Just got my first Max (1985), but it won't be my last...

[iraqvet750]

Hello,
I just got a 1985 VMax that I'm going to lovingly restore this year. I have an '86 Fazer, and an '03 VRod, so the VMax rounds out the trio. I posted a question in the 1st Gen forum about the original Dark Amethyst paint, and whether to keep it or repaint in Deep Scarlet (like 95% of the other 85's around).

Look forward to connecting with the group. Thanks.

Michael

 

[Fire-medic]

Welcome, I like the Dark Amethyst color, it's a more-rare color than the burgundy.

People will want to know your last 4 or 5 of the VIN #'s.

Here's something to copy to your computer and also to print-out:
https://dn790009.ca.archive.org/0/i...ice-manual/yamahavmaxvmx12-service-manual.pdf
Be sure to ask questions before you spend significant $. For instance, the 1993-2007 have a better front end (43mm), and you can swap over the triple trees, downtubes, sliders, rotors, and brakes from the 1993+ to improve handling, if for example your 40mm downtubes are pitted and rusted, needing replacement. The wheel w/o the early rotors/calipers can be re-used from your bike.

 

[iraqvet750]

Welcome, I like the Dark Amethyst color, it's a more-rare color than the burgundy.

People will want to know your last 4 or 5 of the VIN #'s.

Here's something to copy to your computer and also to print-out:
https://dn790009.ca.archive.org/0/i...ice-manual/yamahavmaxvmx12-service-manual.pdf
Be sure to ask questions before you spend significant $. For instance, the 1993-2007 have a better front end (43mm), and you can swap over the triple trees, downtubes, sliders, rotors, and brakes from the 1993+ to improve handling, if for example your 40mm downtubes are pitted and rusted, needing replacement. The wheel w/o the early rotors/calipers can be re-used from your bike.

Thanks, I've always loved the Deep Scarlet, but the Dark Amethyst is really starting to grow on me, and it seems about as rare as a star sapphire. The plastics have some pinstriping on the fenders, which looks to be aftermarket, and difficult to remove. The faux tank cover has a black spot around 2" where it looks like brake fluid dripped on it. Otherwise, the paint's in good shape. Does the last 4-5 of the VIN signal or confirm the original color?

Good to know about the interchangeability with the '93 and up components.

I've decided to keep the Dark Amethyst no matter what. However, would like to procure another set of plastics, even piece-by-piece. Any tips (besides eBay?) Thanks again.

 

[Fire-medic]

Is the striping painted? There was a stripe option, like decals, I believe, or tape, but the pattern was different from yours. I think yours looks OK.

CaptainKyle could possibly re-paint/blend that paint for you [email protected] on the faux cover.

There were ~8800 USA VMaxes sold for 1985. The last four VIN #'s will tell you if it was an early production. The #'s begin at 0101, no it's not binary code.

Plenty of sellers on here who have tins for sale, 'tins' being the faux gas tank cover, two fenders, and the side covers, if you want to have them too. Are your side covers stamped into the metal, "VMax?"

If you didn't care about what the pieces look like, and you're a body shop type, you could buy pieces needing some re-work and then either paint them the color you like or whatever color you wanted, or skit the paint & do a wrap.

 

[marsmax85]

also add your bike to the oldest survivor on this forum and welcome to the forum !!

 

[iraqvet750]

Is the striping painted? There was a stripe option, like decals, I believe, or tape, but the pattern was different from yours. I think yours looks OK.

CaptainKyle could possibly re-paint/blend that paint for you [email protected] on the faux cover.

There were ~8800 USA VMaxes sold for 1985. The last four VIN #'s will tell you if it was an early production. The #'s begin at 0101, no it's not binary code.

Plenty of sellers on here who have tins for sale, 'tins' being the faux gas tank cover, two fenders, and the side covers, if you want to have them too. Are your side covers stamped into the metal, "VMax?"

If you didn't care about what the pieces look like, and you're a body shop type, you could buy pieces needing some re-work and then either paint them the color you like or whatever color you wanted, or skit the paint & do a wrap.

Funny, I assumed the pinstripes were tape, but I showed the photos to my body shop guy who said they were not only painted, but how that's a "lost art". He said they could be sanded off, but that that's risky, so I may just leave the pinstripes intact.

Thanks for the tip on reblending. That would work well for the faux cover, and wouldn't affect the pinstripes. Wrapping is another option I hadn't considered.

My side covers have VMax stamped into the metal, not applied like the later models. I like the 3-D look of the applied logo, but of course, would never change from original on this bike.

Thanks for the feedback!

 

[iraqvet750]

also add your bike to the oldest survivor on this forum and welcome to the forum !!

I like the "oldest survivor" designation-- how do I join that "club"? Thanks.

 

[iraqvet750]

Is the striping painted? There was a stripe option, like decals, I believe, or tape, but the pattern was different from yours. I think yours looks OK.

CaptainKyle could possibly re-paint/blend that paint for you [email protected] on the faux cover.

There were ~8800 USA VMaxes sold for 1985. The last four VIN #'s will tell you if it was an early production. The #'s begin at 0101, no it's not binary code.

Plenty of sellers on here who have tins for sale, 'tins' being the faux gas tank cover, two fenders, and the side covers, if you want to have them too. Are your side covers stamped into the metal, "VMax?"

If you didn't care about what the pieces look like, and you're a body shop type, you could buy pieces needing some re-work and then either paint them the color you like or whatever color you wanted, or skit the paint & do a wrap.

My VIN ends in 1787 -- would that be considered "early production", and if so, is that good, or not so good? Thanks.

 

[TK3333]

-- how do I join that
Do search on here "oldest surviving max"

https://www.vmaxforum.net/threads/oldest-surviving-vmax.14872/page-33#post-514914

 

[iraqvet750]

#...1787, stock survivor, Florida, USA

 

[iraqvet750]

#...1787, stock survivor, Florida, USA

... in Dark Amethyst.

 

[Fire-medic]

The factory started out thinking something about 1500 would be a good run, but demand far-outstripped that #. They increased production and the # considered to have been built for model year 1985 is 8,800. If the steering head stickie is on there still, and the info isn't worn off, the month and year should be printed.

Let's say Sept to June is the 'season' for production, with July and August being set aside for new tooling. Assume an equal # of production each month, for 10 months. 8800 motorcycles/10 months = 880 motorcucles/month. Yours is 1787 1787/880 = 2.03, so the beginning of the third month of production. If production begins in Sept. that means your bike was built in the third month, November. Now if the beginning month is different, say, June, and 10 months of production ending in March, you would adjust for that. In short, your bike was manufactured in the third month of production, using this method. You could claim it's an "early bike," and you'd likely be correct. Does that make it worth more than a last month of production motorcycle, Not to me! However, condition is much more important than month of manufacture, unless you happen to have the #1 bike in production, or the final bike (the latter being harder to prove, as records for end of production are likely unknown) an operable motorcycle with no mechanical issues is a better value than an inoperable one.

The 1985 models are the only year to have embossed side plates with VMax. All other years have stick-on plastic emblems. Footpegs are different on the '85's, the VBoost is different (smaller dia.), and the exhaust is different. Others may chime-in on other differences for the 1985 model year.

Pinstriping is a skill which looks easy,but is infuriatingly hard to do well. You want some interesting history of hot rodding and pinstriping, look-up 'Ken Howard,' and be prepared to spend some time reading.

Ken Howard was possibly mentally-ill, and definitely a substance abuse victim. His poison of choice was alcohol. He was well-known in southern CA hot rodding circles, and Bud Ekins, who operated a shop, let Ken Howard occupy someplace at the shop. Howard had an old bus. In return, he would do the pinstriping on customers' bikes, cars, trucks, toolboxes, whatever. Ken Howard was also a skilled gunsmith.

Here's a Ken Howard story I've posted before. A guy brought his car to have Ken pinstripe it. The way he worked, you left whatever it was to be striped, and how much you were willing to pay. No, "this is what I want... ." Pay your shekels, and wait for the call to come get it.

The guy got the call, he showed up, and as he looked at the exterior, he didn't see any pinstriping. He got inside, and back then, cars had steel dashboards. At first glance he didn't see anything. Then he noticed something by the radio in the dash. He looked closer, and he saw musical notes, descending down from the radio, to the center of the bottom of the metal dashboard, where cars used to have an ashtray, you pull it out, some flipped open. He pulled out the ashtray, and Ken Howard had painted an orchestra inside the ashtray.

 

[iraqvet750]

The factory started out thinking something about 1500 would be a good run, but demand far-outstripped that #. They increased production and the # considered to have been built for model year 1985 is 8,800. If the steering head stickie is on there still, and the info isn't worn off, the month and year should be printed.

Let's say Sept to June is the 'season' for production, with July and August being set aside for new tooling. Assume an equal # of production each month, for 10 months. 8800 motorcycles/10 months = 880 motorcucles/month. Yours is 1787 1787/880 = 2.03, so the beginning of the third month of production. If production begins in Sept. that means your bike was built in the third month, November. Now if the beginning month is different, say, June, and 10 months of production ending in March, you would adjust for that. In short, your bike was manufactured in the third month of production, using this method. You could claim it's an "early bike," and you'd likely be correct. Does that make it worth more than a last month of production motorcycle, Not to me! However, condition is much more important than month of manufacture, unless you happen to have the #1 bike in production, or the final bike (the latter being harder to prove, as records for end of production are likely unknown) an operable motorcycle with no mechanical issues is a better value than an inoperable one.

The 1985 models are the only year to have embossed side plates with VMax. All other years have stick-on plastic emblems. Footpegs are different on the '85's, the VBoost is different (smaller dia.), and the exhaust is different. Others may chime-in on other differences for the 1985 model year.

Pinstriping is a skill which looks easy,but is infuriatingly hard to do well. You want some interesting history of hot rodding and pinstriping, look-up 'Ken Howard,' and be prepared to spend some time reading.

Ken Howard was possibly mentally-ill, and definitely a substance abuse victim. His poison of choice was alcohol. He was well-known in southern CA hot rodding circles, and Bud Ekins, who operated a shop, let Ken Howard occupy someplace at the shop. Howard had an old bus. In return, he would do the pinstriping on customers' bikes, cars, trucks, toolboxes, whatever. Ken Howard was also a skilled gunsmith.

Here's a Ken Howard story I've posted before. A guy brought his car to have Ken pinstripe it. The way he worked, you left whatever it was to be striped, and how much you were willing to pay. No, "this is what I want... ." Pay your shekels, and wait for the call to come get it.

The guy got the call, he showed up, and as he looked at the exterior, he didn't see any pinstriping. He got inside, and back then, cars had steel dashboards. At first glance he didn't see anything. Then he noticed something by the radio in the dash. He looked closer, and he saw musical notes, descending down from the radio, to the center of the bottom of the metal dashboard, where cars used to have an ashtray, you pull it out, some flipped open. He pulled out the ashtray, and Ken Howard had painted an orchestra inside the ashtray.

Thanks for the info! I looked up Ken Howard, and now can see why everyone in Miami Beach was wearing "Von Dutch" apparel 20 years ago. I hope Ken's family got some residuals from that fashion craze. After having read this, I'll keep the pinstriping no matter what. My body shop guy was right; it is a lost art in many ways.

 

[iraqvet750]

I noticed a table in a different post listing VIN numbers. Do the two letters in the beginning indicate anything (color, factory of origin, etc?)

Seems the '85s begin with either 1FK, 1GR, or 1JH. Mine is 1FK (after the "JYA"). Thanks.

 

[Fire-medic]

This should help.

 

[iraqvet750]

This should help.

View attachment 90227

View attachment 90220View attachment 90221View attachment 90222View attachment 90223View attachment 90224

View attachment 90219

Huge help, thanks!