How many Vmax'es are there?

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desert_max

desert_max

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A comment Redbone made on the guy's "first Vmax" made me wonder.

I realize that the Vmax certainly isn't the most common bike on the street - that's a lot of the reason to enjoy and be proud of riding one. Of course, we know there are one or two "other" reasons. :D


But he said there aren't many of them out there. I agreed and poked around looking for production numbers.

I couldn't find any.

Does anyone know where to find production info, by year, for Gen I Vmax?

Thanks!

Darrell
 
For the 22 years the Gen 1 was made, I sure don't see many of them out there. Other than VMF get-togethers, I've only seen another Vmax twice on the street in over two years. On the other hand I see millions of HD's that all look exactly the same. Mass-produced individuality....go figure.

But when I talk to people, or they ask me about the Max, it seems like everybody either used to have one, knew someone that had one, and has some fond memory of what a beast it was.

Some years seem to me more popular than others too. There's lots of '85s here, which isn't too surprising. There seems to be a good number of '89s, and a lot of '97s too. Wonder if that corresponds to a spike in sales in those years, or just "luck of the draw" on who happened to register here.
 
Funny, I thought the same about '86, '96, '99 and '05-'07. These have been the most popular years I've seen, other than '85 of course.
 
Well, I'm not sure how attrition figures into it, because folks have always cherished the Vmax - more than most bikes.

But the ravages of time, neglect and other unpleasantness has definitely taken many of them away. The later models will have seen less of this of course, and might appear more plentiful.

Still, it would be nice to know a closer approximation on production numbers.

As a Chevy muscle guy and having restored a few very nice old Chevys, I can say that the General kept and made public detailed production figures.
 
I went looking for production numbers several times and didn't get anything solid except that there were so many left over 86's that no 87's were made. We'd need am in at Yamaha to really find out.
 
I tried to find out from an engineer that works in the atv side of yamaha,he couldnt or wouldnt find out for me.:confused2:.
 
I've always figured on about 1800 - 2000 per year produced for US consumption, but there's nothing to back that up....it's just a guess.

Worldwide annual production?.....no clue whatsoever! :confused2:
 
Well, simple way to get an idea is to look at the vin numbers on some of the 2007's. Any guys with 07's out there want to share the last numbers of your vins??

Sean
 
Funny that Bacchus' thread for 1985s and this sorta tie in. I have number 47XX so that makes for a bunch of 85s. I no longer have my VIN from my 86 I bought new. I was only going to add that it would sicken us if we knew how many Max have fallen into disrepair, parted out, destroyed, stolen and cut up. I know just looking at Craigslist in south Florida that I have seen dozens that are non running and left to rot and being sold as projects or parts bikes. No title is the kiss of death in this state no matter what the age. Can you imagine people like Sean, PCW and Furber and the like that have access/exposure to Max in every condition from basket cases on up? I don't think for a minute that these bikes are being restored. Surely somebody has file folders of titles or bill of sales to Max'i that no longer exist. Sad really. Just like cars, every bike has a story.
 
Interesting. How about the number on the block? I think the last 2000ish one I looked at was in the 20K range so would have expected something in the 30K range on your blocks. Maybe someone from each of the years can chime in.

I'll have to look over what I have in the shop here too.
 
one2dmax said:
Interesting. How about the number on the block? I think the last 2000ish one I looked at was in the 20K range so would have expected something in the 30K range on your blocks. Maybe someone from each of the years can chime in.
Click to expand...

Off the block "-003621" on my '07
 
The number designation started over with each year, the letter designation changed so we can't get a total for all the years this way.:ummm:
 
I thought that too but know for sure they carried over in the mid years for sure.

Sean
 
i don't know how many V-max's are aout there but i am sure that the most of them dont look the same there is something different in every bike., something that all the other bike dont have including h-d have.all other bikes look the same
 
ok this has nothing to do with how many there are, but maybe how many 85's are left. I cannot confirm this but it my be just folk lore too! I recently heard this trivia that in 85' that 50+% of all vmaxes purchased that year , the riders were killed on them! bad subject I know ,but if it is true might make the 85's worth even more!

Gannon
 
88vmx12 said:
ok this has nothing to do with how many there are, but maybe how many 85's are left. I cannot confirm this but it my be just folk lore too! I recently heard this trivia that in 85' that 50+% of all vmaxes purchased that year , the riders were killed on them! bad subject I know ,but if it is true might make the 85's worth even more!

Gannon
Click to expand...


more than likely due to the 'snapping frame' i've heard about, there was a mass reacall or something??

But I do know from a previous read up on vmax history the '85 was the best selling jap bike of that year even knocking the cb750 (think that was the bike) off its mantle!

nobody mentioned '92 :tantrum: anybody else have one?? I haven't even seen another for sale!!!

maybe not so much '92's as the '93 came with a few new parts
 
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