new Yamaha Transcontinental Touring

[OlyF6B]

Mechanicals notwithstanding, the styling doesn't work for me. The front is a mash-up between a Kawi Vaquero and the Can-Am Spyder Tourer and the back is like some '60's Truckster...

[willtill]

Needs a car tire.

[VStarRider]

It is an up to date machine with all the features I want. I like the looks. Like others, I would prefer a V4 liquid cooled on a bike this expensive. Of course, that might tip the scale to 1,000 lbs+.

A major advantage the F6B offers over any cruiser competition is that it is built on a standard bike platform...and, therefore, handles quite well. I think the handling makes me feel as safe as having ABS on a loafing traditional cruiser. That would be my concern with this Yamaha rig...the handling.

[Redlinez]

Crazy, almost didn't click on this, thought it was a tire name..... I'm considering a Ultra Classic, Indian Chieftain Darkhorse with tour pack, and possibly a GW. I'm probably least interested in the GW due to ride and lack of new stuff (would basically be my 3rd GW). Now I see this and am quite intrigued. I will definitely look at it and compare to the HD, it would probably bump my desire for the Indian based on my style and hearing about Indian repair/reliability issues. This Yamaha reminds me of a 67 Firebird front end. I still choke at the idea of $25k bikes though.......

[Steve 0080]

I think it is a very nice looking bike...now if the heat generated does not effect the riders then this may make Yamaha

a lot of money !!! Front end is sexy !!!

[Miks]

When I look at the Yamaha...it looks like GoldWing bodywork/parts in many ways.

Here is the truth - the bagger segment IS the demand segment in the marketplace, and is the most profitable to a manufacturer. Although we love our F6B's, we value more performance in a bagger than the V-twin offers.

That being said, Harley has been successful with the V-twin market, because of the character of the bike's long stroke V-twin motor. I have had a few Harley's, and they do have a certain amount of bad-ass feel to them, although they are sort of a dog Harley sells a lot more Ultra-classics than Honda does Goldwing's, so people aren't all out on the performance side, they want that cha-chug cha-chug sound as they cruise down the road.

With regards to air cooling, Harley had to do the twin cooled on the ultra's, but not on the street glide or road king. But...the Indian Road Master and Chieftain/Classic, Street Glide, and others actually use liquid cooling in the form of oil cooling. They spray oil on the bottom of the piston's to cool them, and flow a lot of oil through the head to dissapate heat from the motor. They use a rather large oil cooler to maintain specific temperatures. Suzuki did this for many years on the GSXR and Bandit series, and is quite effective without having to add radiators, water pump, and the associated plumbing.

The air cooling is a cool thing, and has a lot more technology involved than most understand. Air cooling does have a lot of advantages on a motorcycle, mainly on a V-twin engine but not on a four cylinder or a flat six...it just wouldn't work. If I lived in Arizona, Las Vegas, or anyplace that 100 + temperatures were the norm, forget about it, water cooling is the way to go all the way. Otherwise, it offers a method of cooling that isn't very complicated.

The Yamaha looks quite cool. I ride with a guy who is ape nuts over the Indian's and Victories...he has owned about 10 of them. I sent the link from this forum to him when the Yamaha was first let out of the barn, and he thinks this may be the answer now that he can't buy a Victory.

My thoughts are - no one is buying very many Goldwing's anymore. I know where there are numerous 2015's and 2016's on the showroom floor, and this Yamaha will take even more Golding buyers. It is time Honda steps up - which I think they probably have this in the works, to provide a more modern version of the luxury touring bike. The new Harley 107's are almost a Honda as they sit, so Honda needs to bring something to the market that can compete head on with them.

[taxfree4]

You're just not going to get a die hard Harley guy on a Honda, or a Yamaha for that matter, no matter what you do. Honda can duplicate the Ultra Classic to the tee but if it says anything but Harley-Davidson on the tank it will not appeal to the Harley rider. No one complains about Harley more than Harley owners but that is part of the package. Yamaha needed a new big tourer and this was the answer, BMW came out with theirs so Yamaha was the next in line. IMO it looks like this bike has two Kuryakyn Hyperchargers on each side.

Make no mistake every manufacturer wants to sell product and you don't do that by appealing to rural America, sorry, where you have sparse population and endless miles of empty road to whoosh the wind past your oversized V-Twin to keep it somewhat tolerable. You target big cities with large populations where dealerships can thrive and unfortunately the one thing that accompanies this is TRAFFIC everywhere and at anytime. I stopped riding my Harley because it went from anticipating a pleasurable ride to being cooked and the only thing I was concentrating on was getting home and getting off. It's only a 1200 Sportster, 2013 with 197 miles on it but once you're in traffic you're screwed.

I am a function over form guy so I couldn't wait to dump the Road Glide Custom for the F6B but the one thing Harley has over everyone one else, and the one thing that's keeping them solvent, is a rabid loyal following that wouldn't give up the lifestyle for anything. They'll complain, put up with the heat, shitty dealers, recalls etc. etc. but as long as they can don the assless chaps and bandanas and ride to the diner, with the engine doing the "Po-ta-to, Po-ta-to" sound, and look cool doing it, they're OK with it. We'll see the feedback from the people who buy the Yamaha and if the heat issue will rear its' ugly head, it'll be interesting. IMHO for the most part no one is going to trade their Ultra Classic, Road King, Road Glide, Street Glide in for anything other than another Harley no matter what the Japs come out with.

[53driver]

Mechanicals notwithstanding, the styling doesn't work for me. The front is a mash-up between a Kawi Vaquero and the Can-Am Spyder Tourer and the back is like some '60's Truckster...

+1.
Too many "angles & cuts."
Like Picasso and Arlen Ness got together and were dropping acid while designing a motorcycle.....

Cheers,
Steve

[Redlinez]

While I don't disagree, there are quite a few people like myself who are contemplating a v-twin tourer. I guess the heat part makes for a lot of regret. I don't like riding any motorcycle in traffic. That's not why you buy one. I go out on weekends and take the wife for rides out in the country. I don't even like riding to work because of all the dipsh*&ts driving like maniacs to get to work. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate my F6B, so it will have to be very impressive for me to trade again and lose again. I'm not a nutswinger brand freak, so if I end up with a Ultra Classic, I won't be wearing all the HD gear. My wife just wants to be a HD tshirt queen though....... From what I see when I surf dealer websites, Indians aren't moving either. They're offering a $1500 trade bump and $1000 in gear. It's a buyers market right now.

[BillyDee]

Wont poach many sales from the Goldwing crowd. Clearly aimed at the V-twin segment. Too ME, it will be a quality bike, most of Yamaha's stuff is. The only V-twin I see myself on is the Ducati X-Diavel (Dreaming). The only way I would consider changing from the F6B is if Honda comes out with a faster, more powerful bagger....Very unlikely, I am happy with what I have.

Sold my Diavel X last year. Never been in trouble with the law, until.

The bike was like Crack, screaming at you, faster, faster.

I'm in recovery right now, 2016 FB6 Deluxe. Easy girl.