New to the vmax

[Imm0rtal]

Hey guys I’m nick! I’m 30 and just picked up my first vmax my dad built drag cars he had a 68 chevelle ss and a 70 z28 and he raced bikes anything fast they made them faster and ran them lol the first street bike I ever rode on the back of was his 85 Kawasaki eliminator zl900 and fell in love he always said how bad they were he loved the 80s muscle bikes he passed away may of last year and I ended up with that eliminator it sat for many years got it running myself anyway I remember dad always talking about the max and how he wanted one don’t know why he never got one anyway I made it a mission to find an 85 and I did curious to learn from the experienced ones! I’ll post pics of me max and the eliminator

 

[Dkid]

Welcome to the Classroom. Enjoy the Max!!

 

[CaptainKyle]

Congrats and welcome

 

[wilks]

Welcome to the Machine

 

[Jeff Jarquin]

Nice! Get on your bad motor scooter and ride!

 

[Fire-medic]

Welcome to where the knowledge is free and vast. Some resources for you, I suggest saving the factory manual to your favorites folder, and print-out a copy for the garage workshop, kept in a 3 ring binder.

https://dn790009.ca.archive.org/0/i...ice-manual/yamahavmaxvmx12-service-manual.pdf

https://www.vmaxforum.net/threads/new-vmax-owner-faqs-new-members-please-read.21240/

If you have a question, try looking for former discussions on it in the search function, upper right. Chances are someone already faced your problem, and you may find the answer to your needs there.

 

[marsmax85]

welcome to the forum !!

 

[mckzx9]

Welcome your dad sounded like a real cool guy. I also had an eliminator 900 and wanted a Vmax badly. So I bought a 97 silver had it a few years. Took a break got a 2006 Vmax brand new. Put a butt ton of money in it. Sold it and regretted every single day. I tried contacting the guy I sold it to recently but he never answered me. So I bought A 2020 gen 2. And let me tell you it’s my favorite bike so far. And I’ve had a lot. Started out on the eliminator went to GSXR1000, R1, zx9 I would get a new bike every couple of years. But this new one is here to stay. If you ever decide to upgrade make sure you drive one of them. You’ll be hooked. And yes I tried buying my 06 back and was planning on keeping both . Good luck. I’m sure your dad is looking down on you and knowing he past his love of bikes and cars to you

 

[Parminio]

Nice! Get on your bad motor scooter and ride!

Kudos on the Montrose reference.

 

[Fire-medic]

Kudos on the Montrose reference.

"Get on your bad motor scooter and ride!"

I once rode my mountain bike across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito where Sammy Hagar (that song lyrics creator) had a high-end bicycle shop, and the prices sure reflected it. It was a long time ago, I dunno if it's still there.

It was close to where you would turn onto the winding road into the Marin Co. Headlands towards Mt. Tam.
https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=471

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.9273912,-122.6625352,12z?entry=ttu

 

[VMAXer]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Davelaf]

I love the new Kawasaki 900 retro bikes, your dad knew what he was doing!!!

 

[Davelaf]

Welcome your dad sounded like a real cool guy. I also had an eliminator 900 and wanted a Vmax badly. So I bought a 97 silver had it a few years. Took a break got a 2006 Vmax brand new. Put a butt ton of money in it. Sold it and regretted every single day. I tried contacting the guy I sold it to recently but he never answered me. So I bought A 2020 gen 2. And let me tell you it’s my favorite bike so far. And I’ve had a lot. Started out on the eliminator went to GSXR1000, R1, zx9 I would get a new bike every couple of years. But this new one is here to stay. If you ever decide to upgrade make sure you drive one of them. You’ll be hooked. And yes I tried buying my 06 back and was planning on keeping both . Good luck. I’m sure your dad is looking down on you and knowing he past his love of bikes and cars to you

So you like the Gen 2. Not sure how old you are, but would you have liked it when you were 22 and pushing corners, I guess gen 1s aren't the best corner bikes either. I've been kinda wanting the gen 2, but a little curious about weight and height of them. Anyway, sounds like you have a experienced opinion on motos.

 

[Luke Woods]

Welcome to where the knowledge is free and vast. Some resources for you, I suggest saving the factory manual to your favorites folder, and print-out a copy for the garage workshop, kept in a 3 ring binder.

https://dn790009.ca.archive.org/0/i...ice-manual/yamahavmaxvmx12-service-manual.pdf

https://www.vmaxforum.net/threads/new-vmax-owner-faqs-new-members-please-read.21240/

If you have a question, try looking for former discussions on it in the search function, upper right. Chances are someone already faced your problem, and you may find the answer to your needs there.

I got this - DL'd

 

[Fire-medic]

Oh yeah, good on-'ya for seizing the opportunity to get the factory manual under your wing. The first 64 pages are annual updates and they don't follow every year, When changes were made, like in 1990, when the ignition box was changed, or 1993, when the front end, including downtubes, sliders, and brakes/rotors, went from 40mm to 43mm, and the brakes went from single-opposed front calipers to two pairs of opposed pistons per caliper, and the rotors changed to larger 298mm dia., those changes are shown. You can consider that from that point, the change done for that model year continued for successive, newer model years, until otherwise changed.

The appendix shows screw sizes, location where they're used, and torque values. Cable routing, hose routing, oil paths, and more are in the appendix.