New member, got questions

[TBrooks47]

Had many different bikes when I was younger. Wanted a Vmax since the first time I saw one on the dealer floor in 85.
However I had a Yamaha FJ 1100 that did everything I needed that I rode year round when it wasn’t raining or icy for 20+ years until a deer jumped the guardrail right in front of me.
The bike and the deer didn’t make it, I almost didn’t either.
Five years later a I came across a great deal on a 06 Vmax. Been riding that for over a year now.
Looking to start improving a few things mainly handling as the budget allows and would really appreciate some input.
I’ve looked through the forum and seen some good info but some of things mentioned are no longer available or hard to find.
Progressive fork springs, what’s a good brand? And where do I get them?
Solid motor mounts, where do I get those?
There’s a lot of different info on tires. I’ve had met 880’s which were ok. Presently Shinco Tour master, stock size.
Like the rear as far as sticky, I can drag the pegs, the front not so sure about, ok in tighter corners but gets a little wavy in high speed sweepers.
The rear is wearing pretty fast though.
I have a 60 mile (30ea way) commute, highway miles there, usually fun country back roads home. Double up riding on the weekends.
Any info on the handling of the met 888’s ?
Have a neighbor running Avon am26 front and av72 rear on V65 magna and loves them, anyone have info on the longevity of those on a Vmax?
Last thing for now
At some point I would like to replace rims and run radials but that’s not happening yet so any info on bias tires would be appreciated as selection seems to be a little slim.
Is there a handling advantage to go with a different size tire then stock?

 

[rebeltaz83]

Progressive brand springs are what I used. I ordered them on bike bandit, prolly not the cheapest but I've never had any problems with them. Farther down on this forum is a for sale section for parts and bikes, I think somebody is actually selling a solid motor mount kit. Progressive makes rear shocks also, they will help with the wavy affect in sweepers. I ran the Avon's on my 97, I never dragged the foot pegs just never felt comfortable enough. Milage I'd have to say I got almost 8,000 out of it roughly. Hard to say I put it on after I bought it with 12,000 miles changed it before I sold it 5 years later with 24,000 miles but was only on the bike for 4 years. That's with occasional burnouts. Stock size. Wheels you'll need to talk to Sean Morley ([email protected]) best to email him. He's the go to for parts, service, anything vmax related as well as a few others for carb issues. He might even have everything you just asked about. But we all chip in and help one another. Welcome to the forum, and glad your still with us.

 

[TBrooks47]

Thank you rebeltaz83 for the info I really appreciate it. I’m in Western Oregon, there’s not a lot of Vmax’s or people that know much about them here. This forum is a great resource with a lot of good people on here.

 

[MaxMidnight]

By 'progressive' do you mean progressively wound springs?
These are a one-size-fits-all option; not necessarily a bad thing and many who have them have no quibbles about this.

An alternative to consider would be a fixed rate spring (e.g. Racetech) which have a spring rate that is suited to how heavy the rider is and how they like to ride.
Note that in the link above there is also another link to a spring rate calculator. IMO it is best to go for the lower rate assuming you are in between recommendations.
Also budget for some Emulators and take the time to set up the static sag as this is crucial to get the best from your investment.

Having sorted the front end you should also consider investing in the rear shocks. Don't know what is available over there so will let others make their recommendations.

 

[caseyjones955]

I have not cared for the 880 or 888 tires. They seem to cup and feather before they have a chance to wear proper. I've had them on both my Vmax and Venture with the same lackluster results. YMMV.

 

[[email protected]]

Email Sean Morley: [email protected]
He can hook you up with custom machined solid mounts.
He can get you a great price on Progressive brand springs with our without the lowering kit.
He also has great prices on Progressive shocks.
As noted, Racetech is a great alternative to Progressive. You can contact them direct to get a spring kit.

I like the Shinko's best on the stock wheels. 170 in back and 120 out front. No real advantage to the upsize. Maybe a little better contact patch on the launch. People will say a wider tire doesn't handle as good. A 170 vs a 150 is not going to limit your riding by any means so I feel that is a moot point made all the time.

Plenty of other options out there and most are just one guys opinion vs. another. The 880's last long but don't have the grip of the shinko. I believe the 888's are just an updated version that will produce similar results. I'm never ran those Avon's so I can't comment. I had some Bridgestone excedra's and they were just OK. not great grip or mileage.

https://www.vmaxforum.net/threads/oem-stock-size-tires-bridgestone-or-dunlop.31318/

 

[cwkerr007]

I hate to chime in about tires I always seam to get jumped on but I wish someone would have told me before I went through all the changes. Anyway here goes mich sells a 15" radial actually 2 of them for the rear scrocher II and commando or commandor not sure but both are radials and they were for a vrod and there are several frnt radials out there hope that helps

 

[cwkerr007]

on the front tire though try to get as narrow as you can and DON'T GET ONE WITH A CENTER GROOVE CUT DOWN THE MIDDLE,our rims are narrow and when you put a center cut tire on it it spreads the groove and you have less tire on the ground and causes it to walk back and forth in the rode!

 

[TBrooks47]

Thank you for the input I will checkout those racetec springs
Very grateful for everyone taking the time to help me out.

 

[Fire-medic]

I have both RaceTech and Progressive Suspension springs. I like the RaceTech, as MaxMidnight says, you can size 'em to your riding weight. Sounds like you enjoy the curves, I would go for the stiffer RaceTechs instead of the 'one-size-fits-all' Progressive Suspension spring kit. Don't forget that your AGATT riding weight is probably 20 lbs more-than your best Homer Simpson in-front-of the bathroom mirror, gut sucked-in, and "whoo-hoo!" full-monty cheer/viewing mode.

There are several places to get the drop-in wave washer stacks to use for damping instead of the 1980's design/technology front fork damper rods. When you install these, you drill holes through the damping rods, and the wave washer stacks take-over the damping function for the front end suspension. It's simple, quick, and the results are easily-felt. They are tunable too, and not-that expensive.

RICOR https://store.ricorshocks.com/product_p/043-20-1001vmax.htm

Progressive Suspension https://www.progressivesuspension.com/product/1463/fork-lowering-kit-drop-in

https://www.progressivesuspension.com/product/1465/fork-spring-kit

RaceTech http://www.racetech.com/page/id/156

YSS http://www.yss-webstore.com/Yamaha-...mpfer#filter:3933281b00f0a566af57b0dd5e75ccfd

fork valve kit:
https://www.yssusa.com/products_PDValveList.html#YAMAHA

https://www.vmaxforum.net/threads/y...n-in-motorcycle-classics-may-june-2011.17334/

 

[Fire-medic]

I believe the #1 handling improvement is to go to radial tires. If you mount your-own tires, you don't have to worry-about the dealership telling you that the tires you selected need to-be the same speed rating or better-than what the manufacturer recommends. H-rated tires are 130 mph, V-rated tires are 149 mph. I like a stock size in the front, I feel there is more precision and quicker steering in the stock tire size, but plenty of people use a larger width front tire, one step-up, and are happy with it.

The rear, the best way to go is a different wheel/tire diameter, either 17" or 18". There are now 15" radial tires, primarily to service the bigger scooters (yes 'scooters,' not motorcycles), I am not yet aware of a V-rated 15 inch motorcycle tire. A 17" is like changing your gearing, as the tire isn't as-tall as the stock 150/90 X 15" tire, so you get more acceleration, but you lose a bit on top-end. Going to an 18" wheel/tire will get you a larger wheel/tire diameter, and less-of a difference to stock tire height, so you won't lose as-much on top speed (as-if we spent much time there!). The 17" tires are much-easier to come-by, there is more-of a variety of compounds to choose-from.

One word of caution: make sure that you buy the same brand and design of tires for the front and rear! Even among the same manufacturer, the tire construction and rubber compounds may be different, and mixing-and-matching construction types or rubber compounds may make your bike an ill-handling, dangerous ride. There are a few cases where the OEM manufacturer does it, but they spend millions of $$$$ and have engineers doing it, where you in-front of the dennis kirk or revzilla webpage, trying to decide if the closeout tires from two different manufacturers, or of bias-ply for one, and radial for the other, will "work-out." Follow Nancy Reagan's advice: "Just say no!"

Radial tires need a wider wheel than what comes stock on our bikes. If you use stock sized and construction (bias-ply) tires, the spread of the tire on the stock rim is 'as-designed.' If you want-to use radials, be sure to see what is the recommended wheel width for your tire choice. Putting a radial tire requiring say a 5" wide rim onto a 3-1/2" wide rim, will distort the sidewalls, 'pinching' them, and not-allowing the tire to have its designed contact patch with the road, and possibly induce unwanted, unwelcome sketchy handling when you most-want it, while cornering vigorously.

Pic #1
The apparent difference between the stock rear wheel width, and a welded-up 17" X 5-1/2" wheel I get custom-made. This is the least-expensive way to go to a radial rear. It has a used 'donor' 17" rim welded-to the stock rear hub, a simple swap-in for the end-user (which could be you). If you want something really-wide (tires >180, stock is 150), you may need to widen your swingarm.

Pic #2
A bolt-up 18" rear wheel, which will give you a higher top speed than the 17" wheel will. This uses a new rim machined to the OEM splined rear wheel hub. Again, a swap-in install, but if you want something really-wide, you may need to widen your swingarm.

Pic #3
The very-popular Shinko bias-ply tires, sticky, and they handle-well, but not the best longevity, it's a trade-off. Harder tires last longer, but give less-grip. Also showing a radial tire for the 15" stock wheel, sized to-fit. See #5, below.

Pic #4
The weld-up 17" X 5-1/2" I can get made.

Pic #5
The Bridgestone scooter radial tire in an H speed rating (130 mph). The VMax has a V rated tire set (149 mph).

 

[TBrooks47]

Thank you very much, great info. Your pretty spot on about the homer simpson thing too. Definitely going with the racetech springs. Was not familiar with the wave washer stacks, I'll be looking into that later today. I want to upgrade the suspension as best I can on current budget. My next interest is going to radials but hadn't considered the gearing change effect. I live in Oregon we got some great country roads to ride but my work commute includes a stretch of interstate, generally 70-80mph, presently running about 5000rpm. Running radials is that going to put me up in the Vboost rpm area just cruising down the freeway?

I do like the shinco tires, just not the mileage. Besides the normal miles I'm planning on taking a few weekend trips starting here pretty soon. I think I'm going to try the avon cobra's, stock size just based on a friend who has been running those. He's younger and crazier then I am anymore and rides a V65 magna like its a sport bike. Says he gets a solid 7000+ miles on a rear. If I don't like em I'll go back to shinko's until I figure out (afford) the radial upgrade.

Thank you again for the info, I really do appreciate it. I'll probably be hitting you up again to pick your brain.

 

[Fire-medic]

Unless I was planning on a many-thousand mile trip, on a VMax, I would always sacrifice mileage of a rear tire for the better road-handling. It's too-easy for me to slide the rear-end from coming-out of a corner, and getting-into the throttle, from a too-hard of a rubber compound tire.

The wave washer stacks make a big difference over stock, and if you take time to fine-tune them properly, even-better. Going to a sportbike front end is an expensive proposition, sportbike front ends are much-shorter, necessitating compromises in cornering clearance, or expensive 'gullwing' triple trees. Longer downtubes can be fabricated too. The 1993-2007 downtubes and sliders are several mm larger in diameter, and the caliper mounting hole spacing is longer on the later model bikes. That's when they went to two pairs of opposed pistons on the front brakes/caliper. If you go to the 1993+ front end, you need the larger front rotors, the front wheel is the same as-far as mounting the rotors, so you can keep your early wheel if you go to the bigger 1993+ triple trees, downtubes, sliders, and calipers/rotors. Better braking, better handling. Add the correct springs, and wave washer stacks, and you have an all-Yamaha VMax equipped bike, with better handling and braking.

 

[TBrooks47]

Thank you again, I totally understand what your saying about mileage and handling. Handling is more important. I do like the corners and occasionally I do like to rip through the corners. I don't do any heavy burnouts. The trips its not only the distance, its more weight. Riding two up and a carrying some extra stuff. I ride quite a bit along with the boring freeway commuting miles I can go through a rear tire. Just wondering what's out there and what people with similar riding characteristics are using.
I have no intention of changing out the front end, just minor improvements to what I already have.

 

[WOOM]

New guy here. Just purchased a 5600 mile 86. The prior owner put a Bridgestone Execedra on the rear about 100 miles ago prompting me to get a matching front tire. That said there are no wheel weights on the new rear or the old front tire. I should definitely have them balanced so wheel weights or beads? And if the answer is beads how much/many? Thanks.

 

[sdt354]

New guy here. Just purchased a 5600 mile 86. The prior owner put a Bridgestone Execedra on the rear about 100 miles ago prompting me to get a matching front tire. That said there are no wheel weights on the new rear or the old front tire. I should definitely have them balanced so wheel weights or beads? And if the answer is beads how much/many? Thanks.

One once in the front two in the back for Dyna-beads. For normal size tires that is. Some larger sizes will take 3 ounces. Tires sometimes don't need weight to balance. I put the beads in anyway.

 

[WOOM]

One once in the front two in the back for Dyna-beads. For normal size tires that is. Some larger sizes will take 3 ounces. Tires sometimes don't need weight to balance. I put the beads in anyway.

Thanks

 

[MadMaxMan]

You can find a chart on line. It goes by tire size. The chart I used if I remember correctly was 2 oz. in the front and 3 oz. in the rear. It would seem if you don't use enough and it won't balance. A little to much (1 oz.) and at least you have enough to disperse and get the job done. I put mine in through the valve stem, what a pain.

 

[TBrooks47]

Thank you for the advice. I went with the progressive fork springs and progressive 444 rear shocks. Made a very noticeable difference.
Going to be stiffening things up next round of upgrades