I am on the fence on purchasing a Gen 2 VMAX. I've watched several youtube videos of your average Joe taking them for a demo ride and listening to their reactions. Most seem to agree the power is amazing but the bike feels very heavy and is hard to turn at slow speeds. for the owners who have had a decent amount of seat time on this bike, is this something that you need to get used to or is it something that you just need to deal with.
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twistedmax
Well-Known Member
You get used to it you don't even really notice it until you get back on the first GEN
cliffclaven
Well-Known Member
Yep. First couple of rides I noticed it. Now, even after only 450 miles, it's like riding the worlds biggest sportbike- it handles extremely well for its size.
customizedcreationz
Well-Known Member
The wheel base is very long, 67 inches compared to 57 inches on my ZX14. I believe a gen 1 Vmax is 62 inches long and that feels like a cumbersome bike to me in slow parking lot situations. I imagine with a fat 200-240 rear tire of the Gen 2 doens't help with that feeling either.
But I did ride one and being that it wasn't my bike it I was very careful. But it felt like it handled good under speed.
But I did ride one and being that it wasn't my bike it I was very careful. But it felt like it handled good under speed.
My 09 handles fine its the operator that has the problem..
texas-ss-tornado
Well-Known Member
There's no doubt it feels like a big bike, it is a big bike. But once you get going, it doesn't really translate into anything perceptible, at least not to me anyway. Feels a lot like a first gen until you really hammer on it. Refined POWER! 
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Peacockdawg
Active Member
My '09 stock and my '010 w/240 & Brocks both feel fine to me (5'10" and shrinking, 180 lbs)
Rocky Mountains to Daytona on more than one occasion..... Twisty's, sweepers it leans and comes out roaring. parking lots and no hand glides it is stable.
Don't know what all the fuss is about....only issue is making sure you are pointed where you want to go....... (ps. NASH FLASH and it is even smoother, meaner and badder than before)
Rocky Mountains to Daytona on more than one occasion..... Twisty's, sweepers it leans and comes out roaring. parking lots and no hand glides it is stable.
Don't know what all the fuss is about....only issue is making sure you are pointed where you want to go....... (ps. NASH FLASH and it is even smoother, meaner and badder than before)
Blacklightning
Well-Known Member
I don't own a 2nd. gen., but I have done quite a few miles on several demo rides. To me, it handles very well. I would probably be a bad one to ask because my previous bike was a suzuki boulevard M109 with a 250 tire on the rear. Weighing in at over 700 lbs, anything would handle good compared to it. But, with some practice, I learned to handle the big suzuki just fine in the curves.
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I just got home from buying the 2015 VMAX. I don't really notice the weight of the bike that much at all. But I have to be honest and say that the acceleration of this bike is scary. The first time I cracked the throttle rolling in 2nd at about 40mph the bike shot forward like a missle. I was not expecting that much torque and acceleration. This will take a few days to get used to. What an engine!
:biglaugh: Typical reaction. Welcome to the Gen II club!
Chopcor
Well-Known Member
Yep :biglaugh:! Wait till its broken in, then get it up to about 3K in 1st, and peg the throttle- It'll feel like the clutch slipping, but its just the 200 tire lighting up, and if you bang 2nd at redline, it'll do the same thing all the way through 2nd gear. It's fun, but tough on tires :rofl_200:
Redbone
Well-Known Member
The Gen 2, a great engine with a lot of blurry scenery happening around it!:biglaugh:
Chopcor
Well-Known Member
Oh yeah, it'll blur things in a big hurry, I call it 0-handcuffs in 5 seconds flat :biglaugh:
After demoing a Gen2 it did feel very funny getting back on my Gen1. I just watched the Hyper mods they did a couple of years ago. On on of them they said they dropped the weight over a 100 lbs.. I know my bike went on a diet, due to losing the center stand and new exhaust. But due to my body not running 10+ a week since retireing I have caused that to equal out to what I weighed about 23 years ago...lol. My son keeps telling me I was like a bean pole when I joined.... Oh and I thought it handled very well once going over 2-5 mph, once moving it was great... Just the dead weight stopped was noticable....
i love mine. get the nash flash and the clutch mod. then it will meet the potential the stock bike has in it. my cousin has a stock one and i did the mods on mine. 2nd gear rollons at 30 mph and it jumps to a 2 bike gap in the first second after ya crack the throttle but is somehow more docile at slow speeds and when giving throttle and letting off.
You can say that again!!! compared to my Gen 1's I owned over the years. Now with this 2015is much heavier and harder to turn slow. I found I had to get going and then pull the clutch in and coast while turning the corner. I'm sure I will get use to it but wow it's a heavy beast!!!
Whatever you do do not try to use one of those Dollies to move your bike around your garage until you are use to the weight. It isn't a weight that can't be handled unless you are not expecting what the Vmax is doing. If you are not ready and try to handle it like your did with your Gen 1. If you don't get use to the weight you'll get used to picking it up off the ground, once the weight gets going away from you you can't get it back under control if it is leaning away from you.
Just take it easy, practice and be ready for the weight..The only problems I have had was slow turning and I have to lower the bike so I can get flat footed, tippy toed isn't good enough to handle the weight.
Now with all those warnings I will end by saying you do get use to the weight and it becomes a non issue and it is a beast that you'll know that you are riding one hell of a machine.
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