Why so many Vmax's for sale

[CustomMax]

Been kinda noticing seems to be more Vmax's for sale than usual. Not sure if it's just coincidental or what. Sure you can get faster bikes nowadays but not one of them has one tenth the personality of the Mighty Max. I was a good 500 yards away from one yesterday and it wasnt the scoops ( they were painted to match) or the blue with silver flames but I just happened to notice the motor and it had a harsh sound not the harley rumble but a more pissed off raspy tone. Then about a mile down the road I came up on it and then saw, yep, it was a Vmax but the rider wasn't wearing a helmet. That kinda threw me cause personally I like to breathe and don't like eating bugs. Oh yea, kinda wanna LIVE!! But hey that's just me, I have kids. I guess some people don't get it. It's not just a bike that you sell at the first sign of financial trouble or wanting something faster. Its A Vmax! Either you get it and keep it for life or you don't. But I guess that's just my opinion.

 

[lead_demoness]

Do to my injury to my lower spine from the military I can no longer ride my vmax without large amounts of pain. I guess that makes me the get it and don't keep it for life. I see no point in keeping, maintaining, insuring, and paying taxes on a bike I can only look at. A spine injury never gets completely better, and as you get older it only starts to hurt more. I got hurt in 2005 and it has just now gotten to the point that it is affecting my ability to ride. I wish I could keep my bike. I miss riding sooooooooooooooo bad.

 

[Bill Seward]

I bought my Max back in 1985. I've gone through a divorce, remarriage, raising a son, buying and paying off a house, and now college. It's been an eventful 27 years. Not once have I ever given a moments thought to selling the VMax!

I'd sell the Roadstar in a heartbeat, and Kathy's Burgman 400 just as fast, but the Max stays till I die.

 

[CustomMax]

Do to my injury to my lower spine from the military I can no longer ride my vmax without large amounts of pain. I guess that makes me the get it and don't keep it for life. I see no point in keeping, maintaining, insuring, and paying taxes on a bike I can only look at. A spine injury never gets completely better, and as you get older it only starts to hurt more. I got hurt in 2005 and it has just now gotten to the point that it is affecting my ability to ride. I wish I could keep my bike. I miss riding sooooooooooooooo bad.

Guess I should have clarified that kinda issue, I was talking more about the guys who for whatever reason lose interest in the Allure and mystique. Those are the people I was referring to. It sounds like you'll always keep the Vmax in your heart and sorry to hear of your back issues. Hope it works out for you, oh yea, there's another member here Dannymax I believe that went to a CanAm Spyder because of back issues (I think) maybe you should check out one of those. Not a Vmax but it will at least keep you " in the wind" Good luck,

 

[Fire-medic]

Years ago, one of my firefighter friends who is methodical about maintaining everything he owns, and who has owned many bikes over the years, 750's cc+, asked me to ride a ZX-10 he was considering buying.

I met him at the bike owner's place, and took it for a spin. At the time, the ZX-10 was about the fastest stock bike there was. I caned it good, ran it to redline in the first 3 gears repeatedly to check the tranny, got the front wheel wagging in the breeze, panic-stopped, and generally gave it an enthusiastic ride. I brought it back, and gave him a 'thumbs-up,' and he bought it on the spot.

Afterwards, he harrangued me about beating on his bike, and I told him, "it wasn't yours then." Evidently, he listened to me and the exhaust note as I ran around the area, as-far as he could hear, and he heard the tires and exhaust as I burned a bit of rubber.

This guy is now retired from the fire service, and after having a new Sportster and a couple other new Big Twins, decided to buy a new trike and he did, from the local H-D dealer. He lives in Pt. St. Lucie FL. He loves the bike, and he says his wife is more comfortable on it, and he doesn't have to worry about his footing at a stoplight. He's a bit shorter than the mean, and as he is older, but still in great shape for his age, he decided that he wanted the stablilty of being on a trike.

So, if a trike is what you can ride then get a trike. There are many companies that sell kits to convert mostly H-D's into trikes, and maybe there are some VMax kits avail. I would rather have a 120 h.p. liquid cooled bike than a 65 h.p. air-cooled bike, if it was gonna be a trike. Something to consider.unk:

http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2007/11/20/tilting-v-max-trike-by-tilting-motor-works/

 

[FootNote]

I have the vmax and really do love it, its unique and don't see a lot of them around. That all being said, I really dont have the love for the bike a lot of people here do. Not saying I dont like it, but I didnt grow up with it like a lot of people here.

I agree the Vmax is the kind of bike you keep for the long haul and tinker with and improve over time. To me the vmax is the kind of bike meant to be customized. That being said with the problems I have been having with this damn bike I would honestly get rid of it to get a good running bike I could count on. But that would be admitting defeat and wont do that lol.

Bottom line, I get your point and am with you about 50%. But if I was a bit older and grew up with the Vmax more, I would probably get your point a lot better.

 

[lead_demoness]

Thanks for all the suggestions about the trike and the can am for keeping me in the wind. The problem is I want to be in the lean. As it stands right now I ride on the back of my husbands Triumph Rocket III when I need my two wheel fix. I have taken it out on my own, and it handles very well. He has told me I can borrow it any time I want, so I still have an option. But I know my two wheel days are getting much closer than I would like to admit to being over. I have not told my husband this, but I suspect he knows. I have decided to move on to a toy I can sit comfortably in. We are building me a redneck Cadillac. Lol. It is a lifted s10 with a chevy small block v8.

 

[V-Four]

Do to my injury to my lower spine from the military I can no longer ride my vmax without large amounts of pain. I guess that makes me the get it and don't keep it for life. I see no point in keeping, maintaining, insuring, and paying taxes on a bike I can only look at. A spine injury never gets completely better, and as you get older it only starts to hurt more. I got hurt in 2005 and it has just now gotten to the point that it is affecting my ability to ride. I wish I could keep my bike. I miss riding sooooooooooooooo bad.

Sorry to hear bout any riders medical business get in the way of their love of riding.. but...

I (having 3 back surgeries), did not get a Vmax to go really fast.. sure we all hear the stories.. 150 MPH.. thousands of $ mods to be able to corner like the sportbikes.. and all the rest.

For me, the Max Looks ..eh.. OK in stock form.. Yes it looks like an engine on wheels..and the fake scoops are prolly half of that (IMO..which I love BTW).. but some of the things you can do .. make these babies look friggin awesome.This site is proof of that.

I fell in love with a Vmax.. not after I saw my 1st one in 1998.. But when I first HEARD a Vmax (also in 98).


So, after all these years , I found the love of my life.( She looks ok..but she'll get there) I will prolly never go faster than 90 MPH. (but I'll get to 90 verry quickly).. Impressive, yes.. but it seems to draw the most attention.. Just cruising through a parking lot full of people in 1st/2nd gear.. blippinng the throttle here n there.

The VMAX already proved itself.. it is still awesome and everybody knows it. V4 awesomeness. Some Bikes may be faster.. But show me a faster bike that sounds this good.

When I'm old and I can no longer ride, I'll have my kids wheel the ol max out of the garage, and I'll give her my weekly polishing... and then just fire her up. I'm pretty sure I'll still get those goosebumps on my arms.. just like I did in 1998.

JMO


T$

 

[RaWarrior]

I owned mine for around 4 years, and to be quite frank, just got tired of it's bullshit. It was kind of a love/hate relationship for a while but finally the hate started to win out over the love.

Love:
Looks(not to toot my own horn but my red over black and chrome looked seriously bad ass and got comments everywhere)
Sound
Character of engine

OK
Comfort (after seat reworked), long-ride ability
Reliability, no major breakdowns, but lots of fiddling with things that really shouldn't need it

Hate
Wobbles, wobbles, wobbles. Incurable. Tried everything.
The intermittent stumble at highway speeds. Tried everything. Sonic cleaned carbs, twice. Changed jets, needles, a/f screws, nothing made a dent in it.
The piece of shit wiring job Yamaha did. I had 14.4v at the battery and 8.5 at the blinker relay. As such, the blinkers kind of sometimes worked when they felt like it.


"Cool" only carries a bike so far until you see the elephant in the closet and realize this bad-ass ride really wasn't very well designed or built. It was the cats meow in 1985 but in 1997 it was already long in the tooth and by 2012 it's a downright dinosaur. A one trick pony, and that trick isn't very impressive anymore.



I'm thinking the surge of gen1 sales lately has to do with
-The disappointment of the gen2, it's not that great and nobody can afford one anyway
-The advent of supersport nakeds that have the badass hooligan "feel" of the Vmax, but without all the 80's problems the Max is filled with. For a while people who had a Max didn't really have any options for a more modern version....move to a sportbike, or move to a cruiser. Vmax was kind of the only one of it's breed, but that's changed now, and the offerings out now are damn good machines. Performance of a sportbike but manners of a cruiser.

 

[Fire-medic]

Thanks for all the suggestions about the trike and the can am for keeping me in the wind. The problem is I want to be in the lean. As it stands right now I ride on the back of my husbands Triumph Rocket III when I need my two wheel fix. I have taken it out on my own, and it handles very well. He has told me I can borrow it any time I want, so I still have an option. But I know my two wheel days are getting much closer than I would like to admit to being over. I have not told my husband this, but I suspect he knows. I have decided to move on to a toy I can sit comfortably in. We are building me a redneck Cadillac. Lol. It is a lifted s10 with a chevy small block v8.

Honey, better be careful, CaptainKyle likes those too! I guess it's easy to make one, plenty of donors for the body & heart around.

I like the newer 355-series instead of the "dime" (S-10 & Sonoma) & you can get one w/a warranty & an aluminum V8. Well, you could until this year, discontinued after 2012.

As for the bike, I think it has style that is right about as iconic as the unit-construction 650 Bonneville, the made-in-Meriden one, from the mid-1960's. Like this stocker...:biglaugh:

 

[ouchez]

I owned mine for around 4 years, and to be quite frank, just got tired of it's bullshit. It was kind of a love/hate relationship for a while but finally the hate started to win out over the love.

Love:
Looks(not to toot my own horn but my red over black and chrome looked seriously bad ass and got comments everywhere)
Sound
Character of engine

OK
Comfort (after seat reworked), long-ride ability
Reliability, no major breakdowns, but lots of fiddling with things that really shouldn't need it

Hate
Wobbles, wobbles, wobbles. Incurable. Tried everything.
The intermittent stumble at highway speeds. Tried everything. Sonic cleaned carbs, twice. Changed jets, needles, a/f screws, nothing made a dent in it.
The piece of shit wiring job Yamaha did. I had 14.4v at the battery and 8.5 at the blinker relay. As such, the blinkers kind of sometimes worked when they felt like it.


"Cool" only carries a bike so far until you see the elephant in the closet and realize this bad-ass ride really wasn't very well designed or built. It was the cats meow in 1985 but in 1997 it was already long in the tooth and by 2012 it's a downright dinosaur. A one trick pony, and that trick isn't very impressive anymore.



I'm thinking the surge of gen1 sales lately has to do with
-The disappointment of the gen2, it's not that great and nobody can afford one anyway
-The advent of supersport nakeds that have the badass hooligan "feel" of the Vmax, but without all the 80's problems the Max is filled with. For a while people who had a Max didn't really have any options for a more modern version....move to a sportbike, or move to a cruiser. Vmax was kind of the only one of it's breed, but that's changed now, and the offerings out now are damn good machines. Performance of a sportbike but manners of a cruiser.

RA,

Well said. I don't know what year you had and when or what you did to it mod wise, burn outs, etc.

I will say that my 05, with now 21,000 miles, is still flawless and trouble free and wobbles are no issue as I do the Bounce test every spring and have the Dingy tool and run top of the line tires. I have no regrets, 7 years of riding pleasure. My bike is also never ridden in the rain, never power washed ,and always garaged and winter stored carefully. Looks wise, I dig my Max, clean and no bull shit hanging off it. Yes, I also agree, the Gen 2 is a fail.

The real boring bullshit out there is all the look alike Harleys.

O

 

[Dr.n2o]

I will probably never sell mine. I've been through some small b.s. with it over the years but I feel i'm in a good place with it now mechanically. I just rebuilt my carbs because I haven't opened em up in 12 years and found nothing wrong but stuff like that helps me sleep better at night. I know when I crank that bitch open, it never dissapoints. It does also have an appeal that other bikes will just never have. I love firing that thing up when leaving a bike get together and people just jump when you hit the button like wtf ? I also ride with a few friends that have fast sport bikes that I don't see much on the highway but they don't see me much off stop lights and that's ok with me. Oh well she's a keeper :biglaugh:

 

[choctaw]

unk:I hate the way every damned sport bike looks alike ,,no originality what so ever!!! I have never had the wiring trouble,,,When I first bought it it had some carb issues so I rebuilt them ,,,wobble so I tightened the steering head bearing ,,,never store outside never power wash and it in great shape no problems ever,,,now that being said Mine is for sale at this time ,,but not because I'm tired of it or lost interest,,it's because I have other toys and the mod monkey is bitching about a big block and getting the Chevelle going. And also I didn;t think it would take so long to sale,,,,And I have a bunch of stuff up for sale to finance the the muscule car ,,,not just the VMAX ,,,,,but to me their is only one true muscule bike and that is the VMAX babyunk:

 

[MikeTD3]

I always wanted a VMax so I finally bought one, modded it to my liking enjoyed it for what it was/is. Then I decided to start taking the wife along and go on longer rides so....out the door it went and in came a new to me 08 Street Glide.

To be honest the only thing I miss about the Max is the power. It was not comfortable at all to ride, the frame flexed and made the bike wallow thru turns the brakes were not that great at all, 120 miles to a tank got old as well. That said.....I completely understand those that love the Gen1 Max, it is one of a kind and nothing compares to it, including the Gen2.

 

[NHVmaxpower]

I've had bikes all my life sold em bought new one sold it so on n so on. Of all my many bikes I've owned my vmax will never see another owner it's just a bike I won't part with. I've sold many toys boats,4wheelers,snowmobiles and was never attached like I am to my Max. You can customize a max to your personality and many bikes out there you cant they all look the same. Long live the only original muscle bike.

 

[CaptainKyle]

I dont get attached to bikes any more. Everything I have is always for sale.

 

[SledHead]

I bought my Max back in 1985. I've gone through a divorce, remarriage, raising a son, buying and paying off a house, and now college. It's been an eventful 27 years. Not once have I ever given a moments thought to selling the VMax!

I'd sell the Roadstar in a heartbeat, and Kathy's Burgman 400 just as fast, but the Max stays till I die.

Good job Bill, you are smarter than me. I too bought a new '85 off the showroom floor. I loved it, and spent many happy miles aboard that bike. Sadly my previous wife did not like it and convinced me to sell it. I always regretted selling that '85.

I have owned a lot of bikes since then, but always longed for that Vmax. Unlike the ex-wife, my lovely bride now is happy to let me indulge my motorcycle passion. I now have a 2001 carbon fiber max in the garage, and it feels great.

As you said, I might sell the FJR, or the KLR, but Mr. Max is in for the duration.

 

[sdt354]

Honey, better be careful, CaptainKyle likes those too! I guess it's easy to make one, plenty of donors for the body & heart around.

I like the newer 355-series instead of the "dime" (S-10 & Sonoma) & you can get one w/a warranty & an aluminum V8. Well, you could until this year, discontinued after 2012.

As for the bike, I think it has style that is right about as iconic as the unit-construction 650 Bonneville, the made-in-Meriden one, from the mid-1960's. Like this stocker...:biglaugh:

Yea nice stocker

I'll bet that Bonneville is a pisser to ride. And right quick.
Vmax, Bonniville, Sportster. Still have and love the Vmax. I'll always miss the other two though.
They all have their own special charm.
Steve-o

 

[sdt354]

Good job Bill, you are smarter than me. I too bought a new '85 off the showroom floor. I loved it, and spent many happy miles aboard that bike. Sadly my previous wife did not like it and convinced me to sell it. I always regretted selling that '85.

I have owned a lot of bikes since then, but always longed for that Vmax. Unlike the ex-wife, my lovely bride now is happy to let me indulge my motorcycle passion. I now have a 2001 carbon fiber max in the garage, and it feels great.

As you said, I might sell the FJR, or the KLR, but Mr. Max is in for the duration.

My EX wife gave me a choice, her or my motorcycle. I did what I did for my one true love. Once in a while I miss Cindy.
Steve-o

 

[V-Four]

My EX wife gave me a choice, her or my motorcycle. I did what I did for my one true love. Once in a while I miss Cindy.
Steve-o

I sold a bike because of a woman before..(when buying my house).
Now divorced, losing house..etc. :damn angry:


But, now I have my VMAX. I will NEVER sell my bike because of a woman again. :biglaugh:

T$