- Warp12's 1989 V-Max Adventure -

[Karmakatt]

This is a great story.

+1
I love a good story

 

[fltinstructor]

That was a great story. My first Vmax also was an 89. Yours is a lot cleaner than the one I bought.

 

[95spfldmax]

Welcome...very nice find on the bike.......you'll find all the info you need for the carbs to clean them up nicely.........

 

[Warp12]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYT_K2AuHZ8

I got it running! I swapped the carbs and airbox. I was a little stumped at first when the fuel pump didn't work...but then I found it was unplugged. Perhaps the prior owner did that before the shipper came. Regardless, it was exciting to hear it start! It had all of the smell and smoke of a bike that hasn't really been ran much. I even took it down the street...and of course I had to launch it a couple of times from a stop. :biglaugh:

It has no v-boost, but seemed to run ok. I am going to change all of the fluids this weekend. The brakes feel like wood; the rear has more power than the front. I am sure it might need a rebuild in that department, but I will start with fluids.

I have some plans for this bike...I LOVE IT!!!

 

[twistedmax]

Very cool! one of mine is an 89.

 

[Warp12]

You can check that the previous owner was a careful dude as he has the front brake hoses going through some wire loops on the blinkers in order not to scrub on the triples or headlight... Also replace those tires as they should be all dried up...
Oh and i loved the story mate... Any help you need let me know...

The rear tire was replaced within the last two years, but the front is old. I am seriously thinking of upgrading the wheels. If I am going to keep the stock ones for a bit, I am going to replace the front tire, for sure.

The prior owner was pretty meticulous about the bike. I mean, just sitting for this amount of time a bike will really decay. There is not much of that. Even the fluids were replaced a couple of years back, but I can tell everything needs a good flushing. I will hook up the vacuum bleeder this weekend and go to town!

 

[Warp12]

+1
I love a good story

I hope this is just the start of the story...I plan to have a lot of fun experiences with this bike! I am going to update this thread regularly and share the journey. There will also likely be a long list of mods coming over the next 6 months!

It was really exciting to ride the bike for the first time. Even though my dad isn't hear to share the experience, he was with me in spirit.

 

[benjamin]

Great story have fun theirs a bunch of knowledge here that are glad to help

 

[njwhit]

Congrats on the new addition (at 2700 miles it really is practically new) and good luck toying with it. This place will help you with any problem you have. It sure has for me !!!

 

[Warp12]

Getting back to the story....

What ever happened to my dad's V-Maxes?? Let me recall the details as best I can.

First, V-Max #1 (Purple) was purchased by trading in a 1985 Ninja 600. The bikes were on sale at Heyser cycles in Laurel, MD. The sale price was $4499! That bike was a real runner, I mean super-strong. When it had about 2300+ miles on it, it started to occasionally jump in 2nd gear. While under warranty my dad traded if off on a 1986 FJ1200 (he already had a 1985 FJ1100 in the garage).

V-Max #2 was (Maroon) bought while he had #1....my dad traded a 1981 XS11 Special for it, with some cash. He got that one from Twiggs Cycle, in Hagerstown, Md. For some reason, #2 never ran as strong as #1. I mean, it was pretty weak. The bike shops investigated everything, but we would not find the missing power. Then it turned out that the bike had a porous engine casting in a hard-to-reach-location..and it weeped oil from the block. I am sure it could have been fixed with epoxy, but my dad was just soured on the whole experience. So, that bike was traded on another FJ1200. Here you can see my dad and I, way back then...he is on the left and that is our little "garage":

The 1986 600 Ninja on the right was the bike that I got my street license on.

I want to say that the last 4 digits of the VIN on the "runner" were 2855. At least 2855 sticks out in my mind for one of those bikes...but that is going back a long, long way. I could easily be mistaken. If anyone has 2855, I'd be interested to know the history of their bike.

So, our V-Max experience from a mechanical standpoint wasn't the best...but the bikes left such an impression on us that we always looked at them in the showroom. My dad came within a whisker of buying an '86....on more than one occasion.

 

[Warp12]

I was going to put the bike on the dyno today, after changing the oil. It was an 80 mile round trip to pick up the oil filters. The oil change took a little longer than expected because the drain bolt and filter housing were safety wired. I also couldn't procure a new o-ring. I think it might be leaking a little, but I will check later when it cools. For now I just put Honda 10/40 dino oil in it. I run Alisyn synthetics in my other bikes, and I will be switching this one over once I get the carbs and such dialed in. I took it out for a test ride, and noticed the clutch was dragging. So, being limited for time, I would not be able to bleed it. That gave me second thoughts about the dyno baseline. Then I noticed it surging at high rpm..the carbs are not just right. So, I cancelled the dyno plans.

But, I did mount up the GoPro and take it for a quick spin. In the vid it did not surge, and ran pretty smoothly. I think that is about what I can expect from a stock bike. I shifted it clutchless, but slow and deliberate. It was as smooth as silk in the shifting department. I have to say that it may not be the fastest...but it sure is fun. I don't want to beat on it too hard right now. As a bonus, the video showed me an issue with the speedo, which I had not noticed before.

Test ride....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iw1Ke1X1Qt4&list=UUfUod7oaxNABB6ftyMN5Hlw&index=1

I am liking the bike more and more. It won't be long before I uncork it with carb and pipe changes. I am on the fence about reinstalling the v-boost. I don't want it to lose any power down low, but I suspect it won't. I imagine throttle response will be better too. I will make a decision on carbs and v-boost by the end of the weekend. :biglaugh:

 

[Traumahawk]

I am liking the bike more and more. It won't be long before I uncork it with carb and pipe changes. I am on the fence about the reinstalling the v-boost. I don't want it to lose any power down low, but I suspect it won't. I imagine throttle response will be better too. I will make a decision on carbs and v-boost by the end of the weekend. :biglaugh:

Believe me....you WANT V-boost hooked back up. You wont loose any horse power...torque...gas mileage (unless you are a certified hooligan). V-boost starts at 6000 rpm...and is like hitting the power band of a 2 stroke. It will quite literally "throw you back in the seat", but it is your bike....so that is just my suggestion.

Eric

 

[gamorg02]

Believe me....you WANT V-boost hooked back up. You wont loose any horse power...torque...gas mileage (unless you are a certified hooligan). V-boost starts at 6000 rpm...and is like hitting the power band of a 2 stroke. It will quite literally "throw you back in the seat", but it is your bike....so that is just my suggestion.

Eric

For stock pipes id agree. But with an aftermarket exhaust, tuned right, vboost always open is a blast.

 

[Warp12]

For stock pipes id agree. But with an aftermarket exhaust, tuned right, vboost always open is a blast.

My only area of concern with the v-boost is 6-8k rpm. When I take the bike to the dragstrip, that area needs to be as strong as possible in order to get the bike moving. No doubt the v-boost is a kick in the pants. On the gen1 ZX-14 there are secondary throttle plates which open around 6k rpm. That is also a strong surge of power, but the bike is actually faster with the plates removed.

Since I have two sets of carbs, I might just make a "race" setup that I swap in for the track. That way I can have the best of both worlds. I expect to do a lot more street riding than racing.

 

[Warp12]

28 miles with my butt in the saddle!

The bike feels great, very snappy in 1st and 2nd gear. People say the handling is terrible on them, but honestly it seems fine to me. Maybe because I had a couple of 600 Radians and other standards. I like the seating position and bar width.

For reference, this is my other streetbike:

I have been over 200 mph, several times, in competition on that bike. It's currently the fastest 14R in the world (but that is sure to change). Believe it or not, so far the V-Max is at least as fun to ride on the streets around town. Maybe I will change my mind later, but the 14R is so fast that you really can't use the power on a regular basis. Plus, as I say, I really like the seating position of the V-Max. While I was out getting the oil filters today, I stumbled upon another classic bike...it looks to be a 1986 Ninja 1000...

I remember when those came out, but I never rode one. I rode the 900, and I owned the 600 and 750 models of the same era. I really like these "classic" machines.

 

[wildweasel_pt]

Your ZX14 is the fastest? What work have you done to it? Sometime ago there was a dude advertising one for a friend on FB group and it had a shitload of extras and turbo fitted.

 

[Warp12]

Your ZX14 is the fastest? What work have you done to it? Sometime ago there was a dude advertising one for a friend on FB group and it had a shitload of extras and turbo fitted.

My bike is the fastest 14R ever officially timed (as I say, sure to change). 212.89 mph with my girlfriend riding it (I went 206.8 at 250+ lbs suited up). It was also the first 14R to ever break 200 mph in official competition:

http://www.brocksperformance.com/brocknm/templates/bpp1.aspx?articleid=316&zoneid=11

http://www.dragbike.com/dbnews/templates/fast1320_z9.aspx?articleid=7801&zoneid=9

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bv1f_H0qaFg

See 19:44 of this vid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63DHrsiQGPk

Here is my build thread for the bike:

http://zx1441r.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=101

I'm sure there is a faster 14R out there somewhere...isn't there always? Remember, we are talking fastest (top speed)...not quickest (dragstrip). 2012 was the first year of the model. Mine makes about 225 std hp at the wheel. Most of the mods are listed in the articles. It has never had the valve cover off, but we did extensive testing with it. It has about 135 dyno pulls on it, testing various things. I have been working with the 14 platform for years now, so I have a good idea of what it takes to get a stock-motored machine to perform.

Nonetheless, it is a street-ridden bike. I think it is interesting to compare the street experience of the two bikes...14R and V-Max, and see that hp and speed isn't everything. :biglaugh:

 

[Warp12]

I found another decent pic of my dads 1985:

The color was "Deep Amethyst". Does anyone know where to get a color match for it? I never saw it with Color-rite. I was wondering if the new 2013 color "Nebulous Purple" was close? Has anyone seen the 2013 in person??

 

[NHVmaxpower]

Shane thats awesome brother!!!! I think the videos are all the proof you need .

 

[Fire-medic]

My fellow- firefighter buddy had an '86 Ninja 1000R in '87 and I bought another firefighter/paramedic's '87 FZR1000 in '88. The Ninja had smoothbores & a Superbike Mike ported head, & a D&D exhaust. It was a lot like a VMax w/a Stage 7, it didn't like partial throttle and was a handful to ride. It had higher-than-stock compression, and the guy kept a couple tins of VP race fuel in the garage. When you followed him in traffic, your eyes would water from the fumes. My FZR had < 3000 miles on it when I got it, and on a run to the FL Keys one fine late spring day, I found-out my FZR was as-fast as his worked-bike. They were pretty-much dead even if you started together by the time you got 'up-there.' Whoever got the jump at the start would keep it until you ran out of road. The way that Ninja 1000R ran w/that D&D reminded me of the way my full-on Dragstar VMax sounds. I still have the FZR1000.

Wow, 200+ mph, I am very content to watch, thank-you very much!:worthy: