How does a VMAX compare to a V65 Sabre?

[oldbutspry]

My ZX-9R just isn't comfortable enough for me to go riding long distances with the wife. I've been thinking for a while about getting a different bike. I've gradually narrowed down what I am interested in. Today, I went and rode the Harley VROD at "Demo Days". It was terrible - I was thinking it would have lots more torque. Now I have narrowed it down to where I think the best option is an original VMAX.

I used to have a V65 Sabre and I really miss that bike. It had a V4 with loads of usable power and just felt like it wanted to launch out from under you. Unfortunately, that bike hasn't been made since the 80's and it had problems with cams wiping. So I'm thinking the VMAX would be the closest thing that has been produced recently.

Anybody here owned a V65 Sabre and a VMAX? Or ridden both enough to be able to compare them? I've never actually ridden a VMAX so I'm only assuming it is similar to the Sabre.

 

[88vmx12]

I have ridden both. I have only owned one, the Vmax. The V65 that I had ridden had over heating issues. If that is normal then the two of them share something else in common. I personally like the Vmax better because I always felt that the center of gravity was lower and it felt more comfy to me. During the early 80's The muscle bike era. There were atleast three bikes that I know in competion. The V65 , Kawasaki Zl900 Eliminator, and the Vmax. I personally would purchase the Vmax and the Eliminator over the V65.I like the looks of them better and how they feel when riding them .I have a good friend of mine that has two Eliminators, and I am very jelouse... Just my opinion my next purchase will be an Eliminator

Scooter

 

[oldbutspry]

I have ridden both. I have only owned one, the Vmax. The V65 that I had ridden had over heating issues. If that is normal then the two of them share something else in common. I personally like the Vmax better because I always felt that the center of gravity was lower and it felt more comfy to me. During the early 80's The muscle bike era. There were atleast three bikes that I know in competion. The V65 , Kawasaki Zl900 Eliminator, and the Vmax. I personally would purchase the Vmax and the Eliminator over the V65.I like the looks of them better and how they feel when riding them .I have a good friend of mine that has two Eliminators, and I am very jelouse... Just my opinion my next purchase will be an Eliminator

Scooter

I never had a problem with overheating but I was living near DC at the time so maybe that's why. The Sabre was top heavy and kind of tall. It took some getting used to but I always felt like I was straddling a missile when taking off. And yeah, the styling is quite dated looking now.

The Sabre would power wheelie effortlessly in first and second at low rpm's - is the VMAX pretty much the same? My ZX-9R doesn't have nearly the same torque - I have to rev the thing up to near 8k before I get into the power band. And I hardly ever get up to those sorts of rpm's.

 

[richwrench]

My buddy has a V65 Sabre he let me ride a couple of times - it doesn't compare to my VMAX IMHO, but of course I'm biased. The VMAX won't power wheelie in first or second unless you're a good enough rider to MAKE it happen ! It's too heavy - which is a good thing in my book.

 

[oldbutspry]

My buddy has a V65 Sabre he let me ride a couple of times - it doesn't compare to my VMAX IMHO, but of course I'm biased. The VMAX won't power wheelie in first or second unless you're a good enough rider to MAKE it happen ! It's too heavy - which is a good thing in my book.

I checked the specs and the VMAX is actually a little lighter than a Sabre. Maybe it's because the weight on a VMAX is so much lower (in line with the axle)?

The common complaint I hear about VMAXs is the handling. They're both heavy, shaft drive, tube frame, etc. - any big difference you noticed?

It's always hard to say what a V65 is like anyway. I actually had 2 - the first was a screamer and the second felt like a 70's CB750 would outrun it. Ironically, the first one had higher mileage and seemed to have had a much rougher life. So it's really just a gamble as to whether any particular one you ride has the power they came with originally. The cams just seemed to wipe randomly on those bikes (but often).

 

[one2dmax]

OK, I have ridden a V65 Magna as well as a V65 Sabre. The sabre handled like absolute dog shit but probably more to the bad tires that was on it. Power wise there is no real comparison. The V65 does run well but a lot less powerful.

I do also have a 2002 ZX9R so I know that part of the equation too. It's got lots of power on tap but you have to wait for it to get moving/revving before you get to use it.

I almost bought the V65 magna but they had that old cam grinding issue and high end oiling issue. I knew with my riding style it would have exploded it in no time. So I ended up with the vmax and the rest they say is history!

On a side note, I still have my 2005 for sale if you're interested!

Sean Morley

 

[oldbutspry]

I do also have a 2002 ZX9R so I know that part of the equation too.

Ok, now I'm curious - how would you compare the 9 and the VMAX comfort-wise? If you were going on a 500 mile trip 2-up, which bike would you choose to take?

I have driven my 2001 9R as much as 600 miles in a day but 200 miles is about the limit to keep my sanity. It just kills my shoulders and back after a while. Ironically, my wife doesn't really want to get rid of the 9 because she says it's comfy for her and she likes how it looks:

 

[RaWarrior]

I used to ride a V30 Magna, the little sibling to the big V65. It had pretty sharp handling, and was very "flickable" and easy to manuever. The V65 had more of it's weight higher up, and a lot of people complain that low-speed maneuvering is kinda unsettling.

Power wise the Vmax takes it, but in a flat even race, it usually tends to be fairly close. One of the few bikes that will give the Vmax good competition.

The V30's handle better than the V65's, and IMO my upgraded Vmax handles just as good if not better than the V30. Frame brackes, fork brace, Progressive springs.

The V65's had issues with insufficient oil pressure at low RPM's resulting in the rear upward facing head not getting enough oil to the cam much below 2000 RPM. There are fixes available if you poke around, but it's a lot of engine work. All the Honda V4's seemed to run hot...my V30 would regularly run with the fan on while on the highway, the temp gauge pushed right to the edge of the red zone. It never overheated though, and the fan always kept things in check. Just ran hot. The V65's are widely known to run very hot, and again, there are fixes for this also. Namely adding a fan switch, or putting a lower fan-stat in.

 

[one2dmax]

zx9 is smoother in power, handling, and ride but the Vmax (with the right seat) is more comfortable.

Sean

 

[Nick.]

i owned a v45 magna as well as frequently ridden a v65 sabre and magna. I love those bikes to death. My v45 was good for 125mph and to me that's damn fast. It handled very well and I loved it to be honest. I just craved more power, 81 ponnies can only get you so far. The v65 sabre and magna are both wonderful bikes. Who cares if they don't make as much power as a max, they are comfy for riders 6' and under STOCK, easily moddable, very few problems ( if your worried about the oil issue buy a dave dodge oil kit for 150 bucks for it), and are just really great all around.

Out of the box they are great for any kind of riding. I just wish you good luck finding a sabre in good shape that's not over priced.

 

[oldbutspry]

I just wish you good luck finding a sabre in good shape that's not over priced.

I'm not considering getting another V65. I was just trying to see how much the VMAX is like my old V65. It sounds like the VMAX is the closest modern equivalent.

I have had someone mention they thought a ZRX1200R would be similar but I can't imagine an inline 4 putting out nearly as much torque.

 

[Geek_Law]

Ok, now I'm curious - how would you compare the 9 and the VMAX comfort-wise? If you were going on a 500 mile trip 2-up, which bike would you choose to take?

I love my max, but I have to say, it's not exactly comfy. You'll need to do some mods on it to make it suitable, at least, that's my personal opinion. When I brought the sucker home a couple of months ago, my ass was hurting after about 30 minutes.

So for me, its a bike to have fun around town with and on short distances. I'm going to get my seat carved out and replace the foam with something softer to see if that will help though, so maybe I'll change my tune after that.

As for comparisons between bullet bikes and the max, I loved my CBR 600F4, but after riding that for 30 minutes, my wrists and palms hurt from holding myself up. Although my ass was fine.

 

[naughtyG]

I love my max, but I have to say, it's not exactly comfy. You'll need to do some mods on it to make it suitable, at least, that's my personal opinion. When I brought the sucker home a couple of months ago, my ass was hurting after about 30 minutes.

So for me, its a bike to have fun around town with and on short distances. I'm going to get my seat carved out and replace the foam with something softer to see if that will help though, so maybe I'll change my tune after that.

Like I said in my other post, all you need to complete your Max now is a Muscle Seat from Sean - you butt will thank you day after day.. :clapping:

 

[SirPeasant]

Love my 2007 Vmax and loved my V65 Magna. Each has it's own "killer" look . To me they BOTH look wicked. The power of the V65 was awesome and it handled very well -- TWIST the throttle and at around 5000-5500 RPM it felt like a 4 barrel kicked it - The v65 had a sudden explosive hard pull at that RPM all the way to it's 10,000 rpm redline. The Vmax when it hits vboost at 6000 RPM + does not have that explosive hard pull like the V65 did. It's more linear. Yeah, it pulls like a MFer but not like a 4 barrel kicking in. Go figure!
BUT, I weighed 200 pounds back in the mid 80"s when I rode the V65 as compared to 270 pounds now on the Vmax. If I could suddenly toss off the extra 70 pounds on the Vmax I think it would accelerate noticeably faster. 70 pounds is a lot of extra weight to carry. The V65 IMO was a good bit more comfy to ride and I feel the V65 handled a fair amount better as well. Back in New Orleans I used to ride HWY 90 at 90 - a great road back then with wide sweepers - Think I'd have to start at 65 on that road with the Vmax and work my way up to get the feel if the Vmax at 90mph could safely keep up with the V65. Comparing the V65/Vmax I think the max would only "edge out" the V65 in a drag race with cloned Jay Gleasons. At age 60 I am not crazy enough to think that I am Sports Bike material so although I still ride just a wee bit aggressive (more than I will admit) I feel the Vmax handles just great for me in the twisties. SOLUTION: I LOVE my Vmax and would kill to have my V65 parked next to it in the garage.

 

[oldbutspry]

Thanks for all the comments guys - it's really helping me figure out what to expect from a VMAX.

Like I said in my other post, all you need to complete your Max now is a Muscle Seat from Sean - you butt will thank you day after day.. :clapping:

So is the VMAX comfy for long rides with a "Muscle Seat" or are there other things that make it uncomfortable?

 

[Geek_Law]

Thanks for all the comments guys - it's really helping me figure out what to expect from a VMAX.



So is the VMAX comfy for long rides with a "Muscle Seat" or are there other things that make it uncomfortable?

I'm gonna go with just the seat. Minimal vibration, so no problem there. Not too loud on the freeway (with OEM pipes at least), so that's fine. I don't have a windshield, but even with just the fly screen, wind blast is ok, though I'd get a proper shield if you were gonna do some serious miles.

 

[KJShover]

I'm gonna go with just the seat. Minimal vibration, so no problem there. Not too loud on the freeway (with OEM pipes at least), so that's fine. I don't have a windshield, but even with just the fly screen, wind blast is ok, though I'd get a proper shield if you were gonna do some serious miles.

+1, Wind resistance with just the fly screen is pretty good. but you'll love a bigger windshield and comfy grips for more long distance comfort.

Although these two are similar riders around town, on the highway, the one with the bigger windshield and good grips is way more comfortable.

 

[richwrench]

++1 to that - I'm about to put my Spitfire windshield on for the winter. Yeah, it's not super-cold here, but it does make a difference.

 

[Geek_Law]

Yep. I've practically got a barn door on my R3, and I wouldn't have it any other way. That's my "let's go a few hundred miles" bike.

 

[oldbutspry]

Anybody have a removable windscreen so you can just attach it for trips?