If you haven't already figured it out, my name is John (Johnny to most). I'm brand spanking new, just joined today. I am truly looking forward to learning as much as I can about this incredible bike and the people who love to ride them. I have an incredible story to tell about how I came about joining this unique VMAX Club.
I have a 1988 Candy Apple Red Museum piece. Museum piece you say? Yes, as of today it has 170 total miles on it and looks like it just came off the showroom floor yesterday even though it's 27 years old. Original everything with the exception of the items I had to replace such as tires breaks and pretty much anything rubber on it. In addition, I managed to get it to a dealer for an apparent re-call from back in the day which involved a battery cable that was too short and had to be rewired.
The bike came to me by way of a friend i've know for about 40 years. We went to elementary school together. I won't give you his name because some of you might think poorly of him after I tell you this story. Basically he bought it because like me (and I suspect most of you on this site)fell in love with it the first time he saw it.He pushed it into a climate controlled storage facility in lower Manhattan and it never moved again until February of this year. Yes, I mean he pushed it because one of the few things he did right was not put any fuel in it. All I can tell you when you ask why it never moved, at this point doesn't matter. But if you must know if involved a father's heart attack the first year, a new job as one of NYC's finest the next. I have know other valid reasons or excuses for him. I gave him a break for the first 2 years, but I've been riding him for the last 25 years even threatening bodily harm to my friend who is now an armed NYC first grade Detective. Finally while visiting back East this last December (i've been living in Los Angeles for the last 20 years or so), I talked him into parting with it. As one of his best friends, he wouldn't take any money from me and gave it as a gift without the *** kicking. I thought it was a good trade!!$2000 in new parts later, plus $750 in shipping cost, along with a 3 month wait for the great Empire State DMV to get me a title (yes, he never registered it either and it still had Yamaha's name on the title), I finally got her cruising and I've been loving every moment. I'm breaking her in slowly. I myself haven't ridden for about a decade and have missed it very much. I was stuck in a boring airline job as a pilot (I quit due to crappy pay and long hours away from home) and then had an addition to my family in the form of a 4 year old boy who my wife named Johnny IV. That made me a brand new father at the ripe young age of 44. Lucky for me my wife has been encouraging me to find a new hobby and loves bikes, and so here I am loving life and the beautiful Los Angeles weather on my museum piece!