5 Of The Best Yamaha Motorcycles For Long Rides (According To Owners)
Writing an article covering the best Yamaha motorcycles for long rides could quickly turn into a piece on the best years for the Yamaha Star Venture or Yamaha FJR1300. However, we'd like to provide a little more variety and point out some other Yamaha motorcycles that owners enjoy most for long distance riding. It's worth noting that for the purposes of this discussion, we're loosely defining long distance motorcycle riding with trips that exceed the 200-mile mark, but everyone has personal limits on the maximum distance they prefer.
Potential candidates for the best long distance Yamaha motorcycles included various classes, such as cruisers, sport touring, sport heritage, and hyper naked. User recommendations result from scouring various forums and gauging the popularity of Yamaha motorcycles for touring.
Some of our candidates are ready to go straight from the factory with cushy seats, windscreens, and saddlebags capable of carrying enough clothes for a few days. Others, however, need a bit of pre-trip prep before putting your hometown in the rearview mirrors.
Yamaha Star Venture
If you're going for comfort and style, you need look no further than Yamaha's impressive touring motorcycle, the Star Venture. The downside is you'll have to find one pre-owned since they went out of production in the early 2020s after the latest attempt to bring it back in 2018.
In a 2018 review of the newly launched "luxury-touring" Star Venture, Motorcycle.com gave the big Yamaha high marks overall. The review highlighted the bike's clutch, transmission, instruments, controls, comfort, and ergonomics.
The 2018 Yamaha Star Venture carried a base MSRP of $24,999 while the upscale Transcontinental trim added $2,000 to that. Power comes from a redesigned, 1,854cc air-cooled V-Twin backed by a six-speed transmission. The big V-Twin makes 90 horsepower and 126 lb-ft of torque, delivered to the rear wheel through Yamaha's "cush drive" system designed to smooth out the power plant's rough edges. A final note about the engine is its "semi-dry-sump" design that allows the bike to have a lower center of gravity.
While the V-Twin makes getting the 950-plus pound Star Venture to cruising speed, and keeping it there, a breeze, the amenities make the miles more comfortable. The top-line Transcontinental Package comes with features like GPS navigation, dual zone audio control, fog lights, and a security system. Standard features include adjustable items like floor boards, driver and passenger backrests, and windscreen height. Of course, it also has a trunk capable of holding two helmets and saddlebags big enough to carry a few changes of clothes for two.
Yamaha BOLT R-SPEC
A surprisingly popular long-distance motorcycle is the Yamaha Bolt R-Spec. Currently, the only cruiser-style motorcycle from Yamaha (other than the V Star 250), is one of the coolest looking motorcycles Yamaha ever made. While its bobber-inspired design leans more to urban commuting, the interwebs abound with tales of its long-distance exploits.
The 2024 Yamaha Bolt R-Spec starts at $8,899 MSRP and features its own torquey air-cooled 942cc (58 cubic-inch) V-Twin with enough power to scoot the 542 pound machine down the road. The V-Twin uses fuel injection, pent-roof combustion chambers, four valves per cylinder, and a 9.0:1 compression ratio to deliver up to 51 mpg.
Yamaha describes the Bolt's Raven Black paint scheme and sparse chrome appearance as "Urban Performance Bobber" and notes that it's "ready to customize" to better fit individual customer needs. For long distance riding, popular customizations include adding a windscreen and saddlebags. Several long-distance Bolt R-Spec riders also mentioned the bike's 3.4-gallon fuel tank providing limited range between fuel stops, and some suggested carrying extra fuel canisters to guard against running out on some desolate stretch of highway.
Yamaha Super Ténéré ES
The Yamaha Super Ténéré ES is not only suitable for long distance riding that takes you to the end of the road, it'll take you past where the pavement ends too. Yamaha's MSRP for the 2024 Super Ténéré ES is $16,299 plus a $575 destination charge.
Yamaha says the Super Ténéré ES is "built for superior long distance adventure touring," and many owners love it for longer trips, even pointing out the long-travel suspension's plushness on rough stretches of roadway. However, some online forum users expressed disappointment in the bike at speeds above 85 mph.
The Super Ténéré ES is powered by a liquid-cooled inline two-cylinder that displaces 1,199cc with dual overhead cams and four valves per cylinder. With its 11.0:1 compression, fuel injection, and transistor-controlled ignition, the 584-pound bike gets up to 43 mpg. The impressive fuel economy combined with its 6.1-gallon fuel tank gives the Super Ténéré ES a maximum range of approximately 260 miles between fuel stops.
The Super Ténéré ES comes with a tall windscreen mounted to the front fairing to protect the rider and passenger from wind and debris. Those destined for long rides should consider the optional flexible luggage system that includes side bags and a top bag.
Yamaha Tracer 9 GT
While Yamaha technically discontinued the Tracer 9 GT and replaced it with the updated Tracer 9 GT+, either version makes a great long distance touring bike. With its MSRP starting at $16,499, the 2024 Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+ is an attractive alternative to the FJR1300ES we'll discuss next.
Technical specs for the Tracer 9GT+ include a 890cc liquid-cooled inline three-cylinder with dual overhead camshafts and four-valves per cylinder. The three-cylinder powerplant features an 11.5:1 compression ratio, fuel injection, and transistor-controlled ignition. The 492-pound bike's 5.0-gallon fuel tank and estimated 49 mpg give it an approximate range of 245 miles before running out of gas.
To enhance its long-range touring capability, Yamaha equipped the Tracer 9 GT+ with a tall windscreen for comfort and saddlebags to carry extra clothes. Additional comfort features include a semi-active suspension that automatically adjusts the damping forces based on riding conditions. Premium touches like the adaptive cruise control and radar-linked unified braking system contribute to rider safety.
Yamaha FJR1300ES
If you're familiar with sport touring motorcycles, the Yamaha FJR1300 needs no introduction. While the 2024 FJR1300ES, starting at $18,299, is an excellent example of a long-range sport touring motorcycle, the FJR1300 has been around in various forms for over 20 years and the ES version since 2018.
At the heart of the FJR1300ES lies a liquid-cooled, 1,298cc inline four-cylinder engine with dual overhead cams, four valves per cylinder, and 10.8:1 compression. The engine features the same YCC-T fuel injection system and transistor-controlled ignition found on other premium Yamaha motorcycles in addition to a six-speed transmission and shaft final drive. The FJR1300ES weighs 642 pounds and squeezes 237 miles out of its 6.6-gallon fuel tank at an estimated 36 mpg.
Rider and passenger comfort are key components to riding a motorcycle long distance. To that end, the FJR1300ES offers a number of components that adjust to fit its passengers. For starters, the seat offers a tool-free two-position 0.8-inch height adjustment. Plus, riders can choose from three positions for the handlebars for improved ergonomics. There's also the electronically adjustable windscreen with a range in excess of 5.1 inches. If that's not enough, consider the electronically adjustable suspension with four preload and three damping settings at the push of a button (with more options set manually).
Why did we choose these Yamaha motorcycles for long rides?
We chose these models based on owner recommendations found on online forums and personal experience gained through thousands of miles on a number of bikes. Of course, we probably failed to consider someone's account of covering 1,000-plus miles on a Yamaha R1 or R6, but that's okay. Those are great bikes for their intended purpose, but not many folks would choose either over any of the bikes we listed for a long-distance motorcycle trip.