acammer
Well-Known Member
I love message boards - especially ones that have a rich history like this one. I was a part of this group back in the 2010-2011 era when I last owned a VMax. I quit riding in the summer of 2011 as we were pregnant with my first born, and I was feeling my free time slipping away, and feeling some pressure to make sure I was minimizing risk-taking at least for his younger years. So, I sold my 2002, and didn't give motorcycles much more than a passing thought for over a decade.
Well, fast forward 12 years, and I thought I'd ease myself back into motorcycling by doing some on/off road riding with my buddies, who all do the dual-sport/adventure bike stuff. So, I picked up a 2016 Ducati Scrambler that was somewhat configured for light off-roading. Neat bike, very cool looking, super nimble and fun to ride, competent on and off road - it was great. But, at heart, I'm a horsepower junkie. I've had a bunch of fast cars since my last 'Max, and I should have known that the Ducati's 75 or so hp just wasn't going to keep me satisfied. I was also terrified every time I rode it hard in the dirt that it was gonna get tore up - and it's too fragile and too nice of a bike to do that to.
So, I did the only sensible thing and listed it on Marketplace, got it sold (for far less than I paid for it last year - the market has been wild), and went on the hunt for another gen1 VMax. I gave some consideration to alternatives for a cruise-missile like the VMax, but it's a small space, and not a lot of bikes really do what the VMax does. I especially appreciate it's "analog" nature - no ECM, no EFI, just a pure machine that anybody can work on and enjoy. Bikes like the V-Rod and the M109R, and of course the gen2 VMax would have probably mostly scratched the itch, but there is just something truly special about these bikes, so it was an easy choice to start looking for a Gen1 VMax again.
I looked at a '99, but it had a bunch of little issues, and I really wanted a clean, perfect bike this time around. It only took me a week or so to find the 2006 I picked up a couple hundred miles away. It's a clean bike with tasteful mods (progressive fork/springs, exhaust I've never seen before, jetted) and 21,000 seemingly easy miles - everything is in great shape, and it runs/rides fantastic.
Couple interesting observations. First - my gosh, you just have to be a man with the brakes. They are all there, and have enough power to bring the wheel to a lock, so they are strong "enough", but you've really got to get after them. Both the 99 and 06 were like that. I don't remember my '02 being like that, but I probably didn't know better. Second - man are progressive springs/fork awesome. The 99 was stock, and the fork dive was INSANE. I remember my '02 being the same way. This '06 rides well, but is much firmer - perfect. Third - I still need a shift light, just like my 02, this thing will run right past the redline, in gear, with ease.
I'm glad to see this forum is still active - I'll try to show my head around here a little more often.
Well, fast forward 12 years, and I thought I'd ease myself back into motorcycling by doing some on/off road riding with my buddies, who all do the dual-sport/adventure bike stuff. So, I picked up a 2016 Ducati Scrambler that was somewhat configured for light off-roading. Neat bike, very cool looking, super nimble and fun to ride, competent on and off road - it was great. But, at heart, I'm a horsepower junkie. I've had a bunch of fast cars since my last 'Max, and I should have known that the Ducati's 75 or so hp just wasn't going to keep me satisfied. I was also terrified every time I rode it hard in the dirt that it was gonna get tore up - and it's too fragile and too nice of a bike to do that to.
So, I did the only sensible thing and listed it on Marketplace, got it sold (for far less than I paid for it last year - the market has been wild), and went on the hunt for another gen1 VMax. I gave some consideration to alternatives for a cruise-missile like the VMax, but it's a small space, and not a lot of bikes really do what the VMax does. I especially appreciate it's "analog" nature - no ECM, no EFI, just a pure machine that anybody can work on and enjoy. Bikes like the V-Rod and the M109R, and of course the gen2 VMax would have probably mostly scratched the itch, but there is just something truly special about these bikes, so it was an easy choice to start looking for a Gen1 VMax again.
I looked at a '99, but it had a bunch of little issues, and I really wanted a clean, perfect bike this time around. It only took me a week or so to find the 2006 I picked up a couple hundred miles away. It's a clean bike with tasteful mods (progressive fork/springs, exhaust I've never seen before, jetted) and 21,000 seemingly easy miles - everything is in great shape, and it runs/rides fantastic.
Couple interesting observations. First - my gosh, you just have to be a man with the brakes. They are all there, and have enough power to bring the wheel to a lock, so they are strong "enough", but you've really got to get after them. Both the 99 and 06 were like that. I don't remember my '02 being like that, but I probably didn't know better. Second - man are progressive springs/fork awesome. The 99 was stock, and the fork dive was INSANE. I remember my '02 being the same way. This '06 rides well, but is much firmer - perfect. Third - I still need a shift light, just like my 02, this thing will run right past the redline, in gear, with ease.
I'm glad to see this forum is still active - I'll try to show my head around here a little more often.
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