V Max vrs Suzuki Madura

[robike_75]

I owned a 86 Suzuki Madura 1200 v4 for about 9 years. Fastest bike I ever owned at the time. Granted my V Max is faster, but it has some great mods and the madura was bone stock. You guys ever ride one of these bikes. I like to see them go head to head with no mods. what do you guys think. mike

 

[smithben1983]

my buddy has the smaller one.. what is it a 700? its quick too. I like it

 

[Fire-medic]

I bought a 750F about the same time two of my friends bought new V45's (Magnas) & I got to thrash 'em both. You could launch them hard! I was more-used to my 750F so I was able to ride it better, but the V45's did OK, just not as-fast with those guys riding as I could do from a dead stop. Neither one was willing to learn how to drop the clutch at 7500 for a quick dig while stopped, but they would do roll-ons OK. They were pretty amazed what the bikes were capable of when someone launched it hard. Of course, once you got well-over 100 mph, the ergos of the cruisers slowed them down while the semi-crouch you could affect on the 750F would allow better, more-stable speed acccrual in the triple digits. I thought the 750F was pretty fast until I got beaten riding two-up with a GF by a 911. As soon as I could I sold the 750F and bought the first of 3 KZ1000's.

The Maduras were never very popular in FL but you saw a few V65's. The 750 cc V45's were cheaper, & more-prevalent. If you mistook a V65 for a V45, you were likely to get a lesson in accelleration and defeat if you were on something less than 1000 cc. I'm not sure about the Madura, but I bet they were a mid 11-sec. ride in the hands of a competent rider. That makes it a no-contest unless the VMax is running on a bad second gear, not unheard-of...then maybe the Madura has a chance.

OK, so I had to search to find some reputable times:
"What are the 1/4 mile and HP specs for my Madura?
V1200 - Per CYCLE MAGAZINE from Jan. 1986: The V1200 BHP is 89.36 max @ 8500 rpm and the torque is 61.41 max. @ 6000 rpm. In a standing start 1/4 mile, it finishes in 11.75 sec @ 115.06 mph.
It was tested at the time against three other cruisers and came in 3rd place in the 1/4 mile (can you believe that garbage???!!). The test included the Yamaha Vmax ([email protected]), Kawasaki Eliminator 900 ([email protected]), Suzuki Madura ([email protected]), and Honda Magna ([email protected]). "
http://www.lk3000.com/madura/faq.cfm

One thing I can say with certainty, is that if a Madura was next to a V65 Magna, it made the Magna look good! Either one of them were homely wallflowers next to the bike that defines a category, and still does 26 years later.

 

[CaptainKyle]

I have rode both & like them both but head to head in stock form a Vmax will smoke a Madura.

 

[RaWarrior]

The Madura was in the shadow of a shadow. Played third-fiddle to the V65 and then the Vmax. Even though it was a 1200, it put out less HP/torque than the 1100cc Magna.

I've never actually seen one in person....from what I've heard they didn't sell very well and there aren't a whole lot around.

 

[robike_75]

you said a mouthful fire-medic. thats good info on your part. thanks mike

 

[shorthair88]

I have an 85 max, and a 86 v65 ( both in very very!! good codition ) ,,the former is lightly modified and the later bone stock..my lil bro has a 85 madura & I rode it a couple a times & got on it hard, we haven't raced cuz he just got it..buuuuut.. I'd put CHC on the v65 & wouldnt steal $$ by even betting w/ my max. that susuki hauls the mail damn well,,but it just falls short of my v65 And I know it.
I dont care how close the #'s are w/ the madura against the v65, there's a difference!!
The two of us are looking for the kawy eliminator... then we have the big four.. what a treat.
The 80's did give us more than the big hair bands, they gave us four rides that can still hold there own well into the two thousands...

 

[Theemax]

I have an 85 max, and a 86 v65 ( both in very very!! good codition ) ,,the former is lightly modified and the later bone stock..my lil bro has a 85 madura & I rode it a couple a times & got on it hard, we haven't raced cuz he just got it..buuuuut.. I'd put CHC on the v65 & wouldnt steal $$ by even betting w/ my max. that susuki hauls the mail damn well,,but it just falls short of my v65 And I know it.
I dont care how close the #'s are w/ the madura against the v65, there's a difference!!
The two of us are looking for the kawy eliminator... then we have the big four.. what a treat.
The 80's did give us more than the big hair bands, they gave us four rides that can still hold there own well into the two thousands...

SHORTHAIR

My cousin just called me yesterday, and has I believe an 85 900cc Eliminator extremely clean he wants to sell. Call me Friday if interested, 309-371-3567. He don't need the money, he just does'nt ride it.

 

[Theemax]

BTW, The bike is located about an hour and a half south of Cedar Rapids IA:eusa_dance:

 

[bigrubbers4x4]

a buddy of mine at work has 2 maduras. both are the big ones. ones black and ones red. nice bikes but i like my max more!!!

 

[robike_75]

I have an 85 max, and a 86 v65 ( both in very very!! good codition ) ,,the former is lightly modified and the later bone stock..my lil bro has a 85 madura & I rode it a couple a times & got on it hard, we haven't raced cuz he just got it..buuuuut.. I'd put CHC on the v65 & wouldnt steal $$ by even betting w/ my max. that susuki hauls the mail damn well,,but it just falls short of my v65 And I know it.
I dont care how close the #'s are w/ the madura against the v65, there's a difference!!
The two of us are looking for the kawy eliminator... then we have the big four.. what a treat.
The 80's did give us more than the big hair bands, they gave us four rides that can still hold there own well into the two thousands...

So far I've had an 86 Madura (95 to 2004), 87 Kawi ZL 1000 "Eliminator" (87, 88) and 97 Magna (last year) and now my 98 Max. The Madura started costing me to much money to keep up. The Eliminator I totaled after 1 year (loved that bike) and the Magna was not like the magnas of old. Not real fast and I couldn't take the chain maintance. (paid $2400 and sold it for $3000 after 1 year. I love my V Max, But the Eliminator was awesome at a much younger part of my life. The V Max will be my last bike. TWO wheels are awesome. Mike

 

[CustomMax]

I had a 84 V65 and I'm still not fully convinced that the Vmax is really a faster bike. I can't really put my finger on why but the V65 was a much smoother lighter and don't even think about top speed. I was clocked by a Pa state trooper at 158.6 on the V65. I'm not real sure if I was just crazier then or if the V65 just brings back memories of blistering speed that now are maybe illusions of grandeur. Either way the frickin Vmax should have a 6th gear. Period. Oh yea and a gear indicator. I'm soooo sick of thinking I have another gear on the freaking highway. Ok rant over, sorry what was the question again?

 

[WolfMax]

Is the V45 everyone is going on about, this one:

The 3 bikes I always wanted back in the 80's were:
VMax (naturally)
ZL1000 Eliminator
VF750C (British version looked like the above but was just called 'VF750 Custom')

Cheers

 

[Fire-medic]

Those are nice bikes but the 1983/4 V65 Magna is the one being raved about by the Homda-lovers. Here's a Cycle magazine article on the original. http://www.magnaownersoftexas.com/v65/v65article.htm
A worthy competitor to anything on the road in its day, still fun to own, but it isn't The King.

 

[sarchin]

My first street bike was a 85 Honda Sabre 700 with 3000 miles. I knew it had the same engine as the Magna, but I knew nothing about the motorcycle world at the time with the Vmax, Magna, Madura, and Eliminators. However, I did know that Sabre was very fast and I loved that bike. It was when I first seen the Vmax that I decided I wanted to go to the cruiser style although I didn't think it would take 20 years to do it, lol. Anyway, I am glad that I was able to enjoy a little bit of that history.