I bought a 06' V Max December 31st. I'm not sure why

[it's_tricky]

Hello everyone, Happy New Year! I was on vacation with family for Christmas and I found a 2006 V Max for sale that was 20 minuets away. I called the guy up, and went to the his house, did a test ride, and 20 minutes later I loaded the bike into my van.
I must say; this is the fastest worst handling motorcycle I have ever ridden. It is ridiculous. I wasn't even thinking of buying a bike until an hour before. So I showed up in shorts & t-shirt with a mtn. bike helmet. Total squid style. I've been a motorcycle racer for 30 years now. Mostly motocross and off-road (woods racing). I've done a bit of roadracing with a few wins here & there. I'm currently a riding coach with Precision Track Days. I have ridden dozens of types of road bikes, but never anything like this. I'm not sure what possessed me to buy a V Max yesterday, but I did it.
I believe the single most important part of the motorcycle is the tires. Because, when you're doing it right, that's the only part that touches the ground. WHAT IS THE BEST TIRE CHOICE FOR in 2025 ? ( stock wheels on a 2006 V Max )

 

[Fire-medic]

If you want to turn-around the handling, convert the bike to radial tires. Do a search for 'radial tires' for the Gen. 1 bikes, lots of info. 17" tires are the most compounds front & rear. 18" tires are fewer compounds, but they give you a bit more top-end compared to the 17" tires. Then again, how often are you running 135mph+?

 

[Zeus36]

Tires are the primary improvement as your state.
Conversion to radial tires as Fire-medic discusses should be the first major modification.
Progressive Suspension springs in the forks and conversion to Progressive Suspension shocks would be next on the list.
A simple handling improvement would be frame braces.
Two other mods that will affect handling would be solid motor mounts and a braced swing-arm.
Last on my list; a steering dampener.

 

[it's_tricky]

Thank you Fire-medic & Zeus36 for your reply. As I read further into it, I realized how many times before other folks have asked the same question I did. Thank you for being nice about it. I'm into numerous types of motorsports and frequently buying and trying a new bike or car. Often times, the more experienced members of a group will make snide comments when a noob asks the same question that's been asked a hundred times before. I appreciate you guys.

 

[hondaman]

welcome to the evil side of motorcycles.........love that vboost........vmax is a unique motorcycle. lots of smiles per mile here. enjoy your new ride.

 

[Tom Determan]

The only track the Vmax will ever be good at is a straight line for 1000 ft, maybe 1/4 mile. Anywhere else the chassis starts misbehaving, LOL. Like Hondaman said, enjoy the Vboost and knowing you're riding a truly classic boulevard power cruiser with a production story unmatched by any manufacturer. It's best at 1) sounding really cool, (don't waste $$ on exhaust changes) 2) stoplight drags against anything and 3) helping others get rid of some drool. The Gen 2 (09 and newer) is a whole new game in terms of torque and HP. Pair yours with a Gen 2 and stock up on drool rags, LOL.

 

[it's_tricky]

A little update after 3 days of ownership. I bought the bike on Tuesday while on vacation in Oak Island, NC with my family. I got it home and spent some time going over it on Thursday. The tires only had about 15 psi in them! and the rear profile is flat from riding straight line. I aired up the tires and went for a short ride ( 25 degree & windy ) Much better! Today I ordered a set of Shinko 230s and a progressive fork spring.