Or V-Max, why must you taunt me so...

Cliff notes, I rode for 35 years, up until about 13 years ago, when I totaled my bike into a deer at 70mph. And lived to tell about it. Found out my wife was pregnant the next day.

That being said, I am always perusing the interwebz, looking for that rare bike. Something like a first generation V-Max, original owner with low miles.

So I contact the seller. Turns out the original owner is deceased, and she (owner's brother) wants to get it out of her garage. I ask a few questions, and she tells me her husband knows more about the bike, so I schedule a time to call him.

I call him. He informs me that after the owner, his brother in law, passed away, another family member decided to "store" the bike outside for 4 or 5 years. At that point my heart sank. I was still interested, and the bike was only an hour away, so I set up a time.

The time arrived, and my family arrived at his house. The bike was outside, and I did a quick walk around by myself, and walked back to my wife in the car. I told her I'm not even sure if I should knock on the door, the bike had obviously been neglected sitting out in the elements for so long. She suggested I at least knock on the door.

So I knocked on the door, and told the seller that I was disappointed in the condition of the bike. And he told me he was disappointed in the condition of the bike. If you have ever lost a family member, and they have that one "thing" that brought them joy, wouldn't you take better care of it, in memory of them? (The seller is not to blame for this, he is the one that actually insisted on removing the bike from the property).

So I took it for a test ride. Having never ridden a V-Max, it is a very entertaining ride. It only does two things well: Go in a straight line very fast, and put a big fucking smile on your face. And I was able to check off both those boxes. Mechanically, the bike seems fine. Cosmetically, it looks like a rat bike.

I didn't make an offer that day, even though I hade full intentions of giving them full cash value of their asking price, minus $200 for negotiating fees, until I saw the bike in person.

Then things got interesting. I had to borrow a helmet from a neighbor, whom also owns a bike I've been begging him to sell me. A very pristine 1990 Honda CBR1000F, which is in almost showroom condition. He offered me a deal that I would be hard pressed to pass up, with the condition if I were to ever sell it, he gets first option to buy it back.

But my heart yearns for a V-Max, so I shot them a lowball offer with the condition that I want the bike inspected at my expense, and if it doesn't pass, I can retract my offer.

I'm looking for a Sunday/Funday classic bike. I don't think I'd enjoy riding in today's vehicular climate complete with cell phones idiots. I honestly have no interest in the newer bikes, except for a GoldWing. But I will get that when I retire, as a gift to myself...

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ASKSmith,

They're interesting bikes.
IIRC we have a resident VMax guy here.

It’s my username but I’ve never owned one. I was in high school when they came out (my first bike was a lethargic DT250). Sometime in the late 80’s I read an article in a motorcycle mag about a V-Max and the guys license plate read “Mrvmax” - hence my username. I upgraded to a KZ550 my senior year but longed for the Mad Max and drooled every time I saw one. I too look for an early one, I want the real air scoops on the early models. I’ll find one eventually as I’m sure you will.

I would assume it's going to need carb work. I would assume brakes might need looked at too (sticky pistons/piston seals and gummed fluid). I would also think new cables and most likely tires are in order. I would imagine you're looking at $800-$1200 if you can do most of the labor yourself.

If you can do that, just imagine what it's worth to you in excellent condition, and take $1200 off that number. (And then realize it's probably going to take $500 more than you thought.)

If you are interested in a 1980- KZ550LTD I have one for sale. I am the original owner and mileage is 4030. Bike is in excellent condition and I have always had it stored in a conditioned garage. I have never ridden a V-Max but sounds like a fun ride.

I’m in the market for an old (black) BMW motorcycle if anybody has any leads.

Just sayin’

quote:

Originally posted by ASKSmith:
....The bike was outside, and I did a quick walk around by myself, and walked back to my wife in the car. I told her I'm not even sure if I should knock on the door, the bike had obviously been neglected sitting out in the elements for so long......
So I knocked on the door, and told the seller that I was disappointed in the condition of the bike. And he told me he was disappointed in the condition of the bike.....


So I took it for a test ride. Having never ridden a V-Max, it is a very entertaining ride. It only does two things well: Go in a straight line very fast, and put a big fucking smile on your face. ......Cosmetically, it looks like a rat bike.

I had to borrow a helmet from a neighbor, whom also owns a bike I've been begging him to sell me. A very pristine 1990 Honda CBR1000F, which is in almost showroom condition. He offered me a deal that I would be hard pressed to pass up.....

But my heart yearns for a V-Max, so I shot them a lowball offer with the condition that I want the bike inspected at my expense, and if it doesn't pass, I can retract my offer.

I'm looking for a Sunday/Funday classic bike.....

Personally but I wouldn't be interested in a motorcycle that's only redeeming quality is go straight very fast, heck actually that's way down on the list, but that's just me. I guess if a VMax is what you really want and don't mind the cosmetic condition, and it's cheap, go for it. Or maybe better yet keep looking until you find a nice one. It's been my experience that parts for older Honda's are a little easier to find than those for older Yamaha's.

spring of 2006 come so close to buying a Vmax untill walking across show room to find a salesman and was turned around by the HONDA VTX 1800 F2 TITANIUM TRIBAL....fast foward to aug 2016.. approx 77,000 miles later a major flood event (41 inches) took it away ... just last week saw a Vmax in a parking lot ... and it looked GOOOOOD.... drill sgt.

quote:

Originally posted by Chris42:
I’m in the market for an old (black) BMW motorcycle if anybody has any leads.

Just sayin’

How old or what series? A friend is planning on selling his old 196_? R50 which is in pristine condition, but it's really more of a collector than a rider.

MRVMAX,

The year was 1985. Jay “Pee Wee” Gleason was turning the motorcycle world upside down with the new bike from Yamaha, breaking records with a bike that was designed around the engine of their touring bike. I recall reading an article where they raced it 0–100-0 against a Shelby 427 Cobra. Guess who won???

I’ve wanted one ever since then. The aftermarket support is plentiful, they are a cult bike, still in demand among enthusiasts. Although they are still fast compared to today’s standards, back in the day they were setting numbers the motorcycle world had never seen.

Stay tuned, the sellers have accepted my offer. Now to find a bike shop we can both agree on for a inspection...

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ASKSmith,

I had a '85 Yamaha V-MAX. A friend owed me money, so I ended up with the Max. I still owned a BMW.

The good part: It was fast and around 6,000 RPM, it really went fast. I used to street race cars after I had a few beers.

Tip: Overfill the crankcase by a half quart of oil, or the low oil light will come on at full power.

The not so good part: The headlight was crap. You could easily out run the light at night. Handling on turns was spooky. Skinny front tire and fat rear tire. Fork seals would leak. Starting the motor was tricky - Full choke and DO NOT touch the throttle or you flood the motor with gas. I got around 100 miles on a full tank.

I rode it for a year and then sold it before I could hurt myself.

1st Gen V-Max’s in excellent shape are going around $4500-5000, locally. Decent examples are around $3,000. Finding an original owner bike that has been unmolested is fairly rare. They’ve been passed down several owners who have each down their own mods.

I made an offer of $2000, with the caveat that it will be inspected first, which is required in my state, and it gives me the option of walking away if the inspection turns up any major issues. It won’t take much to get this bike back to original condition. It’s basically stock except for the exhaust. I can live with that, and it gives me about $1000 of “breathing room” to get it where I think it needs to be.

So I may be the 2nd owner of a pretty much original V-Max. 2003 with 19,000 miles.

Lots of bikes put a smile on our face.

My deceased nephew was a professional motorcycle mechanic whose personal bike was the VMax for the 2 reasons you describe.
He told me to NEVER buy one as shop rates were spendy, and they didn't really handle or ride 'all that well'. (Smile)

My own last big bike was a V65 Magna. It put the same smile on my face. I did find the top of 3nd gear was way faster than I wanted to go, and the middle of 4th gear was really hard to keep my feet on the pegs from the wind pressure.

Good luck.

My last bike was a ‘97 Suzuki Bandit 1200. It had the same engine as the air cooled GSXR 1100’s. I had it dyno’d at 127hp and 85ft/lbs. I believe stock numbers for a V-Max are around 145hp and 87ft/lbs.

But it’s all in how the power is produced. The V-Max has “v-boost”, basically a butterfly valve that opens in the intake manifold around 5700rpm, resulting in each cylinder being fed by 2 carburetors. The power is instant in every gear.

I plan on getting “classic” plates for it, to reduce the insurance cost. I honestly doubt this bike will see more than 2,000 miles a year. Looking at it will be almost as fun as riding it. It is a very impressive bike, and the nostalgia factor comes into play, as I’ve wanted one since I was 13, when they first came out.

I literally feel like I’m 13 again...

Get the VMax since you have been wanting one so long! Your neighbor with the CBR1000 will still be there next year when you decide on another bike!!

I recently took the motorcycle training course. Looking for something that will let me learn and expand.

We trained on the HD Street 500. I liked that is was a larger ride so that I got experience with something more realistic.

The top candidate I'm looking at right now is a used Kawasaki Versys 650 LT. While it looks more like a sport bike, it is set up for the rider to be in a relaxed position.

I'd be interested in hearing about other rides to consider.

SigSAC,

There are a lot of variables in that question. What type of riding do you plan on doing? Do you have a price range? What style of bike do you prefer? How tall are you (think seat height)?

You can get a lot of answers, and all can be correct. A 650 could be an ideal first bike, big enough to grow into, but not small enough you’ll quickly become bored. The good news is most entry level bikes keep their resale value. You can ride it a season or two, and probably sell it for what you paid for, if you bought it used. Any new bike purchase will take a depreciation hit.

One of the most important tidbits I can offer is, if you live in a deer infested area, I’d highly recommend avoiding riding around dusk/dawn. Ask me how I know this. Lol...

And wear all the gear, all the time. I’m alive because of this.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ASKSmith,

I drive a 2014 CB-1100. It won’t turn many heads at a Harley rally but it was relatively low cost, easy to care for.

We had a warm spell a few weeks back. I would of took it out, but was working some & the battery is out.

I used to ride with a fellow that had a first generation V Max, and I rode it some. It does indeed want to go fast, but only in a straight line! Not much fun in the twisties, but on a straight lonely highway it will slam your eyeballs into the back of your head! It ran like a scalded dog and required little maintenance. I have a soft spot for Yamahas, but prefer an inline 4, especially for sport touring.

I thought you wanted a Gixxer?