Prospective buyer with noob questions

[Mtl V]

Hey all
New guy here. I am about to take the plunge on an '86 that looks to be in good shape, low mileage and all original. The bike is said to be fully serviced and in tip top running condition. That said: are there any common issues I should check for when I go kick the tires and test ride? Or are these fairly bulletproof bikes, like GSX-Rs, which I AM most familiar with.

I've been riding since the early 80s but have mostly been a sportbike / track guy. I already know that V-Maxes don't like to turn or stop but I'm cool with that lol. I've been in love with the V-Max since it was first released.

Any input or tips are greatly appreciated

Cheers - André in Montréal


EDIT: why not add a pic or two, in case you guys notice something I haven't

 

[Fire-medic]

Check the date code on the tires, they may be stale, hard, and slippery.

25K miles is well broken-in, in 1st gear, from a start, run it up to 6000 rpm at a min. & shift to 2nd, see if it jumps out of gear.

Check the oil, front & rear brake fluids and clutch master cyl. Is the fluid still clear? Hopefully, yes. Dirty fluid, a sign of a bike needing more maintenance than this, most-likely.

Check the fuel filter, is it filled with deposits? It's doing its job, but means you've located another deferred maintenance item. Also bring a good LED small flashlight, and check well inside the gas tank for corrosion. If you see any, be prepared to at least face removing it, cleaning the inside, and coating it. Youtube has lots of info on this, pick & choose.

A badly-rusted tank, you'll probably be faced with an engine not running well, missing at low rpm, and in-need of a disassembly of the carbs, for a thorough cleaning. The pilot jets (fiche #42) in the jet block are probably plugged. https://www.partzilla.com/catalog/yamaha/motorcycle/2007/v-max-vmx12w1/carburetor

Check the air pressure in the forks, sometimes if the owner replaced the fork springs with aftermarket springs they may-not use air pressure for supplementing the aftermarket springs. Stock springs need the air pressure unless you're a 110 lb rider. If the front end dives excessively on hard braking, you probably will find the schrader valves have no pressure (5 to 15 psi) and the handling will be much-better once charged.

You need to read the Schroon Lake Oracle's sticky, if you haven't already. Ryan has a lot of good info in one place for you to learn: http://www.vmaxforum.net/showthread.php?t=21240

 

[[email protected]]

Looks like 1985 side covers.

The link posted above is a great start

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[Mtl V]

What an awesome read - thanks guys!And also thanks for the extra things to check, @fire-medic

I'll actually appear to know what I'm talking about when I go this weekend lol. I am psyched for this weekend! The seller tells me that the bike was fully serviced last year, including carbs so all those little seals and o-rings are theoretically fresh. The tires are new, as is the engine oil. But I'll always flush coolant and brake/clutch fluid on a used bike, unless it's clear that they are also fresh.... and gear oil on a shaft-driven bike.

In the sticky posted above, I read about the o-ring at the oil pump. If it's as simple as dropping the pan, I think I'll go preemptive on that detail for peace of mind.

Thanks again






PS: What is up with my enormous pics? This VS forum doesn't fit-to-screen?

 

[D-Max2012]

Welcome to the forum,

Noticed that rear tire looks low.
Make sure there is nothing going on with it, as Fire-Medic suggested..
Check the date in the ( ) oval on the tire to see what week of what year it was created.

When I picked up my used 91, the tires looked so new, that they still signs of the little rubber whiskers, still visible, on the road surface side of the tires.
It Looked like the previous owner barely rode the bike, but did not store it correctly because of all the other things that were badly weathered.
Little did I know that rubber was created in the 17th week of 1996, (1796) in the oval.
I picked this bike up about 6 years ago in 2012. As soon as I got the bike home, I noticed rubber stress cracks on the sidewalls forming..
After realizing the date of the tires, (16 year old tires), I immediately had to order new ones.
Thank God the bike was only about 15 minutes from my home.


Good luck,, Ride safe..