I took delivery of my '88 Max just over a year ago and since then my sole goal has been to understand the bikes handling characteristics well enough to be able to make the thing handle properly.
Collecting parts for the mods is a process that's timed by the available budget but persistence and passion is getting me there.
To date the bike has had the following mods;
1) Lowered front end with progressive springs and two sets of lowering springs (instead of blocks).
2) New steering head bearings and replacement of rubber washer with solid spacer (bearings have not required adjustment for over 10,000k.
3) Fitted 17" billet rims front and rear.
4) fitted Metzeler roadtek 120/70 radial to front rim and 190/50 to rear rim.
3) Fitted Brembo four piston calipers to front forks and EBC HH pads.
The front end is solid as a rock but those grippy tyres really emphasized the inherent weakness of the the swingarm/ frame combo of the Max.
The most noticeable characteristics is the 'wallowing' motion experienced during cornering. This has been described in other forum threads as giving you the sensation that you are riding a fish. Backing off or on the throttle at speed in a bend will be enough to induce the swimming effect.
I put this down to the rear swing arm design (way too light to control twisting deformation under load), the absence of a solid swingarm axle and light swingarm bearings. Combine all that with a rubber mounted motor that has the ability to move on the mounts and introduce a whole new set of motion dynamics to the rolling frame and wheels and the Max can get REALLY interesting when you least need it.
If you are old enough to remember or to have ridden Yamaha's XS-1100 (I bought one the day they were released in OZ - 1978) you will recognize the rear frame geometry, swingarm, driveshaft, diff (pumpkin to some) and brakes, are the same. The 1100 also suffered from the these same handling quirks.
Anyway back to the topic.
Front end is now good. Time to get rid of the fish wallow.
Yesterday I added Delrin solid engine mounts (RM Sportmax) and the OTEC 770 Billet swingarm (this is the equivalent of the OTEC BA 1000 from Wild Bros Racing), Galfer braided rear line and a custom rear brake arm.
The swingarm was obtained from a member of this forum and only required me to prepare it. To prepare it I did the following;
1) Polish and clear bright anodize. The result is a corrosion resistance finish that covers the whole swingarm but looks dull.
2) Masking tap applied to anodized areas and then used caustic soda to remove anodizing from the exposed surfaces.
3) Cut, buff and polish the visible faces of the swingarm.
4) Clear coat polished swingarm with clear VHT brake caliper paint.
I found that the original brake arm could not be fitted to the OTEC mount so I made a custom arm using two Heim joints (tie rod end joints) and a length of chrome steel bar.
There is 1mm clearance of the Supertrapps slipon's on the rear left hand side and abort 2.5mm clearance on the right. So far no problems but I'll see what a pillion and a bumpy road does to these clearances when the swingarm really has to work through a full length of travel.
The motor mounts where not hard to fit but you have to disassemble a lot of the bike to fit them. If you want to do it read this first http://vmaxoutlaw.com/tech/solid_mounts.htm so you know what you are in for.
Was it worth it?
It's a different bike. It handles like a Ducati (yes I've done ridden them too).
The bike tracks through a corner with no deviation from your chosen line even when encountering uneven surfaces. The wallowing has vanished but I can get it to twitch slightly when I hammer the throttle. Quick left, right, left, right, flip-flops through tight bends inspire confidence and the benefits of the radials can now be used and felt.
I had read that the solid mounts would induce extra vibration at the handlebars and that this could be a drawback. Well, there is definitely extra vibration but its only really noticeably different at about 4,500 rpm to 6,000 rpm under hard acceleration and I like it. I can feel every cylinder fire and I enjoy that connection to a bike.
In short I'm stoked about the the difference its made.
This is the result I've been looking for and it was worth the effort, time and money.
Collecting parts for the mods is a process that's timed by the available budget but persistence and passion is getting me there.
To date the bike has had the following mods;
1) Lowered front end with progressive springs and two sets of lowering springs (instead of blocks).
2) New steering head bearings and replacement of rubber washer with solid spacer (bearings have not required adjustment for over 10,000k.
3) Fitted 17" billet rims front and rear.
4) fitted Metzeler roadtek 120/70 radial to front rim and 190/50 to rear rim.
3) Fitted Brembo four piston calipers to front forks and EBC HH pads.
The front end is solid as a rock but those grippy tyres really emphasized the inherent weakness of the the swingarm/ frame combo of the Max.
The most noticeable characteristics is the 'wallowing' motion experienced during cornering. This has been described in other forum threads as giving you the sensation that you are riding a fish. Backing off or on the throttle at speed in a bend will be enough to induce the swimming effect.
I put this down to the rear swing arm design (way too light to control twisting deformation under load), the absence of a solid swingarm axle and light swingarm bearings. Combine all that with a rubber mounted motor that has the ability to move on the mounts and introduce a whole new set of motion dynamics to the rolling frame and wheels and the Max can get REALLY interesting when you least need it.
If you are old enough to remember or to have ridden Yamaha's XS-1100 (I bought one the day they were released in OZ - 1978) you will recognize the rear frame geometry, swingarm, driveshaft, diff (pumpkin to some) and brakes, are the same. The 1100 also suffered from the these same handling quirks.
Anyway back to the topic.
Front end is now good. Time to get rid of the fish wallow.
Yesterday I added Delrin solid engine mounts (RM Sportmax) and the OTEC 770 Billet swingarm (this is the equivalent of the OTEC BA 1000 from Wild Bros Racing), Galfer braided rear line and a custom rear brake arm.
The swingarm was obtained from a member of this forum and only required me to prepare it. To prepare it I did the following;
1) Polish and clear bright anodize. The result is a corrosion resistance finish that covers the whole swingarm but looks dull.
2) Masking tap applied to anodized areas and then used caustic soda to remove anodizing from the exposed surfaces.
3) Cut, buff and polish the visible faces of the swingarm.
4) Clear coat polished swingarm with clear VHT brake caliper paint.
I found that the original brake arm could not be fitted to the OTEC mount so I made a custom arm using two Heim joints (tie rod end joints) and a length of chrome steel bar.
There is 1mm clearance of the Supertrapps slipon's on the rear left hand side and abort 2.5mm clearance on the right. So far no problems but I'll see what a pillion and a bumpy road does to these clearances when the swingarm really has to work through a full length of travel.
The motor mounts where not hard to fit but you have to disassemble a lot of the bike to fit them. If you want to do it read this first http://vmaxoutlaw.com/tech/solid_mounts.htm so you know what you are in for.
Was it worth it?
It's a different bike. It handles like a Ducati (yes I've done ridden them too).
The bike tracks through a corner with no deviation from your chosen line even when encountering uneven surfaces. The wallowing has vanished but I can get it to twitch slightly when I hammer the throttle. Quick left, right, left, right, flip-flops through tight bends inspire confidence and the benefits of the radials can now be used and felt.
I had read that the solid mounts would induce extra vibration at the handlebars and that this could be a drawback. Well, there is definitely extra vibration but its only really noticeably different at about 4,500 rpm to 6,000 rpm under hard acceleration and I like it. I can feel every cylinder fire and I enjoy that connection to a bike.
In short I'm stoked about the the difference its made.
This is the result I've been looking for and it was worth the effort, time and money.
