#000165

[Graham]

Hi all. I have an 85 Max which I bought in CA new in April of 1985. It was originally the deep maroon, but I painted it black after about 6 months. Next year I will have owned it for 40 years. It has been on and off the road in the last 20 years, but I have just completed a freshen up and are riding again after 11 years of sitting. Its VIN starts with JYA and ends in FA000165. I drag raced it after I put on 1000 miles and ran a best of 10.90 in stock trim and once it felt slow it got a slick, wheelie bars, and a 100 shot of nitrous. The best I ever got with that combination was 9.65 @145mph. Terry Vance was witnessed that and was amazed as much as me. He even refilled the bottle for me for free and said let's get it even further. Priming the system the revs weren't high enough and it stalled. Not knowing much about nitrous at that time I tried to restart the bike and it backfired through the carbs and blew one the slides apart. Thinking it might clear (as I didn't know about the slide) I ran it to a 10.32 on three cylinders.
I was the first one to have the second gear problem and got the service manual before the dealership. I knew the warranty wouldn't cover the trans damage, so a bike mechanic friend and I pulled it down and when ordering the parts the guy on the counter asked why I was doing the repair and not the dealer. When he entered the parts I wanted on the old green screen computer it came up with a message stating "these parts are damaged due to abusive riding, no warranty!" I just smiled and said that's why. I have put 4 transmissions in it as that as we know is the weak part.
I crashed it once in 88 and broke a few pieces on the bike but did a lot more lasting damage to me. It had 18,000 miles on it then and now it is ready to add more miles at 67,000. Very seldom ridden in the rain and always kept inside. Been babied more or less for near 40 years. I was offered pretty good money for it a while ago from a dealer as he said it was from the first day of production due to being the 65th one made. But as you can see it wasn't for sale. Anyway, that's my introduction.
Cheers, Graham

 

[Fire-medic]

Thanks for some interesting VMax history. Your length of ownership and the use you gave it is of interest to anyone who loves a VMax. The use of a chain drive is another way some have chosen to get down the strip. The NOS has given you a big push to a sub-10 second time slip. Imagine what a chain-drive and NOS could do.

The bike is still good looking from what I can see.

Those are some interesting shapes under the car covers. Might they be track-only racers? The first car next to the bike reminds me of Bonanza in a certain way, or maybe I Dream of Genie.

 

[Graham]

Yea those are my other toys. Formula race cars. I restore and race them as a hobby.

 

[CaptainKyle]

Welcome and thanks for the story

 

[Big"A"]

Hi all. I have an 85 Max which I bought in CA new in April of 1985. It was originally the deep maroon, but I painted it black after about 6 months. Next year I will have owned it for 40 years. It has been on and off the road in the last 20 years, but I have just completed a freshen up and are riding again after 11 years of sitting. Its VIN starts with JYA and ends in FA000165. I drag raced it after I put on 1000 miles and ran a best of 10.90 in stock trim and once it felt slow it got a slick, wheelie bars, and a 100 shot of nitrous. The best I ever got with that combination was 9.65 @145mph. Terry Vance was witnessed that and was amazed as much as me. He even refilled the bottle for me for free and said let's get it even further. Priming the system the revs weren't high enough and it stalled. Not knowing much about nitrous at that time I tried to restart the bike and it backfired through the carbs and blew one the slides apart. Thinking it might clear (as I didn't know about the slide) I ran it to a 10.32 on three cylinders.
I was the first one to have the second gear problem and got the service manual before the dealership. I knew the warranty wouldn't cover the trans damage, so a bike mechanic friend and I pulled it down and when ordering the parts the guy on the counter asked why I was doing the repair and not the dealer. When he entered the parts I wanted on the old green screen computer it came up with a message stating "these parts are damaged due to abusive riding, no warranty!" I just smiled and said that's why. I have put 4 transmissions in it as that as we know is the weak part.
I crashed it once in 88 and broke a few pieces on the bike but did a lot more lasting damage to me. It had 18,000 miles on it then and now it is ready to add more miles at 67,000. Very seldom ridden in the rain and always kept inside. Been babied more or less for near 40 years. I was offered pretty good money for it a while ago from a dealer as he said it was from the first day of production due to being the 65th one made. But as you can see it wasn't for sale. Anyway, that's my introduction.
Cheers, GrahamView attachment 94002View attachment 94003

Do you have pictures of how your wheelie bars are connected to bike

 

[Graham]

Do you have pictures of how your wheelie bars are connected to bike

They have been off the bike for 35 years, but this photo gives an idea. Taken late 85.

 

[Woody]

Love vintage skateboard wheels on the wheelie bar.

Nice bike.

 

[one2dmax]

Nice story an great pics. I am not sure what month they started production but I think it was a month or two before yours. They weren't exactly setting the world on fire with production when it first got going but then it took off once the fastest bike in 85 started hitting the street.

 

[hondaman]

love the story and photos of the race cars.....glad the max came back out of retirement. Keep on riding.

 

[Graham]

Nice story a great pics. I am not sure what month they started production but I think it was a month or two before yours. They weren't exactly setting the world on fire with production when it first got going but then it took off once the fastest bike in 85 started hitting the street.

Mine shows the build date of January 85 in Japan.

 

[one2dmax]

Mine shows the build date of January 85 in Japan.

Typically first production starts in July of the previous named year. So 07/84 would be a 1985 Vehicle. Always weird they did it that way. You should start seeing 2025 models hitting the dealers floors in the next couple of Months.

 

[Graham]

Yea that is true but I think the Max was a little behind. It was first introduced at the Yamaha dealer conference in Vegas October 1984. From what I read was the production started slow at first then took off. Yes the 25 model cars will be out soon. Cheers.