Best 1st gen year for reliability and ease of maintence

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Zokambaa

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Western Canuckland A.K.A Calgary A.B
I've driven an old V-max back in the day... couldn't afford it back then.. but now I am thinking of selling my Suzuki Marauder and getting an older V-Max...

I'm not well versed in the Max yet... I looked at some of the lists that cite the changes up to 2001...

so while I know the best year for speed or acceleration is more or less subjective in the North American Market (depending on exhaust mod)... and the bike did not really change much from 85 to the beginning of the 2nd generation, I am really just wondering which year had the most reliable transmission, and which year included changes that may make life a bit easier.

For example my 99 SV650s was a bit cooler looking, slightly lighter but had carbs instead of FI on my 06 and less adjustable suspension, among a few other things that my 2006 has that I prefer.

I had an 83 Maxim which had 2nd gear issues and I know some say this is a bit of an issue on the VMax too... but I'd really like to avoid the annoyance of rebuilding a transmission again.


I'm really hoping to dump my cruiser (Marauder VZ800) and get something with some balls but like to minimize problems as much as I can.
 
They're all pretty much the same, some of the really early ones had 2nd gear issues, '93 mand newer have 3mm bigger forks tubes, you've prolly read about the rest of the changes.

Generally newer is better but it really is all dependent on how the bike was cared for. I've seen '06's that were junk and '86's that were pristine.

I'm not a big fan of ridiculously low miles either....if a bike isn't driven 2 or 3 K a year there's a good chance of issues from storage.

Good luck! :punk:
 
Yeah, I've finally started to see some V-Max bikes coming down in price... it is hard to believe most of the ones I am seeing are over 20 years old (if not older) and pushing at most 30,000km (that is KM not miles)

I would have got one before but they were about 2-3 grand more than I could afford at the time... now.. well I could probably sell my marauder and add a little and get a max...

I do like the Suzuki V-twins.. but.. well.. once you've driven a V-Max it is hard to put it out of your mind... and I am finding I don't nearly drive my Marauder nearly as much as my SV650... mostly because the 650 has about 25-30 hp over the Marauder VZ-800 I have and it makes a big difference... It is a nice bike.. but needs more grunt...

After some dildo crashing their car into my 99 SV a year and a half ago I keep wondering.. are leg forward cruisers really the best thing... I got out of the crash on my 99 with minimal injuries because I was launched over the car... had it been a leg forward cruiser.. well I would have had severe damage to the lower body if not worse...

Perhaps the Max is not the best idea for me as it is hard to keep the acceleration down even on my SV650... ah well it is just tires... no chain on the max makes life easier too

And.. well... the G-force is a bit addictive... sure the Marauder can go 190+km and the V-Max can only go 160-170km to a tank but how often have I driven more than 120km before reaching another gas station?


The only down side for me (other than insurance costs) is the transmission I've seen a lot of the 80's high HP bikes eat 2nd gear... and it is hard to drive a Max like Mrs. Daisy... Perhaps I should look at the 99+ bikes?
 
I think that if you can locate the newest year, has been ridden at least a few thousand miles/ km a year and is in good maintenance that fits your price range will be your best bet.
There are a few updates you'll want to consider such as suspension (especially the forks) and the seat (some find the stock seat ok) and the whole host of cosmetic upgrades that are possible. The forum has a ton of resources that can point you to, help you with or possibly actually help you fix any issues you may have. If you're lucky enough to be a member that hosts a tech day then you can learn a ton too.
 
I think this has been discussed in length here in another thread but I didn't look it up. Concensus was 1996 and newer gets you all the notable upgrades. Of course the newer the bike, the fresher everything probably is like seals, diaphrams etc. Don't be in a hurry, do your research and keep in touch with this forum. You'll do fine. Welcome to the dark side.
 
Yeah, probably.. most I've seen talk about performance and such... not as many for ease of maintenance or fewer issues... like the gear selector change to a more robust design...

It's a yamaha engine... I don't think there will be a lot of problems there... but I've seen more than a couple transmissions go in the Maxim and FJ1100/fj1200 bikes... or the kawasakis if you want to switch brands

I've been waiting 15 years for the chance to get one so I guess I can hold off a little longer...

It was pretty sick the prices these bikes were going for... 5-6 grand for a fairly high mile early 80's model they are now down around 4 which is reasonable if it has fairly low miles and is not beat on too badly...

I always liked the early Intruder/Marauder bikes from Suzuki.. .but I think the beefy V-Max should be in my garage... too bad I don't have Jay Leno's cash or garage space... I can think of a dozen other bikes I'd really like too..


Blaaah too bad I have so little cash right now and my car engine just had to be replaced ($5500 later).... and then there is the fact my dad dented the tank of my Marauder when I let him borrow it... so I've got to fix that before I'll be able to sell it for much.

Arrgggh I could have bought a V-Max for the cost of that car engine




I think this has been discussed in length here in another thread but I didn't look it up. Concensus was 1996 and newer gets you all the notable upgrades. Of course the newer the bike, the fresher everything probably is like seals, diaphrams etc. Don't be in a hurry, do your research and keep in touch with this forum. You'll do fine. Welcome to the dark side.
 
I had a 85 Intruder 750 before I bought my 99 Max. All I can say is there's no going back. Minus the stock seat, the Vmax is a better driving bike. My 750 wandered all over the road it was so light and revved like a b*&%$. At 140kmh, it sounded like the motor was going to explode. The minute I test drove the Vmax I was sold. The powers only there if you want to use it. You can easily drive the bike around 40-80kms/h without having the bars ripped from your hands. Get up over 6000RPM, well thats another story..
I can't see my self going back to an intruder any time soon..
 
Welcome to VMF. I have a 94 that's in really good shape but I do wish I had bought one that had a spin on oil filter, 96 and newer. Oh well, I love the one I have and the filter can be updated.

Good Luck,
 
Yeah, those intruders were ugly on the battery access too.. (one nice thing about the Marauder is I just pull the seat)

I changed my front sprocket from the 15 tooth to the 17 tooth and it made a huge difference on the road... sure I'm not doing burnouts on it.. but it is more than enough... I guess that is a bit harder to do with the shaft drive of the Intruder

They are good for a mid size cruiser but if I had the choice when I got my Marauder... I would have even paid an extra $1500 on the price of my Marauder and got a V-Max instead... regardless of the year... I too was sold on the Max when I took one for a joyride (aka test drive)... that VBost kind of sold me.

I think I might have to start pricing out insurance for a V-Max...


I had a 85 Intruder 750 before I bought my 99 Max. All I can say is there's no going back. Minus the stock seat, the Vmax is a better driving bike. My 750 wandered all over the road it was so light and revved like a b*&%$. At 140kmh, it sounded like the motor was going to explode. The minute I test drove the Vmax I was sold. The powers only there if you want to use it. You can easily drive the bike around 40-80kms/h without having the bars ripped from your hands. Get up over 6000RPM, well thats another story..
I can't see my self going back to an intruder any time soon..
 
If possible, shoot for a '96 or newer. There's enough of these things out there that you shouldn't have much problem finding a more recent one. There was a small transmission update in '02 I believe, but the new revised part is fully compatible with older bikes, I swapped it in on mine after the old style shift segment dropped the pins on me. The ignition changed from analog to digital in the early 90's, with the digital igniter being much more reliable. If you really want to nitpick, the newer 05-up bikes have speedometers that read in tens(10, 20, 30,ect), whereas all older ones read in fives(5, 15, 25, ect), though both go to 160.

"It was pretty sick the prices these bikes were going for... 5-6 grand for a fairly high mile early 80's model they are now down around 4 which is reasonable if it has fairly low miles and is not beat on too badly..."

Anyone asking 4 grand for an 80's with a lot of miles is off their rocker. Most 80's bikes sell for AT MOST around $2500 or so. I paid $4500 last summer for a MINT '97, TONS of extras, and 13k miles.

You can change the "gearing" on the Vmax, like bumping the front sprocket from a 15 to a 17. You can swap in the rear pumpkin from a Venture, it drops about 500RPM at highway speeds, and mine will still easily burnout on demand. Can return 41-42mpg also.
 
There is lots to consider when buying any bike as some stated take you time do not get into a hurry to buy. Less miles can be a problem depends how handy you are I had an overhaul done on mine when I bought it but am not happy with the work so I am doing one myself.
Morley's Muscle is a great place to find parts and Sean the owner is a nice guy who can get you what you need at a good price. :eusa_dance:
You will find this forum is full of all kinds of info good and bad people here have tried almost everything so don't be afraid to ask.
Welcome and enjoy:punk:
 
:confused2: Hey, more important than what year to buy is where has it been. Bikes from Florida and the East Coast can have lots of damage to the Paint, Aluminum and Chrome. All the metal parts can be rusted and in need of repair also. Good Luck, Spurs
 
While that is most certainly true for cars, all that corrosion is largely due to salty/sandy roads in the winter. 99% of bikes never see the street from the first snowflake to the last melt-off, so bikes aren't exposed to the corrosive blast known as "driving" in a NE winter. Outside of overpriced harleys on the want ads, I hardly ever see a rusty bike. My Magna was on coastal Rhode Island for over 20 years of it's life, then in mass, then to me in NY. There was some light rust speckling on the chain guard and handlebars, but nothing more than minor cosmetic issues....which probably wouldn't have happened in the desert, but hardly a deal-breaker issue.
Paint, plastics, and seat were all 100% perfect even after 22 years. I wouldn't worry too much about buying a coastal bike or one from the snowbelt.

Don't rush it. I made that mistake when I bought my semi-auto GS450. I was so excited to get a bike I jumped at the first one I saw for a reasonable price. While I suppose it was a good learner bike, it was boring with a capital B. Slow as hell, it had been crashed and wiggled in turns, and incessantly leaked oil. I seem to remember giving it a once over, but likely in my excitement "ignored" the moist oil pan, non-stock directionals, and that the left peg was different from the right. Was much more careful next go-around when I settled on my Magna.

If you feel like you're "settling" for a bike, or have two options both with problems, don't feel like you have to pick one. Let them go and wait for your "dream bike" to come up. I waited nearly a month for my Vmax to appear on eBay. Recent year, just right mileage, all the mods I wanted already done, and a reasonable price. When that bike comes along, don't delay or waffle about it. Pounce. It strikes your fancy, it probably does for others too. Being wishy washy or having standards TOO high will just lead to endless disappointment when you finally decide to call and it's already sold...made that mistake when I was quad shopping this spring.
 
It depends where you live... around here... and I believe a lot of Canadian cities you will find the prices much higher... even on new vehicles.

for example a subaru WRX up here is at least $10,000 more than one in the USA.

And up here 30,000 KM which is something like 18,600 miles I think... is getting up there in miles for bikes a lot of times...

Actually $4,000 for an average mileage V-Max is almost cheap... I've never seen a normal (non wrecked or beat on/crashed) one under $3500

Check this link for the prices of a lot of vmax within 500km of my city... http://calgary.kijiji.ca/f-vmax-car...sNewDistanceSearchZtrueQQuseLocalAddressZtrue


an average 650/750 Maxim or Maxim-X with decent miles is more likely to be in the $1800-$3000 range but never seen a Max that cheap.



"It was pretty sick the prices these bikes were going for... 5-6 grand for a fairly high mile early 80's model they are now down around 4 which is reasonable if it has fairly low miles and is not beat on too badly..."

Anyone asking 4 grand for an 80's with a lot of miles is off their rocker. Most 80's bikes sell for AT MOST around $2500 or so. I paid $4500 last summer for a MINT '97, TONS of extras, and 13k miles.
.
 
I must say that most of the Florida bikes I saw while living there were in very good to mint condition.

Of course, if the owner actually lives and rides on the beach and parks it in the sun all time, it can be a different story, but most are in town/country, and are garaged or at least parked under car ports most of the time.

I'd buy such a FL bike any day over any that actually goes through a snowy winter yearly.
 
:confused2: Hey, more important than what year to buy is where has it been. Bikes from Florida and the East Coast can have lots of damage to the Paint, Aluminum and Chrome. All the metal parts can be rusted and in need of repair also. Good Luck, Spurs


I beg to differ about the eastcoast bikes. I have now owned 3 vmaxs purchased used and all have been just fine. Its all about how the person takes care of the bike. I keep all mine garaged and under cover. Its never dirty. If I ride it to the beach, its washed off immediately when I get home so the salt/sand dont have time to do any damage. My current is a 2005 I bought last summer with 1030 miles on it, but the aluminum was all cloudy which polished out just fine. As long as you know how to wrench a bike and know what your getting, youll do just fine. The engines are a beast and its hard to damage them.

Just my 2 cents.....
 
Not much to add here. Year doesn't usually bother me as most of the shortcomings for any year can be addressed. The 93 and up had the larger forks and brakes though we can sell you adapters to give the early years far better brakes then the later years. 99 was the first year for the shift segment upgrade though it can be retro installed into any of the earlier years with a simple clutch removal. 90 and up had the better starters and ignition systems. The starters are easy to swap but not very easy to swap the harness/ignition stuff. Still, nothing I would worry too much about.

It may not be practical but we do have 2 bikes we will be selling at some point (no hurry to sell either one). Both a probably higher then you would be looking for (I think) and again shipping might be an issue (though we could ship it to someone right on the boarder area and have you drive there to pick it up).

Here's the 99 -0 $6000 (and up):
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rose-...s#!/album.php?aid=179896&id=282702488678&op=6

Note the current paint and chromed side covers/scoops will not be going with it. I can put some on if you like and we can discuss the prices on it. We will provide a fresh paint job in the color of your choice (we really like the new BASF Candy paints). We can even put stripes (or a single stripe) on it if you want. See pics in the Morleys Muscle paint section (on facebook and on the forum).

We just completed doing a 1300 conversion on the bike and have maybe 500 miles on it now (maybe). Runs/rides great. I attached a spreadsheet showing the 1300 build options. This is the entry level option with optional solid mounts and HD oiling system. We do currently have a custom coil clutch spring conversion with one of our clear clutch covers on it to show off the red chromed conversion. It would be a little extra to keep that or we can put the double d clutch parts in place for no extra.

Nothing special about the wheels/tires at this point. I do have a set of black 2007 wheels I could install or we can get some custom wheels from RC Comp for you. The front forks are 2002 units with Racetech internals and 1" internal lowering kit. Stock shocks out back (though you can go to our website to see what we sell new progressives for). Brand new seat made up by us (only has that limited amount of miles on it and the wife hasn't even got a chance to ride on the rear yet). We installed on of our "superbike" bars that are popular along with the new Driven racing D3 grips we sell.

The chrome grabrail will stay on the bike. Master cylinders I think were from an 05.

It currently has a 4-1 hindle with a cut down Holeshot muffler. The muffler is a bit more restrictive then I would like so it can be changed out. That will help it run stronger (though you can ask the guys in Eureka springs if they thought it was a turd - lol). It also has one of our Muscle Jet kits. As it currently sits I think it could use a slightly larger main but I think with the higher flowing muffler that will help that out.

We could paint the bike all the candy red which would look good with the clutch cover or even a black. BUT, as noted about any color is up to you.

My father in law is considering selling his 85 $6000 (and up):
Pictures of it are also on the muscle site (maroon bike with large mufflers)
As noted on the boards this bike was built for a friend 3 years ago and my father in law ended up with it. We black chromed almost everything on it. The paint is a custom burgundy though it has a nick in it now (not sure if we can touch it up well but we can try). Other then that nick in the tank cover it's almost in perfect condition. Huyabusa brake conversion (6 piston and larger rotors), don't remember if we have progressive springs in those forks. Black coated wheels. 2005 Engine (with the early flywheel and pickup installed) with solid motor mounts. Custom modified exhaust with big high flow mufflers (super deep sounding). I think it was a walker exhaust system before we started with it. One of our Muscle jet kits. Made 125 rwhp (I think actually was 127). Very good condition tires. Progressive 430 shocks 11.5" long. Cut down sidestand. Did I mention a lot of black chrome? Venture rear diff (10% reduction in rpm). Notched, braced, and black coated swingarm. Black painted rear diff. Napolean mirrors. Kuryakyn grips with palm rests. A euro bar we sell (similar to stock but wider for more leverage). Black coated crash bars. And probably more I can't remember. The pictures on facebook do not show the most current seat, shocks, crash bars, or stand but gets you an idea what you are looking at. I charged my buddy $7500 to build this and that did not include any of my labor since it was a friend deal.

Sean
 
New to Yamaha vmax, i am about to buy a 2001. the previous owner states that the clutch has trouble holding pressure. I assume that will be an easy-ish fix. Anyone have this issue before or have any input on if this is a make or break for the bike?
2001, 25 K miles
 
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