any reviews on the Venture lite ???
it looks promising .......

Wonderful sled!! Not a complaint

how is the ride??
I'm looking to replace a Polaris touring sled.
I need a couch cushion type of ride.

thanks !!!

I am very interested in the Venture Lite as well. I am looking for specific info like gas mileage, range of tank, top speed, handling qualities, quality of ride etc. Is there good wind protection, hand warmer output, noise level? Does the 500 sound and feel bussy, having to rev so high. Any feedback is very much appreciated.

They look ugly, and i heard about 25mpg

I sure like mine , good response to the throttle .rides like a couch is the only complant you have ahard time moving out of the seat if you want to ride hard in the corners. but rides real good with two on and great for trail work. Getting 21 mile to the gallon

On the totally yamaha forums, every one says it accumulates Ice, and is very loud ..............
Guess I will find out, as I just purchased one.

I am seriously considering a VL but after ready the TY forum I now have my doubts. They say the noise is so bad some of them are wearing ear plugs, icing of the tunnel is really bad, and the sled is very tippy in the corners. I sure hope Yamaha solves some of these issues for 2009. Guess I will wait and see and then maybe order an 09.

I HAVE 200 miles on mine. it is LOUD, and it does accumulate slush -- ice.
handles fine. rides nice, and did I say it is LOUD.

I just did 875 miles in the Gaspe on my 07 Venture lite. I only had 75 local miles on it when we started so I was a little nervous having read a lot of posts on this site. The sled did great. It did accumulate ice on occassion but wasn't a big problem. I averaged about 18mpg (groomed / semi groomed powder the whole trip. Very, very comfortable (and I'm coming off a Polaris 700 Classic with the M-10 which has a great ride). I was getting much better "hook up" in the deep snow than all my buds with short tracks. I could cruise at 60 -65 comfortably and hit 80mph a couple of times (on slight downhills) The rack is priceless for a long loop like the Gaspe. It was a little tippy at first but I got used to the handling very quickly (I think a better set of skis would go a long way in solving that) Overall I give the sled a 9 out of 10.

Does anyone know if Yamaha made any changes on the VLfor 2009 over the 2008 model?

How did you deal with the noise ??
and yes, that storage rack is wonderful. The ice accumulation isn't really a big problem, but it's there. I didn't find it tippy since I ride a REV on occasion. The only proble is NoIsE.

Maybe I'm just going deaf (a possibility!) but I didn't find it to be that noisy. I do wear small earplugs and have a Ski Doo Modular helmet (original version) There were six of us on this trip and we frequently traded sleds ( four 2 strokes, me and a guy with an Apex. I found the Apex the loudest overall (i think this is because of the almost non existent windshied he has) and my sled was much quieter than the 2 strokes at low speeds and about the same above 50mph

Does anyone know if Yamaha made any changes on the VLfor 2009 over the 2008 model?

Im pretty sure that they blocked off the hole in the tunnel on the '09s to prevent the ice accumulation. After looking at some pictures I have of the Venture Lite, the hole doesnt seem to be there anymore.
I personally dont find them to be all that loud. They definetly have a deeper tone to the exhaust note than a 2-stroke sled and they definetly arent the quietest sled there is, but I wouldnt say they are any louder than any 2-stroke sled.
IMO, they are a great sled. They arent the fastest 2-up around, but they will accomodate 2 people in comfort and get 16-18 mpg on average.