FRONT FORKS

[Fraguelaeddy]

what type of front can be put on or adapted to a yamaha vmax

 

[Fire-medic]

What year?

 

[MaxMidnight]

Depending on how deep your pockets are anything can be adapted.

Perhaps you could explain a bit more about what sort of thing you have in mind and what it is you are trying to achieve?

 

[Fire-medic]

Installing USD forks as a 'wow'-factor certainly has its advantages, but spending loads of cash to get-there, isn't a good plan. If you're a machinist, you can-do all-sorts of things that others cannot, unless they 'shell-out the shekels.' Spending boatloads of cash isn't a particularly
sound plan if there's a better use for the funds.

For instance, on a Generation 1 you can add better fork springs, better valving, a fork brace, replacing nicked downtubes, where you've lost your hard-chrome, replace fork seals, and change your static sag to greatly improve the OEM forks' function. Add to that a switch to radial tires, which will usually necessitate a new rear wheel, and two tires, and you've just done what I consider two of the best changes to a stock bike, to improve its handling, especially at-speed, and in the curves. This front end work and the radial tires will cost less-than trying to swap-in an USD fork.

 

[Fraguelaeddy]

I have a front of yamaha R 1 It could be put

 

[Fire-medic]

I have a front of yamaha R 1 It could be put

Where do you call home? Consider adding that info under your screen name. There may be a knowledgeable member willing to help by you.

Look-up the weight of your R-1 (wet, and add your weight, dressed to-ride) and then do the same for your VMax. I suspect about a 25% difference from the R-1 to the VMax. The R-1 downtubes are much-shorter, requiring either 'gull-wing' triple trees, or longer downtubes, and stiffer springs. If the changes aren't made, you lose cornering clearance, your fork will have a static sag which will probably remove half of your suspension travel, and what you've ended-up with is an unsafe ride inferior to the OEM VMax fork. It's not-just, "bolt-on the R-1 forks and go-riding." Not safely, anyway.

 

[02GF74]

Not sure if it helps, but definitely not one of these.

 

[MaxMidnight]

R1 forks have been adapted to fit the Max but as suggested previously it depends on how much you are prepared to pay.

IMO unless the look is you main aim any benefits are minimal to the degree that the vast majority of riders wouldn't notice any difference against a suitably modified OE set-up.

The money you save if you settle for modding the OE forks would give you enough for some decent rear shock and go a long way to 17" wheels and tyres.

 

[Woody]

Not sure if it helps, but definitely not one of these.

That's not an upside down fork

 

[Fire-medic]

That's not an upside down fork

This is!



Some people fixate on something, and they aren't happy until they get it done. The desire for an USD fork is one of those things, for the VMax in my opinion. If that's how you wish to-spend the $, have at-it. A much-less costly mod is radial tires and the difference in handling is akin to a new pair of premium bias-ply tires every 1,000 miles, is what I'd compare it to, and that doesn't take into account the stability issues at higher speeds. That's where the radial tires really stand-out. Your confidence in the handling is greatly-improved.

 

[Parminio]

R1 forks have been adapted to fit the Max but as suggested previously it depends on how much you are prepared to pay.

IMO unless the look is you main aim any benefits are minimal to the degree that the vast majority of riders wouldn't notice any difference against a suitably modified OE set-up.

The money you save if you settle for modding the OE forks would give you enough for some decent rear shock and go a long way to 17" wheels and tyres.

This.

Contrary to popular belief, putting the forks from a 450 pound sport bike on a 635 pound power cruiser is NOT going to make the 650 pound power cruiser handle like a 450 pound sport bike.

 

[VMAXXIMUM]

While we're on the topic of front forks, I cannot find what the static sag should be. Your help is much appreciated.

 

[gentsvmax]

+1 On wow factor only, I didn't canyon carve or road race at all before or after the mod so no
comment on handling difference.

 

[MaxMidnight]

While we're on the topic of front forks, I cannot find what the static sag should be. Your help is much appreciated.

Between 25 & 30 mm. I would go for the softer end of the range.

 

[huw s]

Not sure about R1 trees, but the vmax ones have a big offset so the forks clear the radiator.
Later vmax forks are bigger diameter, so likely to be stiffer, = better?
Add some damper inserts and stiffer springs, radial tyres, you're there?

 

[VMAXXIMUM]

Between 25 & 30 mm. I would go for the softer end of the range.

Thank you Mr. Max I thought I would get up to an answer from you and I appreciate it.

 

[MaxMidnight]

Midnight Towers never sleeps and its Gnomes are always on hand to answer questions....don't always give the right answers but you just can't get the right quality of Gnomes anymore.

 

[user 75059]

Howzitgoin, just got my first Max and lovin it as much as the neighbours are hating it. I too became rapidly obsessed with the inversion conversion after taking one hand off the bars on the post purchase ride and copping a near bike ending tank slapper! Just for conversation sake, the Max I missed out on purchasing by mere minutes previous to my current bike had a GSXR 1000 front end grafted on in its entirety! fitted good too, appeared to have minimal mods but being of a different tribe until now I cant say for sure as I am only just learning of such things.
I just thought possibly a front end from a TT600 Belgarda or 03 yz450f might do the job(longer) with a few tweeks? any thoughts.
Thanks for the info regarding original front end mods, will give it a go.
Cheers, JR

 

[MaxMidnight]

First observation is that if it went into a tank slapper that would suggest to me that there is something wrong rather than an intrinsic fault with the Max.

For the fork swap; IMO the Belgarda or YZ450F forks will create more problems than solve. They are not a bikes I know but from the pics the Belgards has conventional forks on a very light machines (less than half the weight of the Max) and with a leading axle and provision for a single disc of 220 mm (Belgardo) and 250 mm (YZF); the Max has either twin 282 or 298 mm discs.
You would need to establish if the yokes could be adapted to fit the Max, source uprated springs for the extra weight and most likely make changes to the damping; compare the length of both options to OE to see how they compare; establish the effect the leading axle will have on the steering geometry; establish if or what wheel will fit (IMO a 21" would look completely stupid); work out how to fit the mudguard in a sensible position; work out how to fit a decent sized headlight; ensure that your will is up to date because the significantly reduced braking will cut your chances of survival significantly. Apart from that it would be OK?

The perceptive among you will have picked up that I do not think this is a good idea.

My apologies to Mr Veggie if the above comes over as negative but you did ask for our thoughts.

 

[Parminio]

the Max I missed out on purchasing by mere minutes previous to my current bike had a GSXR 1000 front end grafted on in its entirety!

I've said it before, I'll say it again: The front forks off a 450 pound sport bike are NOT going to make a 635 pound power cruiser handle like a 450 pound sport bike.

If you think logically about "mods", you'll find the vast majority of them make no sense because they are in fact senseless.