VMAX? (Talk me into/out of it)

glenridgerich_imp

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Please be as specific as possible. I'm seriously considering a new VMAX. Before you comment, I should mention how I like to ride (so you can comment with this context in mind): I like to ride 50-100 miles in good weather, on secondary roads, typically travelling between 35-60 mph. Thanks in advance for your input!
 
Hey, if you can afford one, who are we to say no.

I will say this, however: A friend recently got one, but found it not very comfortable for high speed cruising. He said that the boulevard windscreen Yamaha offers for this bike causes terrible buffeting at highway speeds. So, for your style of riding it may be fine, especially if you don't install or don't want a windscreen.

The VMax caters to a very specific niche market and I personally wouldn't want one as my sole bike...something to think about since a WMax costs almost as much as TWO other bikes.
 
Buy whatever you want.
Make sure you have room to park an additional motorcycle because the VMAX won't be happy with the way you ride it.
 
Overkill, but if it floats your boat, buy it and enjoy it. It's a heavy, powerful, overbearing bike, and not the most adept in the curves compared to other power cruisers. That said, I've never ridden one -- I'm merely relaying what I've read in various road tests.
 
At 35 to 60 MPH, I'm not sure you would get past 2 gear. I googled it and the first thing it says is "Not For The Faint Of Heart". I personally love to go fast, but that bike scares me a little bit. It didn't give the actual horse power, but I think it will be north of 160. The price is $17,999. I would buy a nice bike, (CB1100) and use the rest to buy a used one.
 
I have ridden one and while they will cruise, it will always be begging you to go MUCH faster. Good luck telling that devil NO.
Carguy1959_imp said:
At 35 to 60 MPH, I'm not sure you would get past 2 gear. I googled it and the first thing it says is "Not For The Faint Of Heart". I personally love to go fast, but that bike scares me a little bit. It didn't give the actual horse power, but I think it will be north of 160. The price is $17,999. I would buy a nice bike, (CB1100) and use the rest to buy a used one.
200 HP and despite the weight it absolutely hauls keister. Don't ever let anyone BS you about this bike. It is an animal.
 
I've heard rumors that Yamaha may be using that motor in their new cruiser to be unveiled June 5. Pure speculation though.

I rode the original VMax first year it came out. What a beast then. First bike I ever got tunnel vision on. It accelerated so hard on Vboost that all I could see was a narrow point in front of me, everything else was a blur. Wasn't very comfortable and didn't handle terribly well, but certainly good enough. Gas mileage sucked.

Reading how you ride, imo, you need a CB1100 lol
 
Harley V-Rod
Triumph Rocket III Roadster
Yamaha VMAX
Suzuki M109R
Ducati Diavel
etc...

The question isn't why not, it's "Why?"

I've lusted after every one of those bikes but in the end I couldn't come up with a reason to have them over other bikes except "It looks bada**," and "It will go stupid fast."

Those two reasons weren't enough to persuade me to pick one over a more practical and purposefull bike.
 
"I want to buy a war surplus tank, can you think of any reason not to get it? I'll be using it mainly for squirrel hunting...". :D

Not the ideal tool for your stated purpose. Riding a slow bike fast is more fun than riding a fast bike slow - a quote that would apply in spades in this case.

You may still want the VMAX and there may be better reasons for getting one; but if your main riding is the back road at "slower" speeds then another bike (say a 250-300cc standard or dual sport) is in order. Save the VMAX for those coffee house runs on Sunday morning.
 
I think the Vmax is cool, neat looking, but honestly I had a ZX12R, and while it was really fun to crack it open on the freeway, I really didn't get to use the power that much. It literally went like 70 mph in first gear. If you were dumb enough to keep the accelerator wide open and it in the power band, it would hit 140 mph in just a couple seconds more. I never saw the "top end" of the speed range, because I am too old for that cuss now, but I can tell you at 160+ nothing was slowing down, at all, and there was plenty more engine and gears to go.

Anyway, I got rid of bike because there simply wasn't enough road in 90% of my riding to take advantage of the power. I am mostly in the city, with occasional weekend trips. The position was comfy for a sport bike, but not great in general, the suspension beat the snot out of me, the gas mileage was terrible, and the bike was harsh and hard to live with in the city. Plus, ever ride a peaky bike with a 200mm rear tire in the rain? Or be out in wet leaves with a bike like that? Yes, it was fun as heck on the weekend trips to the mountains, but not the rest of the time. Honestly, I came to the conclusion that there is too much power, and the 12R has too much of it. I do not regret owning it, but I am much happier with my CB1100. It's better for what I do in almost every respect.

The Vmax has 20hp more than the ZX12R, and I think a great many people might find it's a little too extreme for everyday use. IMHO, it's more of a bike to rent for a few days than buy.
 
I sold my GSX S1000F with a PCV because 150 HP at the wheel on a 480 lb bike was going to get me in serious trouble. It was WAY too much for street use.
 
Since my second bike is a B-King, I am not the best person to dissuade you. But I love both the CB and the King. Each very unique and each has a very different character. I say you only live once.......
 
For your kind of riding a Harley Fat Boy would be better - and cost a tick less - than the V-Max. You might even save enough money to buy one of those nifty leather vests and attract all the tattooed, saggy-boobed women you want!
 
There is a VMax rally at the hotel next door to our CB rally. VMaxes galore.
 
Ferret....you of ALL people know that you can't make a post like that with this crowd and NOT post a pic or two. One more breach of forum etiquette of this nature and I'm afraid you'll have to ride a KLR for..oh..I don't know..say a MONTH...
 
Frulk_imp said:
Ferret....you of ALL people know that you can't make a post like that with this crowd and NOT post a pic or two. One more breach of forum etiquette of this nature and I'm afraid you'll have to ride a KLR for..oh..I don't know..say a MONTH...

Lol I didnt take any pics of the Vmax's. THere is also a Mustang Rally here this weekend, and some sweet 5.0 liter fast back mustangs pulling in. We also talked to a guy on the PigTrail yesterday that has a fancy Z06 Corvette lr something, and I about had a heart attack to find out it cost $94,000 dollars. Gads. DId sound good when he blasted off up the road lol
 
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