fork brace question

[MAXIMAN]

Dan,

I'm really kicking around the idea of "soupin'" the Jehu. Wiseco makes a kit that takes it from 998 cc to 1039 cc...not a lot...but increases the compression ratio to 11 to 1. I saw where some one make high kift long duration cams for htis baby too.

Add a re-jetting and performance exhaust...Holeshot makes a kit ofr these bikes with K&N intakes...and I hear tell you can get 120+ to the rea wheel. Not bad considering this bike weighs about 100 lbs less than the V-Max already.

I hate to do that though because the bike is bone stock and only has 7500 miles. They only made this bike 1 year! It has a little bit of a "collector" value to it. So I may leave it alone.

My dream is to take an XS and totally pump it up! Do everything possible to the engine other than blowers or NOS. I would like to have a stock looking '80 XS11...normally aspirated...but with a Wiseco big bore...cams if they makes 'em...accel ignition...re-jettted...the whole nine. I've talked to one guy that says he's dyno'ed one like this at close to 140 RWHP. Sounds a little stretched....huh?

[Dan Hodges]

Originally posted by MAXIMAN
Dan,

I'm really kicking around the idea of "soupin'" the Jehu. Wiseco makes a kit that takes it from 998 cc to 1039 cc...not a lot...but increases the compression ratio to 11 to 1. I saw where some one make high kift long duration cams for htis baby too.

Add a re-jetting and performance exhaust...Holeshot makes a kit ofr these bikes with K&N intakes...and I hear tell you can get 120+ to the rea wheel. Not bad considering this bike weighs about 100 lbs less than the V-Max already.

I hate to do that though because the bike is bone stock and only has 7500 miles. They only made this bike 1 year! It has a little bit of a "collector" value to it. So I may leave it alone.

My dream is to take an XS and totally pump it up! Do everything possible to the engine other than blowers or NOS. I would like to have a stock looking '80 XS11...normally aspirated...but with a Wiseco big bore...cams if they makes 'em...accel ignition...re-jettted...the whole nine. I've talked to one guy that says he's dyno'ed one like this at close to 140 RWHP. Sounds a little stretched....huh?

The problem with the XS when it comes to modifying it is the shaft drive,which prohibits you from putting in a good cam and gearing it accordingly.There is no way you can make 140hp at the rear wheel and still be streetable with the stock gear ratio on an XS. Mine has a set of welded Web cams and it doesn't have as much mid range as it did with the 78 E cams but it's stouter going through the gears and a lot stouter on the top end.Mine is an ongoing project and it keeps getting faster.I have a cycle magazine dated Sept.86 which has a complete test of Kawasaki's full liter Eliminator and it list the weight with half a tank of gas at 595 pounds.It made 85 horses at the rear wheel and went 11.14@119.The thing was geared really low with a 6th gear ratio of 5.38 and a 5.95 5th gear.My XS has a 4.76 5th.One of the easiest things you can do to it is to put the 900 Ninja cams in it,they have 290 degrees of duration and yours has 275.But to beat a good V-Max on it in a drag race will require lots of money and devine intervention and Dale Walker riding it.

[Dan Hodges]

Originally posted by Dan Hodges
The problem with the XS when it comes to modifying it is the shaft drive,which prohibits you from putting in a good cam and gearing it accordingly.There is no way you can make 140hp at the rear wheel and still be streetable with the stock gear ratio on an XS. Mine has a set of welded Web cams and it doesn't have as much mid range as it did with the 78 E cams but it's stouter going through the gears and a lot stouter on the top end.Mine is an ongoing project and it keeps getting faster.I have a cycle magazine dated Sept.86 which has a complete test of Kawasaki's full liter Eliminator and it list the weight with half a tank of gas at 595 pounds.It made 85 horses at the rear wheel and went 11.14@119.The thing was geared really low with a 6th gear ratio of 5.38 and a 5.95 5th gear.My XS has a 4.76 5th.One of the easiest things you can do to it is to put the 900 Ninja cams in it,they have 290 degrees of duration and yours has 275.But to beat a good V-Max on it in a drag race will require lots of money and devine intervention and Dale Walker riding it.

I ran out of time on the last quote and have one more thing you might be interested in.A group of us V-Maxers accompanied by my buddy on his 900 Eliminator went to Colorado in 02 and we crossed Kansas at 100 plus,that 900 was screaming to keep up.I was along side him a couple times and it looked like the tach was buried.He had a set of Dale Walkers slip on Super Trapp mufflers and by the time we got to Burlington Colorado he was deaf.That thing was so loud,you either had to be in front of him or way behind or you would have been deaf to.When we got to Denver, he said his behind felt like he had been caned.

[MAXIMAN]

No doubt the V-Max would probably eat an Eliminator in the 1/4. I've ridden several V-Max. One (1985 Peachtree) was actually Dynoed at 135 RWHP. It was Baddddddddddddd.

BUT...though it was bad....I've ridden it extensively and I don't think It would get a ZL900 red light to red light. That thing is unbelievably QUICK. I've ridden three ZL...a couple 900 and my 1000. Other than a Busa or possibly a YZ450 I have never been on any bike that was so quick 0-60.

Though the stock Eli is no stock V-Max it will certainly hold it's own with one in the quarter and will likely punch one out in the 1/8 mile sprint. I know the ZLs I've ridden would give any of the V-Max I ridden FITS in a 0-60 run. And the baddest V-Max I was ever on is a monster not to blown. It's a 1985 VMX1200 with full Peachtree modifications.

Of course as uyou well know some of the newer V-Max were wuss. They've cut the guts out of 'em. I've got a friend that has a '97 that Jehu slapped the snot out of from 0 to around 130. I believe Jim said his V-Max was rear wheeled at a local dealership at about 90 some odd HP.

I dunno where you got the number 595 lbs with half a tank. My owners manual shows 523 dry weight. Half a tank on that bike would weigh 15 lbs (2.5 gallons x 7 ppg). Of course I have no idea what they mean when they say "wet" vs "dry". Does that included antifreeze?

[MAXIMAN]

Yeah well if that Dale Walker holeshot exhaust is that loud....this old grandpa don't want it.

I don't mind a little rumble...but at my age I have NO USE for a 110 dB exhaust. So that's OUT the door.

However I've seen the 900 cams on Ebay before. If a guy coupled that with with a Wiseco kit it might get real interesting...

Here's an interesting test from 1985 HP shootout in Cycle. Looks like the Zuke GS1100E slapped ALL of 'em!

Bike 1/4 mile time@mph Bhp @ rpm Torque @ rpm
Suzuki GS1100EF 10.81 @ 124.44 101.00 @ 9000 65.11 @ 7500
Yamaha V-Max 10.99 @ 124.04 119.08 @ 9000 77.54 @ 6000
Yamaha FJ1100 10.99 @ 122.34 98.24 @ 9000 61.41 @ 7500
Kawasaki ZL900 11.07 @ 123.25 90.50 @ 9000 56.64 @ 8000
Kawasaki ZX900R 11.08 @ 125.17 94.16 @ 10500 55.33 @ 8500
Kawasaki ZX750 turbo11.13 @ 120.3 90.02 @ 9500 65.1 @ 5000
Honda VF1100S 11.23 @ 122.61 93.70 @ 9000 62.60 @ 7000

[MAXIMAN]

Dan,

One more question. When riding these V-Max I've never paid any attention to the tach in top gear around 100 mph. All I know is on most of the V-Max I've ridden the things were so stable at 100 you really didn't feel like you were doing 100 mph. Very cool bike.

Anyway what is that thing revving at 100 in 5th. I think my Jehu is spinning about 6500 to 7000 at that speed in sixth.

I'm in Omaha right now seeing my grand-daughter, but when I get back to the house I'll run the ZL up the turnpike and see exactly what it's turning in 6th at 100 mph. Of course that's assuming the speedo is on the money.

[Dan Hodges]

wet weight

Originally posted by MAXIMAN
Yeah well if that Dale Walker holeshot exhaust is that loud....this old grandpa don't want it.

I don't mind a little rumble...but at my age I have NO USE for a 110 dB exhaust. So that's OUT the door.

However I've seen the 900 cams on Ebay before. If a guy coupled that with with a Wiseco kit it might get real interesting...

Here's an interesting test from 1985 HP shootout in Cycle. Looks like the Zuke GS1100E slapped ALL of 'em!

Bike 1/4 mile time@mph Bhp @ rpm Torque @ rpm
Suzuki GS1100EF 10.81 @ 124.44 101.00 @ 9000 65.11 @ 7500
Yamaha V-Max 10.99 @ 124.04 119.08 @ 9000 77.54 @ 6000
Yamaha FJ1100 10.99 @ 122.34 98.24 @ 9000 61.41 @ 7500
Kawasaki ZL900 11.07 @ 123.25 90.50 @ 9000 56.64 @ 8000
Kawasaki ZX900R 11.08 @ 125.17 94.16 @ 10500 55.33 @ 8500
Kawasaki ZX750 turbo11.13 @ 120.3 90.02 @ 9500 65.1 @ 5000
Honda VF1100S 11.23 @ 122.61 93.70 @ 9000 62.60 @ 7000

Wet weight means gas,oil and coolant,however those liquids do not weigh 75 pounds,but I've got another article that list the wet weight at 600 pounds,so I'm not sure what it weighs.Sometime in the early 90's California model V-maxes started using different cams and are rated by the factory @130 Hp.The 85&86 models was rated at 145HP and the rest at 142.I have looked at the shop manual and it list the various differences.The ones you see tested in the magazines now days are all California models and run 11.30's,not nearly as quick as the 49 state models.The ignition timing has been changed from year to year also but can be altered,but that's another story.Getting a V-Max out of the gate is a feat unto itself.In 85,walker ran 10.65 on stock tires and 10.40's on slicks.There is a V-Max forum on the web that has all that info and a lot more (test) by him.I think you can still get those cams for yours new from the dealer.Be safe. Dan

[Dan Hodges]

Originally posted by MAXIMAN
Dan,

One more question. When riding these V-Max I've never paid any attention to the tach in top gear around 100 mph. All I know is on most of the V-Max I've ridden the things were so stable at 100 you really didn't feel like you were doing 100 mph. Very cool bike.

Anyway what is that thing revving at 100 in 5th. I think my Jehu is spinning about 6500 to 7000 at that speed in sixth.

I'm in Omaha right now seeing my grand-daughter, but when I get back to the house I'll run the ZL up the turnpike and see exactly what it's turning in 6th at 100 mph. Of course that's assuming the speedo is on the money.

Was it 6000 or was it 6500,you know Maximan in all the excitement I was having at the time I can't remember.Honestly,I think it is about 6000.It's turning about 300 less than the XS at any given speed,but it is a lot smother and doesn't seem to be thrashing as hard.

[MAXIMAN]

If ya get a chance run it down the road and see. I'd like to know. I'll do same.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if that V was spinning 1000 r's less than this Eli with a six speed cause it's gear SO LOW!!!.

All I remeber specifically was last week doing 118 mph at redline in 4th and thinking "sheeeeesh"........ I've got two more to go.

However from about 120 up this ZL feels nothing like a V-Max. It is stable and all....it doesn't feel shaky....but the Maxs I've ridden are just rock solid at 120 and beyond.

From my understanding Kawasaki built the ZL bikes for street fighting....not drag racing per se.

Also I'm sure you are well aware that Yamaha is notorious for rating their motors at the crank. Other manufacturers...from what I've heard...rate them at the drive splines. I have no idea how much that would deduct from the "apparent" HP...probably not much.

Most of the bike tests of stock "V" ees I've read about are in the 115 rwhp range. Most of the stock LMN8Rs are in the 90 rwhp range.

How in the heck did this thread go from shocks to streetfighters?

Oh well this is a wonderful forum.

[Dan Hodges]

Originally posted by MAXIMAN
If ya get a chance run it down the road and see. I'd like to know. I'll do same.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if that V was spinning 1000 r's less than this Eli with a six speed cause it's gear SO LOW!!!.

All I remeber specifically was last week doing 118 mph at redline in 4th and thinking "sheeeeesh"........ I've got two more to go.

However from about 120 up this ZL feels nothing like a V-Max. It is stable and all....it doesn't feel shaky....but the Maxs I've ridden are just rock solid at 120 and beyond.

From my understanding Kawasaki built the ZL bikes for street fighting....not drag racing per se.

Also I'm sure you are well aware that Yamaha is notorious for rating their motors at the crank. Other manufacturers...from what I've heard...rate them at the drive splines. I have no idea how much that would deduct from the "apparent" HP...probably not much.

Most of the bike tests of stock "V" ees I've read about are in the 115 rwhp range. Most of the stock LMN8Rs are in the 90 rwhp range.

How in the heck did this thread go from shocks to streetfighters?

Oh well this is a wonderful forum.

Yamaha and everybody else's factory rating is rated according to S.A.E. meaning at the clutch before it goes through the transmission.Those magazine figures are taken at the rear wheel.A 900 Eliminator is rated by Kawasaki @105 hp and the 900 Ninja was 108.I am an old guy I hate to admit and I've owned a slew of motorcycles,with a brand new red 900 Ninja being one of them.It was really fast,but you had to keep it wound up for it to run.It wasn't very quick from a 60mph roll in high gear,but at the time it would outrun anything on the top end.I had an 1100 FJ after that and later traded that for a V-Max.I do know this for a fact,my V-Max is the fastest thing I've ever owned and will kill a 900 Eliminator out on the highway going through the gears.Racing from a redlight to the next redlight in town is not my cup of tea,way to dangerous.I've been thinking about getting myself one of those black R1's,sitting it in my garage and drink Jack Daniels and look at it cause it's way to uncomfortable to ride.Boy it is cool though,158 horses at the rear wheel,wow!!!

[Dan Hodges]

Speed & RPM

Originally posted by Dan Hodges
Yamaha and everybody else's factory rating is rated according to S.A.E. meaning at the clutch before it goes through the transmission.Those magazine figures are taken at the rear wheel.A 900 Eliminator is rated by Kawasaki @105 hp and the 900 Ninja was 108.I am an old guy I hate to admit and I've owned a slew of motorcycles,with a brand new red 900 Ninja being one of them.It was really fast,but you had to keep it wound up for it to run.It wasn't very quick from a 60mph roll in high gear,but at the time it would outrun anything on the top end.I had an 1100 FJ after that and later traded that for a V-Max.I do know this for a fact,my V-Max is the fastest thing I've ever owned and will kill a 900 Eliminator out on the highway going through the gears.Racing from a redlight to the next redlight in town is not my cup of tea,way to dangerous.I've been thinking about getting myself one of those black R1's,sitting it in my garage and drink Jack Daniels and look at it cause it's way to uncomfortable to ride.Boy it is cool though,158 horses at the rear wheel,wow!!!

I'm back alive from my test ride I had this afternoon on I-55 across the river in Illinois.Max is turning a hair over 6000 @100mph and a tick past 8500@140.It was nice out,a little chilly but not bad for some testing (no wind).The way it was pulling,I'm sure it had a lot left but I ran out of running room,too much traffic.I tried it one time crossing Kansas going to Colorado a couple years back, but I had a small windshield on it then and it started shaking real bad at around 135 and I had to let off.I took the shield off this morning and at 140 it was rock solid and pulling like there was no tomorrow or day after.The little shield makes a lot of difference in the top end performance.Honestly,I don't like riding around here that fast.A hundred is okay,but over that it's no fun,to much stuff to look out for (slow Harley Davidsons) among other things.

[MAXIMAN]

I do know this for a fact,my V-Max is the fastest thing I've ever owned and will kill a 900 Eliminator out on the highway going through the gears.

No doubt. Like I said, all the V-Maxs I've ridden will take an Eliminator. Especially on top end....from 100 or 120 out. But up to there the 900 or the 1000 would definitely give it a run for it's money....which would probably be a little less than a quarter mile. I've tangled with a couple friends and Jehu held his own.

Several reasons I bought an Eliminator instead of a V-Max is there are very few of them. The town I live in has about 65,000 people. There are probably 15 or 20 V-Maxs I know of. I've never seen an Eliminator here. The 1000 is very rare anywhere. Also I like the look of the ZL better than the V-Max. I guess I'm just old fashioned but that hideous air intake on the V-Max never appealed to me. The ZL has a very classic cruiser look. That's not for everyone but I like it.

BTW...I took Jehu out the road a few hours ago. At 100 mph in 6th it's spinning 7100 rpms.

Racing from a redlight to the next redlight in town is not my cup of tea,way to dangerous.

Of course what I was referring to was the distance...red to red... couple hundred yards. The whole point of the Eliminator from all the articles I've read and even Kawasaki's press release... is it was designed to be quick...out of the hole...and quick it is.

I too have had many bikes. At 45 I've forgotten just how many. they call it "oldtimers" disease. I used to race competively (I was no good...) and have been on a lot of bikes. Recently I decided I wanted a performance cruiser. The current lot of V-twins makes me ill. That left a V-Rod out immediately. So for about 6 months I went test driving V-maxs and Zls. V-Maxs are easy to find. I drove 3 within a week of my quest. They were very impressive and I seriously considered buying one. The fastest was the 4th or 5th one I rode. a '85 that had been bored over with different cams. I dunno what he did to it but it had quite a bit more punch than the other. Darn thing would barely idle. But geesh when you opened it up it was hair raising.

It took a while to even find a ZL for sale that was nearby. The first one I rode was in Carthage, MO. I had to drive 3 hours to get to it. The guy had bought it new and it only had 12,000 miles on it...bone stock. I took it out on a lonely stretch of Missouri two lane. Cut to the chase... the bike almost scared me it was so quick. The 0-100 was very impressive though the bike wasn't as stable as the Max at high speeds. Still the 900 was simply too small.

I drove another 900 about a month later. Again I had to drive 3-4 hours to even see the bike. It had about 23,000 miles but performed similarly. It was freaky quick. But the bike was too small. My legs were way up on the tank. I felt like an elephant on a tricycle and I'm only 6 feet tall.

So I started looking for ZL1000s. Geesh they are Super hard to find. I found one in Denver but it was trashed. Another in Dallas. It only had 5300 miles but the fellow wanted an arm and a leg. Then I found Jehu in Illinois. Some lady had it. It had about 7000 miles and she was the second owner. I went over it as wel as I could and it appeared to be a good bike so I snagged it. The ZL100 is a lot bigger. I didn't feel so cramped on it and it is very very quick too. Not a bike I would want to cruise on the highway for very long though.

I've been thinking about getting myself one of those black R1's,sitting it in my garage and drink Jack Daniels and look at it cause it's way to uncomfortable to ride.Boy it is cool though,158 horses at the rear wheel,wow!!!

Yeah and discomfort for riding ain't the only reason I would stay off it. Rode one last summer. Roll the throttle in 5th at 80 and that thing starts coming off the road. I'm WAY too old for that. Now the FJR1300...that's a different story.

[Pat Kelly]

It used to frustrate my roommate to no end when he couldn't keep with my Honda Hawk in the extremely tight twisties.
This was in Phoenix on South Moutain Park, the backside.
I was on a 78 CB400TII and he had the 1st year (1984?) 900 Ninja.
Any slight straightaway and I felt I was in reverse he'd blow by me so quick.
But that one road he just couldn't do it.
I'm sure a factor was I'd been riding (and roadracing) the bike for a few years and he'd just moved up from a KZ550 to the Ninja so he was still learning the power and weight.
Ahhh the good ol' days.....

[Dan Hodges]

Originally posted by Pat Kelly
It used to frustrate my roommate to no end when he couldn't keep with my Honda Hawk in the extremely tight twisties.
This was in Phoenix on South Moutain Park, the backside.
I was on a 78 CB400TII and he had the 1st year (1984?) 900 Ninja.
Any slight straightaway and I felt I was in reverse he'd blow by me so quick.
But that one road he just couldn't do it.
I'm sure a factor was I'd been riding (and roadracing) the bike for a few years and he'd just moved up from a KZ550 to the Ninja so he was still learning the power and weight.
Ahhh the good ol' days.....

I don't know Pat,my Ninja was pretty evil,just didn't have a whole lot of roll on.I hauled it to Colorado in 86 and rode around Estes park and northern Colorado with some other guys on early 80's bikes and it whipped them all.For it's day,it was a bad little mother.I called it the red rocket and so did my friend who had a Honda 1100 F.I still vividly recall that ride and those tight,tight turns in Estes Park.Ninja taillights were a familiar sight that day!