I'd like to get it powdercoated...except I want to keep the bare aluminum highlights? So, I would need to still do the work on the bare aluminum, right?
I've never refinished a wheel like this, with the two-tone finish.
Help Support VMAX Forum:
I'd like to get it powdercoated...except I want to keep the bare aluminum highlights? So, I would need to still do the work on the bare aluminum, right?
I've never refinished a wheel like this, with the two-tone finish.
The first 6 weeks of ownership have flown by. I took delivery 2nd week of April, had it running a couple of days later. As I've written, I've been wrenching on it here and there and riding it when possible:
566 miles since I got it, already, even with downtime! The bike is sitting at about 3338 miles right now. Here are my riding impressions so far:
Power 7/10: I am used to riding some pretty powerful bikes, and my 14R puts down near 225 hp to the wheel, on the stock motor with race gas. Still, for the intended use of the V-Max, and with it's short gearing, it will move out in a Jiffy. The Gen 2 must be a hoot!
Power Delivery 9/10: While it doesn't have the most power in the world, the power delivery is fantastic. Very smooth, mild when you want it to be, and exciting when you demand it. At home cruising at 3k rpm in 5th, and also at home lofting the front wheel on an aggressive 1-2 shift. The sound when the revs come up and on the v-boost is an added plus. The only thing that would make it better is more power everywhere!
Handling/Braking 6/10: Yes, I am going to rate it a 6 out of 10, overall. But honestly, for the type of riding that I do with it, it's more like an 8/10. Keep in mind that my 14R has BST rims, and handles great. But that is not how I ride this bike. I was raised on the UJM type of bikes, and this one handles fine for me. It's not a point-and-shoot experience, it requires a little more planning. Ditto with the brakes; wooden, yet can lock up the front wheel. Plan to turn early, and start braking well in advance. High speed stability has been fine.
Comfort 8/10: I really like the riding position, but my legs need to get used to it. I am used to folding my body up more for sportbikes. Also the seat is pretty firm, but again, it all depends on what type of riding you are doing. For around town, short rides, or a single tank...the seat will serve you. I rode the bike 136 miles today, my legs are a little sore, and I could have used a little softer padding on the seat.
Fun factor 11/10: It's a fun bike! For me it brings back so many memories, of old rides, friends....the 80's...etc...you just can't beat it. The engine power, sound, and semi-unruly handling all add to the experience. Tons of personality with this bike!
Anyway, that is my short ride review. I am sure things will change a bit as I improve the overall health of the bike, change the tires, freshen the suspension/brakes, and get it running at a dyno-proven 100%.
566 miles since I got it, already, even with downtime! The bike is sitting at about 3338 miles right now. Here are my riding impressions so far:
Power 7/10: I am used to riding some pretty powerful bikes, and my 14R puts down near 225 hp to the wheel, on the stock motor with race gas. Still, for the intended use of the V-Max, and with it's short gearing, it will move out in a Jiffy. The Gen 2 must be a hoot!
Power Delivery 9/10: While it doesn't have the most power in the world, the power delivery is fantastic. Very smooth, mild when you want it to be, and exciting when you demand it. At home cruising at 3k rpm in 5th, and also at home lofting the front wheel on an aggressive 1-2 shift. The sound when the revs come up and on the v-boost is an added plus. The only thing that would make it better is more power everywhere!
Handling/Braking 6/10: Yes, I am going to rate it a 6 out of 10, overall. But honestly, for the type of riding that I do with it, it's more like an 8/10. Keep in mind that my 14R has BST rims, and handles great. But that is not how I ride this bike. I was raised on the UJM type of bikes, and this one handles fine for me. It's not a point-and-shoot experience, it requires a little more planning. Ditto with the brakes; wooden, yet can lock up the front wheel. Plan to turn early, and start braking well in advance. High speed stability has been fine.
Comfort 8/10: I really like the riding position, but my legs need to get used to it. I am used to folding my body up more for sportbikes. Also the seat is pretty firm, but again, it all depends on what type of riding you are doing. For around town, short rides, or a single tank...the seat will serve you. I rode the bike 136 miles today, my legs are a little sore, and I could have used a little softer padding on the seat.
Fun factor 11/10: It's a fun bike! For me it brings back so many memories, of old rides, friends....the 80's...etc...you just can't beat it. The engine power, sound, and semi-unruly handling all add to the experience. Tons of personality with this bike!
Anyway, that is my short ride review. I am sure things will change a bit as I improve the overall health of the bike, change the tires, freshen the suspension/brakes, and get it running at a dyno-proven 100%.
I haven't had a minute all week to work on the bike. We had a bike/car show sponsored by work...that took up two days, and left little time in the evening. I also got caught in my first downpour, which has left the bike a mess!
The old V-Max was a big hit at the show! Brought back memories for quite a few...
Anyway, so when I got off of work tonight, I decided to tinker with the bike. I installed the Cycle One Off oil pressure gauge kit. It was pretty easy, so I will just post the pics of the process:
Pressure at idle, hot:
Pressure between 4500-5000 rpm, hot:
Max pressure, hot, is around 65 psi or so. I want to try out some lighter oils, and this will allow me to see the impact on pressure. When cold the bike will show 80 psi if you blip the throttle. I assume that is about what the pressure relief is set at. I haven't looked at the oiling system on these, but on Kaws there is a spring oil-relief.
The old V-Max was a big hit at the show! Brought back memories for quite a few...
Anyway, so when I got off of work tonight, I decided to tinker with the bike. I installed the Cycle One Off oil pressure gauge kit. It was pretty easy, so I will just post the pics of the process:
Pressure at idle, hot:
Pressure between 4500-5000 rpm, hot:
Max pressure, hot, is around 65 psi or so. I want to try out some lighter oils, and this will allow me to see the impact on pressure. When cold the bike will show 80 psi if you blip the throttle. I assume that is about what the pressure relief is set at. I haven't looked at the oiling system on these, but on Kaws there is a spring oil-relief.
Well, up early this morning to ride the bike to the dyno. I took it to the same dyno I had it on last time, RNR Cycles, in Sterling, Va. Rick, the owner, is great to deal with, and all of the guys are great. Rick has been riding, tuning, and racing a long time, and he has a few V-Max stories of his own. 
http://www.rnrcycles.com
It is nice to be able to just ride over to the dyno! On my other bikes I usually trailer them, bring data loggers, a laptop, fuel, etc...this one I just hop on and ride it over! You may recall that it only made about 75 hp STD last time, and turned out to be running on only 3 cylinders. Well, I fixed that problem, put in the new clutch, changed the oil to a 10-40 synthetic, and made a new crankcase breather....and voila!:
112.59 STD on a conservative dyno. We also pulled the "Y" airbox snorkel, which contributed about 2 hp of that. I know this dyno is conservative because I have had a variety of bikes on it, and other dynos to compare. The dyno is really a tool for tuning, so I am not so caught up in the number. Invariably though, someone will proclaim that their stock bike makes 15 more hp than this one, through the magic of a good day at the factory. To that I say, let's see the mph at the track! :biglaugh:
http://www.rnrcycles.com
It is nice to be able to just ride over to the dyno! On my other bikes I usually trailer them, bring data loggers, a laptop, fuel, etc...this one I just hop on and ride it over! You may recall that it only made about 75 hp STD last time, and turned out to be running on only 3 cylinders. Well, I fixed that problem, put in the new clutch, changed the oil to a 10-40 synthetic, and made a new crankcase breather....and voila!:
112.59 STD on a conservative dyno. We also pulled the "Y" airbox snorkel, which contributed about 2 hp of that. I know this dyno is conservative because I have had a variety of bikes on it, and other dynos to compare. The dyno is really a tool for tuning, so I am not so caught up in the number. Invariably though, someone will proclaim that their stock bike makes 15 more hp than this one, through the magic of a good day at the factory. To that I say, let's see the mph at the track! :biglaugh:
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davidon
Well-Known Member
You still at RnR?
No, I just got home!
davidon
Well-Known Member
Was thinking of heading out for a ride and was going to meet up but maybe some other time..
Ok, sounds good. Just pm me and we can try to set something up for another time. I have been running the roads quite a bit lately, and now have put almost 700 miles on the bike since I got it going.
davidon
Well-Known Member
OK. I'm going to head up North instead of South..sounds like the beltway is a mess at the moment. If you want to do something for a bit tomorrow let me know.
Here is the before and after hp comparison:
Most of that is due to the dead cylinder. I am sure the other changes made a few hp difference, too. The funny thing is how smooth the bike was as a triple, and the power curve is very similar too...just less power everywhere.
Most of that is due to the dead cylinder. I am sure the other changes made a few hp difference, too. The funny thing is how smooth the bike was as a triple, and the power curve is very similar too...just less power everywhere.
Perfectly said, dyno's are a great tuning tool but we don't race a dyno so the actual number doesn't mean shit.. Glad your getting it sorted out bud!!
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2
I am slowly but surely getting the bike in shape. As you undoubtedly know, it's not one particular thing that makes a bike perform it's best. It's a matter of all of the little tweaks here and there that get it "dialed in". Sometimes that can take awhile, and some trial and error.
On that note, one more small tweak. I adjusted the shifter for a more positive upshift. Very easy to adjust with the threaded rod on the shifter linkage.
Before:
After:
It's enough of a change to make a big difference in the ease of upshifts, without impacting downshifting or changing to a reverse shift pattern.
Blasting around on the bike, the light comes on so often it looks like Christmas around here!
:rofl_200:
As most know, the oil level light comes on frequently under hard acceleration on a V-Max, due to the switch location. It is even more frequent if you don't run the oil level at the top of the window. As a general principle, for hard riding, I don't run my level that high. It is just more likely to pump oil out of the crankcase, and/or lose hp due to windage. I run it at about the middle on my street and race bikes.
Since I have an oil pressure gauge on the bike now, it is easy to see that there is zero correlation between that light and the oil pressure, or any issue of sucking the pickup dry. Honestly, I really don't see a purpose for this light on my bike anymore....so I took the bulb out!
I finally got around to changing the oil, and replacing it with Alisyn.
We use Alisyn in our street and race bikes, and have had great success with it. I also use the Petron Plus additive, which Brock's Performance also carries. Brock swears by the Petron, having used it in his street/race bikes for years. That is good enough for me, and the dyno results speak for themselves. Like many, I was a huge skeptic...until I saw it with my own eyes, on our own bikes. I replaced the final drive oil with Alisyn as well.
I normally use <<0 wt Alisyn Synthetic Oil in my Kawasaki's, for street/track usage, as do many of the guys I know who use their sportbikes for street/track duty. Combined with the Petron additive, I have seen 3 hp difference, back-to-back, compared to Amsoil 10/40 Synthetic. When I swapped out my break-in oil on my 14R, we saw 8 hp, back-to-back. When I say back-to-back, I mean just rolling the bike off the dyno and changing the oil right there, then rolling it back on and bringing it up to temp. In the case of the V-Max, I decided to start with a thicker oil (10w30), and monitor pressure as I made the switch to lighter oils for more power. The V-Max has similar bearing type/clearances to modern sportbikes, so I am really just being conservative here. The bikes that I normally use the <<0 wt in have up to near double the hp of the trusty, Gen 1 V-Max.
Btw, I don't want to spark an oil debate, I am just detailing my experiences. I know that some of you are conservative in the oil/additive department, or prefer a thicker oil. As long as you get the oil to temp every time (easily 15 minutes of riding), it is fine. But basically, if you have thicker oil than you need, and/or more pressure than you need, you are losing hp, at minimum. That is because it takes work for the engine to pump the oil, and the pressure is measuring resistance to flow. There are also other, wear-related issues that too thick of an oil can cause...especially if you beat on the engine when it is cold. As an example of this, the world's fastest Hayabusa, at 311 mph, actually switched to a thinner oil, 0w20, when analysis showed that thicker oil, which was not reaching full temp, was causing damage to the engines. Here is more on Bill Warner's 311 mph machine:
http://www.brocksperformance.com/brocknm/templates/default.aspx?a=231&template=print-article.htm
You will see one of the vids on the page was taken by Warp12 Racing. That's us! We were there racing and watching Bill's historic accomplishment. We all held our breath as he disappeared into the distance, trying to become the first to exceed 300 mph on a non-streamliner motorcycle.
Back to the oil, most of you have probably seen this, but if not, it is a good read:
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/motor-oil-101/
I typically get my oil and Petron additive from Brock's Performance:
https://www.brocksperformance.com/Oils-Chemicals+C77.aspx
They have a variety of Alisyn oils, for those who prefer thicker oils, have modified engines, or perhaps have extreme climate conditions.
I actually ordered the oil for the final drive directly from Alisyn:
http://www.alisyn.com
Anyway, whew, a lot of explanation for a simple oil change. But, oil is a touchy subject, and I wanted to clarify my reasoning. At the end of the day, there are a lot of decent oils out there, but this is what we use.
We use Alisyn in our street and race bikes, and have had great success with it. I also use the Petron Plus additive, which Brock's Performance also carries. Brock swears by the Petron, having used it in his street/race bikes for years. That is good enough for me, and the dyno results speak for themselves. Like many, I was a huge skeptic...until I saw it with my own eyes, on our own bikes. I replaced the final drive oil with Alisyn as well.
I normally use <<0 wt Alisyn Synthetic Oil in my Kawasaki's, for street/track usage, as do many of the guys I know who use their sportbikes for street/track duty. Combined with the Petron additive, I have seen 3 hp difference, back-to-back, compared to Amsoil 10/40 Synthetic. When I swapped out my break-in oil on my 14R, we saw 8 hp, back-to-back. When I say back-to-back, I mean just rolling the bike off the dyno and changing the oil right there, then rolling it back on and bringing it up to temp. In the case of the V-Max, I decided to start with a thicker oil (10w30), and monitor pressure as I made the switch to lighter oils for more power. The V-Max has similar bearing type/clearances to modern sportbikes, so I am really just being conservative here. The bikes that I normally use the <<0 wt in have up to near double the hp of the trusty, Gen 1 V-Max.
Btw, I don't want to spark an oil debate, I am just detailing my experiences. I know that some of you are conservative in the oil/additive department, or prefer a thicker oil. As long as you get the oil to temp every time (easily 15 minutes of riding), it is fine. But basically, if you have thicker oil than you need, and/or more pressure than you need, you are losing hp, at minimum. That is because it takes work for the engine to pump the oil, and the pressure is measuring resistance to flow. There are also other, wear-related issues that too thick of an oil can cause...especially if you beat on the engine when it is cold. As an example of this, the world's fastest Hayabusa, at 311 mph, actually switched to a thinner oil, 0w20, when analysis showed that thicker oil, which was not reaching full temp, was causing damage to the engines. Here is more on Bill Warner's 311 mph machine:
http://www.brocksperformance.com/brocknm/templates/default.aspx?a=231&template=print-article.htm
You will see one of the vids on the page was taken by Warp12 Racing. That's us! We were there racing and watching Bill's historic accomplishment. We all held our breath as he disappeared into the distance, trying to become the first to exceed 300 mph on a non-streamliner motorcycle.
Back to the oil, most of you have probably seen this, but if not, it is a good read:
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/motor-oil-101/
I typically get my oil and Petron additive from Brock's Performance:
https://www.brocksperformance.com/Oils-Chemicals+C77.aspx
They have a variety of Alisyn oils, for those who prefer thicker oils, have modified engines, or perhaps have extreme climate conditions.
I actually ordered the oil for the final drive directly from Alisyn:
http://www.alisyn.com
Anyway, whew, a lot of explanation for a simple oil change. But, oil is a touchy subject, and I wanted to clarify my reasoning. At the end of the day, there are a lot of decent oils out there, but this is what we use.
Thanks for the info. My oil light used to come on A LOT!!!! now if just flickers after going to progressive springs. Since the progressive springs are thicker than the stock springs...I wonder what the weight difference is?
They might be a little heavier, but at least the weight is in a "good" place to help with wheelies.
Look at this front fender that came off of Racheal's turbo Hayabusa:
The prior owner drag raced it, and added ballast to the front fender that made it weigh 10 lbs! It was worth it, though, as the bike went some 8.80's @ 165 mph in the 1/4 mile....on the stock wheelbase.
h yeah:Dr.n2o
Well-Known Member
I agree with you on the "thick" oil theory. I run 10w-40 in the max for the last 20,000 miles and no probs here. Firm believer in oil being where it needs to be at all temps due to engine tolerances. Again, not an oil thread but can't stress the importance. Seen more cooked main bearings from heavy weight oil than I can count.
Perspective is a wonderful thing:
Shinko Tourmaster 150/90-V15 17.8 lbs
Conti Race Attack 240/40-ZR18 15.3 lbs
We just got the Conti today, it's for Racheal's street ZX-14. I thought it was an interesting comparison of tire technology.
Shinko Tourmaster 150/90-V15 17.8 lbs
Conti Race Attack 240/40-ZR18 15.3 lbs
We just got the Conti today, it's for Racheal's street ZX-14. I thought it was an interesting comparison of tire technology.
