VMax info?

[ital916]

whats an old school vmax like to ride? Which years came with the vboost. Did it make a big difference? Bulletproof motors or were they made from paper?

I tried searching but seems that the old school vmaxs dont have much reviews on kb about em.

Saw one hauling ass down the road the other day so got curious. A customer at work had a 09 vmax, had a sit on it. Big bike but not too heavy. Extremely quiet though. Almost couldnt tell it was running.

[jim.cox]

whats an old school vmax like to ride?

Floppy, soggy and wobbly in the corners

Go ok in a straight line

[Morcs]

Ive been seriously considering going down to red baron to take their 1996 with 17000kms vmax 1200 for a spin round the block.

The 09s are meant to be a whole new machine of awesome, but the old ones got good reviews too.

[vifferman]

Motors are great, handling not so great.

[ital916]

official engine output is 140 hp (optimistic me thinks - that figure is from bikez.com) at the rear wheel and 115 nm of torks. Thats a fair bit. :yes:. As far cruisers go, they look and sound rowdy. Kinda like a pitbull or steroids.

[Morcs]

official engine output is 140 hp (optimistic me thinks - that figure is from bikez.com) at the rear wheel and 115 nm of torks. Thats a fair bit. :yes:. As far cruisers go, they look and sound rowdy. Kinda like a pitbull or steroids.

Go test one. Apparently they handle good for a cruiser once the brakes are beefed up, and the front end is stiffened.

[AllanB]

Old ones - consider them a 20 year old bike regardless of the manufacture year as there were sweet f-a changes during their run. Accept they have cruiser type handling & brakes to suit that period and you'll be fine.

You'd want one with the V-boost, otherwise what's the point?

[MSTRS]

Who was the tall, skinny Canadian (teehee)? He had one.

[Warr]

Who was the tall, skinny Canadian (teehee)? He had one.
That be Waylander (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/member.php?u=2177) He loved his so much he hasnt even got a bike now.
His broke like seems to be the norm. If you want a classic cruiser for novelty value sure.
But if you want reliability mm look somewhere else !!

[doc44]

Go for a post 1993 model for upgraded front brakes (from twin pot to four pot) and thicker front forks (from 40mm to 43mm). The post 93 models do handle better than the earlier models. Apart from the change in 93 they are pretty much all the same.

If you want a v-boost model (and why would you want anything else??? no v-boost = not the real thing) you want to avoid Japanese domestic market models (frame numbers 3UF) and go for US or Canadian spec bikes which will be full power.

All the figures say the max has about 145 bhp but at the rear wheel it is supposed to be more like 110-120 bhp.

I think they go darn well for a cruiser, but a sport bike they are not. They go around corners ok but go better in straight lines. The handling issues can be sorted, but if ridden within their limits they are great bikes.

[portokiwi]

:banana: That has allways been my dream bike:banana:

[jedi]

I've got 2 a 1990 and this one 1988 (pictured). They can be made to handle and brake well with a few mods (all years). It will never handle like a true sports bike but just consider it a muscle bike.
The non V-boost models can be easily modified to perform just the same and would be quite good buying seeing as most folks think they are inferior.
Parts are plentiful and if looked after they are solid bikes.
This one's on the road in a couple of weeks.

[gunrunner]

Not to mention 0 -100 just pure acceleration . Going on 25 years and still going strong . The Legend lives on .

[doc44]

Jedi,
Pretty special looking max there, what kind of wheels and forks are on it?

[EJK]

I've got 2 a 1990 and this one 1988 (pictured). They can be made to handle and brake well with a few mods (all years). It will never handle like a true sports bike but just consider it a muscle bike.
The non V-boost models can be easily modified to perform just the same and would be quite good buying seeing as most folks think they are inferior.
Parts are plentiful and if looked after they are solid bikes.
This one's on the road in a couple of weeks.

The coolest Vmax. End of story.

:niceone:

[jedi]

Jedi,
Pretty special looking max there, what kind of wheels and forks are on it?

Aftermarket Harley wheels and forks.

[ital916]

This is from my thread on the test ride of the vmax, it definately was interesting, has a raw charm about it.

"Well, I test rode the vmax today at red baron. The only thing that comes to mind is "AHHHHHHHHHHHHH".

Rocked up at nine am, as soon as they opened and went, I wanna ride THAT *pointing to the pitbull of a bike sitting on the floor". Cosmetically it was average but it was a low mileage motor that had been fully serviced.

Anyway, John wheels it oustide (hes a good dude by the way, very helpful and friendly) and fires her up. Then he says something. I go,

"WHAT I CANT HEAR YOU, THE SUPERTRAPP EXHAUSTS OBVIOUSLY WORK, HUH, MY EARS ARE BLEEDING, THAT AINT GOOD" . It was loud, obnoxious and oh so sweet.

So I gear up and and I click it into first and gently take off down the road. First thing you notice is it is wide. Painfully wide, well for me anyway and would probably be much better with forward controls than mid ones.

Gear changes are pretty agricultural and not very smooth. Huge clunks are required to get it into second, but the NOISE...oh so good. 1200cc of angry V4.

Well I pootle through town and proceed to scare children, infuriate parents and wet the pants of most females (the ones that didnt get wet were obviously dykes) and then head onto the motorway.

Here is where there is a problem. The bloody thing doesnt like turning. It complains and wobbles and frets. Now it is most likely just me as it was the first time riding it but still, it was a grumpy beast in the handling department. The engine though was oh so good, it was powerful and relatively smooth. I found it a shame it was mated to a clunky gearbox. Oh and I was told it was the vboost model. I didnt believe it. Then I went on the motorway, second gear, cracked it above 6 grand and WHAM. I got a swift kick up the arse from what felt like a the boot of a biker god. Yeah ok, so it pulls pretty well in a straight line .

Anyway, cruise along going for a ride and then eventually head back to RB.

Now here is the funny thing. It was loud, obnoxious, bad on fuel, uncomfortable as fuck, cosmetically average, clunky gearbox, erratic boost delievery (well eratic fuel enrichening) and plain antisocial.

However whilst I would never be able to live with one, there was a certain rebellious and dare I say it undeniable charm to the bloody thing. It would be suicidal to ride in the wet, the handling was like a drunk fat chick on roller skates but it did pull harder than richard simmons.

When it sat there idling....it really did feel like it wanted to kill me. I liked it.

Moral of the story. Ride the vmax. It's an experience. "