1985 Vmax Surgery

[radley]

I'll be doing a shitload of stuff to my bike over the next couple years cuz it will take me that long to do. So, from fork rebuild to seat rebuild/recover to remove engine, disassemble all, rebuild, repaint, fix transmission with Morley stuff, put all back together. want to clean tank, switch out bars, upgrade headlight, install manual radiator switch, fix VBoost. Where is the best place to post up a thread on here? FB doens't really have a long-term thread type setup for this type of thing. I'll utilize whatever threads are on here already but assume I know nothing more than rebuilding carbs (they are in pieces now and need new jet block plugs and stock needles) before rebuild and wet float level tested before going back on bike after rebuild and Morgan Carbtuned. So... where on this site for long term thread for this project?

 

[Fire-medic]

I'd say do it under 'Fabrication, CNC & Projects.' It certainly is a project.

I don't know your skillset, but you do know it's useless to install new fork seals unless the downtubes are absolutely perfect-shape, where they ride? Even one tiny nick in the hard chrome will cause them to leak, eventually, if not immediately. Forking by Frank is one place to buy tubes. I haven't priced them in awhile, but I suspect shipped in the USA, they would probably be around $400.

Getting an Exactrep triple tree and handlebar in a mill-finish is probably $2,000 shipped. That's to install an R1 USD fork, and then you have the cost of that, probably $500 or more for the downtubes, wheel, and calipers, and hopefully, the master cyl/lever.

From your job description, I suspect your outlay may be equal-to your bike's purchase-price, be-prepared for that, and beware of "mission-creep." You could end-up with a $7,000 expenditure for a bike worth $4,000. Look at what the bike for-sale from ssgzag15 is selling-for, and the traffic in the thread https://www.vmaxforum.net/threads/2007-yamaha-v-max-show-bike.47471/ , and that-of dezeez https://www.vmaxforum.net/threads/2000-custom-vmax-for-sale.46947/#post-473650

CaptainKyle made a prescient comment when he mentioned not-long ago about the bike market, and VMaxes. It seems you can buy a lot-more bike these days for your outlay, than it would cost to build one.

 

[radley]

ok

 

[beasty15]

Have fun on the rebuild. We're looking forward to some pics. Build it the way you want it!

 

[radley]

sounding like it might not be worth it. here's the dilemma then.....now i need to backtrack and decide what i want to do. seat is tore on main part, could fix that up. front forks aren't leaking but they are squishy. i have progressive springs and new parts needed to rebuild them also have the fork oil. 2nd gear is gone. Vboost doesn't work. I rebuilt carbs best to my ability last year and did my best to dry-float level them and hooked all back up and bike started up but same issue as prior - would die out when i rolled on throttle.. bike would only run with choke on fully. totally have carbs torn apart and in pieces... yeah... clogged up for sure jets in jet block.. small one... rubber plugs deteriorated too sitting in 87 gas... planned on not running 87 ever again and only ethanol-free gas.. also planning on putting in stock needles as the ones in there are stage 1.. rebuilt R/R with SH775 as per member on here who has 5 billion miles on his Max.... checked voltage at rest, key on and running... numbers look good from waht i can tell. got new RM STator as well, so new oil and filter in there too.... I made my own COPS with correct numbers and, from what I can tell are connecting to correct locations... do not have resistors in there though if that makes big difference. fully removed old coils front and rear. battery is ****. cheap one no surprise there. put new fuel pump in, but fuel filter not really staying "full",. suspecting rusty tank too maybe.... just dont know. looked in there but doesn't look bad from what a guy can see,, as if that's much... so thinking of just taking opportunity to tear bike down and built it up engine tranny etc to learn, good experience in life. had this bike for nearly 20 years. sitting more than i rode it. would sacrifice riding to work on it, dont need a bike to ride necessarily, but worth the money? more nostalgic than anything else. dont want 2 bikes in garage, busy with many other hobbies and **** to do. on other hand, miss riding, insurance comp and liablilty is cheap on this thing, thats a plus. would look at an 08 Busa or maybe m109r if got diff bike. for money/time going in on this ancient memory, could go towards diff bike.. but that will need servicing at some point and anything 08-2010 already 8-10 yrs old.... so now i dont know waht the foxtrot to do,.

 

[[email protected]]

Sounds like a good project to me.
If you like the bike and you want to keep it, fix it up!

The expensive repair is the the transmission. The rest is cake. Sure it adds up but, it'd not huge dollars. It can be done as time allows. All toys need maintenance and upgrades. Most of what you mentioned isn't major stuff. It's typical upgrade/maintenance stuff.

As far as a thread goes, this could be it right here. You just started it! Now get to work!

 

[Fire-medic]

Do you have Damon's dvd/cd (?) of building an engine? Take a look for it on ebay, I think that's where he's been selling it.

Here's what I'd think of doing-do absolutely the least you need to do to get it operational and reliable. Don't go overboard on the mods. Ride it like that for a season, other things may turn-up you need to address as you put miles on it. Spend time (sweat equity) on the cosmetics, and then think about selling it. I expect the state of the VMax market is going to continue to be low prices. When you can buy a decent Hyabusa around here in south Florida for $6,000, a 20 year-old VMax isn't going to be worth $5,000 with say, 30,000 miles on it, even-if it is in good shape otherwise. A running bike here that needs consumables like battery, tires, fluid changes, some brake work and a carb cleaning is worth maybe $2,000. Why is that? Because to do all-that would cost probably $1,000. An acquaintance of mine just-bought a 20th Anniversary 2005 with < 8,000 miles last weekend for $3,700. That's in south Florida. Of course, your area may differ, but prices for bikes are likely going to be low in the winter, because how do you test-ride a bike during snow flurries and black-ice?

About your front end, have you added air to the forks? Don't try to fill them with a shop air compressor, as you're likely going to blow-out the fork seals from too-much air pressure.

To summarize, do absolutely the least you need-to for a reliable, operable vehicle, and enjoy it for a year, and then decide at the end of the season if it's really worth-it to spend more money to do something you really-want in a VMax, or if your $ would be better-spent on something newer and more-modern, requiring less maintenance.

My viewpoint may not be popular, but I think we all have to consider the financial end of things, in the end.

If you can afford $5000-6000 for a toy, and that's what you really want, and can realistically-afford, then do things within reason to yours, and enjoy it, while paying attention to not spending $10,000 to end up with a bike worth $4,500. You can always consider returning it to stock, and selling the accessories separately.