To compair the Max to a modern sportbike or any other bike actually is really apples and oranges. It is really just a show off HOTROD and I think it still does this very well even after 20 plus years.
only put maybe 500mi on my vmax and think I want a CBR1000
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Really, the Gen I VMax is dated in every way. It can't possibly be compared to the modern sport bikes.. It's an "Old Muscle Bike" and wore the title for quite for many years before the competition caught up. The one thing you can't take away from The Old Max is Character.
I was on the way home from Kyle's one day and stopped at a light on a main drag South. I didn't see anything special at the light, no one to race. I just wanted to see how my 89 would do when pushed hard and there was no traffic ahead. I rolled through the light in first, probably 10-15 mph and romped second really hard. The back tire broke loose and was doing a good job at burning better as I gave it more throttle.. Not a hint of the front end coming up. As soon as I ran out of RPM, I let things settle down and quickly up-shifted 3rd, 4th, 5th. I'd accomplished what I wanted. I never gave it another thought. At the next light, A car full of young adults pulled up on my left and one of the young ladies leaned out the window and hollered. "That's the Most Awesome Motorcycle Ever". That made my Day....:biglaugh::biglaugh::biglaugh:
Note for you New Guys...My 89's been an ongoing project for many months, since I bought it. This was the first time it ran good enough to do what it was meant to do...
I really like being hard into the throttle and not have the front end off the ground. Most of the new sport bikes will do it all day long, like it or not. The Cops can give me a ticket for whatever but It's not gonna be $1166.00 for a wheelie. Wheelies here in Florida are almost like Murder 1 now.. 3 times and you're Toast...
Wheels off ground - motorcycle $1,166.00
I was on the way home from Kyle's one day and stopped at a light on a main drag South. I didn't see anything special at the light, no one to race. I just wanted to see how my 89 would do when pushed hard and there was no traffic ahead. I rolled through the light in first, probably 10-15 mph and romped second really hard. The back tire broke loose and was doing a good job at burning better as I gave it more throttle.. Not a hint of the front end coming up. As soon as I ran out of RPM, I let things settle down and quickly up-shifted 3rd, 4th, 5th. I'd accomplished what I wanted. I never gave it another thought. At the next light, A car full of young adults pulled up on my left and one of the young ladies leaned out the window and hollered. "That's the Most Awesome Motorcycle Ever". That made my Day....:biglaugh::biglaugh::biglaugh:
Note for you New Guys...My 89's been an ongoing project for many months, since I bought it. This was the first time it ran good enough to do what it was meant to do...
I really like being hard into the throttle and not have the front end off the ground. Most of the new sport bikes will do it all day long, like it or not. The Cops can give me a ticket for whatever but It's not gonna be $1166.00 for a wheelie. Wheelies here in Florida are almost like Murder 1 now.. 3 times and you're Toast...
Wheels off ground - motorcycle $1,166.00
I wonder how much stuff like this is simply prestige? I mean I think speed is relative. It's all about *thrills* right? 200mph is just a number.
I can have (more) fun on a 78 TT500 set up for twisties. It's all relative when it comes to speed. Speed is just a number.
However ..... I *get it*.
Having been a lifelong racer (I'm 50) and biker, owned lots of bikes, even a few Harleys. My 85 FXRS (Harley's idea of a sport cruiser back then) was set up at 700+ pounds wet w/<60hp. Ringing the shit out of that thing coming down the back side of the Jacumba pass (east of San Diego) behind 3 guys on Interceptors was one of the most thrilling rides of my life. 105mph with my wife on back on a HD chasing 3 dudes on Honda sportbikes (1986 or so). When we got to the bottom the 3 Interceptor riders were just getting out of their helmets, settling in. When we pulled in the first thing one of them said was "You guys are on a Harley? WOW!" We got some unexpected kudos from them for ~sorta~ keeping up with them, riding two-up no less. Granted they weren't on the pipe as much as they could have been, and I was at the ragged edge of control just to keep pace. But it was cool to have impressed them to the point that they thought enough of it to tell me so.
But braggery of prowess isn't my point. What I'm saying is that ~that~ ride sticks out in my mind as one of my most gnarly, haulin' ass, "let's see YOU do that!" moments on two wheels. (So was the time I grabbed my dad's throttle at 75mph+ in a 90 degree Daytona corner in Imperial Valley one day on the way home from the Sacramento Mile .. but that's another "yea .. right" story for later!). And ~that ride~ coming down the mountains from Julian with Missi on board chasing those three Interceptors sits deep in my chemo-storage facility. Total THRILLER! My stomach still gets the butterflies when I think of it! Whew!
On a bike that had a power to weight ratio of about 13.63 pounds:1hp. (750:55). And those 85's had a bunch of rubber mounted shit everywhere! The handlebars felt like they would wobble right off the forks, the engine wiggles around, the swingarm was mounted to the wiggly engine, the pegs were mushy, ugh .. it was just a jello-fest. Handled like a wheelbarrow full of wet sand.
So was that the highest performance bike I've owned? No, I've owned other WAY faster bikes (Raced XR750s tt/flattrack, some other stuff too). 87 Fazer 700 that was ~quick~. So it's not like I am easily impressed. That ride on the Harley that day was just one hell of a great thrill. One I'll never forget. Fun factor = 10 bazillion.
Would I buy another one? Naw, not in a day. Heavy-assed toad of a bike, and it was supposedly one of their sportier offerings then. I'm just making a point that one needs to distinguish in one's own head between the appeal of prestige/virtual penis choices vs actual thrills. Tough questions to ask, as both have a lot of value to most riders. You can rationalize things like this all day if you choose too. But in the end, you have to be honest with yourself and ask "what body part" is making this choice for you. It's nothing to be ashamed of, most of us bikers are guilty of allowing our little head to think for us ... uhh... a lot .. at times. I'm jst sayin' that to answer the question you've put out there, you gotta decide which head is gonna answer before you decide.
Not tellin, just sayin'.
On a side note, not sure comparing these things to $100k Vettes is really a fair comparison. Let's keep things in perspective. If I've interpreted what I've learned here in this forum correctly, a 10 second (9?) Vmax can run about $10k or less if you are prudent. I'm not sure you're going to be able to do that with a Vette.
I'm probably all wet on this topic, just thought I'd get some of it on my shoes.
Holeshot ...
I can have (more) fun on a 78 TT500 set up for twisties. It's all relative when it comes to speed. Speed is just a number.
However ..... I *get it*.
Having been a lifelong racer (I'm 50) and biker, owned lots of bikes, even a few Harleys. My 85 FXRS (Harley's idea of a sport cruiser back then) was set up at 700+ pounds wet w/<60hp. Ringing the shit out of that thing coming down the back side of the Jacumba pass (east of San Diego) behind 3 guys on Interceptors was one of the most thrilling rides of my life. 105mph with my wife on back on a HD chasing 3 dudes on Honda sportbikes (1986 or so). When we got to the bottom the 3 Interceptor riders were just getting out of their helmets, settling in. When we pulled in the first thing one of them said was "You guys are on a Harley? WOW!" We got some unexpected kudos from them for ~sorta~ keeping up with them, riding two-up no less. Granted they weren't on the pipe as much as they could have been, and I was at the ragged edge of control just to keep pace. But it was cool to have impressed them to the point that they thought enough of it to tell me so.
But braggery of prowess isn't my point. What I'm saying is that ~that~ ride sticks out in my mind as one of my most gnarly, haulin' ass, "let's see YOU do that!" moments on two wheels. (So was the time I grabbed my dad's throttle at 75mph+ in a 90 degree Daytona corner in Imperial Valley one day on the way home from the Sacramento Mile .. but that's another "yea .. right" story for later!). And ~that ride~ coming down the mountains from Julian with Missi on board chasing those three Interceptors sits deep in my chemo-storage facility. Total THRILLER! My stomach still gets the butterflies when I think of it! Whew!
On a bike that had a power to weight ratio of about 13.63 pounds:1hp. (750:55). And those 85's had a bunch of rubber mounted shit everywhere! The handlebars felt like they would wobble right off the forks, the engine wiggles around, the swingarm was mounted to the wiggly engine, the pegs were mushy, ugh .. it was just a jello-fest. Handled like a wheelbarrow full of wet sand.
So was that the highest performance bike I've owned? No, I've owned other WAY faster bikes (Raced XR750s tt/flattrack, some other stuff too). 87 Fazer 700 that was ~quick~. So it's not like I am easily impressed. That ride on the Harley that day was just one hell of a great thrill. One I'll never forget. Fun factor = 10 bazillion.
Would I buy another one? Naw, not in a day. Heavy-assed toad of a bike, and it was supposedly one of their sportier offerings then. I'm just making a point that one needs to distinguish in one's own head between the appeal of prestige/virtual penis choices vs actual thrills. Tough questions to ask, as both have a lot of value to most riders. You can rationalize things like this all day if you choose too. But in the end, you have to be honest with yourself and ask "what body part" is making this choice for you. It's nothing to be ashamed of, most of us bikers are guilty of allowing our little head to think for us ... uhh... a lot .. at times. I'm jst sayin' that to answer the question you've put out there, you gotta decide which head is gonna answer before you decide.
Not tellin, just sayin'.
On a side note, not sure comparing these things to $100k Vettes is really a fair comparison. Let's keep things in perspective. If I've interpreted what I've learned here in this forum correctly, a 10 second (9?) Vmax can run about $10k or less if you are prudent. I'm not sure you're going to be able to do that with a Vette.
I'm probably all wet on this topic, just thought I'd get some of it on my shoes.
Holeshot ...
TTAmoneypit
Member
I wonder how much stuff like this is simply prestige? I mean I think speed is relative. It's all about *thrills* right? 200mph is just a number.
I can have (more) fun on a 78 TT500 set up for twisties. It's all relative when it comes to speed. Speed is just a number.
However ..... I *get it*.
Having been a lifelong racer (I'm 50) and biker, owned lots of bikes, even a few Harleys. My 85 FXRS (Harley's idea of a sport cruiser back then) was set up at 700+ pounds wet w/<60hp. Ringing the shit out of that thing coming down the back side of the Jacumba pass (east of San Diego) behind 3 guys on Interceptors was one of the most thrilling rides of my life. 105mph with my wife on back on a HD chasing 3 dudes on Honda sportbikes (1986 or so). When we got to the bottom the 3 Interceptor riders were just getting out of their helmets, settling in. When we pulled in the first thing one of them said was "You guys are on a Harley? WOW!" We got some unexpected kudos from them for ~sorta~ keeping up with them, riding two-up no less. Granted they weren't on the pipe as much as they could have been, and I was at the ragged edge of control just to keep pace. But it was cool to have impressed them to the point that they thought enough of it to tell me so.
But braggery of prowess isn't my point. What I'm saying is that ~that~ ride sticks out in my mind as one of my most gnarly, haulin' ass, "let's see YOU do that!" moments on two wheels. (So was the time I grabbed my dad's throttle at 75mph+ in a 90 degree Daytona corner in Imperial Valley one day on the way home from the Sacramento Mile .. but that's another "yea .. right" story for later!). And ~that ride~ coming down the mountains from Julian with Missi on board chasing those three Interceptors sits deep in my chemo-storage facility. Total THRILLER! My stomach still gets the butterflies when I think of it! Whew!
On a bike that had a power to weight ratio of about 13.63 pounds:1hp. (750:55). And those 85's had a bunch of rubber mounted shit everywhere! The handlebars felt like they would wobble right off the forks, the engine wiggles around, the swingarm was mounted to the wiggly engine, the pegs were mushy, ugh .. it was just a jello-fest. Handled like a wheelbarrow full of wet sand.
So was that the highest performance bike I've owned? No, I've owned other WAY faster bikes (Raced XR750s tt/flattrack, some other stuff too). 87 Fazer 700 that was ~quick~. So it's not like I am easily impressed. That ride on the Harley that day was just one hell of a great thrill. One I'll never forget. Fun factor = 10 bazillion.
Would I buy another one? Naw, not in a day. Heavy-assed toad of a bike, and it was supposedly one of their sportier offerings then. I'm just making a point that one needs to distinguish in one's own head between the appeal of prestige/virtual penis choices vs actual thrills. Tough questions to ask, as both have a lot of value to most riders. You can rationalize things like this all day if you choose too. But in the end, you have to be honest with yourself and ask "what body part" is making this choice for you. It's nothing to be ashamed of, most of us bikers are guilty of allowing our little head to think for us ... uhh... a lot .. at times. I'm jst sayin' that to answer the question you've put out there, you gotta decide which head is gonna answer before you decide.
Not tellin, just sayin'.
On a side note, not sure comparing these things to $100k Vettes is really a fair comparison. Let's keep things in perspective. If I've interpreted what I've learned here in this forum correctly, a 10 second (9?) Vmax can run about $10k or less if you are prudent. I'm not sure you're going to be able to do that with a Vette.
I'm probably all wet on this topic, just thought I'd get some of it on my shoes.
Holeshot ...
funny you should mention thinking with the little head LOL thats why i got the Vmax last yr, an old highschool friend rides a little ninja 250 and i was banging her last yr (still married) and getting the Vmax was a great excuse to leave the house from 10 am to around 5pm every saturday and sunday--I did a lot of eh hem RIDING last summer, and for this depressed 3rd shift working miserable bastard it was really the time of my life and might have actually saved my life--I was in a really bad place and thinking of doing something stupid
but anyway that romance is dead because I wasn't making a fast enough move to getting a divorce and she went back to her rich ex boyfriend dam I miss that woman and her skills:bang head:
still a bit depressed and still thinking about divorce, the wife is manly cold hearted doesn't cook or clean and she is OBESE
uke: although she does make dam near triple my salary and I enjoy being with my kids everydaybla bla bla my sob stories
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.. you sound like me .. chronic manic-depressive unsettled in life.'
Bretheren one and all! Geez!
Hang in there bro, nothin's worth doin' *the dumb thing* that crosses the minds of people like us from time to time. Glad you found something to cling too at *that* moment in time. I owe my life to a lifeline like that as well.
Bretheren one and all! Geez!
Hang in there bro, nothin's worth doin' *the dumb thing* that crosses the minds of people like us from time to time. Glad you found something to cling too at *that* moment in time. I owe my life to a lifeline like that as well.
TTAmoneypit
Member
.. you sound like me .. chronic manic-depressive unsettled in life.'
Bretheren one and all! Geez!
Hang in there bro, nothin's worth doin' *the dumb thing* that crosses the minds of people like us from time to time. Glad you found something to cling too at *that* moment in time. I owe my life to a lifeline like that as well.
seriously I think its mostly from working 3rd shift,been on 3rd for about 14 yrs now--never had to pay for babysitters
but over the yrs i just lost my passion for cars and motorcycles all I do is sleep get up and still feel tired as if i didn't even get any sleep, make supper for the kids sit on the computer and then later go back to sleep for a nap then work--which is a boring job juvenile treatment aka juvy jail unfulfilling job ,but it is a state job with good pay and benefits
and the marriage well its like living with a roommate an ugly obese roommate
I did talk to the best divorce lawyer in town and she said I could get about 30-40 thousand pay out for the house and 401K (the wife already said she would keep the house,we casually talk about divorce all the time) and I could get about 700 to 800/month child support and thats with 50/50 custody which she says is almost gaurenteed in PA and maybe a couple hundred extra a month for a couple yrs for spousal support:clapping:
i really don't know why I'm staying maybe its just too easy to ignore things and sleep work sleep work --I know I would not like only seeing my kids every other week
I talked to my neighbor who lives about 75 to 100yds up the road about buying her house which is an old farmhouse with 7acres but its mostly hillside, so if the wife keeps the current house and I buy the neighbors it would be real easy to share the kids--I'm not getting any younger so I should do something soon
by the way the biggest sign that I'm depressed is I have an 89 TTA (turbo trans am) just sitting in the garage and I have no passion or will power to tear into it and fix it, I drove it maybe 10 times and it has rod knock due to too much boost, with everything it has it is capable of 10 second qtr mi times---I should either have my head examined or my ass beat for ignoring that car for the past 6 yrs
alorio1
Well-Known Member
I remember when Terry Vance quit drag racing (Vance & Hines Team) his comment was "201MPH was just too fast on two wheels" thats all I am going to say about you need for speed.......
likembikem
Well-Known Member
I had a '97 Vmax and I just had to have a 2001 Speed Triple. Gas prices went up and the Triumph was not good at 2 up riding, it had no center stand, and the 'sit up straight' riding position did not exist, even with handlebar stand offs. I kept putting pressure on my wrists and arms. Now I have a 2001 Vmax I plan to keep. Center stand, the odd gas fill location, cool kinda weird instrument layout, v boost and the sound. And 2 up friendly and better riding position. Not to mention the Triple had poor instrumention readability
mtlmanalex
New Member
not for me to give advice ... but , the v-max is the only bike i've bought more than once in 35 yrs of riding . i got a new one in '85 in england , and i've had 2 since iv'e been in america . i also have zx14 [ big bore kit & nitrous ] and a ducati , all three bikes are so different . all three make me laugh in my helmet , for different reasons . it depends on what you like [ obvious ] but of the three the max will be the last to go . even after all these years i still remember the impact it had when it was released , i knew i would have to have one . sport bikes are pretty cheap nowdays even a 5-6 year old gsxr is unbelievably capable and good for 300kmh i've been over 200 on my old hayabusa , and more on the zx14 , it's more fun for me blasting the max thru 95 than going that fast . just my 10 cents .
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Ebein_486
Well-Known Member
Seca 650 Turbo was my second bike, loads of fun and the massive boost in power when the turbo kicked in reminds me of Vboost now days.
Personally id keep the max and get a sportbike, though I prefer the Hayabusa, its one of the few I can get my feet down on and, also one of the few that can carry my fat ass.
