I don't have too much problem keeping up with the sportbike crowd but I have to work harder at it.
Sean
Sean
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I partially agree, but too much is made of the bike and not the rider. An excellent rider can ride ANY bike fast through the twisties if they know the limits of the bike. I wish I could find this old video of a guy that taught at a track racing school. It showed him lapping the other guys on sportsbikes while he was riding a Goldwing!! with a passenger on the back FACING BACKWARDS! with a camera, taping everyone he was passing! LOL! Classic! :biglaugh:
Rusty McNeil
Well-Known Member
:biglaugh:
I also partially disagree;
A well set up Max is NOT a "frame flexing wobbler" and I'm sorry if your bike is.
A completely well setup Max (like mine:biglaugh
Will hang with the Sportbikes in the twisties all day. I've done it and done it often on the supreme twisties of the Three Sisters (Texas R.R. 335, 336, 337 ) in Texas twice a year now for the last 4 years. We ride with plenty of Sportbikes......
I've hung off the back end of an FZ1 all day long where we were BOTH dragging foot pegs and the sides of our boots for miles.....
The partial part comes in in that while he/they were riding at about 80% of thier comfort level I was probabaly closer to 95% of mine; and after it was over you could look at us and figure out who was more worn out.......If he had been willing or brave enough to push his comfort level as far as I was pushing mine he could have left me.....If we had have swapped bikes and I pushed his bike as hard as I pushed mine and he rode mine as no harder than I rode it I would smoke his ass........ that's the partial part
In stock form the Vmax handles pretty poorly, but don't perpetuate the Myth that' it CAN'T ever handle well 'cause it just ain't true....As good as a sportbike? Probably never due to the weight and geometry, but everything else on the bike can be corrected to the point that a skilled rider is able to totally surprise the holy hell out of the average Sportbiker.....
Rusty
I also partially disagree;
A well set up Max is NOT a "frame flexing wobbler" and I'm sorry if your bike is.
A completely well setup Max (like mine:biglaugh
Will hang with the Sportbikes in the twisties all day. I've done it and done it often on the supreme twisties of the Three Sisters (Texas R.R. 335, 336, 337 ) in Texas twice a year now for the last 4 years. We ride with plenty of Sportbikes......I've hung off the back end of an FZ1 all day long where we were BOTH dragging foot pegs and the sides of our boots for miles.....
The partial part comes in in that while he/they were riding at about 80% of thier comfort level I was probabaly closer to 95% of mine; and after it was over you could look at us and figure out who was more worn out.......If he had been willing or brave enough to push his comfort level as far as I was pushing mine he could have left me.....If we had have swapped bikes and I pushed his bike as hard as I pushed mine and he rode mine as no harder than I rode it I would smoke his ass........ that's the partial part
In stock form the Vmax handles pretty poorly, but don't perpetuate the Myth that' it CAN'T ever handle well 'cause it just ain't true....As good as a sportbike? Probably never due to the weight and geometry, but everything else on the bike can be corrected to the point that a skilled rider is able to totally surprise the holy hell out of the average Sportbiker.....
Rusty
MBreinin
Well-Known Member
This is when we need Tom Ownens to chime in on how he could smoke any bike on the Dragon wth his Max. :biglaugh:
I have ridden my Max pretty hard through some twisty stuff. Mine does feel a little rubbery, but I am used to my Husky, which is like a lazer on the twisties. I have never scraped a peg on the Max, although a friend on a VTX 1800 was wearing his out trying to keep up with me on what I considered a leisurely ride last weekend. Typically, I add 15-20 mph to the posted signs for turns. That is about as far as I am willing to go on the Max. I like taking it to the twisties though, the torque makes it effortless...I generally leave it in 4th for "squirt" capabilities.
Mike
I have ridden my Max pretty hard through some twisty stuff. Mine does feel a little rubbery, but I am used to my Husky, which is like a lazer on the twisties. I have never scraped a peg on the Max, although a friend on a VTX 1800 was wearing his out trying to keep up with me on what I considered a leisurely ride last weekend. Typically, I add 15-20 mph to the posted signs for turns. That is about as far as I am willing to go on the Max. I like taking it to the twisties though, the torque makes it effortless...I generally leave it in 4th for "squirt" capabilities.
Mike
4gasem
Well-Known Member
I've got my Max handling pretty damn well, but I must say I feel MUCH more confident on my SV in the twisties. It was designed for the twisties so it excels at them... My SV and my Max are not stock in any way but the sport bike wins over all. It's MUCH less work to push a 450lb bike through the corners then to push a 550+ bike plus the ergos on the SV are setup much better for it.
Just my .02?
Just my .02?
lankeeyankee
Well-Known Member
:biglaugh:
I also partially disagree;
A well set up Max is NOT a "frame flexing wobbler" and I'm sorry if your bike is.
A completely well setup Max (like mine:biglaugh
I've hung off the back end of an FZ1 all day long where we were BOTH dragging foot pegs and the sides of our boots for miles.....
The partial part comes in in that while he/they were riding at about 80% of thier comfort level I was probabaly closer to 95% of mine; and after it was over you could look at us and figure out who was more worn out.......If he had been willing or brave enough to push his comfort level as far as I was pushing mine he could have left me.....If we had have swapped bikes and I pushed his bike as hard as I pushed mine and he rode mine as no harder than I rode it I would smoke his ass........ that's the partial part
In stock form the Vmax handles pretty poorly, but don't perpetuate the Myth that' it CAN'T ever handle well 'cause it just ain't true....As good as a sportbike? Probably never due to the weight and geometry, but everything else on the bike can be corrected to the point that a skilled rider is able to totally surprise the holy hell out of the average Sportbiker.....
Rusty
The VMAX is a frame flexxing wobbler Yes you can spend money to make it better but it will never run with todays sport bikes on the twisties
You can make a GEO Metro fast also if you dump money in it but will it be competitive with a sports car
Maybe we will see the new vmax out at laguna seca competing with some gsxr 1000 next year :rofl_200:
Why do you all get offended when anyone diminishes the VMAX's handling
I knew this when I bought a VMAX yes I can take turns faster than most cars yes I dont lose sight of buddies that CAN ride sport bikes but I am wore out at the end of the ride muscling this pig around
I guess its all what your used to
Just like the old guys coming off there 1970 Honda 750 and buying a VMAX wow awesome and the V-BOOST what a thrill!! :confused2: Its the fastest thing out here!
Get over it we all love our VMAX's and I would never trade mine for anything else but it doesnt handle very well read magazines and write ups from motorcycle magazines they all say the samething
Why do you think there are so many injures and fatalities with the VMAX its not because its super hyper speed fast its because it has lots of power and poor handling along with poor brakes enough said breath
Frosty72
Well-Known Member
I've never had a problem with the handling at all, BUT, I don't ride it like I stole it either.
Actually there are a LOT more accidents and fatalities on the sportbikes. Too many squids out there that can't even ride a bike that CAN brake and handle. Go to the insurance pool sometime and see what's there. 99% of the bikes there are sportbikes!
The Vmax has ten times the braking power and handling of the dinosaur bikes I grew up riding. The problem with it is riders who don't know their abilities.
Sean
The Vmax has ten times the braking power and handling of the dinosaur bikes I grew up riding. The problem with it is riders who don't know their abilities.
Sean
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That's a total gross over statement. I see more accidents on SS bikes, so is that because they have poor handling along with poor brakes? I don't know why you gloss over rider ability to how a bike performs. You make it sound like you could put anyone on Rossi's bike and they will get the same results as he does.
QuarterHorse
Well-Known Member
Haha this is my last post in this thread. The minute I say the Max can't hang, I'm the one at fault as I'm automatically not a good rider, which I believe to be false. Hanging the front tire on my Max in second gear at 11 o'clock and riding it out, now with forward controls, yeah, I suck at riding. Dragging foot pegs with both standard and forward controls, oh yeah, I'm terrible. Jeeze guys there's no comparison in a 600+ lb tank of a bike to a 380lb bike that's MADE to do corners on it's side.
In short, when I'm dragging pegs around turns and a friends FZR of all things is pulling away from me around on ramps, something isn't adding up to the Max being that capable.
Am I bitter about it, pfft no. I know what the bike is, and it's not meant to handle with the sport bikes.
In short, when I'm dragging pegs around turns and a friends FZR of all things is pulling away from me around on ramps, something isn't adding up to the Max being that capable.
Am I bitter about it, pfft no. I know what the bike is, and it's not meant to handle with the sport bikes.
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I don't know what post you dug that up from.:ummm: Any ways, I agree that with equal riders, the VMax will not be able to keep up. The point of argument was that the VMax can't handle turns. Watching that video, the R6 rider doesn't look like he is really cooking it through the turns, which makes the rider's ability on the VMax even more questionable.
Rusty McNeil
Well-Known Member
Jeez, I didn't mean to start anything, if whoever actually read my posts they'd know that...In essence agreeing with you but with qualifications because I've seen to many Vmax's in the Twisties run all day long at an 80-90% pace with the Sportbikes.....I geuss hearing the all to common "the max handles horribly" refrain from various quarters does that.
The stock Max can be very scary in the corners, and so it does deserve this reputation to some degree.
But think about why most people won't run a Max hard in the twisties? Is it because the tires are slipping out? Usually not.
It's usually from frame flexing in the corners making that sickening undualting thing happen, or front end wobble that aslo scares the shit out of us.
All of these are easily fixable.
Once the handling ills of the max are resolved, which really isn't that hard to do with a great forum like this, then the only limits to it's handling are cornering clearance and "flickability" due to it's weight.
It ceases to be scary and simply becomes a M/C that gently lets you know when it's reached it's limits.
and yes it is much more limited than a 430lb sportbike and always will be, but it doesn't have to be a scary bike to ride like it is in stock form.
I said I PARTIALLY Disagreed......
I just have to disagree with blanket statements that claim the Max can't hang and should just stay out of the corners (i'm not quoting you exactly OK?), my earleir post pretty well made it clear that it takes a lot more effort or someone with bigger balls to run a Max at the same pace as a Sportbike, but when the average 22 year olds squid that's on his first sport bike goes up against someone on a well setup Max that's been rding like that for years and knows what they are doing the guy on the Sportbike is gonna be surprised (not neccesarrily passed)
Or as I said earlier...
"The partial part comes in in that while he/they were riding at about 80% of thier comfort level I was probabaly closer to 95% of mine; and after it was over you could look at us and figure out who was more worn out.......If he had been willing or brave enough to push his comfort level as far as I was pushing mine he could have left me.....If we had have swapped bikes and I pushed his bike as hard as I pushed mine and he rode mine as no harder than I rode it I would smoke his ass........ that's the partial part"
The stock Max can be very scary in the corners, and so it does deserve this reputation to some degree.
But think about why most people won't run a Max hard in the twisties? Is it because the tires are slipping out? Usually not.
It's usually from frame flexing in the corners making that sickening undualting thing happen, or front end wobble that aslo scares the shit out of us.
All of these are easily fixable.
Once the handling ills of the max are resolved, which really isn't that hard to do with a great forum like this, then the only limits to it's handling are cornering clearance and "flickability" due to it's weight.
It ceases to be scary and simply becomes a M/C that gently lets you know when it's reached it's limits.
and yes it is much more limited than a 430lb sportbike and always will be, but it doesn't have to be a scary bike to ride like it is in stock form.
I said I PARTIALLY Disagreed......
I just have to disagree with blanket statements that claim the Max can't hang and should just stay out of the corners (i'm not quoting you exactly OK?), my earleir post pretty well made it clear that it takes a lot more effort or someone with bigger balls to run a Max at the same pace as a Sportbike, but when the average 22 year olds squid that's on his first sport bike goes up against someone on a well setup Max that's been rding like that for years and knows what they are doing the guy on the Sportbike is gonna be surprised (not neccesarrily passed)
Or as I said earlier...
"The partial part comes in in that while he/they were riding at about 80% of thier comfort level I was probabaly closer to 95% of mine; and after it was over you could look at us and figure out who was more worn out.......If he had been willing or brave enough to push his comfort level as far as I was pushing mine he could have left me.....If we had have swapped bikes and I pushed his bike as hard as I pushed mine and he rode mine as no harder than I rode it I would smoke his ass........ that's the partial part"
I did the Dragon when I was 56 years old on a Max. It was stock except for Progressive springs. I got so far in front of the group I was riding with that I had time to stop and take pictures of the "guy and bike stuck in the hill" and still had to wait. I don't think I was in more than 2 gears the whole way. Was not going as fast as I could, just was riding smooth. None of these guys were racers but all were younger. I think the bike does better in slow corners than high speed ones. I only get the weave in high speed sweepers. It is not the best handler I ever had but does ok. Just my experience with the bike.
MBreinin
Well-Known Member
I will say this....the V-Max scares me pretty good at 75% of the speeds I can run on my Supermoto...and the Supermoto is so easy to ride at those speeds, that you barely break a sweat. To get the SM to scare me, I have to come close to running it off of the road (which I have done). Therefore, I keep it under control on the Max. For a "cruiser" or "musclebike", it does handle pretty well. I am sure it can be improved as well. However, for me it is a straight line machine first and foremost.
Mike
Mike
Sarge2155
Member
Hey Jayhawk, I see your from Plano, I am in Arlington and have yet to see another max in the entire year I have owned mine (on the road). Do you guys ride or where are the other Maxes at?
Sarge2155
Member
I can handle the striaght line acceleration, but the curves and twists have me white knuckled very often. I am terrified of the curves. I used to have a big ol 1500 Kaw Mean Streak and boy would she corner. Although she was not Mean she was sweet on the twisties for a big cruiser. Sold it and got the Max as I have alwasy wanted one since day one, but was afraid of them in 85.
Got an 07 still afraid, but I do open her up everytime I ride. The sport bike guys always give me much respect, even though they are much faster than Mr. Max.
Got an 07 still afraid, but I do open her up everytime I ride. The sport bike guys always give me much respect, even though they are much faster than Mr. Max.
I've seen two in the last two years. One at a sports bar (parked) in Plano, the other one over in Wylie. If you find out where everyone hangs out, let me know.
I try and make bike night over in Garland on Thursday nights (at the Sonic Drive Inn), but so far I'm the only VMax there.
Rusty McNeil
Well-Known Member
There's a pretty good sized group of them in the metroplex but some of them are are a bit stand-offish sometimes. They used to show up at our twice yearly rides in Bandera but then wouldn't ride with us because we rode "too fast" or in their minds "too irresponsibly" for them.........What the hell is Bandera for? You can sight see anywhere....Bandera is for riding....Almost everyone of them has an exceptionally nice bike, chain drives, 1500's stretched, fuel injection, n20 etc....some real craftsmanship going on there...I never see then on any of them on the boards tho'....Don't know if they're VMOA either...
I don't know how to get a hold of them but I do know someone who does if your interested
Sarge2155
Member
Humm, they do not sound like my crowd either. My max is plain ol stock with the exception of a few accessories. I would just like to be in the company of like minded Max guys.
2stangs69-91
Well-Known Member
lol then you are doing it wrong. my 06 has stock suspension with Avon venom tires and it handles pretty good. I also know what it is designed for so I do not try to canyon race anybody on a sport bike. I have had kids on there sports bikes amazed at how well the vmax can carve up a tight mountain road. Had a group of BMW riders look at me funny when we ran up on them in the mountains when I was riding with my friend on his buel. It was kind of a disbelief look wish I had a camera lol. To make a Vmax handle you have to be smooth be in the right gear and not be afraid to horse it around some lol. JMO
BTW I ride with a guy on a mean streak all the time he has never left me on the corners.
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