I'm 5'6"/buck-fifty .. too small for a Vmax?

[j2dawson]

Heheh .... *man enough*? ... Um .... ok.

I suppose I was *man enough* .... just not *tall enough* ... to enjoy it.

Unless you have to be *tall* to be a man, is that the issue? If so, I understand. Many people equate height to masculinity. I never have had a problem with being a wuss.

Nah, I'm short as well. I just get tired of all the Harley bashing around here.

 

[VMike]

Welcome Holeshot! I live in San Diego North County(Vista) so if you're in the area you can stop by and try my Max on for size. It's been lowered 2" and the seat is also lower.
Mike

 

[Holeshot]

Nah, I'm short as well. I just get tired of all the Harley bashing around here.

Understood, and I'll try to remember to respect your feelings about that in the future. However, after having owned 3 of them, and raced a few of them as well I feel I'm *allowed* to be critical of things that deserve criticism.

One thing is certain, there'd be less HD bashing if there were less "Jap bike" bashing in the HD circles. Having ridden within them for many years I was even a part of that mindset for a while.

One other thing is certain, being able to ride a Harley does not make one a man. You must admit, that to really *justify* spending the kind of cash it takes to own an HD you really gotta "buy into" the whole thing. Because you know as well as I do that if you compare an HD to the higher quality Nip bikes pragmaticaly the HD doesn't usually fair well. The XR1200 is a nice ... Harley. But it is no sport bike if you try to pit it against any of the honest efforts by Japan. An R6 will walk away from an XR1200. So to start comparing an HD in the *real world* it doesn't do well. But as long as you remain in the *Harley world* it's a smokin' ass winner! I'm not bashing anything here, unless being truthful is bashing .. then yes, I'm bashing.

Be real here ... Harley billed the FXRS as their sporting effort in the Big Twin category. So if you wanted something sporty, but didn't like the Sportsters this is what HD offered then. 1st year for the Evo engine I think. So, that said it was a pretty lousy effort for a *sporting big twin*. It's bashing to say it was a bomb?

Harley and thier fanboys are the ones that continually try to draw some sort of superior distinction between the bikes/themselves over Jap bikes/owners. It is they who've drawn the line in the sand. Japan has responded in spades. Some of the cruisers available from the Nips are nice efforts. This forum is chocked full of JAP BIKE LOVERS (hence the name n stuff). It surprises you that there is some HD bashing going on?

Just sayin' ..

Oh, and telling me I'm not man enough to ride a stinking FXRS is a great way to make allies ....


Just sayin' ....... shorty :eusa_dance:

Haahaahaa!!

 

[85vmax]

5'7ish give or take a 1/2 inch....could be 5'6"....whatever....29" inseam (short ass)...215lbs.

If You do-not fit on the Max...you can make the Max fit you.......very user freindly....and I also have short arms:bang head:

You'll fit better than you expect.

 

[Ebein_486]

Im 5'7" 290, 29-30 inch inseam, bike in stock form is a hair too tall for me, progressive shocks/springs and seat change and im flat footed at stops.

 

[TheIglu]

I'm 5'6", 145lbs.

Bought my first Vmax two weeks ago.

Rode it into work today.

Sure, it's heavy, but it's low. I have to wheel mine by hand out of my walk-in basement, down a rickity ramp and onto my rough dirt driveway every time I want to ride it. Same with my 550lb ZRX1200 and tall-as-**** KLR650.

I have no problem with it. Rode it with the stock seat and the Corbin. Corbin is def more comfortable for cruising because you sit down and in a bit more. I find it a quite easy bike to ride around slow on (or fast), but I have yet to get enough low-rpm throttle response to be able to turn it around in the width of a standard road.

 

[j2dawson]

Understood, and I'll try to remember to respect your feelings about that in the future. However, after having owned 3 of them, and raced a few of them as well I feel I'm *allowed* to be critical of things that deserve criticism.

One thing is certain, there'd be less HD bashing if there were less "Jap bike" bashing in the HD circles. Having ridden within them for many years I was even a part of that mindset for a while.

One other thing is certain, being able to ride a Harley does not make one a man. You must admit, that to really *justify* spending the kind of cash it takes to own an HD you really gotta "buy into" the whole thing. Because you know as well as I do that if you compare an HD to the higher quality Nip bikes pragmaticaly the HD doesn't usually fair well. The XR1200 is a nice ... Harley. But it is no sport bike if you try to pit it against any of the honest efforts by Japan. An R6 will walk away from an XR1200. So to start comparing an HD in the *real world* it doesn't do well. But as long as you remain in the *Harley world* it's a smokin' ass winner! I'm not bashing anything here, unless being truthful is bashing .. then yes, I'm bashing.

Be real here ... Harley billed the FXRS as their sporting effort in the Big Twin category. So if you wanted something sporty, but didn't like the Sportsters this is what HD offered then. 1st year for the Evo engine I think. So, that said it was a pretty lousy effort for a *sporting big twin*. It's bashing to say it was a bomb?

Harley and thier fanboys are the ones that continually try to draw some sort of superior distinction between the bikes/themselves over Jap bikes/owners. It is they who've drawn the line in the sand. Japan has responded in spades. Some of the cruisers available from the Nips are nice efforts. This forum is chocked full of JAP BIKE LOVERS (hence the name n stuff). It surprises you that there is some HD bashing going on?

Just sayin' ..

Oh, and telling me I'm not man enough to ride a stinking FXRS is a great way to make allies ....


Just sayin' ....... shorty :eusa_dance:

Haahaahaa!!

I regretted making that post the moment I hit the enter key. I am sorry and hope you'll accept my apologies.

I've owned several Jap and British bikes over the years including 3 Yamaha's, a 700 Virago, 700 Maxim X, and now the Vmax. All of them made me feel very cramped until the Vmax. It fits me OK, but I couldn't ride it across the country. I owned a 750 Honda and a 750 Bonneville before as well. After owning 7 Harley's I have found them to be the most reliable. i will admit, I've not owned the older AMF Harley's, all mine have been '97 or newer. I now have an '08 Ultra Classic that I have put 35,000 trouble free miles on. It is the one in the garage with no oil under it. I'm sure the oil leaks on the Vmax are fixable but for now, I just wipe up the spots.

The Harley forums I frequent don't bash Jap bikes much at all except of course the few (in fun) swipes at the Gold Wings. Every Thursday a group of us ride together from the local Harley dealer and we have every imaginable brand join us.

I guess that's why I get sensitive when I read the serious jabs at Harley here. I make multi thousand mile rides on my Harley and although it won't do 150 mph, I can ride it at 80 all day in comfort.

Jim (also a "shorty")

 

[dannymax]

I regretted making that post the moment I hit the enter key. I am sorry and hope you'll accept my apologies.

I've owned several Jap and British bikes over the years including 3 Yamaha's, a 700 Virago, 700 Maxim X, and now the Vmax. All of them made me feel very cramped until the Vmax. It fits me OK, but I couldn't ride it across the country. I owned a 750 Honda and a 750 Bonneville before as well. After owning 7 Harley's I have found them to be the most reliable. i will admit, I've not owned the older AMF Harley's, all mine have been '97 or newer. I now have an '08 Ultra Classic that I have put 35,000 trouble free miles on. It is the one in the garage with no oil under it. I'm sure the oil leaks on the Vmax are fixable but for now, I just wipe up the spots.

The Harley forums I frequent don't bash Jap bikes much at all except of course the few (in fun) swipes at the Gold Wings. Every Thursday a group of us ride together from the local Harley dealer and we have every imaginable brand join us.

I guess that's why I get sensitive when I read the serious jabs at Harley here. I make multi thousand mile rides on my Harley and although it won't do 150 mph, I can ride it at 80 all day in comfort.

Jim (also a "shorty")

Shouldda kept this one man, I had an '85, sold it and been trying to buy it back for 5 years!

They're scarce'r 'n hens teeth!! :biglaugh:

 

[dlog-vmax]

im 5' 6" and 170 pounds and i love the way i fit on my max i put a drag bar on and plan to drop it an inch but as it is know i can sit almost flat footed now. get a vmax you will love it. it will pull hard all the way to redline it all the gears.

 

[MikeTD3]

Shouldda kept this one man, I had an '85, sold it and been trying to buy it back for 5 years!

They're scarce'r 'n hens teeth!!

Maxim 700x

No kidding! I had a 83' Maxim 750 (Air Cooled) and a buddy had a 700X (Liquid) no comparision that thing flat out ripped! Looking back at the design the bike still holds up in looks department. I'm guessing that they didn't make a lot of the 700X as you hardly see them around.

Brings back memories of some very good times.

 

[davidon]

I don't start tippy-toeing until the seat height gets to 31 or more. Depending on it's width, of course. I wear 31's. Standing beside Kenny Roberts or Randy Mamola you can't tell us apart, if that's any help.

My troubles don't happen at stoplights. The HD weighed in at 750+ with a 29/30 inch seat height. And that part is fixable in several ways, que no? (new seat, lowered bike, etc ..). My thing was the three points I was yammering about ... bars to pegs to seat. Especially the forward-ish "mid-pegs" that the HD had ... not really at the swingarm pivot, not really forward controls either. The bars were too close to my chest, and the pegs were too far from my pelvis. Sat GREAT at a standstill, but moving blew. Sorta like my Magna ... just wrong. The footpegs made it tough to lean into the wind, making my stomach muscles bind.

Here ... look here .. this is just about *right* for me ... this is me on the Magna when it was in mockup ....

Everything is good here .. except the pegs, they could stand to go back about 6 to 8 inches or so. Slight forward lean, but not sportbike lean. Arms locked, torso weight supported by legs and arms, rather than by the seat. I've found that bikes that sit well on the showroom floor SUCK on the freeway. I've done a good little bit to get this seating position going you see here. Others work ok too, just as long as it isn't the whole *sofa glide* stuff.

Is it me or are you Favre's twin? :confused2:

 

[gamorg02]

Is it me or are you Favre's twin? :confused2:

or toby flenderson (from the office)!

 

[Holeshot]

I regretted making that post the moment I hit the enter key. I am sorry and hope you'll accept my apologies.

I've owned several Jap and British bikes over the years including 3 Yamaha's, a 700 Virago, 700 Maxim X, and now the Vmax. All of them made me feel very cramped until the Vmax. It fits me OK, but I couldn't ride it across the country. I owned a 750 Honda and a 750 Bonneville before as well. After owning 7 Harley's I have found them to be the most reliable. i will admit, I've not owned the older AMF Harley's, all mine have been '97 or newer. I now have an '08 Ultra Classic that I have put 35,000 trouble free miles on. It is the one in the garage with no oil under it. I'm sure the oil leaks on the Vmax are fixable but for now, I just wipe up the spots.

The Harley forums I frequent don't bash Jap bikes much at all except of course the few (in fun) swipes at the Gold Wings. Every Thursday a group of us ride together from the local Harley dealer and we have every imaginable brand join us.

I guess that's why I get sensitive when I read the serious jabs at Harley here. I make multi thousand mile rides on my Harley and although it won't do 150 mph, I can ride it at 80 all day in comfort.

Jim (also a "shorty")

Well, I think perhaps you may need to turn your HD sensitivity button down a notch or three. Yea, I *bashed* the 1985 FXRS, but I also *praised* every sportster I've ever owned (remember my comments about how all my sporties were .. and I quote .. "spot on".)

So yea, my "serious" bashing was of one particular model, of which I was NOT a happy customer. Bashing, or speaking mind? There is a difference. If you'll note I compared the FXR to my sportsters. So I guess I'll agree that I "seriously bashed" the 1985 FXRS, while also praising all of HDs sportsers.

Your experiences obviously differ from mine. I've owned and raced dozens of bikes. USA made as well as elsewhere. To me, it's either right, or it ain't. No matter who made it or where it was made. I used my own experience with the FXRS to let folks know why I'm a little sketchy about owning another man's bike (you know I'm not living that one down for at least a month, bro!) .. as in the Vmax. I explained my disatisfaction with the FXRS, and all of my bitching about it is 100% legit and not just anti-HD slams.

To address the issue that you brought up though ... I still do not see all of this reliability that everyone keeps going on and on about with HDs. I've found them to be no better or worse than any other make, myself. I've had Friday/Monday built bikes of several makes .. but to use those examples to judge the manufacturer is silly. So, having said that ... I just do not see the rationale it takes to fork out $15k to $20k for one. You give me $20k and watch what kind of bike I can build myself with that.

I'm good friends with the only HD dealership owner in our area (Bobby's Territorial HD). My dad bought three or four HDs from him, my brother bought three HDs from him and two others from a dealer in Florida (where he lives these days) and I bought three from him as well, and was involved in their flattracking support efforts in the Junior class (yellow plate 750's). So we've been emersed in the HD scene pretty deeply at various times over the last 30 years. I knew the previous owner since 1983 (Jim). The "institution" that is Harley Davidson has been the topic of conversation between both Jim (RIP) and Bobby many times over the years...... our conclusions? ......

HD is what HD is. You either *buy into it* or you don't. It's that easy.

It's like religion or anything else that requires full-commitment to make it work. Harleys have their own kind of charm. Even Triumph (the modern Triumph) was designed to approximate the HD *lope* .. that lopsided sound it makes .. by offsetting their vertical twin engine's crankshaft 270 degrees ... for one reason and one reason only .... to make a Triumph sound like a Harley. Obviously Triumph understands what it is that HD riders buy in to when the chose a bike. Is this wrong? Nope ... it's no different than Larry Flint's ideas ... just giving the public what they are asking for!

So comparing an HD with any performance oriented bike is like comparing a car with a bike. Two totally different worlds, two totally different schools of thought, two totally different ideas of *what* a motorcycle "is".

Lastly .. don't EVEN try to tell me that HD riders don't bash Jap bikes. I mean, one of my favorite T-shirts (that I got at Bobby's) has a picture of a hand grenade on it and the caption reads "Japanese Motorcycle Repair Kit". Bashing Jap bikes is like one of the fair game targets at biker bars. Bro .. I never found any kum-bay-ya amongst the HD bikers that I hung with ... hahaahaa!

Bla bla friggin bla ..... enough from the *who cares?* department!

Holeshot ...

And no I'm not Favre's twin ... haahaahaa!!! I've been told that I look a lot like Chuck Norris, but never Favre until now.

(taken about two years ago at band practice one night).

 

[Holeshot]

.. in any case ... thanks to the other folks my size that replied ... from the way it sounds I shouldn't have any problem with one of these wonderous machines ...

Thanks so much!

Now then, gotta let the mod monkey out of his cage .... he's been locked up for a few months. Since I've mentally committed to a Vmax I can now begin the arduous process of finding one, in the meantime it begins. Get out a binder, start making/taking notes about various mods and what path I'll take on this one.

The horror ...... the horror ......

 

[RaWarrior]

I'm only about 5'7 and can ride a Vmax just fine. I can't quite flat-foot it at stoplights, but it's really not that big of a problem.

As with any other bike, newer is generally better. Yamaha did make some updates through the years, they switched to a digital ignition(much more reliable) for '90, and it got wider fork tubes and better brakes for '93. IIRC, in '96 the internal structure of the case changed as well, more webbing for additional strength. '98 got an updated R/R, though the actual harness is still fraught with voltage "choke points".

'06 has one of the most desirable paint jobs, the factory "tribal" scheme, red on black. Otherwise, colors varied by year. The exhaust also flipped between chrome and black, and the wheels changed color a couple times as well.

Either 2000 or 01 got an updated shift segment with captive pins that couldn't fall out. The original part just had a flimsy metal "finger" holding the pins in. It's not a big deal to change, and any year can be retrofitted with the new part.

Mileage...lower is generally better. I'd be skeptical of a '90 with only 2k miles on it though...chances are it sat around a LOT, and lots of sitting means dried out rubber, boots, carbs, and rust. To me, the 06 with 20k miles would be a better buy than the 95 with only 5k.

Start cruising your local craigslist, and the ones for nearby cities you'd be willing to drive to. Take your time in the hunt...while it's very easy to get "bike fever" and pop on the first bike you decide to look at, be logical about it. If there's a couple things you don't like, or the price is too high, don't feel the need to get your ass on the seat ASAP. Don't go too quickly on one, check a few out and pick the best. I hunted around for a week or two before I settled on the vmax I ended up buying.

Oh, and this is the sticker in the back window of my truck....lol.....the "Vmax: Ride the Legend" sticker is on the other side.

 

[CustomMax]

I'm 5'8" and 165lbs and have no problem at all. Hell, I was riding half mile wheelies on my V65 back in the eighties and I think the V65 sits a little higher higher. Bottom line is " it's mind over matter" I always thought being shorter is an advantage. It seems almost the taller you are the less cordination you have.

 

[Holeshot]

Ok ... I went on a 600 mile round trip today to Tucson and back. Had a Dr. appt there in Tucson so I took advantage of it. Went to the local Yamaha dealer after I was done .. they had a spankin' new Vmax sitting in there.

It felt like I was straddling a buffalo. It was a very heavy feeling 650 pounds. I've ridden/owned several heavy bikes, including that 700 pound Harley FXRS. It didn't ~feel~ nearly as heavy as the Vmax did. And the bike is ENORMOUS! Huge pipes, huge bars, huge everything .. to the point of being almost cartoonish.

I guess I'm too acustomed to bikes like Sportsters or Magnas or Fazers. I'm narrow in the hips (got that typical flattracker build) so even though the pegs felt good the bike still felt so wide to me.

Same shop, had a used Dyna glide (sorta like the older FXRS). It felt WAY lighter, even though it isn't. Lower weight I would guess. Much narrower in the hips as well.

So maybe I'm not "man enough" for the Vmax afterall. Oddly, the GSXR750 sitting right there next to it will kill the Vmax 0-60. So I guess it all depends on your desires.

After looking around in a couple of dealerships there in Tucson today, I noticed a trend. WTF is it with bike factories these days and the BIG HUGE GIANT OVERSIZED EVERY-DAMNED-THING-ON-THE-BIKE ideas these days? Gigantic "looking" pipes (every single bike I checked out from Venture to Harley were sportin' fakey pipe covers to make the pipes look like more beefage .. how fake!). Seems everything on the modern cruiser is CARTOONISHLY HUGE. The rear fenders, the bars, the ~ahem~ "pipes", as well as tons of "huge" covers on other things. The bikes don't even look human sized. They look like circus clown bikes or something. All of these GIANT features on nearly all of the cruisers.

Whatever.

So .. back to the Vmax .... I'm going to have to check out things like aftermarket seats, etc (as you all have been telling me to do!). The 2011 Vmax is just friggin comicly gigantic. I look like a ten year old sitting on his dad's bike. Maybe it's just a bit of reality shock. It's the first time I've sat on a Vmax.

To be honest, it has a power to weight ratio equal to that of many other bikes these days ... about 5.8 pounds carried by each horsepower. The "big torque" doesn't really come into things until the long end of the track anyhow, right? My 750 Magna has a p:w that is right at 5.8:1, so my guess is that it will do ok until we get up over 90/100mph. That's when the Vmax's torque comes in to play, right?

Hmmm.... got some thinking to do here. GREAT bike with GREAT support (both aftermarket and factory) and a GREAT forum to support it as well. Hmmm .. that's a LOT to dimiss. I just have to decide if I want another "half ton" bike with over 5 foot of wheelbase again.

Thinking ... thinking ....

(are the older Vmaxes the same basic overall size as the current one?)

Holeshot ...

 

[MikeTD3]

(are the older Vmaxes the same basic overall size as the current one?)

In a word....NO.....they are not the same. At 5'9" 165lbs I too feel like a kid sitting on the GenII VMax, where as my 97 fits me perfectly.

I also am in total agreement with your assesment of the current state of cartoonish cruiser design....WTF???? is right! I cannot get over the size of the gas tanks, pipes, fenders, covers, bars, etc..etc.. on these monsters.....they make a Harley Electra Glide look like a Moped.

 

[06VMAXIMUS]

No offense to the people who own the Gen2 vmax, but I didn't care for the way it felt when I sat on a new one either. Seat and controls felt uncomfortable for my tastes. I'm sure that after some saddle time I would learn to love it more than my gen1, but the price tag on it made me jump off of it faster than I got on it!

 

[The Beekeeper]

I think you will fin the gen1 a much better fit, and better looking IMHO......................Tom.