I picked up my eBay bike...

[j2dawson]

As I said in my other post, my search for a Vmax ended with an eBay purchase. I drove 10 hours round trip to get it. Although I've sold bikes on eBay this is my first bike purchase there. It wasn't nearly as nice as the seller described, "I have here a 1993 VMax in great condition." It is really dirty and in dire need of attention.

It has some kind of after market scoops and cheap turn signals. The rear tire is new but the front is badly dry rotted. The center stand is there but the part you put your foot on is broken off.

In the auction the guy offered either a Corbin seat or the stock one. He must have felt guilty about the description and ended up giving me the stock seat and two corbin seats. One has the Corbin back rest with it. Neither has the mounting bolts, the seller says he found it easier to just take the seat off to refuel it so he just laid the seat on the bike (hmm).

He also included a sissybar and back rest pad that is off the bike and he was going to sell later.

It has Supertrapp mufflers that are too loud for me. I'll probably buy stock mufflers for it after I determine what all is needed to mount them.

The bike has 20,000 miles on it, runs fine and appears to be mechanically sound so maybe I didn't screw up too badly buying it.

I put the stock seat on it today but I'm having a hell of a time getting the backrest to latch down. I have to really slam it 4 or 5 times to get it to stay.

I picked up an oil filter today and will change the oil tomorrow as well as putting a new tire on it, if I can make it work with my J&S jack. it looks to me like it will be lifting it on the exhaust pipes.

If anyone has any hints on mounting the stock mufflers, center stand, or seat problems I'd appreciate it.

Thanks,

Jim

 

[dmax1]

Saw someone selling a center stand on e-bay used. I would link it but I'm at work right now and they watch what Im doing.

 

[SpecOps13]

Welcome to the real world. Most people say what they are selling is in great shape... I'm working on an 89 that fooled me good... I'm over 500 hours now and went over book value long ago... You get what you get and make it what you want...

The Corbin's are much easier to leave unbolted... It would take a train wreck to have one fall off..

You can trade the Trapps for all the parts you'll need to go back to stock + cash back to you. Or, you can play with end caps and disks to get the sound down on them.


Buy a centerstand and replace it. They don't cost much.. RPITA to install though...


Good Luck, It could turn out to be a great bike...

 

[dmax1]

Saw a center stand for 24.95 from pin wall cycle parts if that will help you any.

 

[j2dawson]

Thanks, I saw that and will probably buy it.

 

[VMike]

Congrats on your new bike Jim! You'll get it all straightened out and get pics now so you can see the progress as you go along.unk:
Mike

 

[Jdk203]

I never bolted down the corbin and had no problems. You could sell a few of those extra parts and make some cash for upgrades....the supertraps, backrest and spare seat would all bring a decent return. Also id look into changing up the current exhaust as mentioned before stock would be a step in the wrong direction to me.

 

[06VMAXIMUS]

Congrats on the new bike! I don't use the center stand anyway, but its not too bad to install...just 2 bolts with nuts. Installing the spring is the tricky part. The stock exhaust is heavy, if you want to buy one, just make sure you get all the parts. Front pipes mount to the head, rears need a spacer. The rest of it mounts right to the frame. The seat probably just needs adjusted. I leave everything a bit loose then bump it around until the center section will latch. Tighten it up and you should be good to go.

 

[Redbone]

I never use the centerstand except for maintenance. You might have a friend that is handy with a welding rod and weld a arm to assist on getting the bike up onto the centerstand. No need to install the spring just for that.

 

[ouchez]

Don't worry about lifting the bike up on the stock pipes, works fine, use a 2x4
and a small crank scissor lift you can get cheap at any car parts store.

O

 

[j2dawson]

Don't worry about lifting the bike up on the stock pipes, works fine, use a 2x4
and a small crank scissor lift you can get cheap at any car parts store.

O

Thanks, I'll be giving it a try today.

 

[VMAX1260]

if the backrest dont close with a soft push. go to a gas station and throw compressed air in the holes where it graps the backrest when you close it. when you throw comressed air in this holes be sure you throw it and with the butterflies (dont know if they call them like that LOL) open . when i say butterflies are the 2 things you push so the backrest open. after that some wd40 and it will be better than new. trust me

 

[85vmax]

Congrats...you could probably re-coup over 1/2 of what you paid for the bike by selling the 2 corbins..backrest...and trapps.....pretty good deal I'd say.
The trapps...check how many disc are on the end...if its more than 8 then thats why its a bit loud...6 - 8 is what they recomend for performance with every thing else stock....6 is pretty quiet...less disc=more backpressure....very tunable.

My centerstand is off, only used for oil changes and maintenance.....easy to install.

You'll be using the corbin after 50 miles on the stocker.....no bolts needed...just for peice of mind.

Better put some B-12 or seafoam in those harleys of yours if you plan to keeep the Max......you'll hardly ride 'em again

Keep the front wheel down...
Chris

 

[j2dawson]

Congrats...you could probably re-coup over 1/2 of what you paid for the bike by selling the 2 corbins..backrest...and trapps.....pretty good deal I'd say.
The trapps...check how many disc are on the end...if its more than 8 then thats why its a bit loud...6 - 8 is what they recomend for performance with every thing else stock....6 is pretty quiet...less disc=more backpressure....very tunable.

My centerstand is off, only used for oil changes and maintenance.....easy to install.

You'll be using the corbin after 50 miles on the stocker.....no bolts needed...just for peice of mind.

Better put some B-12 or seafoam in those harleys of yours if you plan to keeep the Max......you'll hardly ride 'em again

Keep the front wheel down...
Chris

I don't think these Corbins will bring top dollar, they're showing their age and wear. The stock seat is in great shape.

The Trapps had 8 discs and I removed 4. It is still too loud for me. I'm old and getting tired of loud.

I wish I could find a stock Vmax locally to look at and listen to so I know what I have to deal with. I don't even know what is missing on this one. I'm going to try to put stock exhaust on it but I'll keep the Supertrapps in case the performance really suffers.

As far as the Harleys, I sold the Spotster and will keep the Ultra until I trade it toward another. I'll like the Vmax around town but I'll take the Ultra on my 3,000 mile trips and enjoy the ride, the tunes, cruise, etc.

Today I'm going to change the oil and front tire on the Vmax then start on trying to clean it up. It should be a fun project.

Thanks for the help.

 

[RaWarrior]

Don't worry about seat bolts, you don't need them. Once the fuel door is clipped down, the seat isn't going anywhere. Then you can just pull the seat off when the fuel door is open should you need to get to the battery or something.

Honestly 4 disc trapps should be pretty darn quiet....not sure if the stock exhaust will be a whole lot different. As others said, the stock muffler is a total brick....you'll pick up probably 30lbs over the trapps. A lot of people ditch the stock muffler for slip-ons just for the weight savings. Slip on exhaust w/stock headers have virtually no effect on performance(just less weight and sound) so you shouldn't really lose anything if you put the stocker back on.

Lube the latches for the fuel door...blast some wd40 in there if it's sticky.

Ebay is rarely as good as it looks....the good thing about that is you can dicker the price down based on all the little things the camera glossed over and the seller "forgot" to include.

 

[4gasem]

The Trapps had 8 discs and I removed 4. It is still too loud for me. I'm old and getting tired of loud.

I wish I could find a stock Vmax locally to look at and listen to so I know what I have to deal with. I don't even know what is missing on this one. I'm going to try to put stock exhaust on it but I'll keep the Supertrapps in case the performance really suffers.

You don't put ST's on for performance. They're for sound and weight. You won't lose any real HP using stock cans. Weight is HUGE though... That of course makes a difference, but not too much.

Chris

 

[tugla]

congrats on the bike. you gotta post us some oics man

 

[85vmax]

The Trapps had 8 discs and I removed 4. It is still too loud for me. I'm old and getting tired of loud.

I wish I could find a stock Vmax locally to look at and listen to so I know what I have to deal with. I don't even know what is missing on this one. I'm going to try to put stock exhaust on it but I'll keep the Supertrapps in case the performance really suffers.

Is your end cap on the trapps open or closed?
Stock is pretty quiet........

You'll only need the muffler and the clamps to go back to stock.

 

[j2dawson]

Is your end cap on the trapps open or closed?
Stock is pretty quiet........

You'll only need the muffler and the clamps to go back to stock.

They are closed. Maybe I have leaks all over the bike because it is pretty loud. Removing 4 discs didn't quiet it down much. I don't know what kind of clamps should be on the Trapps but these are just on with hose clamps.

 

[85vmax]

They might not be on properly...they are a bitch to get on......trapps with 4 disc is pretty quiet untill you open it up.
one or two of the pipes are probably off especially the rear cylinders which tend to be the hardest to put on...I had trapps on mine before I changed.

with hose clamps, they will definately work loose been there done that, those rear cylinders use the inside of the trapps so you donot even see them off.just hear them.

if you take off a trapp you will see what I mean.

Stock muffler slips right on and has own clamps.