Best ever quote about a Vmax

Funniest one I've read!:rofl_200:

The Yamaha VMX1200 V-Max handles like a drunk office girl on a photocopier...and is just as dangerous. The frame seems to flex, the back end squirms under the engine's power and the front end loads up with the Yamaha VMX1200 V-Max's substantial 280kgs wet weight under braking. In a word, scary.


http://www.motorcyclenews.com/bike-reviews/yamaha/v-max/1991/

Yes, I saw that just today looking for some chassis & wheel info. Those types of things are obviously written by someone who never rode one. They are just repeating what they heard. I was riding bikes 18 years before the VMax came-along, have had several, and the bike handled better than my Kawasaki Mach III 500 cc 2 stroke triple, but some people would say that is "damning with faint praise."

The bike handled better than lighter bikes with one-quarter (or less) HP, whose front ends you could watch twist under cornering loads over bumps, like a squealing fat chick trying to run-across a bounce house while drunk.

Why doesn't he rip on the Harleys that weighed more, but had one-third the HP? I recall one of the chopper mags in the early 1970's road-testing an FL shovelhead that they put different induction systems onto, trying to see whose system increased the HP the most. The embarassing thing was that the stock H-D FL put-out a whopping 29 RWHP! The carb & air cleaner that actually gave a noticeable increase was an SU carb kit & air cleaner, that overpowered the dyno with an additional 3 RWHP, or 10% increase, and half the kits lowered the RWHP!

For the time it was built, look at the competitors. Honda's CB1100F would run over 140 mph, and the Suzuki GS1150 E and ES would too, but they were designed with a nod towards wind-cheating with their ducktail seat/fender and bikini fairing (CB1100F) and the larger front fairing and tapered tail of the GS1150ES. But the VMax topped them both, and did it like Slim Pickens sitting-astride his 20 megaton ride at the conclusion of Dr. Strangelove, waving his Stetson in glee on his way to a 10,000 foot aerial detonation/mushroom over a Russian missle site.

The Kawasaki GPZ1100 eventually came with DFI, probably the first mass-produced bike to have it, but again, the aerodynamics were appreciably helping it to get to 140+ mph.

Like the wasp-waisted mid-1960's Bonnevilles, the side view of the VMax is instantly recognizable to people who were around then, an iconic design pretty-much left alone during its 22 year production run, one that is longer than Henry Ford's venerable Model T, as I am fond of saying.

Even today, a well-ridden VMax will embarass many a sportbike rider who doesn't expect a 'cruiser' to be able to generate such torque.

The good thing about this supposed example of poor handling is that its 'shortcomings' are well-known, easily-corrected for (usually) not a lot of cash, and parts are still readily available.

Write your screed with no direct knowlege of the subject by repeating oft-claimed fables of dangerous behavior, and you do a disservice to a bike whose longevity outlasted most bikes ever-produced. Like a powerful firearm, used carelessly, yes it's dangerous, but then what does that say about the operator? Man-up and behave, if you have the prowess to control it, otherwise, take a pass, and don't risk your life, writing checks your bike-handling skills set cannot cash.

Both of mine are far from stock. I've been in situations that I would trust very few other bikes to get me out of. So far I've come out of those situations in fine shape. Yes it is an old design bike but I have 50 years of riding experience and set up properly it's an awesome ride. Still!!!!

You want to know how well your Vmax handles? Take it out for a spirited ride. Then park it and jump on a Buell XB12. All you need to know on the topic will immediately become clear.

FWIW- The 1966 BMW R60/2 I rode around on all day Saturday handily outhandles the Vmax.

IMHO, the Vmax is what it is. There are a lot of things that can be done to make it handle better. Is it a sports bike.....no, but its NOT as bad as its reputation either.

Traumahawk said:

There are a lot of things that can be done to make it handle better.

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Definitely.

Traumahawk said:

Is it a sports bike.....no, but its NOT as bad as its reputation either.

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I always looked at the spooky handling quirks as part of the Max's charm. :eusa_dance:

I don't have a ton of experience riding street bikes but once I rode the Max, I was actually impressed at how solid it felt. Is it an R1? Nope. Can it out handle other bikes of it's class? I think so. I've ridden early 70's Kawasaki bikes, early 80's Yamaha bikes, a Buell, a couple of Harley Davidsons and my wife's 2007 Shadow that I sold yesterday and after all I read and heard about how ill tempered Mr. Max was, I was a little scared to ride it to be frank. Once I rode it and let v-boost make me smile, I thought that the reputation was blown out of proportion. For a big fat heavy bike (although MUCH lighter than my buddies HD Dyna), the Max actually does fairly well. I felt comfortable on it but maybe it comes down to common sense now that I am older. I make sure I have steady speed in corners, smooth throttle and wait until I am pointed straight to give it hell.

When I was younger, maybe I would've killed myself on it though :th_scared:

Handles like a nun carrying a matress

Tell us about the R60/2 brakes compared to the VMax.

A smaller, lighter bike usually handles better than a larger, heavier bike just because of that. But, what one do you want to be on when a couple of 18-wheeler reefers pass you on the interstate, in the rain? Which one is gonna get blown-around the most, which one is gonna shrug it off, and track straight, with the least deflection?

I owned a BMW R100 for years, and commuted on it back and forth to college and work. It was a fun bike. Then I decided to buy a newer bike to ride. I looked at a BMW K1, a Moto Guzzi Daytona 1000, a Ducati 851, and finally, a VMax. The ride on the VMax was so-much fun, I immediately bought it, twenty-four years ago, and I still have it.

All bikes have something that makes them good compared to others. I saw a CL ad for a Kawasaki 440 parallel-twin w/8K mi. on it. The owner was moving out of state. It didn't run, but it was all-there, the original owner, owner's manual, the bike had compression, it readily turned over when jumped, and no rust in the gas tank. I bought it for the cost of a good 'night-out' dinner w/the wife. A couple of carb kits, flushing the front disc brake, a new battery, cleaning the electrical connectors, and I had a neat bike that had a belt final drive just like the Harley CVO costing $30,000 that pulled up next to me at a light. I wrote about it to one of the big bike magazines, and got published in the comments to their "Cheap Rides" article about current smaller-displacement bikes. The major fun point was getting a bike back into running shape, that I used for a bit and sold it for a profit, and giving someone else an opportunity to ride cheaply.

Almost any bike has a good point (or more), you just have to look for it (them). Ride-around the behavioral issues it may have, and enjoy the ride.

Nubicon said:

You want to know how well your Vmax handles? Take it out for a spirited ride. Then park it and jump on a Buell XB12. All you need to know on the topic will immediately become clear.

FWIW- The 1966 BMW R60/2 I rode around on all day Saturday handily outhandles the Vmax.

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Fire-medic said:

Tell us about the R60/2 brakes compared to the VMax.

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It did ok, especially considering the level of tech at the time and its age. They demanded a firm input, but once accomplished it slowed up easily enough. The rear drum surprised me because I anticipated it being near useless and it actually had some power and feedback/progression.

Fire-medic said:

A smaller, lighter bike usually handles better than a larger, heavier bike just because of that. But, what one do you want to be on when a couple of 18-wheeler reefers pass you on the interstate, in the rain? Which one is gonna get blown-around the most, which one is gonna shrug it off, and track straight, with the least deflection?

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Interesting, that. While the R60 is probably not any sort of highway hero, I've always felt the Vmax was particularly bitchy in any kind of crosswind. It's quite a slab in profile and doesn't react very well because of it. I'd bet a lot of money that the nearly solid wheels are responsible for that. I hear a lot of H-D Fat Bob riders having the same complaint The R60 is stone stable at any speed...straight line or mid corner. That Earles fork is a wonder. I'd encourage anyone obsessed with motorcycles to ride on one and check it out. It also weighs a shocking 450 pounds (shocking because it is so tiny next to the Vmax).

Fire-medic said:

The ride on the VMax was so-much fun, I immediately bought it, twenty-four years ago, and I still have it.

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Same for me. First time I got it up into the revs I was hooked! Bought the bike I tested out a day later unk:

Fire-medic said:

All bikes have something that makes them good compared to others. Almost any bike has a good point (or more), you just have to look for it (them). Ride-around the behavioral issues it may have, and enjoy the ride.

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Truer words were never spoken. For the Max it's all about the engine. Everyone I let ride it comes back wide eyed and says something to the effect of "holy shit!". It's why I hate the weird brand loyalty culture. Every bike has some kind of magic just waiting to put a grin on your face. Speaking of that, has anyone seen the Suzuki GT750 I've been looking for?

Fire-medic said:

Even today, a well-ridden VMax will embarass many a sportbike rider who doesn't expect a 'cruiser' to be able to generate such torque.

The good thing about this supposed example of poor handling is that its 'shortcomings' are well-known, easily-corrected for (usually) not a lot of cash, and parts are still readily available.

Write your screed with no direct knowlege of the subject by repeating oft-claimed fables of dangerous behavior, and you do a disservice to a bike whose longevity outlasted most bikes ever-produced. Like a powerful firearm, used carelessly, yes it's dangerous, but then what does that say about the operator? Man-up and behave, if you have the prowess to control it, otherwise, take a pass, and don't risk your life, writing checks your bike-handling skills set cannot cash.

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Calm down, MCN is well known for having a typical British "dry" humor. They poke at all sorts of bikes. And let's be honest, the Max is not known for being particularly stable. I can certainly vouch for that, despite investing quite a lot of cash in attempts to fix it.

My Girffriend is British (made the mistake of saying that she was English a couple of times when we first started chatting, and she said "I am British......English is what i speak, British is what i am.)

She had a Vmax, and she always called it a "Proper" motorcycle......LOL.

RaWarrior, I respect your observation. That wasn't the first time I've been to the MCN website, I have it bookmarked, because their technical information is usually more-complete than many other sites. It's also easy to go from there to other sources.

Taking issue with the comments they made is because as we've seen from the news, repeating things that are not true can be taken as truthful by the uninformed. The VMax doesn't need any more negative comments, but of course, it's a poster's privilege to say whatever he wants.

I just like the big lunk, warts & all.

Donny Daughtry said:

I'm Scottish--do you know the difference?:confused2:

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Bag pipes and Glengarrys

Sent from my SM-G360V using Tapatalk

Scottish? English? I'm half Czech and half English. So this is funny! I loved the description which is why I posted it.

My first bike was a 1972 H2. A year after I bought it I went with the Bill Wirges 100 HP kit. Chambers, reed valves, 36mm Mikuni's, Koni shocks, dual front brakes (really need these!) and it was brutish horsepower! Nose up in fourth gear at 100...

Now I must say that my 85 Max is docile in comparison. But I love it, it is in my will to my son along with my Dad's 36 Knucklehead (which I restored for him). I quickly gained a huge amount of respect for two wheeled power on the H2! I carry on that respect for the Max. Ride hard, ride on the edge!

This is one of the only photos I have of my H2.

912er said:

Scottish? English? I'm half Czech and half English. So this is funny! I loved the description which is why I posted it.

My first bike was a 1972 H2. A year after I bought it I went with the Bill Wirges 100 HP kit. Chambers, reed valves, 36mm Mikuni's, Koni shocks, dual front brakes (really need these!) and it was brutish horsepower! Nose up in fourth gear at 100...

Now I must say that my 85 Max is docile in comparison. But I love it, it is in my will to my son along with my Dad's 36 Knucklehead (which I restored for him). I quickly gained a huge amount of respect for two wheeled power on the H2! I carry on that respect for the Max. Ride hard, ride on the edge!

This is one of the only photos I have of my H2.

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Sweet machine!

Ya, I wish I would have kept the H2... In stock trim it was a real handful and had the death wobble even in a straight line WOT at 90 and above. Replacing the nylon swing arm bushings with bronze bushings and a pair of Koni's solved that. I road with High school friends (still do) and I can say that the sound of three H1's and two H2's running together was ear candy! unk:

Traumahawk said:

My Girffriend is British (made the mistake of saying that she was English a couple of times when we first started chatting, and she said "I am British......English is what i speak, British is what i am.)

She had a Vmax, and she always called it a "Proper" motorcycle......LOL.

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I dated an Aussie chick several years back and she told me that we Yanks didn't speak English....that we spoke American!!!

Donny Daughtry said:

I'm Scottish--do you know the difference?:confused2:

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Comedian, Billy Connelly once said that someone referred to him as being Scotch, since he was from Scotland. His response was that a person from Scotland was Scottish and that scotch was a drink...

frank5079 said:

Comedian, Billy Connelly once said that someone referred to him as being Scotch, since he was from Scotland. His response was that a person from Scotland was Scottish and that scotch was a drink...

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Some people get jokes and some don't.
Some even misread and get easily offended.:confused2: