1996 basic touring

Yamaha Venture XL
Sporting the same 485cc fan-cooled twin as the Phazer II, the Venture XL is the lightest (472 pounds) and the most fun to ride in its class. The dual B38-32 carbs are easy to engage with a light touch of the throttle. With its proven YXR clutch, this two-up touring sled is a reliable performer.

The Venture's 36.2-inch ski stance and light weight make it a great mountain climber and deep powder runner. Although most touring sleds are made for trails, this 105-inch sled is incredibly stable for its size and weight. Plus its Telescopic Strut front suspension with six inches of travel handles all types of terrain excellently. In the rear, the Modified Pro-Action Link suspension delivers 7.6 inches of travel for ample comfort. That's down
from the Ski-Doo and Polaris.

The Venture's tall windshield and wide cowling provide excellent wind protection. As we found with all Yamahas, the fit and finish on this fan-cooled machine is excellent. The seat is also the best of the four economy touring sleds. Another perk you'll find on this Yamaha is its mechanical self-adjusting disc brake.

The only disappointment we found with the Venture XL is that it suffers from the dollar-yen ratio and is necessarily priced high at $5,799 while offering only a handful of standard features. Included are electric start, reverse, two-up seat with backrest, hand and thumbwarmers, passenger grip warmers and a 8.2-gallon fuel tank.

If you want to spend a little less and get more of a "jeep," there's Venture TR, a sport/utility model that comes in at $300 less than the Venture XL. It also features a longer 15"x136" track, but fewer standard features.

As for us, though, we'd pick the XL version. It's more of a trail touring machine.

1996 YAMAHA VENTURE XL
 Engine Type: 485cc Fan cooled, reed valve
Clutching
Drive: 3 Swing Arm
Driven: Torque sensing
Suspension
Front: Telescopic Strut; 6.0 in.
 Rear: Modified Pro-Action; 7.6 in.
Ski Stance: 36.2 in.
Overall Height: 46.5 in.
 Overall Length: 104.9 in.
Fuel Capacity: 8.2 gallons
Offical Dry Weight: 472 lbs.
 PriceUS  $5,799.00
Key Features: Speedo, tach, odometer, trip, gas and oil gauge, electric
start, reverse, 2-up seat and backrest, adjustable hand, thumbwarmers, passenger
grip warmers, parking brake.
Riding Impressions: This was a former sled of the year. It hasn't
changed much from then. The engine is terrific, but the styling is dated
and the price is definitely not an asset.- Jerry Bassett, test rider