Question for you all

[Simons]

Please be nice to me when answering lol.

I have never owned a bike before, but I have driven a few bikes in the past (cant remember what they were as it was like a 10-15 min drive that buddies owned), driven a lot of quads and ski-doo's. I was looking at getting a new vmax. I am 36yrs old and always wanted a bike to ride around in the summer. Some people that drive bike's all the time are saying it is too big/heavy for a first bike. I am the kind of guy that i want to get something that i am going to like and keep for a long time, not just for 1-2 years and get something different. So is this too much for me? I am 5' 6" 190 pounds and like fast things lol. Also will this sit too high for me to reach the ground properly? i am looking at getting something either this summer, or next spring after i finish my schooling.

Thank you for any insight you can bring to this that i am not thinking of.

 

[Tex85]

I am not an expert like many of the guys on this forum but I can say after owning multiple bikes prior to my Vmax, it is definitely the best bike I have ever had the pleasure of riding. At glance it is unique, it just has that innate one off visual quality that sets it in a separate class from the rest of the pack. It is also a sleeper, it doesn't look like it will go 0-60 in under 3 seconds and do 1/4 mile in 10 seconds. That being said I have enjoyed toying with 600cc crotch rockets who think they actually have power between their legs. It truly is a blast and if you have that itch to go fast, the Vmax will scratch it.

All that being said since you have never owned a bike before (even with riding a few from time to time in the past) I would highly recommend taking a safety course prior to getting up on any bike on the open road. It may seem dumb but if you listen and soak it in you may learn something that saves your life one day. I know it is the reason I can type this message today when I got hit by a mini-van riding bike #2.

The Vmax may not be the best "first" bike for everyone, but since you have been on lots of quads and jet-skis I don't think you're going to throw yourself off with the quick acceleration. Just take it easy starting out until you get a feel for it. I have owned my Vmax since 12/12 so I am still getting the feel of her more every day (only about 1000 miles so far).

In the end, you can't go wrong with a Vmax.

 

[KJShover]

The seat is about 31" off the ground, weighs in over 680'lbs.
If your talking about getting a Gen II, their pretty torquey and powerful. You can learn to ride it, if you show it some respect and patience.
A Gen I will be a little more forgiving and are lighter (about 620 wet) with less hp and torque.

 

[mr.maxx]

i strongly reccomend a smaller bike to learn. soooo much easier to handle and get use to.

seriously.....buy yerself a good used bike to run around on for a season and get a feel for it. you wont regret it.

if you really need to have a vmax. just treat it with respect . and yull prolly be fine.

the 1st couple of years you ride are the most dangerous. you need to pay attention and be carefull....treat every intersection as a potential hazzard.
never assume that a car driver actually see"s you...even if they look right at you.

dont be cocky and drive defensivelyunk:

 

[Simons]

All that being said since you have never owned a bike before (even with riding a few from time to time in the past) I would highly recommend taking a safety course prior to getting up on any bike on the open road. It may seem dumb but if you listen and soak it in you may learn something that saves your life one day. I know it is the reason I can type this message today when I got hit by a mini-van riding bike #2.

The Vmax may not be the best "first" bike for everyone, but since you have been on lots of quads and jet-skis I don't think you're going to throw yourself off with the quick acceleration. Just take it easy starting out until you get a feel for it. I have owned my Vmax since 12/12 so I am still getting the feel of her more every day (only about 1000 miles so far).

In the end, you can't go wrong with a Vmax.

I was planning to take the safety course no matter what. At the same time saying this, I think it was past that any new rider had to go through a course.
That much power, i would definitely show respect for it. I am here to just enjoy cruising around and maybe taking a few road trips with buddies.

 

[Simons]

i strongly reccomend a smaller bike to learn. soooo much easier to handle and get use to.

seriously.....buy yerself a good used bike to run around on for a season and get a feel for it. you wont regret it.

if you really need to have a vmax. just treat it with respect . and yull prolly be fine.

the 1st couple of years you ride are the most dangerous. you need to pay attention and be carefull....treat every intersection as a potential hazzard.
never assume that a car driver actually see"s you...even if they look right at you.

dont be cocky and drive defensivelyunk:

I drive defensively right now as it is with my mustang. I never take for granted that someone knows i am there. Something that is smaller and less lighting will be even worse i can imagine.

I love the design of the vmax, and i can go with a crotch rocket, but i cant see it being comfortable for long rides sitting forward like that. Some people told me to get nothing less then a 900cc engine so i still have a little power on the highway for passing if needed. most of the ones i looked at are still 590-650 pounds. So if thats the case i minus well just get the vmax and have everything i need right? dont know. that's why i am here to hear what all your thoughts are incase i am not looking at it the right way.

 

[Dr.n2o]

If you do buy a vmax, buy one with vboost in it. The throttle is a lot spongier with the vboost in down low and learning maneuvering. Go out on a Sunday morning and get a feel for it. Always remember : Never ride faster than you're abilities and surroundings allow. Remember that cagers don't care about bikers so ALWAYS kepp an eye on them cuz they sure as hell aren't keeping an eye on you. Good luck and welcome to the forum man

 

[twistedmax]

Simons, Welcome to the forum.
I have both Gen I and Gen II , I would not advise the Gen II for your first bike,its much bigger then the Gen I ,and even with the refinements of the Gen II it may be alot to handle. As for your height I have the seat solution for you,the MAXGASSER,I have a couple guys your height that have found them to work very well because of the way their shaped in the thigh area.
You can read more about it in the MAXGASSER thread.
Good luck with whichever bike you choose,like the others said,its not so much the bike but the respect you give it!

 

[Fire-medic]

If you have never owned a motorcycle, I recommend not buying one. Yes you could and you might, but I don't think it's a good idea.

First, you are at the smaller end of things to be capable of controlling a 600 lb motorcycle. There have been a couple of times where I narrowly avoided being embarassed at a stoplight, because when I put my foot down, it was into a slippery coating and my foot slid-out, almost dumping my bike. I am not one to park/stop in a pool of anti-freeze, oil, coolant, manure, or other high-viscosity, low-friction road treatment. I look at intersections as I approach to see if I can spot a likely-looking residue of roofing tar or other material which could upset my vehcle dynamics. Did you know that just crossing a traffic control line painted on the pavement could cause you to lose-control of your bike, if you are careless and inattentive?

Learn on a cheap beginner bike. Buy something off craigslist for $500-1000, or less if you get 'a deal,' make it safe, and spend a season and about 2-3K miles or more learning about bikes, roadways when on a bike, weather (yes, it can affect your bike, (think-of after a rain, and all the oil makes the surface slippery) and probably most-important after your own skills, all the jackasses and m-f'ers you are sharing the roads with. I'm talkin' cafe-latte-swillin' carpool moms refereeing a fight in the third row of seating, who are turning-around to make eye contact with Brittany and Stephan who just won't behave; the evening drunk; the boy/girl who just got into an emotional fight with his/her boyfriend/girlfriend; the cellphone ass_ole driving 50 mph in the left lane who must be Italian because of the way they're waving their hands around while having a very animated conversation as they weave back & forth across three lanes of traffic, and who only interrupt their conversations to give the finger top someone who honked at them because they crossed the lane line paint, again; the guy who just had an argument with his boss & is mad at the world; the teenaged driver who is doing her nails, eating a croissandwich, and whose cellphone just rang; you get the point.

On the mean streets, the biggest enemy you face, and face them you will, every day and probably every time that you grab a pair of streetbike handlebars, is your fellow motorist. Develop your skills on something like a 450 twin, or a mid-size cruiser before you get on something with 110 bhp at the rear wheel, and an inclination to burn-loose the rear wheel at any time at the twist of your wrist.:thumbs up:

A lot of people make an analogy to a handgun. Sure, you can learn to shoot with a .44, but you probably will enjoy it a lot more learning with a .22 wheel-gun. Once your skills are there, then go for a bigger caliber.

 

[one2dmax]

Buy lots of life insurance and do some end of life planning.
I would seriously say to avoid this as a first bike (for either generation). You want a much lighter bike to "learn" on and then I see no reason why you can't at least get a gen 1 modified up to suit you well enough to be comforatable.

If looking at Vtwins I would agree that the 800-900cc and up would be worth looking at. If inline 4 cylinders then the 600's are by far plenty powerful (and most modern versions are faster then the vmax).

Sean

 

[texas-ss-tornado]

VMAX for a first bike is a recipe for disaster, but hey, it's your life. If you value it, start with something smaller and move your way up. That would be the smartest, responsible thing to do, especially if you are married and have a family to support..........IMHO.

 

[CaptainKyle]

Probably not the best first bike but if you have rode before & know what responsibility is & have respect for the bike you can learn. I think there quite mild mannered if you stay under 6 K RPM. Its my girlfriends 2nd bike & she rides it quite well. Her first was a 1400 Intruder so not a small bike either. Its all about respect for the bike in my oppinion. Its only gonna go as much as you choose to twist the thottle.

 

[gamorg02]

how about buy it plus a dyna ignition and start at a 3k rpm redline and move up 500 rpms every 500 miles u put on it.

 

[davesax36]

Get a ninja 250. The old one... Ride it for a while. Sell it. Decide if you really want to deal with the stress and responsibility of actually owning a bike.

Or... Get the max, short shift it up to 5th gear as soon as you're moving and idle it around everywhere until you get more comfortable. Then stop at 4th, then 3rd.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[ninjaneer]

the guys know i was gonna chime in and prolly were wondering what took me so long to do so, but, and maybe i was stupid for doing it, at the age of 37 i bought a gen1 vmx12 as my first motorcycle. my max isn't the first bike that i've driven and like you goofed around on wetbikes from time to time. however, the length of time on them is merely a blip in my timeline. in florida, passing the MSF safety course is now mandatory in order to be endorsed and i value everything that i learned. but i won't hide the truth: a year after i took the MSF course on the provided 250cc, i attempted to drive the max home after falling in love with it at first sight. long story short, it bucked me off after i twisted the throttle as if it were a 250. i supermanned over the handlebars and after standing up from rolling on the asphalt stared at my max in a puddle of gas. i posted the long version of this story somewhere in the forum.

with that being said, from the wealth of information that i've gathered from the well-seasoned veterans here on this forum and the handful of experience that i've earned over the past couple of years, i strongly urge you against buying the gen2 vmx17 as your first bike. Dude, you will lay it down, or at least it'll kick you off its saddle. GUARANTEED.

if you must have a max, get a gen1. it'll be easier to mod to suit your physique and cheaper to repair or replace should you lay it down. i was fortunate the bike was under 5-10 mph when i finally bailed the bull ride, so the damages were cosmetic. i was definitely intimated for the next four weeks. the bike didn't leave the driveway for the first week until i understood and got comfortable with the clutch engagement. the bike didn't leave my street and didn't surpass 3k rpms until after the second week. the bike didn't get onto the highway with traffic and didn't go above 4.5k rpms until the third week. the bike didn't drive for more than 45 minutes until a month later when i finally commuted to work. it wasn't until 5 weeks later when i finally grew enough balls to rev through 6k rpms and hit triple digits on the speedo (and that was rolling through the gears very slowly--i think the climb up the speedometer took over three miles). i'm still learning something new everyday--whether it be how to drive amongst cages or how to stay calm hydroplaning through traffic lights with the rear kicked out. i thank god everyday i don't have to slam on the brakes. i don't drive faster than my angel can keep up.

you are not the first "vmax as my first bike" member to whom i've passed on these pieces of advice, so you are definitely not alone in the desire nor in the list of active drivers. but USE COMMON SENSE and RESPECT THE BEAST. We are not kidding. We are not trying to strut our rooster egos. The 1200 is a beast and the 1700 even more so.

if i had to do it over again, would i choose to take my maiden voyage on something more timid or tamer? i don't know. would i advice motorcycling virgins against the popping their cherries on a max? yes (especially the gen2). would i think less of motorcycling virgins who went against my advice of not learning on a max? no. but if they didn't literally fear the bike during their lessons, yes.

good luck to you and happy motorcycling on whatever you do decide to be your first bike.

 

[bazwell]

I completely love my V-max, but I would steer you away from it for a starter bike.

It's a bit of a handful. Seriously!

We all seem to go on and on about how good the v-max is, and how much we smiled when we first felt v-boost. That's all good, and true too, but honestly, I have a few moments where I think I would have been made into road pizza if it wasn't for a little bit of experience.

You don't yet know how tight your spincter can go until you f*** up on a V-max! :rofl_200:

 

[Miles Long]

No, No, No. Gen1 or Gen2. Or ANY bike of equivalent size and power.
Buy a well-maintained used bike, maybe in the 400cc class, with a seat height which allows you to flat-foot at stoplights. You do not want to be wrestling with a heavy bike while you are in the learning process!
Like others have said, it's the cars and trucks that prove to be the biggest threat to your health, especially at intersections. You have to assume that no one ever sees you, even if they appear to be looking straight at you. Many drivers, especially the young and/or inexperienced and/or distracted (read;cellphones) subconsciously are looking for the size and shape of another automobile, with two headlights, when determining if their path is clear. This is probably the reason that so many bikes are struck by drivers making left hand turns in front of an oncoming motorcycle.
But you also have to learn the physics of piloting a two-wheeled vehicle, again much easier...and forgiving....if done on a smaller bike. You quickly learn about reduced traction in wet conditions, the hazards of manhole covers, wet leaves, loose gravel, etc., when making turns, and the hazards present on roads that would of little concern if you are in a car, such as small potholes or asphalt repair strips (which can catch your front wheel and put you out of control).
And by all means take a biker safety course.
Cheers!

 

[cgswss]

I wish you were in Michigan because I have a perfect started bike for you- a older (but rebuild) honda 650.

If you have to go thru a a motorcycle endorsement course- you would never make it on a V-max.

I would highly suggest you pick up a nice used duel sport. Something like an old Honda XL 250 or Yamaha DT 250. Something like that would be a snap to learn to drive- would be easy to get thru a safety course and a motorcycle endorsement test. Most of these bikes are in the 300lbs area and you will have no problem going thru the tight turns you get in the safety course

What ever you do, when you get a bike, get one that has the pegs under you. Crouch rockets have the pegs set back, and most cursers have the pegs set forward. That may seem great when sit on them in the showroom, but it will cause moments of panic when you roll up to a stop. One of the nice things about an older duel purpose is that you can ride it for a couple thousand miles and sell it for what you paid for it.

Once you get some experience on a bike that is easy to handle, a 85-2007 V-Max will be a great bike for you The riding position makes it a perfect bike to ride and the big torque motor makes it about as much fun as you can have with your clothes on. But as a "first bike" it is a very poor choice.

I help out with a motorcycle training course. It involves about 6-8 hours of riding- mostly at slow speed. every class I see 3 or 3 guys fail because they show up on crouch rockets geared for like 160 MPH. The reason is that there are parts of the course that dictate you do such in such in second gear. Well the crouch rockets can't go that slow in 2nd gear and can't turn tight enough.

SO, V-Max wonderful bike-I highly recommend it(and I have owned over 100 bikes and ridder for 50 years) but it is a very poor and dangerous choice for a first bike.

 

[jfeagins]

Welcome to the forum.

Don't let these guys scare you from owning a Vmax as a first bike. I can think of no better way to die than sitting on one of my Vmaxes when my time is up. Like Sean Morley (One2dmax) says, be sure to update your life insurance and/or will before taking off on it. My wife has been instructed on what to do with the remains of my Vmax if/when that time comes. March 15th will mark my 28th year of Vmax ownership, and I've loved every minute of it, give or take the broken elbow incident when the 15 y/o girl driver turned left in front of my first one.

 

[jethrobolas]

Buy something that won't make you cry if you drop it. First bikes tend to have funny way of winding up laying on the ground for one reason or another.