So I found a max for sale..

[calibretto]

Well I finally found one that seems a good buy, 7700 miles on an '04 that is $6500 obo. has T boost and new turn signals thats it.

Part of me though is a bit discouraged, I've never dealt with a carb'd bike. And this one has 4! Am I going to pay out the back end on maintaining this? I really want a standard bike because the sport position kills me but I didn't want to give up the power of all the older bikes I've had so I looked to Mr. Max to fill that void.

Anything I should know? I mostly want this to piddle around as a daily rider and maybe some light travel on (no more than 6-8 hrs) So I figured a good seat, wind screen, saddle bags and foot rest would do the trick.

Maybe one day beef up the suspension but Im not one for the twisties, or at least, riding them fast.

I guess mostly my worries are the maintenance of the bike if anything. I havent really done much beyond oil changes on these..

 

[4gasem]

Well I finally found one that seems a good buy, 7700 miles on an '04 that is $6500 obo. has T boost and new turn signals thats it.

Part of me though is a bit discouraged, I've never dealt with a carb'd bike. And this one has 4! Am I going to pay out the back end on maintaining this? I really want a standard bike because the sport position kills me but I didn't want to give up the power of all the older bikes I've had so I looked to Mr. Max to fill that void.

Anything I should know? I mostly want this to piddle around as a daily rider and maybe some light travel on (no more than 6-8 hrs) So I figured a good seat, wind screen, saddle bags and foot rest would do the trick.

Maybe one day beef up the suspension but Im not one for the twisties, or at least, riding them fast.

I guess mostly my worries are the maintenance of the bike if anything. I havent really done much beyond oil changes on these..

I have the max and a fuel injected SV too and while I love the fuel injection I must say that the max is great and with a bit of Seafoam every so often it runs great!:thumbs up:

 

[Buster Hymen]

I agree with 4gasem. It is gas sitting in the carbs for a week or more that starts or can start carb issues. Mr Max does not like to sit in the garage but wants to be out on the roads quite frequently!:biglaugh: If it must sit, start adding Seafoam to your tanks of gas. Also if you store it during non riding seasons, you will have to add Stabil to the gas or you will be stripping down the carbs. Other than that, enjoy the bike. Carbs aren't that bad... of course I forgot to mention syncing the carbs....:whistlin:

 

[Lew L]

Syncing the carbs is a 10 min. job with a good tool---- Carbtune II is a great example.
Lew

 

[4gasem]

I agree with 4gasem. It is gas sitting in the carbs for a week or more that starts or can start carb issues. Mr Max does not like to sit in the garage but wants to be out on the roads quite frequently!:biglaugh: If it must sit, start adding Seafoam to your tanks of gas. Also if you store it during non riding seasons, you will have to add Stabil to the gas or you will be stripping down the carbs. Other than that, enjoy the bike. Carbs aren't that bad... of course I forgot to mention syncing the carbs....:whistlin:

Hey b. Seafoam is also an awesome fuel stabilizer. No stabil is needed if you use the foam!

 

[serrow]

I say PULL THE TRIGGER!

I first became interested in the vmax back in college in 96. I was riding an XT225 and never really thought I could manage such a big bike. I'm only 5'3 - and the bike was 10,800 at the time NEW. Well, I went up from the 225 to a vlx600 to 1200xl to this guy. I have a 92 which i probably should have questioned a bit more about but it was cheap.

dont be afraid of the carbs. Even with the problems I am currently having - Its still kind of fun. My next bike will be a RocketIII something sick about that bike that just calls me.

 

[Remeber Me]

That is an OK price. The year doesn't matter that much because they have been making them almost exactly the same since at least '96. I got a '99 in perfect condition with only 8k on it for $4,500 with supertrapp slip ons and case savers. But my area always seems to have a lot of them (SJ, Ca). Best thing to do right away is drop the forks 2". Doing that will quicken up its slow steering and make it nimbler and more neutral handling. And also use just 87 octane gas. It doesn't like premium.

 

[Bill Seward]

Just buy the Max! Trust me on this one.
That's a great price for a low-mileage bike.

The carbs are a non-issue, if you follow the advice in the above posts. I've got well over 100,000 miles on my '85 Max, with very few problems, all of which were charging-system related. The newer bikes have that problem rectified (no pun intended!!) and you should be totally reliable.

Just make sure you have it aimed the first time you pul the trigger!:whistlin:

 

[QuarterHorse]

Syncing the carbs is a 10 min. job with a good tool---- Carbtune II is a great example.
Lew

I spent less than 10 bucks on a tool that works great to sync a carb. Under 10 minutes for me too!