42k isn't a big deal if it was well taken care of.
I've got 41,000 EXTREMELY hard miles on mine, bought it with 9,300. It's had the crap run out of it at the strip and has been generally abused as much as possible as far as how it's been ridden, short of over-revving or missed shifts. it's also had very pains taking maintenance to go with that abuse.
Age alone also contributes to a lot of problems you can have with a bike regardless of how many miles it has on it.
To me the bigger issue is the cosmetic condidtion of the bike as it relates to its age, it's tough and expensive to make an old looking bike look new when the rubber and engine paint is shot to hell. Or the wiring is rotted too.
I've got a friend here who bought an 85 Max and has been throught the whole bike completely replacing all the rubber and hoses and alot of the wiring, plastics and vinyl, replacing rusted chrome etc.
For what he has spent so far on the bike he could have bought a 3-4 yeard old Vmax
His engine still looks like crap tho, (Sorry Brian
and it makes the whole bike look old.
Around here the vmax usually doesn't depreciate much under $3000 at any age as long as it's in good running condition, what buying a newer one gets you is a BETTER looking one......Plus bigger front forks and better front brakes.......
My advice is to but the newest bike you can afford, and try to get it with at least a good exhaust on it because that's a $800-1000 dollars you won't have to spend afterwards........