Opinions on a Yamaha VMax

People,

Anyone had / have one of these ?

Is it any good ?

Will it kill my mate as his first bike past a DAS ?

Cheers,

Bryan

 

That's a shame - he's a good bloke.

 

In the hands of an experienced rider, yes.

Yes.
--

Paul.
CBR1100XX SuperBlackbird
BOTAFOT #4
BOTAFOF #30
MRO #24
OMF #15
UKRMMA #30
Buy this house: http://personales.ya.com/wibbleypants/main.htm
This will be ready soon:
http://personales.ya.com/wibbleypants/bb_in_andalucia_spain.htm

 

Just not a very smart one?

 

Brilliant.... but

Only if he's not familiar with a bike that hinges in the middle. They're not
known for their cornering abilities. Get rid of the rubber mounted motor
system and "go solid" and things improve, but it's probably not the best
first big bike.


--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

He's not if he's already bought it, but he is if he gets some information
and then decides not to.


--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

Smart enough - he's common sense impaired though sometimes.

 

Takes a big determined bloke to get the best out of one. One got under
50 seconds at Wiscombe Park and under 40 at Gurston Down in 2003. Rather
him than me.
--

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| Gilera GFR Moto Morini 2C/375 |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+

 

I had a friend's on loan for three months, when I was between
crash^H^H^H^H^Hbikes. A full power one, natch.

Mine too - still is, as it happens. I think they look good,
especially in black and chrome. Low seat height, dead comfy, go like
****** ... in a straight line. Well, even that's not right - they go
like **** pulling a bit to the left (or was it the right?).

You're not wrong. As Bear says, on a sportsbike, even a silly one,
he'd have a chance. Sportsbikes handle well, stop well and generally
can out-perform their owners.

A V-Max, otoh, just goes like ****. It wallows like a bastard and
flexes like a whore. It will *not* go round corners unless you submit
a polite request in writing at least a minute before a turn is
required - and if it gets round the corner and you give it one, it
sort of coils up and then howls forward/sideways, sort of diagonally
as it uncoils.

When the V-Boost kicks in, the horizon fairly leaps towards you, as
does the next corner - and the brakes are invariably shit. I mean
they're /sheeeeeit/. Owners swap discs, pads, hoses, but the only
thing that really works is the fitment of an R1 front end - but the
trail is so huge that even that won't help the beast to corner, but at
least the blue-spot brakes will slow it down a bit before hedging.


To be frank, I can't think of a more unsuitable bike for a newbie.
They bite like a bastard, on the throttle, on the brakes and
particularly in the handling department. Quick way to become a part
of the scenery, imho.

 

I rode one 20 years ago and I still remember it as one of the most
effing loopey bikes I've ever encountered.

Incredible acceleration - it's impressive, even today - and brakes and
handling that were crap then.

Others have said their pieces, so I'll just echo every word. Wonderful
bike in its way, but for a nice? No way.

 

I'm commuting 60 miles a day on one at the moment.
Bloody good fun but as others have said the brakes are crap , as is fuel
consumption , as is the tank range. Its basically a comedy motorcycle being
an engine with a wheel at each end .
Mine is fitted with amusing exhausts as well - watching the 2 lines of cars
part like the red sea as you filter up the middle makes the whole thing
worth while though.
Go here if you wish discuss things with other lunatics:
http://p201.ezboard.com/bvmaxchat

Steve

 

My mate Al had one:

http://groups.google.co.uk/group/uk...34c661e5d53?q=dalziel&rnum=1#d0bd134c661e5d53

 

Ok, so the general consensus is that that's a bad idea. Does anyone
have a sensible alternative suggestion ?

Requirements would be -

Cruiser style
min 500cc
decent one available for <5k
not too ancient e.g. say max 5 yrs old

It's going to need a decent turn of speed too, he's like that.

I've got no idea at all on a decent cruiser-style bike. If he'd
wanted a sports bike then I'd still have no idea - but at least I'd
have a suggestion to make and one he could try.

Thanks for all the helpful responses so far.

 

A pal of mine is nearly finished building a much modified V-Max, with solid
mounts for the motor, a 300mm back tyre, slightly lengthened swingarm and
drive shaft (to allow for two U/J's) and a Magna supercharger.

Brakes are twin four pot Brembo's, so the stopping issues won't be so bad,
but I still reckon it'll be a twat when it comes to cornering. Another case
of "rather him than me"


--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

wrote

600 Shadow or the Drifter.

Nothing decent been made in the shape of a cruiser since Honda changed
the old Shadow range 20 odd years ago and ruined it.

 

Bugger!

Valkyrie!

 

My Speed Triple riding pal has a brother who thinks he's the latest biking
god. It took him 4 attempts to pass his fucking test mind. Then he rode a
Honda something (400cc) for a week or two before "the bad weather" brought
all riding to a halt, then got an SV 650. He's decided that it's too slow
for him and "doesn't handle", so he's now looking at an R1. His total
mileage on a bike so far? Less than 1000.

I feel Darwin looking his way.


--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

Oh yes.

Not heard of those. Particularly gay?

Yep, they're good.

 

This would be fast relative to, say, a fast car. So not an actually
fast bike, just a bit faster than the current 125 Maurauder.

 

Don't think he knows who Rossi is - he's not a big fan of sportsbikes.

If you're suggesting that a good rider on a slower bike will be faster
than a new rider on a faster bike then I'd agree[1]. I'm pretty sure
that he would too.

Agreed. Trouble being that he's coming from big cars where the only way
to get any fun out of it is to have lots of horses and big engines.
What I really need, I suspect, is to get him out on a sports 600[2] for
an afternoon. I wonder if anywhere would be mad enough to rent him
one..


[1] Providing the route required a bunch of cornering. You can put
anyone you like on an SV650 and a newbie on a gixxer thou should be
able to wax them in a straight line - IMHO.

[2] But not mine, for preference.