The Max's rep

[Jayhawk]

Interesting stuff, or it was to me, anyway.

Took the BRC class this weekend to get official, and of course the question went around the room and each participant was asked what bike they had or wanted. When I mentioned I already had a VMax, a couple of guys at my table made comments like, "OMG, a VMax? That's a lot of bike." (Yeah, I know.) Even the instructor (bless his heart) raised his eyebrows a bit, but didn't say anything.

The odd thing was, a couple of noobs in the class had liter sports bikes, and no one said a word. Zip. I'm a fairly responsible guy with a little grey at the temples and the 'Max is "a lot of bike", yet a relative youngster with a 1000 cc crotch rocket...no big deal. LOL, when I was at the DMV office, a kid on a CBR1000RR rode (?) up to take his road test.

So, here's the question. Do you guys find the VMax still having it's notorious rep, even amongst bikes that might smoke it - even stoplight to stoplight? Where I live, people seem to either have never heard of it (and you Harley guys know who you are), or they get a big smile on their face and comment on how much fun a VMax should be.

 

[maleko89]

Depends. Compared to sportbikes, it's outdated. To cruisers, not bad at all. I think my best investment was racetech springs and emulators.....followed by a wider handlebar. Wheels and brakes are fine as is, although steel lines will "feel" better. IMHO

 

[shawn kloker]

Mark,What about your new exhaust?You have to be getting compliments on the sound.
Around here it is the same,they either think the vmax is really bad or they have never heard of one.Once they hear mine they know it is bad.

 

[firefly]

Its usually guys that know about the max from 85 when it first came out that know and have an appreciation of it, I still get asked is this a new bike? it is definitely different from all other bikes on the road, after 20 years it still looks like it is a new design, the bike looks elegant with less shiny stuff, its lines just flow and are pleasing to look at. also the compactness of the bike is deceiving,people don't think its a 1200cc V4 when compared with a harley look a like v twin.
It is a real keeper bike.
________
Suzuki fr80 specifications

 

[maleko89]

Shawn, overall my Mark's exhaust is my favorite. I enjoy being watched by the Harley crowd. "What the hell is that?"

For Racetech, I was talking handling. I hated the stock springs, major dive!

 

[Waylander]

When I got mine, all my mates said, "holy shit!! you sure you can handle it?"

Well considering two of my mates have now crashed thier GSXR1000 and Yamaha R1 within the time I've had it yet I've had barely a tightening of my sphincter. I think I can lol. And last time we went up the Kaimais, I past my mate on his R1.

 

[Buster Hymen]

Interesting stuff, or it was to me, anyway.

Took the BRC class this weekend to get official, and of course the question went around the room and each participant was asked what bike they had or wanted. When I mentioned I already had a VMax, a couple of guys at my table made comments like, "OMG, a VMax? That's a lot of bike." (Yeah, I know.) Even the instructor (bless his heart) raised his eyebrows a bit, but didn't say anything.

The odd thing was, a couple of noobs in the class had liter sports bikes, and no one said a word. Zip. I'm a fairly responsible guy with a little grey at the temples and the 'Max is "a lot of bike", yet a relative youngster with a 1000 cc crotch rocket...no big deal. LOL, when I was at the DMV office, a kid on a CBR1000RR rode (?) up to take his road test.

So, here's the question. Do you guys find the VMax still having it's notorious rep, even amongst bikes that might smoke it - even stoplight to stoplight? Where I live, people seem to either have never heard of it (and you Harley guys know who you are), or they get a big smile on their face and comment on how much fun a VMax should be.

Most probably remember or heard about its introduction from 1985. It set the motorcycle world upside down. From there the legend just kept going or in some cases "evolved". Most still think it is a 10 second bike from the factory. I also ride with a lot of SS guys that either want one or now have one. I went from a GSXR1000 to a VMax. Most would consider that insane or a step down! In some ways, it is a step down (in handling) , but I looked at the Gixxer as a modern steel rollercoaster and the VMax as an old wooden rollercoaster. The old wood ones don't have any fancy loops, the car is all over the track, creaking and jostling, half the the time you wonder if the coaster is going to make it to the end of the ride! But at the end, you have this stupid ass grin on your face that won't go away.hyeah00: Well, that is the VMax! Raw, undisiplined, with an oversized motor a few inches away from your nuts. It is like having a pet rhino... there are better pets but...meh!:biglaugh:
As for Harley riders, I ride with a few and know some other other Harley owners, and they have all heard of the VMax. Even the hard core Harley guys give the VMax an approving nod as they don't consider it "rice"... maybe it looks like a big twin?:confused2:
And then there is the "other" bunch of people that think the VMax steering is welded in place and couldn't possibly turn:icon_rolleyes:.... but that's for another post...:blahblah2:

 

[Calimus]

Everytime I am asked what I ride I get the "arn't you a little young for a bike that big?" or "how do you control that beast?" or several other versions of those two.

The first I attribute to the fact that I don't look my age. So I can live with it. The rest, meh, I just tell them it takes a rider with the right frame of mind to roll on the Max and that I feel that way about any bike. They all require a different frame of mind.

I certainly always get stares whenever I pull in somewhere though. The Hardley guy's won't throw out a challenge like they do with some of the lower cc rice rockets and those same rice rocket guy's are too young to know what the Max is and so they get their ego's deflated rather often on the lite to lite action.

I definitly enjoy the Max though, it's certainly suited to my style of riding and I just don't see ever wanting to get ride of it. My wife tells me that I ride it as if it were a sport bike in the corners. Which is a far cry from earlier this year when I was hesitant to really play in the corners at all due to all the down low power the Max has.

On October 12th, I will have officially had my Max for 1 year. It's been non-stop fun and I think it's going to stay that way.

 

[Waylander]

Everytime I am asked what I ride I get the "arn't you a little young for a bike that big?" or "how do you control that beast?" or several other versions of those two.

22, beat that lol.

 

[Rusty McNeil]

I've gotten all these comments at one time or another...

"Wow-those are neat bikes; I've always wanted one."

"Man I haven't seen one of those in a while; how long has it been since they quit making it?"

A nod of acknowledgment from the Veteran Harley guys

Usually heard at the timeslip booth from the smaller cc sportbike riders...

"What the hell IS that thing?"


Or my Favorite from the yuppie/newbie Harley guys ..............

"Didn't Yamaha start making that to compete with the V-rod??????"

 

[Heretic]

I often get the, "My friend, co-worker, neighbor, uncle, etc. used to own one and I remember it being the fastest thing in existence." People remember it being the baddest monster on the road and it still carries that old reputation. Many who don't follow motorcycles do not realize that the Vmax is no longer the fastest, most powerful bike out there, but they remember it being that. When they see the VMax, or hear you say VMax, they remember 'that one guy' who bought one in 1985 and did long smoky burnouts and killed everything at the dragstrip and on the street. I like to refer to the V-Max as the Japanese 1970 Chevelle SS LS6 when talking about the bike. Its old school tech with a carburator and bias-plys, and it still carries the sledge hammer punch and classic lines, but can't compare to the 'new performance' machines.

 

[Lordofwyr]

I find that when I park it alone or among other bikes, when I return, there are people gathered 'round pointing, touching and discussing the Max. It may be dated, but it is like a hot redheaded woman or a 55 chevy street rod... deep down.... every man wants one....

When I first got it, a friend wanted to know "Why" I would want to drive a Suicidally Overpowered Death Dealing Torque Monster..... I told him he had just answered his own question.

:rocket bike:

 

[Bill Kratzenberg]

I have a good friend that owns an older low rider.
We always ride to bike nights together, and he can't understand why everyone flocks to check out my max and they don't pay any attention to his Harley. :biglaugh: And the best part is most of these guys are Harley riders themselves. Maybe cause Harley's are a dime a dozen. The clear lenses are always a good conversation topic as well...

 

[82ndCowboy]

I tend to ride with the Harley snobs. They go out of their way not to even look at my Max. Some see it and give kudos for it.
But ehhh... like I care.
I don't ride the Max for them. I ride it for ME. I love it and am totally addicted to it.
Some day maybe some younger guys that ride their VMaxes other than Bike Week and Biketoberfest will come to town and I'll have some buddies that appreciate the Max for what it is.
But until then I'll just have to settle for being the metric outcast!

 

[shawn kloker]

How can you guys stand riding that slow.I can't do it.

 

[UnclePhilthy]

Just yesterday I loaded my lil’ backpack (saddle bags are on the ‘list’) with cleaning agent squirt bottles, a couple towels, and a can of quarters, and headed off a few miles to the west to a wash rack…

I had just finished and was in the drying off mode…when the guy in the next bay comes over, stands there lookin’ and says "My brother had one of those about 5-6 years ago…he sold it…said it was just too ‘over powered’…He’s going down a interstate ramp, getting ready to enter the traffic flow, hit the throttle a little too hard and the front end "just reared up’ on him!"

I just grinned and said "I’ve heard they will sometimes do that….best thing to do is not twist on it too hard, and it’ll behave just fine"…. I stood there for about 5 minutes while he walked all around it, looking and saying it was hard to believe the bike was 8 years old….how well kept it was, and how lucky I am to have found it needing a new home for such a ‘reasonable price’…. "Man, don’t I know it!"

This is my last ever ride, and I feel so fortunate to have picked one, that much like I used to be, comes with a much misunderstood ‘bad reputation’…. We relate to each other real well!

Uncle Philthy

 

[Robbarrie]

I ride allot with two other guys ( on a regular basis ) The one guy rides a big Intruder the other has a HD Nightster. Well, as we do often - stopped in at a nearby java shop for a fill up and a smoke. We were hanging around outside, beside the bikes, having some small talk and thinking about where we were going to ride to next, when these couple of guys came over to check them out.

After a bit of small talk, while checking out the bikes, they started in on a few questions. The one guy says to me, " Oh man is that a Vmax ? Duh - my buddy pipes up and said, " No, it's a Yamaha." I looked over as we both had a chuckle. The other guys says, " My buddy had one of those, man those bikes are fukin fast eh ? " I said yeah, they're pretty quick. He said back to me " Is that last years model ? I said, " No, dude it's a 93' " Holy shit ! It looks new..... The guy replies back.
yada,yada,yada.... Then.

They sort of waltz over to my buddies bike ( Gary ). The one with the 07 Nightster. He had just bought it really, not even 1000kms on it yet, and one of the guys says to him, " That's a Harley right ? My buddy Gary ( short older type guy ) says in return, " It's a 1200 Nightster " Then the other guy says, " It's in nice shape. " Gary shakes his head and gives thanks to the guy and says, " It should be...but he never tells the guys that he basically had just bought it new " Then the guys squatts down to his knees to have a closer look at the engine and then looks right up at Gary and says......

Are you guys ready for this .....

" Nice restoration job man. " :rofl_200::rofl_200:

I thought Gary was going to kill'em... Paul ( the other guy I ride with ) and I just about pissed ourselves laughing !
I'm sure the guys were wondering what in the hell we were laughing at. The look on Gary's face was to die for - then Gary - almost shouts out says to the guys " Do you guys want something ? ......and for your information, it's an 07 not a 1927 ! " He was livid, pissed off, and beet red. Paul and I were still belly laughing, as I then went into a major hacking fit . It was just so funny....

After the guys actually said sorry to Gary, and then buggered off - we stood there a had a good chuckle over what had just happened. It goes to show ya, the Vmax still rocks and the new Harley 2007 Nightster get bashed for being an antique. We'll never let him live it down.....we bug'em all the time about his "restoration HD" motorcycle along with his age.

We had an awesome ride that day - and I still laugh every time I remember it.

 

[Bawls]

I just pulled into jacksonville from being off the coast of south america chasing drugs... I've still got a spot in my stable for a vmax when my wife lets me buy another bike. Given the fact that it is the only bike that can pull the muscles in between your shoulder blades i've got to own one. I can honestly say that when i was talking about buying a vmax i had a lot of people telling me "just be careful, a bike like that will hurt you". No one said anything when i bought my zx14... That just goes to show you that the lore of mr. max is second to none. My wife was even glad that i didn't get a max because of all of the stories she had heard about them and the fact that she didn't know anything about my 14 lol. Then my dad came screaming past the house and when he pulled up he said "Wow, i had it up to 140 in 3rd gear... We need to go find a longer stretch of highway" the look on my wife's face was priceless. Thanks dad lol :bang head:. Lets just pray that the new vmax lives up to the name.

 

[Mitchell]

How can you guys stand riding that slow.I can't do it.

:rofl_200: So true that can be! I ride with several buddies that own Harleys. I actually like it that they are slow, because you always are in the lead. The best part is you don't have to listen to the typical v-twin briggs and strat exhaust blaring in your ears cause they are behind you 90% of the time.

 

[shawn kloker]

:rofl_200: So true that can be! I ride with several buddies that own Harleys. I actually like it that they are slow, because you always are in the lead. The best part is you don't have to listen to the typical v-twin briggs and strat exhaust blaring in your ears cause they are behind you 90% of the time.

Yah and the whole, take 3 miles to get to the speed limit thing. ???????