New member.. thinking about buying a vmax

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Hello guys I'm new here but not new to motorcycles. I'm 29 and have been riding since I was a kid.. I started with Harley then went to sport bikes then vintage bikes then back to Harley.. which ultimately brings me here I currently have a 2013 dyna super glide custom in my garage that's absolutely beautlful and I love it but the payment onit is killing me $300 a month plus my $300 a month car payment plus insurance on both and I'm at over $800 a month in vehicle payments alone before any other bills (not to rant about my financial problem but this is why I'm here) . In the last year that I've had the HD I put maybe 1,500 miles onit.. deff not enough to justify the cost. So long story short I have someone who wants the bike for what I owe so I can get outta that fairly easy.. I was thinking about getting an older vmax for 3-4K and calling it a day.. if buy one, I've read on here that the newer the better.. is there any problems I should be looking out for besides 2nd gear issues? How common are 2nd gear problems on order vmaxs? And also what kind of experience you get riding one, how do most Harley riders treat you, do people always wanna race or come up and talk about the bike ect? The vmax is one of the few bikes I've always wanted to ride but never have.. if I don't end up with a vmax my buddy has a beautiful restored 1979 Suzuki gs1000e that I can grab for 2 grand.. (I've had 4 of them in the past) and I know In the late 70s early 80s Suzuki gs1000/1100 were king of the 1/4.. how will lthe vmax compare to one of these bikes in terms of performance? (Since I've never ridden one) thanks again and i look forward to your replies..
 
Welcome. OK, where to start. Be sure you've read the stickies about what to look for when buying a used max. If you're going to get a test ride to check 2nd gear, make sure it's warmed up before you ride it (or have the seller do it). A hard run in 1st and 2nd will let you know pretty fast is 2nd is a problem. It can happen to any year. Anything after '93 will have the newer forks and brakes, and I think there were a couple other small electronic things that happened over the next couple years after that. I would suggest not buying anything non-running as your first one if you actually want to ride it. I bought mine for $2k, and ended up putting in plenty more to get it running properly. I probably should have just spent the $4k (or more, you learn to stop counting) that I dumped into mine to by a nice, clean, running bike.

Pretty much pick a color you like, make an offer around the price you'd like, and come back here if anything isn't working. This is the best place for all the things you could ever want to know about the V-max.

Riding... I went on a ride with my buddy on a decked out ultra, and nobody talked to him or even looked at his bike at the few places we stopped. Guys inside restaurants and dealers walked up to me to tell stories of their friends/uncles/whoever that used to have one or how they always wanted one. It's actually pretty rare to see one on the road. There are no stock harleys from any year that will win a drag race against a stock v-max with equal riders. You won't find many drag race track videos of harleys beating maxes (not sure I've ever seen one). MAYBE a hopped up sportster with tons of money dumped into it due to the light weight MIGHT have a chance, but that's with all the mods. If you spent the same on go-fast bits for your vmax, you'd still be ahead. Many of us don't really buy these things to go out and pick street races. I bought mine because I've wanted one since I saw one parked on the street in '94 (Yellow) with supertrapps.
 
"Don't do it, it wouldn't be prudent at this juncture!"
With that bit of silliness out of the way, the thing about Vmax is that they do garner a lot of attention wherever they go. I'm sure most on here can tell you the number of times people heard about that they don't handle, were outlawed because so many peopled have died on them, or the 'my best friends brother/cousin/uncle had one type stories. It is almost comical when you see them coming towards you with a big smile.
The bike will get your attention the first few months you ride it and then you can start to see and feel the allure of the bike. It's not the fastest, although there are some mighty quick Vmax's out there, nor the best handling but the thrill of riding one is still the same or better now after having owned Redbone for the last 10 years. I've done some crazy things on Redbone but it's been a ton of fun so far, and I'm looking to get as much or more out of it in the future.
I know I really haven't answered your initial questions, but the Vmax is a visceral feeling when riding it that has to be experienced to be appreciated. But with your riding experience I'm sure once your find a your Vmax or even just ride one, you will get a feel for what a Vmax is all about. Good luck in your search.
 
The VMax is old enough to be affordable, fast enough to be entertaining, and interesting enough to be considered a 'cult bike.' Old guys, say those born before 1960, if they've been into bikes a long time do know the stories, and may have a friend who had one. They have an instantly-identifiable silhouette. Today they're about as-quick as a current 600 sportbike, and probably not as-quick, but the 600 will be spinning to 15,000 rpm, while you're hitting 9K at redline. The bikes have a good bit of torque, and VBoost will make you stretch the throttle cable repeatedly just to get that feeling of hitting the power band.

What davesax said was perhaps a bit unclear, bikes through the 1992 model year had a narrower front fork diameter tubing and smaller brakes, the 1993 and newer bikes have 43 mm tubes and better front brakes.

Read Ryan's thread for good info:
http://www.vmaxforum.net/showthread.php?t=21240
this will save you posting questions he covers.

I don't think you need to restrict yourself to say, bikes from 2000-2007, any well-maintained VMax of any year can give you good service, but frankly, I wouldn't pay more than probably $500 for a non-running one. That's not-crashed either. Unless it was loaded with thousands of dollars in expensive aftermarket parts, and you probably won't find that type of deal, because the owner would probably sell parts off himself.

Sean Morley and CaptainKyle are members on here who frequently have VMaxes to sell, and they won't sell anything junky.

My suggestion is to have say a $4000 budget, look for a $2500-3000 bike, and have a grand to spend on brake pads, tires, a battery, changing fluids (brakes, clutch, coolant), and maybe leaky fork seals or bad rear shocks. Scabby downtubes will mean good used ones or aftermarket replacements, like forking by frank.

Don't be in too-much of a hurry, there are decent deals that come on here frequently, be patient, and wait for the deal locally or on here that works best for you.
 
Sorry, in that first paragraph I meant to say, probably not as-fast.
 
Thanks for all the replies guys, I have always liked the vmax and thought they were a cool bike.. I'm definitely not a brand snob like some of the Harley guys that I know although I do prefer Harley Davidson I do not want to go back to a sportster once my dyna is gone (nothing wrong with them I've had 4 of them) they are just too physically small for what I want to do, I want something big enough that I can take a girl comfortably and for sporty money I could have a vmax which is a lot more uncommon and thus cooler in my opinion which is also the reason I like vintage Japanese inline air cooled bikes like the kz1000 and gs1000.. now I've never ridden a max like I said but I have had a handful of sport bikes from 600-liter bikes and I'm not expecting it to be as fast as those were but I have also ridden an m109 before so I'm kind of expecting something in between an m109 and a newer 600 as far as power.. with all
That being said I know I'm gona miss my dyna, to me it is the perfect Harley.. it's "quick" with the 96" motor, small enough to not handle like a pig, yet big enough not to get blown all over the highway like a sporty does and it's comfortable enough for 2up day trips
 
To be perfectly-honest, that GS1000E will probably give you less trouble than a VMax, and will be cheaper to modify, because it's got such support in the aftermarket. That's a great deal at that price.

However, you have the desire for a VMax, and if you decide after having it for awhile, you may decide, "I did that, now for a B-King!" To me, the VMax is something you don't see everywhere like a 600 sportbike, and you can just crank-on the throttle and let its torque get you underway. If you want afterburner power, downshift and when VBoost hits, anyone you're riding with better be alert, because it does move in a hurry for a stock bike. Because it's carb'ed, a pipe and a jet kit can return easy HP. Figure a stock VMax is 110-118 RWHP, and you can get maybe 10% by the traditional jet kit/full exhaust, netting you low 11 sec. quarters somewhere in the 124 mph range if you can cut a light, maybe into the 10's if you're proficient at the strip. It's an 11-1/2 second bike for the casual rider who isn't particularly quick or light weight-wise. That's what you'll see from guys on here posting timeslips.

Riding a VMax is gonna get you some attention from the H-D boys because it's not that common anymore, it has 'a reputation,' and stock, it will outperform any stock Harley. As a comparison, it makes almost twice what an Evo Harley does, RWHP. Compared to a stock 1200 Sportster, maybe another 50% RWHP. So, you don't have much competition on the performance side. Can a H-D beat a stock VMax? Sure, but the owner will have to dump a ton of $$$$ into it.

I like the stock overall appearance the best, but you can make subtle changes that will greatly reward your enjoyment. I consider moving to radial tires to be the #1 best change you can make to a VMax. You can get a widened rear wheel in a 17" or 18" size, 5-1/2" is a common width, and you won't have to widen your swingarm, allowing you to run a 170 or 180 rear. Anything more than that, and you need to widen the swingarm inside dimension. You can run a narrow front 18" radial on the stock rim, it's not optimal, but it will save you having to modify your wheel, or to buy another.

Some reading to get you started: http://vmaxforum.net/showthread.php?t=43361&highlight=radial+tire

I see you're in NJ, not far from York PA, I bet you've done the Sportster factory tour?
 
A quick spin on one will let you know if its the right bike. I've wanted one since 85-ish. They are unique and iconic. Bike guys know what they are on sight. I live very near Sturgis, the HD guys wont bother you if they are old enough to recognize a Vmax. Every now and again some younger guy that just dropped 40 large on a CVO needs a quick schooling, I almost wish it happened more often. Lots of us used to ride HD, There are just to many other outstanding choices for performance oriented riders to ignore.

Good luck whatever you choose to do, there are many great choices out there that fit nicely into a budget. My first big bike after the twins was a 955 Triumph triple and I have never looked back.:eusa_dance:
 
I think Fire Medic summation of the Vmax is pretty much perfect:

"The VMax is old enough to be affordable, fast enough to be entertaining, and interesting enough to be considered a 'cult bike.' "


I bought a bought a bone stock '93 a few years back for 3K. I haven't had any major problems with it. The only money I've put into so far was for a new seat(the stock seats are pretty horrible IMO).

I ride almost year around here in St. Louis. Put 10,000+ miles on it a year. There's a HUGE Harley presence here in St. Louis and for the most part my experience from Harley riders is they turn their nose up at it. But they turn their nose up at anything that isn't branded with Harley. You get the occasional Harley guy who knows the history of the VMax and will come up and give you kudos. But it's pretty rare. At work there are 3 guys who sit near me. All are Harley owners and none of them had ever heard of a VMax. But the ignorance of the VMax is rather common among all riders -- not just Harley folks.

Here in St. Louis we also have a pretty big Vintage Bike scene that is getting bigger every year. They do a Vintage Bike night once a month from like March to November and I go every time. I never see another VMax there. And most folks there have never heard of a VMax either so that's why I say it's not just Harley guys. But you will come across those few that DO know about the VMax and they will generally go out of their way to give you props for having one. And the praise can come from some of least expected sources.

I still recall shortly after getting my VMax, a co-worker had bought a Harley shortly after and wanted to ride together. This co-workers ego was already pretty big before he got the Harley, but good lord was he practically unbearable after the Harley purchase. It was my one and only ride with him. But during that ride he wanted to stop by the local Harley dealership to get something. I don't even remember what it was... I think it was basically to get another piece of Harley branded riding gear while at the same time thinking he'd get praised for his bike at the Harley dealership.

So we pull up and shut off the bikes. And as we're standing there at our bikes taking off our helmets and gloves, one of the employees at the bike shop was walking by and she was an incredibly cute 20 something and as she was walking by us she calls out "Nice Vmax! That's a badass bike!" It caught me off guard and I just smile and said "Thanks." I glance over and just see the ego of my co-worker deflate like an untied balloon. Apparently her position is the cute receptionist when you walk in that all the sales guys hit on while they wait for customers to walk in the door. Apparently that position is pretty universal in motorcycle and auto dealerships as I see it quite often.

But that's actually part of the reason I love the bike. It has a unique look and is a relatively obscure bike. Its the fact that most people don't know about the VMax that adds to its appeal to me.

Like Fire Medic said it's fast enough to be entertaining. It will put a grin on your face when the VBoost kicks in and that surge of acceleration is a full body experience. Those brief moments where you're feel like you're walking the tightrope of riding the bike and just hanging on. It's poor handling is probably a contributor to that feeling. :punk:

I've had a couple of Harleys try to race me on my bone-stock '93 and I've left them in the dust. And I'm a scrub rider. For the price I paid for it and the miles I've put on it. Even if my VMax broke tomorrow beyond repair I feel I got my money's worth out of that bike.

I'm an odd dude and for me when I'm NOT on my VMax, other bikes start appealing to me. Bikes with more comfortable riding positions, longer fuel range, etc. But then I get on my VMax and the growl of that V-4 while cruising at about 3k-4k RPMs just friggin seduces me man. I can't explain it. While I'm cruising at those low RPMs there's this really sweet satisfaction knowing that I could easily go from a chill ride to a thrill ride in a matter of seconds on a bike that for today's standards looks rather unsurprising. It's at that moment that a grin comes across my face and I just say to myself "I fucking love this motorcycle."

Edit: For one final note. One thing that is appealing about owning a Harley is you become part of a pretty large community. And while the VMax community is minuscule in comparison to the Harley Community, I seriously doubt you'll find a more generous and knowledgeable community than you'll find on these forums. I feel like if I ever had a major problem with my VMax, coming here for guidance and knowledge is pretty much akin to having access to Harvard scholars on the VMax.
 
Well said, Kronx! I've loved my Max for almost half my life, and I'm 66 and retired!
 
One2dmax has a couple sweet ones for sale, and shipping is reasonable.

He's on the bottom of this page of this thread.

http://www.vmaxforum.net/showthread.php?t=43408&page=2

I bought the red one from Captain Kyle - should be here in a week or so.

These guys all helped me steer clear of a local leaker for sale - even though I wanted it so bad I could taste it. The guy told me it was perfect, nothing wrong with it...and as you can see in that thread, I found more than a few things wrong. Now I get to spend my summer riding and modding rather than fixing broken things!
 
Oh yeah - Sean, with the 2 bikes for sale is willing to remove the mods to get it into your price range - even though the mods alone are worth the offering price.
 
I
I'm an odd dude and for me when I'm NOT on my VMax, other bikes start appealing to me. Bikes with more comfortable riding positions, longer fuel range, etc. But then I get on my VMax and the growl of that V-4 while cruising at about 3k-4k RPMs just friggin seduces me man. I can't explain it. While I'm cruising at those low RPMs there's this really sweet satisfaction knowing that I could easily go from a chill ride to a thrill ride in a matter of seconds on a bike that for today's standards looks rather unsurprising. It's at that moment that a grin comes across my face and I just say to myself "I fucking love this motorcycle."

The stories of ill handling and brakes are fact based but it doesnt take much to make some real improvements. I carve the Black Hills all the time with only Progressive fork springs and solid motor mounts. It's no sportbike but it works just fine.

I understand about other bikes becoming appealing too, I do a lot of touring so something with touring ergos and comfort does call out to me. I was going to trade in the Vmax for a big BMW K bike but a blast down the tarmac on the Vmax will flush all that nonsense out of a guys head pretty fast. My solution was to buy a cheap 1st gen Yamaha Venture 1300 for the long hauls. I can barely justify two bikes but it's no mistake that they both have the Yamaha V4. If I had to choose only one to keep it would be the Vmax though. Luckily these bikes are priced so that I never need to consider getting rid of one. With purchase and all the modifications of both bikes I'm in it for less than the cost of a two year old Sportster. I am very focused on living beneath my means and I find this to be a great alternative to a bike payment and full coverage insurance.
 
Well guys I was thinking today and my bike payment is $330 (I owe roughly 10k) my car payment is also $330 and I also owe 10k (2010 caddy cts, mint condition but now has 115k onit) and I was thinking today that in order to eliminate a payment I was going to off the bike and keep the car and buy a cheaper bike.. but now I'm thinking maybe I should keep the bike and off the car in favor of a cheaper car for cash.. my reasoning is this.. in 10 years my bike, baring any catastrophic event (knock on wood) will still be worth 7-8k in 10 years from now my car won't be worth sh*t and will have 150-200k onit by then... food for thought
 
That sounds like sound reasoning. GM vehicles depreciate faster than HDs, and probably most things. If you are ditching just one IMHO the car is a solid choice. Another thing to consider is how the bikes resale will be effected by the introduction of the 8v twin on the horizon. If you like it and feel like just keeping it long term than that probably doesnt matter at all.

I ditched my two car payments and bike payment a few years ago after taking a hard look at my monthly bills and long term financial goals. I fired Direct TV, Verizon et al at the same time :punk:

So a couple oldass Yamahas and an oldass Lexus. That sure upgraded my financial situation and really, it was an upgrade to my motoring enjoyment as well. There is just something liberating about having no payments and seeing all the other stuff I can do with that money that was bleeding out every month.
 
I got little to add to the sage advice here. I'm 40, been riding for two years yesterday, and riding a vmax the entire time. That said, i park at a courthouse with a lot of NYPD and Rikers CO's, most of them in their late 50's, with 30+ years riding experience. I can't convey how whistfully they come up to me as I'm pulling in, talking about how they always wanted a vmax. It's life affirming. No regrets. This forum is your friend.


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Corv-Man, as an owner of 16+ years and well over 100,000 miles (been though 3 speedo's on mine so I really don't know but likely closer to 200k) - I just have to take a moment to give a big +1 confirmation to what Kronx says above about VMax Props.

Probably safe to assume most don't buy a Vmax for praise & notoriety but what is described above sounds like the play by play for just about every ride and motorcycle rally I have ever been to on my '94 Vmax ~ and there have been many.

First time I saw one, The immediate first thought was "What Beast from hell IS this?" which was quickly followed by Kronx's acknowledgment "I fucking love this motorcycle" Years later this mantra is something I require again and again. (Mostly between gears inside span of 60 seconds but not always :) )
 
I know I am like 1,000,000 miles away from you, but I do have a Vmax for sale. I think. Yeah, I do - maybe. That's the thing about these bikes. They are hard to get away from once you have owned one. This is my third one. Was going to replace my Shadow Spirit 1100 of 9 years with a Honda Magna - wanted to keep the 'cruiser' comfort but get the 'V4' power. Ended up buying a friend's '89 Vmax. After I got the carbs cleaned out good, I 'bout scared myself with its power - forgot how hard they run. Last time I had one was in '98 - lots of Shadow miles since then. Sure love it for what it is. Ended up buying a Magna locally a few weeks later that I can 'go places' on. So, the Vmax is for sale - I think. CRAP! Really don't wanna sell it. The Vmax is not the fastest thing out there (but close!), the most comfortable (by a long shot), the most beautiful (curse you who think it's not), or the most practical. Which is EXACTLY why most people who own them love them so much. Curb appeal is off-the-charts. And, hey, if I end up keeping mine, I have no qualms showing up to a classic car gathering on my 28-year-old bike. Only thing that might get more attention would be a '63 split-window 'Vette or a '59 Ford Fairlane Skyliner!

Anyway, link to the Vmax follows. Good luck in your search. 'When' you buy one, you'll know right away why we love these bikes as we do. And you will not find a better forum community anywhere. An absolute wealth of knowledge freely and eagerly given here.

https://mcallen.craigslist.org/mcy/5958511358.html
 
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