Should I buy a 1992 VMAX?

[Gally]

There is a 1992 Vmax for sale that has no original papers and is in fairly good condition and only 22000km. Im a little worried about buying a 16 yr old bike with no history. Especially a bike as powerful as the VMAX. I also read that post 1993 is better due to the fork problem.

How do I know if it is the American model or the Japanese model? (Jap model has no vboost)

It seems faily stock, has new cables and 4-2 Kerker pipes, a few paint nicks, and the silever parts do have a little corrosion but nothing too bad. Its starts good but when I started it in the cold warehouse it did backfire a when I released the throttle....not sure if it was because of cold start or not?

The Price tag is $3,000.

Any advice from VMAXers?????

 

[Gally]

Here is a (low quality) photo of the bike....

 

[eatatjoz]

The v-boost will have a sound when you turn the ignition on. Not the fuel pump's click, click, click, but a whrrr- whrr cycling of the actuator.

The forks and brakes are not perfect, but you can fix that with a little work and a bit of money if you feel the need.

Did the back-fire come from the exhaust or the carbs?
It seems like everyone gets a few pops from the carburators when cold, so that's probably not a big deal.

Check the rubber parts. check the oil. check the...
Well, If you fell in love with the thing, you're going to get it anyway.
3,000 U.S. is probably about right.

 

[gleno]

Here's a link to a page on Ingo's site that tells you what the V-max VIN numbers mean. You will find the number on the steering head.

http://www.ufocycles.com/Ingo/numbers.htm

 

[Buster Hymen]

There is a 1992 Vmax for sale that has no original papers and is in fairly good condition and only 22000km. Im a little worried about buying a 16 yr old bike with no history. Especially a bike as powerful as the VMAX. I also read that post 1993 is better due to the fork problem.

How do I know if it is the American model or the Japanese model? (Jap model has no vboost)

It seems faily stock, has new cables and 4-2 Kerker pipes, a few paint nicks, and the silever parts do have a little corrosion but nothing too bad. Its starts good but when I started it in the cold warehouse it did backfire a when I released the throttle....not sure if it was because of cold start or not?

The Price tag is $3,000.

Any advice from VMAXers?????

There is no fork problem with the pre 93s, they are just smaller in diameter. The backfire may just mean the carbs need to be shotgunned. Search "shotgun" on this forum to understand what I just said. It seems like a pretty good price for the mileage on it. What are all those blue wires on the side of the motor for though?

 

[shawn kloker]

The blue wires look to me like they are for sensors to gauges that were added.Water temp. etc.

 

[Gally]

I have no idea what the blue wires are. I know there is a switch installed near the ignition between the scoop and the frame that turns off the headlight. Not sure if its connected to that, but seems to be a lot of blue wire doesnt there?:confused2:

Thanks for the VIN # site....will definately use it.

Any other advice would be great.

 

[4gasem]

I have no idea what the blue wires are. I know there is a switch installed near the ignition between the scoop and the frame that turns off the headlight. Not sure if its connected to that, but seems to be a lot of blue wire doesnt there?:confused2:

Thanks for the VIN # site....will definately use it.

Any other advice would be great.

Yeah the blue wire seems excessive... :confused2: I would look in to that.

The pre '93's are great bikes. If you can find and afford a later model I would do so though.

 

[Redbone]

I purchased a 1992 ($3500) last summer from the original owner that had 4300 miles on it. He was very careful to keep it original or only use yamaha parts. He kept it in cold storage so there is some corrosion but not too bad. It runs perfectly but as others have said you will get some backfire from the carbs when cold.
One thing to note is that the brakes are wimpy compared to other bikes I have ridden. The front tire will skid on you if not loaded correctly and you jam on the brakes. The front end also dives quite a bit under braking so you will have get used to that until you respring/ tune the front suspenders.
If you feel confident that the bike has not been in a accident or has some other hidden problem, it sounds like not too bad of a deal.
As far as any other questions about tuning, mods, or performance, you have come to the right place! Someone here has already been there, done that. Vmax forums can tell you how to do it better, find it cheaper, or hook you up with great discounts.
Best of luck with your decsion!

 

[Robbarrie]

Don't worry about the age so much, newer is not always better when it comes to buying used. Do you get to ride before you buy? If not you may want to look elsewhere. It looks like you maybe buying it from a dealer - from all the other bikes in the background. More times than none you can get a better deal going private sale. It could very well be a 93 anyway. Make sure you check the VIN.

Do a compression check or have one done, if you can - and look for chewmarks where the speedo cable connects into the front wheel. Take caution if you think it has had allot more miles put on it. ( more miles than what it reads ) go with your gut feeling.

Overall condition says allot. May want to look for rubber stuck under the back fender for burnouts. Not to say, that you should steer away from it but if he tells you that he babied it, you can call his bluff. NO LEAKS - and make sure it is certified. Look inside the gas tank (under the seat) for rust and dirt, or pull off the fuel filter (under the seat as well) and see if looks really dirty. Check the air filter for condition ( dirt and excessive oil in the air box ) and check the battery type and condition. (sometimes they have a date sticker.)
You want to make sure you don't have and tranny problems, make she shifts smooth and doesn't pop out of any gear.

It would be great if you can get someone local who has rode a Max before or has had one in the past, but sold it, to go with you. OR if you know and trust (even a car ) mechanic , take it over to him and let him go over it with you.

Be aware of the after market pipes - if the person did not ride it much - with the low miles on it - chances are they would not have changed the exhaust. So you may want to consider that...not to say it doesn't happen but....why change it ? If your not looking for more power then why do it. If your looking for more then it probably means it was rode harder than you think. Sometimes it's for the sound but I'd say that would be a very low percentage.

Tell them your interested but it must be in perfect running order. No cooling issues, no backfires, no poping, no leaks, starting issues hot or cold. It should idle smooth and pull smooth and fuk'ing hard all the way to the red line. Note: take care and don't kill yourself in the process of doing so. You don't have to take it to the red line but you still want to drive it hard enough to get it accelerate with the boost open. Insist on all fresh new fluids, coolant, brake, rear gear, clutch, shocks. ect... get him to do all these if you can...OR... drop the price.

BTW- If the oil light flickers when your at WOT through the gears it's normal. The oil sensor is at the front of the motor and the oil get thrown to the back under hard acceleration so the light may then flicker.

If you have any doubts what so ever, or something is making you leary - pass on it and go on to the next one. A good deal will always come around, it comes down to how long do you want to wait for it. It took me at least 6months of hard pressed searching until I was convinced I found the one. I was wrong, I did having cooling issues and had to buy a battery 1 season later and change all the fluids myself. The good thing is I am very happy with it regaurdless.

Feel free to ask us about anything, we are all here to help. Good luck, and take your time, don't let him pressure you in any way. If your not an experienced rider, get someone else to ride the bike who is, for you. Then ride it after him just for the feel. It is rather a big SOB to jump on and test it at full throttle. It is not worth getting yourself hurt.

Robbarrie,

 

[vmaxinID]

The blue wires might of been some early type of illumination set up?
Ya know bling, bling

 

[Gally]

Thanks guys. Some really good info you are supplying. I hope the wires are old "bling"...I think Im hooked on it, and VMAX's dont come up for sale very often around here....and Yamaha cant sell me a new one...no 2007's in stck and cant get any.

A friend sent me an e-mail that was really good and thought I would share it as it would apply to anyone buying a used bike...thanks again.

Did you go and look at the motorcycle in the in the day time ?. That way you will notice any dents, scratches or problems that the bike may have, a lot of people go after work and see the bike at night under garage lights etc when they get it home and look in the daylight they notice all sorts of things... By looking at a motorcycle you can tell a lot about how the previous owner(s) took care of it. Little things such as a excessively dirty/ rusty chain, bald tires and frayed cables indicate that he/she did not take very good care of their bike. Scratches on the engine cases, brake levers, and bodywork might imply that the bike has been dropped. Start at the front wheel and work systematically back towards the rear mudguard

Check the following with the bike on the stand try and rotate the wheels if possible

• Spin the front wheel does it move ok
• are the discs worn or scored badly
• look at the brake pads are they worn
• is the front tire ok no cuts cracks in the side wall with good tread
• look up the forks are the signs of any leaks
• Try all electrics do they all work
• look at the ends of the bake/clutch levers for scratches and damage
• Do the handle bars and the forks look in alignment
• general paintwork on the main areas tank and panels
• Is the seat ok
• look at the engine is it clean? look for oil leaks
• Start engine does it fire up ok did the battery spin it over ok or was it sluggish
• does it idle good or is it lumpy and uneven
• Give it a rev does it sound ok listen for signs of valve rattles and rattles of cam chain ( it will sound like a bag of hammers )
• Give it another rev watch the exhausts any sign of blue smoke?
• look at the engine casings for scratches
• remove the engine oil filler cap look inside is it clean
• Try the brakes does the lever come back to the handle bar or is it feel good,likewise does the foot brake go down a lot?
• Try the clutch lever is the operation ok if it cable type is there a lot of free play at the very beginning
• look at the foot rests are they damaged or bent up
• look at the chain is it rusty or well oiled is there lots of slack in it or is it over tightened
• look at the sprocket teeth are they even or do they look like a sharks fins
• Check the rear wheel same as the front cuts ,tread etc
• Ask for a ride round the block
• Check for vibrations and bike wanting to drift to one side
• Try the gears up and down should click in smoothly
• Check the clutch ride the bike in top gear and do about 40k open up the throttle to accelerate make sure the revs don't go up but bike fails to accelerate (clutch slippage)
• Check suspension over some bumps should not feel very hard or like your on a pogo stick
• Look at the temp gauge if fitted should be normal
• look at oil light if fitted should never come on or flash on and off whilst riding
• Try both brakes separately should stop ok with no vibration
• Look for oil leaks after ride
• If above meets the grade then its a good chance the bike will be ok

 

[4gasem]

The oil light WILL come on so don't let that scare you. If it's on all the time then start wondering...

 

[QuarterHorse]

The oil light WILL come on so don't let that scare you. If it's on all the time then start wondering...

+1

Mine stays on 'till I get out of it if the front end comes up. (Which it always does in 2nd)