Only the initiated know how...
Only the initiated know how to reach the locking fuel cap beneath the rider's seat back.
High Points: Max power, attitude to match.
Low Points: Dated styling, more dated chassis.
First Changes: Beef up the chassis.
Cherney: And then there's your Yamaha V-Max -- a claimed 140 crankshaft horses from the get-go, unchanged in 14 hair-raising years. You gotta wonder what the hell they were thinking back in 1985; in '99 you still have to pretty much strap yourself on the thing to keep from getting bucked off.
It's got attitude, it's got brawn, it's got a tough accent -- it's basically the mutation of an alien slab and a Chevy musclecar on two wheels, with none of the traditional styling cues you might find on, oh...any other vehicle on the planet. Park it in front of a trendy bistro and watch the fashion police react.
You sort of perch on the dark steed, reaching easily to its narrow bar and settling onto the wide pegs. One might assume this is the usual upright seating ergos -- not plush, but no racebike meat rack, either. It's after you nudge the tach past seven thou that the V-Boost kicks in and the heart of the beast really uncoils. You find yourself wishing you had more to grab on to. Remember you're sitting bolt upright on the V-Max. The big heaping gobs of power that issue forth with a snap of the throttle find you straining against the wind to keep your head on your neck.
Although the brakes are respectably...
Although the brakes are respectably strong, current tires offer better braking traction than the V-Max rubber.
After you finally get a grip on the thing, you realize it steers a little heavy. The brakes are serviceable but you'd feel better with triple discs front and back, and maybe even an air bag thrown in for good measure.
I also found the fuel access a bit of a chore -- real James Bond-y. The latch is secreted away behind the shocks, and it pops the rear seat open to reveal the gas cap. If you're not refueling, the seating position is plenty comfy (for around town). And the most important gauge of all, the speedometer, is centered directly in front of your tearing eyes -- right there in the middle of the handlebar.
And if they do find your head snapped off from wind shear, rest assured it'll have a big sloppy grin plastered all over it.
Brasfield: Every time I ride the V-Max, I think that there are 140 reasons to love the V-Max and one reason to question that love. To truly appreciate this bike, you need to get on it and get on the throttle. Once that V-Boost kicks in you'll know the Supreme Being is a biker and She loves beefy V-4s! If this bike doesn't put a smile on your face that threatens to split your helmet in two, then you must be dead. Yep, no doubt about it, horsepower rules -- all 140 of 'em.
By jacking the chassis a bit,...
By jacking the chassis a bit, the shenanigans involved with shaft drive actually increase the sense of power. Although the shaft requires less maintenance than a chain, it eats up a bit more power and adds weight.
And the reason not to like the Max? Styling. Like any cruiser that has been around virtually unchanged for more than 10 years, the appearance could use a little gussying up. Attend a cruiser function on a V-Max, and people willing to ardently defend or condemn the VMX12's looks materialize around it, which always makes for an interesting time. But when blasting through the meat of the power curve, I can't help but think, "No style never goes out of style."
Oh, and Yamaha, a word about the carbon-fiber-look bodywork. Blech! Either produce a limited-edition V-Max with real carbon fiber or give it a paint job. As far as I'm concerned, nothing says "wannabe" more than that fake stuff -- which is an insult for a bike that's got the goods right out of the box.
Evans Brasfield
You can ardently agree with or condemn Brasfield via his website.
Friedman: The V-Max is a fixture on the short list of machines I intend to buy when I hang up my word processor. It is not an ideal musclebike, because of its flawed handling, but it is the definitive two-wheeled hot rod. Nothing out there launches you like Mr. Max. No other motorcycle rolls around with that same dare-ya attitude -- and the ability to back it up.
Some folks from Yamaha will be visiting in the near future to talk about a variety of cruiser-related topics, including power cruisers. This makes me hopeful that the V-Max -- which has been around for 15 seasons with only minor improvements -- may finally get a major upgrade, like a chassis that is as good in corners as the current machine is off the line. But if any new version loses a bit of this machine's kick-in-the-ass, then I'll have to buy this bike, warts and all. I mean, who wants the second-fastest musclebike ever?
Designation: VMX12
Suggested base price: $10,499
Standard colors: Carbon-fiber
Standard warranty: 12 mos., unlimited miles
Recommended service interval: 7500 miles
ENGINE & DRIVETRAIN
Type: Liquid-cooled, 70-degree V-4
Valve arrangement: DOHC, 2 intake valves, 2 exhaust valves; adjusting shims
atop buckets Displacement, bore x stroke: 1198cc, 76 x 66mm
Compression ratio: 10.5:1
Carburetion: 4, 35mm Mikuni CV, V-Boost valve system
Lubrication: Wet sump, 5.0 qt
Minimum fuel grade: 87 octane
Transmission: Wet, multiplate clutch; 5 speeds
Final drive: Shaft, 2.851:1
This is the 2004 V-Max, which...
This is the 2004 V-Max, which is virtually identical to the 1999 model tested here, and not too different from the original model from the 1980s. Its MSRP is $10,899.
CHASSIS
Wet weight: 617 lb
GVWR: 1100 lb
Wheelbase: 62.6 in.
Overall length: 90.6 in.
Rake/trail: 29 degrees / 4.7 in.
Wheels: Cast, 18 x 2.15 front, 15 x 3.50 rear
Front tire: 110/90V19 Bridgestone Excedra tubeless
Rear tire: 150/90V15 Bridgestone Excedra tubeless
Front brake: 2, 4-piston calipers, 11.7-in. discs
Rear brake: Double-action caliper, 11.1-in disc
Front suspension: 43mm stanchions, 5.5 in. travel, adjustable for air pressure
Rear suspension: 2 dampers, 3.9 in. travel, adjustable for spring preload, rebound damping
Fuel capacity: 4.0 gal (.8 gal reserve)
Seat height: 30.1 in.
Handlebar width: 27.7 in.
ELECTRICAL & INSTRUMENTATION
Charging output: 350 watts
Battery: 12v, 16AH
Forward lighting: 5.5-in. headlight, position lights
Taillight: Single bulb
Instruments: Speedometer, odometer, tripmeter, tachometer, coolant-temperature gauge; warning lights for neutral, high beam, turn signals, low fuel, low oil level
PERFORMANCE
Fuel mileage: 26 to 39 mpg, 34.0 mpg average
Average range: 136 miles
RPM at 60 mph, top gear: 3820
200 yard, top-gear acceleration from 50 mph, terminal speed: 91.4 mph
Quarter-mile acceleration: 10.87 sec., 124.0 mph
To see how the V-Max stacked up against other musclebikes in 2002, read this comparison.