Yamaha V-Max

In 1984 the world was not what it is today and the Yamaha V-Max was a shock to the senses in every respect. Here was something completely different; here was a dragster for the road. This was a time when triple-digit horsepower figures were the exception rather than the rule and the numbers for Mr Max sat at a claimed 145PS at 9000rpm and 11.8kg-m at 6000rpm, enough to make it a straight-line bitumen-stripping, chassis twisting, rubber-burning standover boss.

The 1198cc liquid-cooled DOHC V-four boasted 10.5:1 pistons, and inhaled big lungfulls of full-strength oxygen through four 35mm Mikuni downdraft CV carburettors. To add a bit more firepower to the pump-action delivery, there was the V-boost above 5000rpm. What's V-Boost you ask? Well, V-Boost is Yamaha's take on "natural supercharging" - at 5000rpm each cylinder suddenly received the attention of two carbs instead of one.

The frame is nothing special, being tubular steel with a long wheelbase of 1590mm. At the pointy end there are 43mm air-assisted forks, while keeping the guard off the tyre are a pair of preload and rebound adjustable twin shocks. Arresting the forward motion are dual 282mm discs which later became 298mm, snagged with four-piston calipers. Back-up duty is supplied by a single 282mm disc-twin-piston caliper mix. Guiding the 262kg (claimed) plot and laying the considerable stomp on the bitumen are a 110/90x18 tyre up front, and a fat - for the time - 150/90x15 rear.

ON THE ROAD
These days most sports tackle will clear off and leave the poor old Max in the draught. However, in isolation it's still a powerful motorcycle and not to be disrespected. Seating is comfy despite being very low at 765mm, thanks to having a good bar-peg relationship. As a result, you could actually enjoy touring on the 'Max, especially as the 15-litre tank would mean that leg stretching stops around the 200km mark would be fairly frequent.

Although it steers quite well courtesy of the narrow front tyre, you really can feel the length and kilos at low speed. However, the handling improves as the speed increases and once up to a reasonable lick the bike sits on the road with a high degree of composure. However, hustling a V-Max through any series of rapid curves is going to have the rider working his or her upper body to initiate the changes of direction.

Once things get into the high entertainment zone however, things change. A succession of flic-flac corners and a few bumps will have it misbehaving like a day releaser in a house of ill repute. The later versions of the brakes were a huge improvement. But once again pulling up something weighing 262kg is no easy task, and don't be surprised to hear some fairly savage knocks from the forks as they bottom-out across bumps. Put off? Don't be; it's possible to improve things dramatically, more of which later.

IN THE WORKSHOP
When things are this big, there's not a lot that goes wrong with them, and the V-Max is no exception. The starter clutch on the Max sometimes gives trouble. While it's possible to repair it at home, I have it on good authority that getting a specialist to repair the faulty unit is quite cheap at about $200, and often comes with some sort of peace-of-mind warranty.

The other item that gives trouble is the regulator, which can also manifest itself through lazy starting. If you put a meter across the battery with the engine running, the charge rate should be 14.5 volts at 2000rpm. If you notice that the oil light flashes under hard acceleration, don't panic, as this is normal. The oil pickup is at the rear of the engine while the sender switch is at the front, proving that the engineers who designed the V-Max had a sense of humour.

A service at your local dealer will cost around $250-300 for a basic service and upwards of $500 depending on parts for a major, which should occur at every 12,000km when the valves are checked and adjusted.

MODIFICATIONS
Where do you start? Assuming you're happy with the performance, you'd be mad not to sort the chassis and suspension. Start with the front forks, which are pathetically under-sprung and under-damped. A set of Gold Valves matched with a quality set of fork springs are essential, and dicing the standard shocks for a pair from a twin-shock specialist like IKON will transform the ride quality and sheer useability. With new springs fitted, the front of the bike will sit higher, so if the steering needs sharpening up, dropping the forks 15-30mm will make things a little easier.

There are other modifications which will make the bike a sweeter handler, such as fitting triangulating frame-braces and pinning the removable section of the frame, but the benefits are dependent on how much finesse you want - it's never going to be a sports bike. Braided lines are a must.

In the go department, the sky's the limit. A big-bore kit with some clever head work will unleash 170-plus horsepower, while a few smart mods like a pipe and jet kit will reap significant gains.

WHICH ONE?
All those that made it into Australia were the better-suspended and braked versions, so it doesn't matter. Just make sure it's in good condition.

SUMMING UP
Overall there's a lot of fun to be had with a V-Max, it's cheap, fairly exclusive and arguably a better cruiser than any of the current crop that would like you to believe they have a bad attitude, but in reality are little more than sheep in wolves' clothing. The V-Max is set to be a classic as nothing of its type has ever looked the way it looks and nothing has had the performance to match. Do you want one? Course you do! Thanks to Mick Hone Motorcycles (03 9890 0304) for the loan of its V-Max for our shoot.