Gen 2 vs Sport bikes the war continues.....

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Post away.....I have the video. He ran 9.51 on a VMax that had a slip on pipe and a slick, stock height, no strap, foot shifting, no other mods and Jon Cornell was never within 1500 miles of the bike. It was his first time on the bike BTW. Launches on his tip toes. :biglaugh:

I also can point you to video of the 9.59 run on a completely stock bike with just a reflashed ECU and slick. All of this is common knowledge to a lot of the Gen 2 crowd.

I not sure the point you were trying to make......if you were doubting what I had posted or what.

I am just going off the information I found on starvmax forum. Thats all. Again I wasn't there and thats what the owner of bike had wrote in the article he penned up , Bob something or other. I ll try and dig it up and post it. But to be honest, again I wasn't there and I don't really care. Regardless if it had a 50 shot nitrous setup on it, 9.51's is flying on a street bike.
 
There are NOT that many guys running 8 second passes on bikes they bought at the dealership and just took to the track. There ARE a select few that have made it there with various modifications but the 8 second pass isn't that easy for them yet. There are a number of them that can do it without a starter cart though!

That is the one thing that sucks on my GSXR. I could put an onboard starter and charging system back on it but that add's weight. It's got too much compression anyway to drive on the street lol.
 
There are NOT that many guys running 8 second passes on bikes they bought at the dealership and just took to the track. There ARE a select few that have made it there with various modifications but the 8 second pass isn't that easy for them yet. There are a number of them that can do it without a starter cart though!

That is the one thing that sucks on my GSXR. I could put an onboard starter and charging system back on it but that add's weight. It's got too much compression anyway to drive on the street lol.

I was at the track one night last year and a guy was there with his new ZX14. Stock. I could have beat him every pass on my VMax.

He couldn't run under 10.2 .....but was trapping close to 150 MPH! Just too hard to handle that much power without an extended swingarm.......takes a ton of skill and practice to get a stock wheelbased bike like that down the track.
 
There are NOT that many guys running 8 second passes on bikes they bought at the dealership and just took to the track. There ARE a select few that have made it there with various modifications but the 8 second pass isn't that easy for them yet. There are a number of them that can do it without a starter cart though!

That is the one thing that sucks on my GSXR. I could put an onboard starter and charging system back on it but that add's weight. It's got too much compression anyway to drive on the street lol.

One thing I'd have liked to have tried was gettin you on mine Sean and seeing what someone with recent experience could do vs my ass 10
Years out of practice. It makes all the difference in my book.

220+ lbs, we aren't going to run pee wee's times , but to see the difference in riders, whether or not you're a pro you're consistent as ****, and that's what matters if you want to compare the hardware only.
 
There are NOT that many guys running 8 second passes on bikes they bought at the dealership and just took to the track. There ARE a select few that have made it there with various modifications but the 8 second pass isn't that easy for them yet. There are a number of them that can do it without a starter cart though!

That is the one thing that sucks on my GSXR. I could put an onboard starter and charging system back on it but that add's weight. It's got too much compression anyway to drive on the street lol.

You can come down here and watch lee run his street legal 14and do some 8.40s its back at stock wheelbase now so probably only some hi 8s
 
What does your term "Street Legal" mean? I have seen "Street Legal" (and tagged/insured) bikes running high 6's at over 200mph.

Also, you're going to find an example here or there but far far from the average or even better then average rider is getting into the 8's on a regular basis on any "Stock" or slightly modified bike.
 
What does your term "Street Legal" mean? I have seen "Street Legal" (and tagged/insured) bikes running high 6's at over 200mph.

Also, you're going to find an example here or there but far far from the average or even better then average rider is getting into the 8's on a regular basis on any "Stock" or slightly modified bike.
Legal in terms as that he could get on it right now & ride it to your place in Kansas if he wanted to with no problems. I have seen some of them 6 second street bikes to but most of them are not really that streetable & wont run on normal pump gas.
 
There was a guy at the track with a bone stock , unmodified ZX14 ( read not lowered, not geared, nothing ) and he was running 9.40's on the bike. It was SMOOTHHHHH.... I was utterly amazed. You couldn't hear it go down the track. It was quiet and deadly. 100% bone stock. I ll see if I have a picture of it someplace.

I would think you would be surprised how many real 8 second street bikes are out there.

Todd
 
Not that many make it to the track. You saw a 9.40 go on down the track which is a long way from an 8 second pass. You've already seen it's not that easy with more then enough power.
 
I'm a noob on here but thought I'd throw in two pennies on the subject. I'm 50 years old and am at a place in life financially where I can afford to buy more than one new bike. I recently purchased a 2014 Gen 2. I could have purchased a Gen 2 busa, a ZX-14, a BMW S1000RR, etc......... I chose my Max.

I don't race and have no desire to. If you ever run into anyone on the street riding any of the aforementioned sportbikes or any others for that matter, and you ask them if the bike is comfortable to ride on for extended periods while doing the speed limit, and they reply "Yes". They are lying plain and simple.

You can park a whole crap load of different makes and models of sportbikes side by side, and from a not so far distance, you can't tell any of them apart. The Max is different. No other bike resembles it. Sure there are faster bikes. I've got the money available to make my new Max really run. But unless you really are serious about running your bike at the drag strip, does it really matter which one is the fastest on the street? I personally think the Vmax is hands down a better streetbike than most, if not all of the sportbikes out there.

When those grips are even with or lower than the clamps, and you're bent over all day with your neck aching from holding your helmeted head up, and your wrists are aching from supporting your upper body, that's when we need to sit down and really do a comparison between the Gen 2 Vmax and the Sportbikes, at least from a streetbike perspective.

The subject of people out there buying a big fast bike or fast car and stating, "Yeah she'll do the 1/4 in 10.27 secs etc........ I agree. That's a little silly. Hypothetically, that's like proudly standing beside your recently purchased (now retired) F-14 Tomcat, if you were allowed to have one, and stating, "Yeah, this baby will do Mach 2+ and can engage six different targets at the same time with her AIM-54 Phoenix missiles". Not with you on board it won't. My apologies if there are any actual former F-14 pilots on the forum here. lol!

Basically what I'm saying is, judging motorcycles by how well they run at the strip, is hardly a good measure of how they stack up against each other on the street. Neither is top speed. I think Yamaha hit the ball out of the park with how they geared and cammed the Gen 2 Vmax. Massive acceleration no matter what gear you're in. Sure box stock with an unflashed ECU it tops out just shy of 140. So what? I have an Akrapovic mid pipe I plan on installing this winter along with getting my ECU flashed. But do I really need to? Not really.

I'll stick with my Max for the street. If I get the urge to start riding above 150 mph regularly, I'll buy something else and head to the track. If you go pick up a bike trader you'll notice all of the sportbikes on the market out there for sale. I was 25 years old when I owned my FZR 1000. It was miserable going on any ride for any length of time. The only time it felt comfortable, was when you really opened up the throttle and the wind blast produced some support for your body. Take care........... Dave
 
Dave.....Amen Brother! :clapping:
 
Just like I said earlier, everything is personal preference.. The only things that stand alone are the numbers, a gen 2 Vmax is far and away a more comfortable bike to ride than any sportbike but at the same time its not really fair to call it a sport touring bike either with the limited range either. Itgoes really said it best, there are really no other bikes in a gen 2 Vmax's class and that can actually be a bad thing, but the bikes are cool as hell for sure. In my opinion Yamaha took it too far and priced it out of a lot of people's reach including mine. I'm not ashamed to say I can't afford one, I have other interests as well.. What I'm saying is they should have improved on the basic design and power output but not tried to reinvent the wheel because there are so much faster bikes out there now that to be top dog and still retain any comfort and "fun factor" is practically impossible. I get thumbs up from everyone on my 94, I ride with everything from 15 second slow Harley's to mid 8 second turbo Busa's and about everything in between.. I can build this bike as my budget allows and still have fun, I'm not saying its the only right way but just that its my way. No matter what your riding or racing if it brings a smile to your face its worth it..

Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2
 
No matter what your riding or racing if it brings a smile to your face its worth it..

Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2


That's it in a nutshell. If it's your bike and you enjoy it, and it makes you happy, that's all that really matters. I had a '93 Max BTW. I loved that bike. I sold it in '95 right after my first child was born. I sold it to an older guy. I was 32 at the time. I think he was probably in his late '60's. He was tickled pink when he bought it. Mr. Max can definitely put a smile on anyone's face regardless of what year it is or how fast it is.
 
I think Yamaha hit the ball out of the park with how they geared and cammed the Gen 2 Vmax. Massive acceleration no matter what gear you're in.

+1 That to me from a riding perspective is what makes the bike so much fun and so unique. No other bike makes power the way the Gen 2 does.....and that's no accident. It is exactly what the design engineers were going for. If you were lucky enough to pre-order a 2009 before you got the bike you received a book from Yamaha that talked about how the new VMax was conceived. They never even thought about it having to be the fastest bike on the market....what they were trying to achieve was a certain feel.....and they nailed it. It's not something you can even appreciate in 1 or 2 test rides, but if you ride the bike for a week or so, and really start getting into the throttle you'll know how addictive that feeling becomes.

Compare it to one of the best and fastest new superbikes out there the BMW 1000RR. At 4000 RPM the BMW makes around 40 HP, the VMax makes around 85. At 6000 RPM the the BMW makes 75 HP and the VMax is making 130. A well tuned 1000RR will make peak HP close to what the VMax makes but it peaks at 13500 RPM where the VMax peaks closer to 8500 - 9000. It's an entirely different riding experience. You wick up the VMax at anything over 2000 RPM in any gear and it gives you that instant feel......amazing and so much fun. Other bikes like the Busa and 14 though not as extreme have similar power bands to the BMW.

That is what you can never get enough of when riding this bike, and what puts a smile on your face every time. You don't need to go through gears and end up doing 130 MPH every time you want to experience the feel of acceleration. The unique powerplant and the fact it does everything else so well (other than pass gas stations) is why I wouldn't trade my Max for anything else made today.
 
I'm a noob on here but thought I'd throw in two pennies on the subject. I'm 50 years old and am at a place in life financially where I can afford to buy more than one new bike. I recently purchased a 2014 Gen 2. I could have purchased a Gen 2 busa, a ZX-14, a BMW S1000RR, etc......... I chose my Max.

I don't race and have no desire to. If you ever run into anyone on the street riding any of the aforementioned sportbikes or any others for that matter, and you ask them if the bike is comfortable to ride on for extended periods while doing the speed limit, and they reply "Yes". They are lying plain and simple.

I almost snorted out my nose reading this. Whats funny is that I find a great deal of Busa riders to NOT be kids but to be middle aged or older riders who want power and touring ability.

You can park a whole crap load of different makes and models of sportbikes side by side, and from a not so far distance, you can't tell any of them apart. The Max is different. No other bike resembles it. Sure there are faster bikes. I've got the money available to make my new Max really run. But unless you really are serious about running your bike at the drag strip, does it really matter which one is the fastest on the street? I personally think the Vmax is hands down a better streetbike than most, if not all of the sportbikes out there.

I think that you would have a big amount of people that own Busa's and I am not a ZX14 person, but I think they would probably echo it, that they bought them to tour on. They are big extremely comfortable and can go really long distances because of good mileage and big tanks. Also I always hated when people said nice Harley to me. So because we all love Vmax's lets be realistic, it looks like any other UJM cruiser to the common uneducated masses.

When those grips are even with or lower than the clamps, and you're bent over all day with your neck aching from holding your helmeted head up, and your wrists are aching from supporting your upper body, that's when we need to sit down and really do a comparison between the Gen 2 Vmax and the Sportbikes, at least from a streetbike perspective.
Busa
triplecover1.jpg

ZX14
kawasaki-2012-zx14-r-10.jpg


Because we are mostly talking about Busa's and ZX14's, with your statement I posted two pictures, the bars are higher than the triples. I am nit picking I guess, but the most comfortable thing I EVER did to my Gen 1 , was almost flat drag bars. That lowered my bars I believe around 2 inches and brought me forward. The bike handled a million times better also IMHO.

Riding a GSXR 750 all day for 1200 miles isnt the most enjoyable thing. I know I ve done it A LOT. heck riding any motorcycle for 1200 miles in one day isn't enjoyable, I dont care what your one, even your Goldwing. The GSXR 750 was never designed to be ridden 1200 miles a day. But the difference I will first and foremost say that at 80 mph on the highway, having a windscreen protecting your body is way more relief than trying to hold onto to a non faired or screened bike. And honestly those crappy little bug screens....I ve done 1000+ mile rides on my Gen 1 Vmax and I will say that my faired bikes get the nod every time over the Gen 1 Vmax.

The subject of people out there buying a big fast bike or fast car and stating, "Yeah she'll do the 1/4 in 10.27 secs etc........ I agree. That's a little silly. Hypothetically, that's like proudly standing beside your recently purchased (now retired) F-14 Tomcat, if you were allowed to have one, and stating, "Yeah, this baby will do Mach 2+ and can engage six different targets at the same time with her AIM-54 Phoenix missiles". Not with you on board it won't. My apologies if there are any actual former F-14 pilots on the forum here. lol!

I guess I would be confused then with your statement.... Isnt the first thing people think about the Vmax, being the bike that everyone thinks about being a drag strip terror? The bike that surprised everyone ? Didn't Yamaha have ads stating this fact in order to try and sell the bike?

Here are some iconic pictures of the Vmax Legend...... they all seem to point to the type of guy that wants to be fast, show he is fast and have something that sitting still looks fast....

Yamaha-vmax-1.jpg


4.jpg


122_13_z+2005_yamaha_v-max_vs_2005_triumph_rocket_III+.jpg



If this video isnt what Yamaha was trying to tell everyone.... then I don't know what a Vmax is about at all......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FiCVl7gViE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IymB8y1C3c

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Basically what I'm saying is, judging motorcycles by how well they run at the strip, is hardly a good measure of how they stack up against each other on the street. Neither is top speed. I think Yamaha hit the ball out of the park with how they geared and cammed the Gen 2 Vmax. Massive acceleration no matter what gear you're in. Sure box stock with an unflashed ECU it tops out just shy of 140. So what? I have an Akrapovic mid pipe I plan on installing this winter along with getting my ECU flashed. But do I really need to? Not really.


I'll agree with you 100% here. Judging how good a cruiser Harley is against a mini bike isn't what people do. But the reality is, the Vmax is supposed to be bad ass. And it is. Its got a huge 1700cc motor and makes ungodly power. Its awesome. I rode one. The Gen 2 Busa makes crazy power too, as does the ZX14. I ve ridden those.

I think the reason you see people always state 1/4 mile times is because that is one thing 99% of people can do. Everyone of us can twist the throttle in the first two gears and go fast , or do a roll on and get up to speed fast. Thats what its about.

You can't take a Gen 2 Vmax into the corner like you can a GSXR 600.... if you think you can, I ll have some money to wager on it. But the problem is, how many of you can take a bike into a corner as hard as it will go? Very doubtful that there is more than a handful of riders you will meet that can take any bike into a corner at its full potential stock.

Judging a motorcycle takes many things into account. I think Yamaha built a fun CITY bike. It sucks ass on the highway, it gets incredibly ****** gas mileage and has a dinky tank. And to make it shaft drive again and a few other items made it hard for customizers to really pull out some cool things for the Gen 2.

But prowl the streets on the Gen 2 and there is almost nothing that will touch you on one stop light to stop light.

Go on a long over the road trip and when a Gen 2 Vmax has to stop every 90-100 miles for fuel and a Gen 2 Busa can get close to if not over 220 miles to a tank... thats huge, it is to me. I don't know about you guys, but I hate stopping everyone 1 1/2 hours for gas. It sucks... plain and simple. My turbo bike would go around 150-180 miles on a tank depending on how I rode it. My buddies Gen 1 Busa gets almost consistent 210 miles on a tank, but he rides pretty tame ( guess what he has saddle bags and never has seen a drag strip on his bike....).

I'll stick with my Max for the street. If I get the urge to start riding above 150 mph regularly, I'll buy something else and head to the track. If you go pick up a bike trader you'll notice all of the sportbikes on the market out there for sale.I was 25 years old when I owned my FZR 1000. It was miserable going on any ride for any length of time. The only time it felt comfortable, was when you really opened up the throttle and the wind blast produced some support for your body. Take care........... Dave

I am not sure what that sentence means. But since the big four all made sport bikes in huge volumes, I think Suzuki made 40,000 GSXR 600's in 2006. I just going off memory from a conversation. So if you can find the info to correct me awesome, so take it as hearsay. If that number is true.... that would probably be almost half the production of Vmaxes for Gen 1's, in one year for one cc sized sport bike. So your going to see a ton of sport bikes for sale. Better yet, look at Harley ad's for sale. That will blow your mind....

I can respect that you love your Gen 2. I will own one most likely at sometime. I ve owned just about everything else you can imagine motorcycle wise. And I love Vmax's, or else I wouldn't have owned 4 of them.

Some of my opinions vary greatly from the general populace. I like the forward position. I ve had surgeries on my knees and feet. If I ride my Vmax without putting my feet on the passenger pegs, I am good for about 200 miles before I say screw this. The wind force on my current Gen 1 during Thunder sucked ass big time. I was riding my other Busa for a little while before I switched back to the Gen 1. It was the first thing I noticed and hated with a passion. Anything above 60 mph you felt the constant push on your body. The upright position on the Gen 1 bothers me. I liked to lean forward and it was uncomfortable for me.It hurt my back and my butt. If I build another Gen 1 , which I may or may not, I ll be custom making a front USD fork setup with rear sets to match so I can lean forward on the bike and be more comfortable.

But bottom line is fun. The guy who has fun on his Gen 2 Vmax, Gen 2 Busa, CB 350, whatever.... its about having fun. If you like to go fast, you buy a Gen 2 Vmax. If you like to cruise you buy a Harley. If you like to be a show stopper you buy a 1969 Honda CB 750 fully restored.

I'll never care what people think of what I say, do or own. Because the only thing that matters is I am having fun. My idea of fun may be different than someone elses idea of fun. Thats what makes the world great. We are all different.

We all have one thing in common. We love motorcycles. My biggest disdain if disorder among the ranks because your bike is a Vtwin and my bike is a V4 or inline 4. Riding down the road and the "secret" wave that never comes from "the other" guys because either they are too good or .... well I don't know the or.....

Todd
 
If you ever run into anyone on the street riding any of the aforementioned sportbikes or any others for that matter, and you ask them if the bike is comfortable to ride on for extended periods while doing the speed limit, and they reply "Yes". They are lying plain and simple.
Ok, So, you are calling me a liar? Considering that I actually AM comfortable on sportbikes, I am calling you on this.

The reason why a sportbike is more comfortable for me is twofold. The forward lean stretches my back some, and also makes it so when I hit a bump, the shock is not sent right up my back. And with my legs, I need a good bend for comfort. With my legs even remotely stretched out, it does not take long for my hips to cramp up on me.

You can park a whole crap load of different makes and models of sportbikes side by side, and from a not so far distance, you can't tell any of them apart.
Maybe you cannot do so, but I know a LOT of riders who can. And I am not just talking about those who ride sportbikes. The biggest majority of riders I know ride cruisers, and a lot of them know a good deal about bikes... most ALL types of bikes.

When those grips are even with or lower than the clamps, and you're bent over all day with your neck aching from holding your helmeted head up, and your wrists are aching from supporting your upper body, that's when we need to sit down and really do a comparison between the Gen 2 Vmax and the Sportbikes, at least from a streetbike perspective.
Ok, and am I to assume that every sportbike rider out there has NEVER riden on anything but a sportbike?

I COULD have bought an 06 GSX-R1000, or an 03 VTR1000F Superhawk. BOTH would have been more comfortable for me than my 03 V-max. I could have continued shopping for a Busa even. Do you know WHY I chose a V-max over the other choices? I chose it because the 1st Gen Max was the very first bike I fell in love with when I saw one at the age of 12. It gas been my dream of owning the bike that made me fall in love with motorcycles. Now, I have the need to mod it until it fits me.

That is just me. Your preferences are different, but your post came across as if you felt your view was gospel. While your statements may represent you, they do NOT represent everyone.
 
Well Holy freakin cow guys! I thought this was a Vmax forum. I guess not. My opinions in this thread were based on my own experience with bikes over the last 31 years. I apologize for insulting you. Maybe I just need to find another Vmax forum to join.
 
Well Holy freakin cow guys! I thought this was a Vmax forum. I guess not. My opinions in this thread were based on my own experience with bikes over the last 31 years. I apologize for insulting you. Maybe I just need to find another Vmax forum to join.

Well it is a Vmax forum and 99% of the guys here are VERY open minded. To be honest, your post made it sound like the post above.... this was gospel.

I too expressed my opinions of having motorcycles for almost 25+ years, and having owned over 150 bikes during that time ( now mind you these included dirt bikes, beater bikes etc ).

I guess the problem that me and probably many other people might have with your statements is that they were all one tracked. Sport bike riders are liars plain and simple.... thats pretty bold statement to make and to be honest I did take offense to that. Because of injuries I find a sport ergonomic position more comfortable for me.

At Thunder I tried Ricks gasser seat for the Gen 1. It didnt appeal to me because it sat me lower and put more pressure on my knees. It was a super nice seat other than it was too short for me.

The post to me felt Harley like. This is the best bike ever, the rest of you all suck and are liars.

I am sure thats not the way the post was meant to come off. But thats the way I read into some of it and obviously from the above post, I am not the only one.

No one is saying we can't have opinions, but if your going to make bold statements and call people plain and simple liars, then you best be ready to take some crap for it.

Todd
 
I guess the problem that me and probably many other people might have with your statements is that they were all one tracked. Sport bike riders are liars plain and simple.... thats pretty bold statement to make and to be honest I did take offense to that. Because of injuries I find a sport ergonomic position more comfortable for me.

The post to me felt Harley like. This is the best bike ever, the rest of you all suck and are liars.


No one is saying we can't have opinions, but if your going to make bold statements and call people plain and simple liars, then you best be ready to take some crap for it.

Todd


You show me anywhere in this thread where I called anyone on here a liar. I can take "crap" any day and everyday. But if you're going to spout off something that you say I said, then back it up. I didn't call anyone on here anything. Go ahead, point it out to me. I want to see where I called anyone on this forum a liar. I just joined this forum. I also just donated some money to it. I'm now having second thoughts for doing so. It looks like to me there are issues here and I really don't want to be a part of it.

If you're talking about the riding position of someone riding a sportbike, if they are comfortable riding that way, then so be it. I was talking in a general sense. If you or anyone else on here actually believes that every sportbike owner feels comfortable riding their bike, then that is your opinion. I have mine. If you don't like my opinion, that is okay. But it's my opinion, not yours.

There are trolls on a few other forums I am a member of, but I can tell you, this takes the cake. I have never been so turned off from a forum as I have here in the last few hours.
 
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