New guy with a question...

[David McAfee]

Hi Folks. New here. Just bought a 1998 V-Max with 18K miles. The bike runs and rides great, but I keep waiting for the VBoost to kick in and it never does.

The bike has an aftermarket Kerker 4-1 pipe, and I'm wondering if it's likely a previous owner tinkered with the VBoost system, as well. How can I tell if this has been done?

Appreciate any thoughts/suggestions. I just bought the bike Sunday after having wanted one for the last 20 years or so.

 

[Fire-medic]

It's possible the P.O. unplugged the VBoost when he installed the Kerker. Pull the left scoop, & look for the round plug under it. It's the only one there. If it's unplugged, chances are you are running the butterflies open all the time. Letting it cycle open after turning the ignition on & unplugging it leaves it open, and makes short-work of synching your carbs. To do that, just re-connect the round M/F plugs, turn-on the ignition, the butterflies will close. shut-off the ignition. Do your synch. When you're done, after you turn-on the ignition, and you see the butterflies open (watch the linkage)unplug the round plug . Done.

The other thing to do is to look for a switch on the plastic cover by the ignition switch, w/3 positions. That controls the VBoost & is an aftermarket accessory. The switch could be somewhere else.

 

[RaWarrior]

Turn the key on with the kill switch on and listen carefully. Should hear a whirr-whirr noise which is the v-boost servo cycling. If you don't hear anything, it's not working.

Pop the faux tank off. If you have four individual filters, you probably have the stage 7 kit, which people usually unplug or remove the vboost for. If you have the stock airbox, it could be unplugged or the servo/controller could have died though this doesn't seem very common.

Pop the left side scoop and see if anything is unplugged if that's the case.

 

[ninjaneer]

+1. I wonder if the po unplugged it. do you here it whirr to life, when you turn in power? you should hear the fuel pump and vboost activate when you turn the key

Regards from my Taptalking Hercules Android

 

[dannymax]

This is the plug they're talking about, it's under the left side air scoop.

 

[David McAfee]

Thanks for the tips, guys. I'll check that out tomorrow.

If the bike does have the Stage 7 kit, am I better off leaving it as it is?

 

[Fire-medic]

If it runs well, yes.

 

[David McAfee]

Here is a pic of the bike...

 

[mckzx9]

Also look,for a 3 way toggle switch. They have them where you can turn it on at 3000 rpm and 6000 rms and off all together. It's usually on the left side on the neck of the forks.

 

[Fire-medic]

please refer to post #2:biglaugh:

Also look,for a 3 way toggle switch. They have them where you can turn it on at 3000 rpm and 6000 rms and off all together. It's usually on the left side on the neck of the forks.

 

[95spfldmax]

Nice looking Max & welcome to The Forum.............

 

[one2dmax]

Need a picture from the other side or with the faux tank removed to see if it's got the stage seven.

 

[rusty]

Here is a pic of the bike...

Your Vmax is beautiful Dave. :welcome_sign: to the VMF:biglaugh:

 

[David McAfee]

Need a picture from the other side or with the faux tank removed to see if it's got the stage seven.

It doesn't. I checked. Stock airbox. That little plug under the left scoop is plugged in, too. I didn't see any toggle switch, but I didn't have much time to look.

Going to look at it again today to see if I can figure it out.

 

[dannymax]

You should hear two sounds when the key is turned on....the clicking of the fuel pump and the whirr-whirr sound of the vboost cycling....does it make those sounds?

The fuel pump may not cycle if the fuel bowls are already full, but the boost cycles everytime.

 

[dannymax]

Also try this....in 2nd, or 3rd....slowly accellerate letting the rpm's climb, when you get to the 6K - 7K range, if the boost is working, it should feel like an unseen hand is twisting the throttle. Not a wild, tire spinning thing but a noticeable increase in accelleration....feels kinda cool.

 

[PaleDeth]

It has the sissy bar I've been looking for

 

[David McAfee]

Okay. I feel very, very stupid. The VBoost is working fine. Operator Ignorance was the problem. I was shifting too soon and the rpms never hit the numbers needed for VBoost to kick in. I took her out for a quick romp on I40 today and while I was on the on ramp I let the engine rev to about 6200 rpms and BAM! There it was. By the time I was ready to merge with traffic I was already doing 90. Crazy, crazy fast.

David likes.

My last bike was a Bandit 1250. Lots of low-end torque but I got used to shifting between 5 and 6 thousand rpms.

 

[06VMAXIMUS]

Okay. I feel very, very stupid. The VBoost is working fine. Operator Ignorance was the problem. I was shifting too soon and the rpms never hit the numbers needed for VBoost to kick in. I took her out for a quick romp on I40 today and while I was on the on ramp I let the engine rev to about 6200 rpms and BAM! There it was. By the time I was ready to merge with traffic I was already doing 90. Crazy, crazy fast.

David likes.

My last bike was a Bandit 1250. Lots of low-end torque but I got used to shifting between 5 and 6 thousand rpms.

That's good news David! Gotta wind her up to feel the power, but watch out there is no rev limiter and you should keep it under 10K. Welcome to the forum BTW.

 

[davesax36]

Reading this head makes me want to try adjusting my vboost cable.