78 1100 E with a V max Motor?? any thoughts

[1fasttrucker]

I have a bear 78 standerd frame and am entertaning crazy ideas I was looking at motors from a Vmax and did some thinking , with a little steel my drill press, pipe bender, welder, and some good old boy enginering I bet I could have one crazy looking fast 78 frankenstine bike !! any ideas???
give me your thoughts !!

[WSL91]

Why?
Seems like the wiring alone would be quite difficult. Why not just restore the V-Max

[mharrington]

With skill, money and tools anything can be done. The liquid cooled V4 Max engine would be a difficult install. An FJ1100 motor from the 90s is and air cooled inline 4 that makes alot more power than our XS motors. If you wanna do it though I say go for it!

[WMarshy]

With skill, money and tools anything can be done. The liquid cooled V4 Max engine would be a difficult install. An FJ1100 motor from the 90s is and air cooled inline 4 that makes alot more power than our XS motors. If you wanna do it though I say go for it!

I second that thought. There is also a lot of aftermarket marts for the JF motor and you could easily build a hopped up JF that would show the vmax a thing or two. The only major decision would be what swingarm to use to run chain drive...

[daveyg]

If the price is right and u have the means, materials, and talent, I say go for it! Probably about just as difficult as building a ground up chopper. And sorting the water cooling won't be that difficult, I would start out with a pair of radiators from a 450cc dirtbike, or the one from a big atv, like a 700raptor. They r relatively small and would be easiest to fabricate mounting brackets for.

[WSL91]

With skill, money and tools anything can be done. The liquid cooled V4 Max engine would be a difficult install. An FJ1100 motor from the 90s is and air cooled inline 4 that makes alot more power than our XS motors. If you wanna do it though I say go for it!

How many project bikes set started then abandoned as the owner reaches a point they can't complete either through lack of solution, parts, machining ability, etc or seriously underestimated the hours/$$$ involved? I promise you trying to get a functional electrical system with that combination will be extremely difficult for anyone except an actual electrical engineer.
I don't doubt that its doable but I think it's beyond the ability of the average rider/owner. If he has the $$$$$$$$$, hours, mechanical skills, and electrical skills then of course its doable.

I've restored close to 10 tractors and I've made new wiring harnesses for all of them but they use a 6 volt generator and on newer ones a 12 volt alternator. That alone is beyond the ability of most tractor collectors and thats simply replacing wires on an existing system which is no where near the complexity of combining parts from dis-similar machines.

I see threads here about tachs bouncing and batteries not charging, whos going to figure out how to wire the alternator or tach? How will you troubleshoot it if it doesn't work? Again I say restore the vmax as it is and move on.

[crazy steve]

The XS had marginal handling and braking with the stock motor, you want to add more power? You'll end up cutting a XS frame all to bits to get that in there (if you succeed), and if not another XS bites the dust....

[bikerphil]

Go for it bro, it's your bike.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Trucker,

Wow, the V-max does add quite a bit more complexity, both in the ignition as well as the cooling system, fuel delivery, and it's also drive shaft, and also the early motors were just as prone to the 2nd gear problem as the Xs's!

As Steve stated, the XS frame and suspension wasn't even up to properly handling the OEM power of the XS, and you're talking at least 1/2 more if not twice the power! Aside from the engine, fuel, drivetrain, you're also looking at the need to really beef up the frame....lots of struts/braces, as well as fork, shocks, and brake mods.

But as has been said, it's your frame, your wallet, your time, your ulcers , just want to see the build thread for this one! Good Luck.

T.C.

[daveyg]

Well I was under the assumption that he only had a bare xs frame, and was looking at purchasing just a engine from a vmax. I sure as heck would be the last person to suggest destroying 2 classic motorcycles just to create one bastard child bike... but if u have a bare frame and some metal, and a complete engine from something else... see what u could build. Worse case scenario u end up with an incomplete project and end up selling to someone else to finish. Ground up build is perfect way to upgrade to modern suspension and brakes...

[Rooster]

well I guess he knows what you all think of his idea. crap on that eh!

[James England]

Could I ask why you want to do it? Other than for the challenge of it and to make a bike that nobody else has? Both the V-Max and the XS1100 are nice bikes but neither is renowned for its handling. In fact the V-Max is notoriously bad in that department.

I could understand putting a V-Max motor into a better handling bike (if it were possible) but not putting it into a frame that can't handle 2/3rds of the V-Max power and which can barely handle the power of the standard XS1100 engine.

It does seem a bit pointless and, whilst it's your bike, money time etc etc, it seems a long way to go to produce a bike which, by your own admission, would look like Frankenstein. I'd spend all that time and energy and money on restoring ONE of them to its former glory. In fact, I did just that with my last XS1100. Then you'll have something to show for it which is far better, IMO. Nobody looks at a fully restored classic and says "now why did he do that?"... I think they would for your proposed project though