the bike is the same as the Venture (engine, frame, wheels, etc.). It weighs in around 397 kg. It has the features that motorcyclists of discerning taste have become accustomed to: cruise control, a 25-litre tank, 67 litres of luggage capacity, a 7-inch infotainment screen with voice control (GPS navigation and satellite radio optional), traction control, multiple power delivery modes, slipper clutch, heated seats, and an 1854 cc engine that makes 126 ft-lb of torque.
That’s a lot of machine.
However, it does not have the tail trunk of the Star Venture, nor the rear-mounted speakers. The transmission’s reverse gear has been deleted, there are no heated grips, no fog lights, and no electronic windshield adjustment. Such sacrifices pare off about 36 kg of weight, and about $4,900 of MSRP. Currently, Yamaha Canada is listing the Star Venture with a $27,099 price tag; head to the Yamaha site for more details.
The reason for its existence ‘eludes’ me.