How long will V-MAX motor go?

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SITORR

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I bought a 2000 v-max with 10,000. miles on it. I was just wondering what the average mileage would be on a v-max before the motor starts to have issues. I know a lot has to do with maintenance regular oil changes ect. Let's say with an oil change every 3,000 tune up once a year (by a good mech.) no hard or abusive riding. How many miles will the average bone stock motor go for. And when can I expect to start having clutch, water pump, electrical issues.
 
expect to have to change battery also valve adjustment at 16K, clutch problems depend on your use/abuse, mine has 30K of severe surface street riding and the clutch is still good with no slipping, make sure you flush the radiator and put Toyota factory red anti-freeze, I hear that putting the green stuff cars use will cause water pump to fail.
also flush brake and clutch fluids every year or so.
I expect at least 130k before any major engine repair that requires splitting the case.I believe in preventative maintenance.
many ventures have 200k on them and still running, also BMWs can go for 300k without major brake downs.
the thing that creates problems is parking the bike for extended periods with out proper preparation, to me this is no problem because I use the bike all year round in California,
IMHO, keeping the bike bone stock will keep it dependable and will last you as long as you want.
On the other hand I hear of bikes that have 16k and need engine work,
like anything mechanical if you abuse the bike it will require$$$$ in repairs.



SITORR said:
I bought a 2000 v-max with 10,000. miles on it. I was just wondering what the average mileage would be on a v-max before the motor starts to have issues. I know a lot has to do with maintenance regular oil changes ect. Let's say with an oil change every 3,000 tune up once a year (by a good mech.) no hard or abusive riding. How many miles will the average bone stock motor go for. And when can I expect to start having clutch, water pump, electrical issues.
________
Honda Ballade specifications
 
Last edited:
I have 29K on my 85 and it runs like a swiss watch.

I just bought it 2 months ago but my co-worker who owned it before me had it for 3 years and 10K miles with no issues.
 
I know several that have 60k plus that run fine...They will consume oil by then and the valve train will be noisy...
I've got 23k on mine and if it lives to 50k I'll be happy 'cause I drive the living crap out of it....

That'll give me a reason to send it to PCW tho':eusa_dance:
 
lets see, lowest mileage we have rebuilt:

157
redone at 1000 (broke crank)

My personal 91 bike needed done before 10,000 and has been done 3 times before 20,000. My 99 needs it at 15k. Niether of them were bought new by me.

However, over 100,000 is not out of the question either. It is all on how you ride it. They will not withstand constant abuse though they do take a lot. The inline engines (sportbikes) will take much mroe abuse before failure.

The closer to stock you leave it the longer it will last (mostly due to how the rider treats the bikes with more power).

Sean Morley
 
SITORR said:
that is what i was hoping to hear. I will look into changing the coolent.
Sitorr, the best thing you can do is go by your Owner's Manual to start with. Prestone Antifreeze will not harm any part of your cooling system. Valve clearances are good for 26K of normal use. DON'T change brake and clutch fluids every year because it's not necessary and can get you in trouble. You've heard the old saying "don't fix it if it ain't broken". Perhaps most important of all is knowing who to believe and who is blowing smoke.
 
hello all, im new to this forum and would like to tell all a secret for engine longevity.........WARM UP THE ENGINE !!!! before you put it in gear . doing this will let the metal componets such as pistons,crank, rods,and cases to expand and reach proper clearances for the shelled bearings of the crank, balence shaft,and rods. the pistons need to expand in their cylinder bores .the cases also need to warm up to let all the internals ,head and valvetrain to stablize . i wait until the temp gauge needle moves off its post, and is right below the screw on the gauge face.this is about 7 minutes.if this is not done and you start cold, you can expect life of the engine reduced 40% so its worth the extra time and have a engine that is happy and willing to do what you want it to, and maintain its longevity.
 
buckridge said:
hello all, im new to this forum and would like to tell all a secret for engine longevity.........WARM UP THE ENGINE !!!! before you put it in gear . doing this will let the metal componets such as pistons,crank, rods,and cases to expand and reach proper clearances for the shelled bearings of the crank, balence shaft,and rods. the pistons need to expand in their cylinder bores .the cases also need to warm up to let all the internals ,head and valvetrain to stablize . i wait until the temp gauge needle moves off its post, and is right below the screw on the gauge face.this is about 7 minutes.if this is not done and you start cold, you can expect life of the engine reduced 40% so its worth the extra time and have a engine that is happy and willing to do what you want it to, and maintain its longevity.

That's true and it applies to almost all motors. My problem, though, is that I can't sit on the VMax for that long, with it running, and not ride it!:angry flame devil:
 
Nothing wrong with starting the Max, let it idle at 1200rpm for a minute or two while getting it out of the garage and then driving it normally down the road at 50-55mph while still cold. This will NOT adversely effect the motor as long as you don't power it up and see what she's got before she's sufficiently warmed up.
 
mikemax04 said:
Nothing wrong with starting the Max, let it idle at 1200rpm for a minute or two while getting it out of the garage and then driving it normally down the road at 50-55mph while still cold. This will NOT adversely effect the motor as long as you don't power it up and see what she's got before she's sufficiently warmed up.

I agree as long as you short shift and keep the rpm's way down. Warming up the engine before asking much of it is a very good idea. not to mention the ""o-ring" issue that may or may not be an issue.
I can tell you from letting my bike completely go through a heat cycle an watching the oil pressure that it takes almost 20 minutes for the oil to get as warm as it's going to get.
 
I just turned 20k on my 02 and it runs as good as the day i bought it. Just had all the fluids flushed / replaced. New tires shortly. I've been using the same AGM battery for 6 years now. No Clutch slippage, bike is all stock and i do not ride hard, but i will let it turn 9k on a regular basis because i just can't resist. I highly recommend the fan switch that turns the fan on at a lower temp and also recommend an oil pressure guage. I run 20/50 full syn motorcycle oil as conventional breaks down in no time, amazing how that little oil pressure guage gives you the complete 411 on your oil condition. Before running full syn, oil pressure would drop to 0 and at high rev would only reach 20lbs or so, but since putting the full syn 20/50 it will reach 60lbs on a regular basis and at idle holds about 4-5 lbs pressure.
 
I clocked my 93 last year - 110k+ by now, I have a heavy fist so her life isn't easy
the biggest job I did was to replace the conrods a couple years ago (small end knocking) but only the regular servicing/upgrading since then

and Sean is right, the more power you squeeze out the more abuse you give back
 
I'm all for some warm up before pounding on them. I use my oil pressure gauge as a guide too. Cold the gauge is almost pegged. I like to take off around 30 psi at idle. My bike ran great with the o-ring bulging. Pressure gauge, oval o-ring kit, HD oil pump kit-Sean. 37k now. Oil and filter at 2k. I'd be happy with 80k.
 
I have to disagree w/"Mikemax," at-least in-part.

Yes, an anti-freeze which is specifically-formulated for aluminum engines is going to be OK. You can always do the "everything Yamaha" method, expensive, but you know it will work, for fluids, parts, maintenance, etc. Many people choose to do their own maintenance, buy oil from their local shop (motorcycle-specific, please, the additives are different compared to a car engine), use quality aftermarket parts for commonly-serviced items, etc. Examples would be a battery or a voltage regulator/rectifier, bulbs, grips, suspension parts, tires, filters, other electrical components (try pricing handlebar switches and you will see why people go to bike dismantlers), brake and clutch master cylinders/levers, brake pads, etc.

Because DOT 3 and 4 are hygroscopic (they absorb water molecules) it is a "good idea" to change hydraulic/brake fluid yearly. Next time you are in a junkyard, open the master cyl of the oldest car you see and tell me what the fluid inside looks-like, it will probably resemble cottage cheese or smegma (look that one up and I bet you try to use it in your next "buddies conversation!"), and it got that way because of not being changed, and from having water in the fluid for a prolonged period of time. Water in the brake fluid will boil from conducted heat from the calipers before the brake fluid will, resulting in a mushy brake lever/pedal and excessive travel, and will also contribute to rust and corrosion in your brake components. If one of those pieces of particulate matter happens to lodge in your smaller "weep hole" in the master cylinder, you will lose lever function, and may have the brake lock-on, not something you want to have happen trying to turn left in front of oncoming traffic!

"if it ain't broke, don't fix it" is advice we all have heard at some point, and if you choose to defer brake maintenance until a part or system fails, "May God help you!," because you are surely going to need it! If nothing-else, working on your bike systems puts you in position to examine your components, and you may find something which needs replacement before the "it's broke!" moment. Would you rather do maintenance in your garage or face waiting by the side of the road trying to shield yourself from the inattentive drivers texting, telephoning, eating, etc. As you waited for road service to evacuate your bike? What about tires, wait until you have a blowout or a flat?

Getting your hands and nose dirty once a month during the riding season checking over your bike is something you need to do to maximize your safety, and checking tires, lights, and brake and clutch function before every use is just a prudent habit to have, "safety first!" Ask any pilot about the pre-flight checkout.

Given periodic maintenance and keeping an eye on things should result in years of motorcycling enjoyment, and when you catch those problems early, that will likely be less-expensive than if you let it/them go until failure. :clapping:



Sitorr, the best thing you can do is go by your Owner's Manual to start with. Prestone Antifreeze will not harm any part of your cooling system. Valve clearances are good for 26K of normal use. DON'T change brake and clutch fluids every year because it's not necessary and can get you in trouble. You've heard the old saying "don't fix it if it ain't broken". Perhaps most important of all is knowing who to believe and who is blowing smoke.
 
50 000 miles on a stock 85 before I rebuilt the gearbox. Still got a bit of life left in her yet!

I warm it up on the road, gently. Too much idle on a cold motor is bad too.
 
My 86 was flirting with70,000 miles. Still ran very strong but 2nd gear was starting to show issues

Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk
 
No way to answer that question. Motor will last a thousand years if you never run it and put it away properly. Too many variables to give someone an answer they could count on. What may be easy usage to one person may be hard use to someone else. My point is, why buy a Max if don't want to make it angry once in a while? Get a Puch moped and change the oil every month and ride only on Sundays during Leap years. It will last forever! Hope the sarcasm is coming through loud and clear. Ride your Max how you want to ride, do reasonable maintenance, save some funds to buy a new one or repair your current one. To hell with a fixation on longevity. Get out and live!
PATMAX
 
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