oldest V-MAX

[V4max]

Glad to see you older guys still riding. Class of 01 for me hopefully us younger guys can keep the vmax legend alive. Thanks again guys and keep riding.

 

[flydood]

Hi all, great Forum.

I think there are only three people to beat me.

 

[Fire-medic]

Hi all, great Forum.

I think there are only three people to beat me.

Pretty-sure you have a California bike there. Reference: 1JH is for 1985 CA. bikes. I wouldn't be surprised if you get a message from Sean Morley soon.



"Proof of the pudding," let's see the steering head badge and stamped number. That should have a few certain members' pulses accelerate.

 

[flydood]

It is without a doubt a California bike. I bought it off a widow in Silicon Valley around '91-'92.

Excitement is good. Especially given it is going up for sale soon.

 

[Fire-medic]

Is it operable?

 

[flydood]

Very.

 

[ATKPILOT]

Hi there,

who is owning the oldest V-MAX??

is it known? maybe there's a list or anything?

it can be figured out according the frame number.

the last digits of the first frame-number was 000101
next 102 and so on.

it will be nice to know how many of our old

steel-pigs are still driving around.

with regards
across the pond

My recent barn find is number 188 one of the ringers

 

[daniel.gomariz.hernandez]

Hi all, great Forum.

I think there are only three people to beat me.

Is it in riding conditions? If so. What's the harder issues you found to keep it alive?

 

[daniel.gomariz.hernandez]

My recent barn find is number 188 one of the ringers

No idea how many could they produce per day, but as mine is 150 I guess both were manufactured in the first month of production for sure!

 

[daniel.gomariz.hernandez]

Very.

Looks awesome!! Congrats

 

[PATMAX]

It is without a doubt a California bike. I bought it off a widow in Silicon Valley around '91-'92. View attachment 79559

Excitement is good. Especially given it is going up for sale soon.

Wow!!! Number three ! Beats all of my 85s.

 

[DTyrrell]

Steel pigs.....OMG too funny!!!!

 

[DTyrrell]

3123 last four, so we are 3023!

 

[schudaddie]

Hi all, great Forum.

I think there are only three people to beat me.

that's cool, but how many are original owners? last I checked I'm #2... 0847 let's keep'em going
later,bill

 

[Fire-medic]

3123 last four, so we are 3023!

I saw this: " my husband Donald and I are the keepers of a 1990 Max." If you have a 1990, you could have # 00101, that would be the first 1990 USA-market VMax, and depending on the prefix you might have a CA edition, rather than a 49 states version. Numbering begins anew for each year, at 00101 for the VIN.

Do you also own a 1985? That's the reason for the (104) oldest V-MAX | Yamaha Star V-Max VMAX Motorcycle Discussion Forum (vmaxforum.net) thread, it's for documenting the 1985 motorcycles. Other countries had their own number/letter prefixes (below).

Note the CA bikes have a prefix of "12" before starting at 101. That means the first CA-edition bike was 12101.

Hope this helps.

 

[DTyrrell]

I saw this: " my husband Donald and I are the keepers of a 1990 Max." If you have a 1990, you could have # 00101, that would be the first 1990 USA-market VMax, and depending on the prefix you might have a CA edition, rather than a 49 states version. Numbering begins anew for each year, at 00101 for the VIN.

Do you also own a 1985? That's the reason for the (104) oldest V-MAX | Yamaha Star V-Max VMAX Motorcycle Discussion Forum (vmaxforum.net) thread, it's for documenting the 1985 motorcycles. Other countries had their own number/letter prefixes (below).

Note the CA bikes have a prefix of "12" before starting at 101. That means the first CA-edition bike was 12101.

Hope this helps.

View attachment 82108View attachment 82109

View attachment 82110

The rest of the sticker said that he was manufactured in September 1989. But he is at home today and I can't check out the rest of the info.....lol!

 

[flydood]

that's cool, but how many are original owners? last I checked I'm #2... 0847 let's keep'em going
later,bill

Ha, touché!! Second owner here.

 

[Parminio]

1638 is the last 4 on my 2007. I'm the only owner.

 

[Fire-medic]

Prior posts on here say that approx. 8,800 1985 models were manufactured. I've read that Yamaha planned upon 2,000 annual USA market builds, so selling 8,800 in the USA market was a resounding sales success, and it helped to make the VMax a bike to remember for its performance, appearance, and place in the history of the time in which it was first built. As I've said repeatedly, Ford's Model T was built for fewer years than the Generation 1 VMax. Building a bike primarily-known for its performance for a period of twenty-two years, with only minor changes is unheard-of.

If later model year riders (1986-2007) want to consider 2,000 as an annual USA allotment, then you can gauge your approximate place in the build sequence by comparing your VIN tag on the steering head, with its month and year of manufacture, to that projected 2,000 build number for any year's production. Consider that approximately September is the start of the next year's production, and probably June is the end.

Anyone who wants to post their month/year of manufacture and their VIN, we can see how-close that comes. Bear in-mind the original purpose of the thread was to log the 1985 model year owners. I have a built-in-1985 VMax in the stable, but it's listed as a 1986 model on the VIN plate. It has the 1985-style front and rear wheels, and it's the dark-amethyst color. I haven't had it apart to measure either the VBoost or the exhaust pipes, which I'm pretty-sure were sized uniquely for the '85 models. I would expect mine to be sized as 1986.

 

[WC Hart]

Congratulations to all of you lucky Max owners