YE Must Be Born Again VMAX

[xs11jack]

ugly exhaust

The exhaust is so huge and ugly it takes away from the rest of the design. It makes the back wheel look small and unsubstantial.

[Crazcnuk]

The Vmax, Venture and all the Royal Stars use the same v4 style engine.

Personally, I have always thought the Vmax was butt ugly. It's a wanna be poser bike for guys too scared to buy a real crotch rocket.

Can't argue with the performance, though. Now if they put it in a frame more like the XS or a Magna, and it might not be so bad.

[Shuriken]

I've found that most people I've talked to about the VMax either love it or hate it; there doesn't seem to be much middle ground.

I got my 85 for pretty cheap, much cheaper than I could buy even a used bullet bike for. I am definitely not afraid of the bullet bikes but will not buy one right now. Nor will I buy the new Max at $18k.

There is an ongoing discussion on one of the VMax boards about how it appears that Yamaha slung a hodgepodge of parts together to put on the new Max (i.e., brown parts, exhaust, etc). I'm not crazy about several things about it, and the exhaust is one of those things....

I'm no poser though. I got the Max because:
1. I always wanted one (who hasn't heard the legend)
2. Nobody else that I know of in my area has one (to be different)
3. Because of its power (it will toast many bikes 20 years newer and more expensive)
4. Because I could get the power in a cruiser format (people can ride on the back quite easily)
5. Because most respect and have heard of a VMax
6. Etc.

Yes mine is fast. I put down a 100+ foot long black mark on a road a week ago. But you know what, I want even more HP/TQ. I want to take the 145 at the crank and get all of that to the rear.

If I am able to upgrade again in the future, I will probably get a used FZ1 or maybe even a used Hayabusa. People that want/need to have the latest, greatest, fastest bike are always willing to put their old ones up for sale.

I would like to own the new Max, as I'm sure we will discover that it will be sick fast. But there is no way I will plunk down that much cash for that bike.