Yamaha V-Max
YAMAHA V-MAX
CYCLE WORLD TEST
It's back, and it's still the definition of horsepower
LET'S TALK EXTREMES. LET'S TALK MOTORCYCLES without compromise, devoted to a single, unwavering cause. Let's talk V-Max. When it comes to horsepower, Yamaha's V-Max is an extreme the likes of which production motorcycling has never known. Max isn't a flashbike. Max isn't particularly into profiling, touring or roadracing. Max means horsepower. And everyone knows it.
Matter of fact, the V-Max is an extreme example of an extreme. In the constantly changing world of modern performance motorcycles, the average model has a life expectancy of about two years. It’s new, then it’s old, then it's gone, replaced by something else that is new, then old, then gone in short order. In that environment, the mere thought of resurrecting a 3-year-old motorcycle that hasn't been in production for a year is laughable. And to imagine that this recycled cycle could step in right where it left off, at the top of the performance heap, is unthinkable.
But that’s exactly what the V-Max has done. After taking a year’s leave from the annual new-model wars, it has returned for 1988, every bit the asphalt-gobbling brute it was when it was introduced in 1985.
The V-Max wasn't dropped from Yamaha’s 1987 lineup because it had been eclipsed by something even more extreme. It was omitted because it was in greater supply than demand, a situation that came as no surprise to Yamaha. The V-Max was never destined to be a high-volume seller, but instead was designed to be a corporate flagship, to make a performance statement, to be a fantasy machine that most people would rather think about riding than actually saddle up and cut loose; an extreme, in other words. And as 1986 drew to a close, Yamaha still had a supply of V-Maxes in its warehouses, precluding the need to build an ’87 model. They were still available, and they were still the meanest thing on the road. Those '86 models have now sold out, so Max is back—although technically, he's never really been gone.
And he still oozes raw, unbridled horsepower. There are other bikes that can manage higher top speeds, but only because they have better aerodynamics. There are others that might run a faster quarter-mile, but only because they weigh less. Besides, none of that tells the real story of the V-Max, a bike that pumps more torque, more horsepower and more adrenaline than any production motorcycle ever made. That’s all it has to do; that’s why it exists.
Indeed, riding a V-Max seems all too much like indulging in one of those forbidden pleasures of life. But twisting the Yamaha's throttle open isn't immoral or fattening; and as long as you turn it closed before more than three seconds elapse, it isn't even all that illegal. But those can be three memorable seconds. And if you hold the throttle open much longer, no matter w hat gear you're in, you're likely to have every cop in the area fighting over who gets to slap the cuffs on you. The police know what V-Maxes are all about, and they watch with eagle eyes any time one goes by.
There are, of course, dozens of other bikes out there that can go fast enough to vaporize a driver's license before you can even get it out of your wallet. What sets the V-Max apart is how it goes fast, how it accelerates fiercely from any rpm, in any gear, at any speed. It is always ready to vanish in a cloud of dust and a roar of exhaust, instantly leaving the scene as though it were the Roadrunner rocketing away from the Coyote. And that willingness to lunge dow n the road at lightspeed is hard for anyone to resist. It takes willpower of steel to sit on the Yamaha, listen to its raspy V-Four muffler-music, feel that instant surge when the throttle is cracked, and not want to twist the end off the handlebar and send a few thousandths of your rear tire to vapor heaven.
The engine responsible for all this excitement isn't un usual today. and it wasn't even all that special three years ago. either. It's merely big. The I 6-valve. dohc, liquid cooled V-Four displaces 11 98cc. and has remained virtu ally unchanged since its introduction. Between 1985 and 1986, tighter EPA restrictions forced Yamaha to make the bike quieter through the use of a more-restrictive exhaust system. To compensate, the engineers increased the size of the V-Boost valves from 30mm to 32mm. In case you don't already know, V-Boost is an rpm-sensitive device that enhances the top-end performance. It consists mostly of a pair of solenoid-actuated valves that effectively allow each cylinder to be fed by two carbs once the revs climb over 6Ö00 rpm.
If the engine's technical credentials are kind of mundane, those of the chassis are positively boring. No singleshock suspension here, no Deltabox frame or aluminum construction; the frame and running gear are straight out of the Sixties. Actually, in a perverse sort of way, the VMax is the much-sought-after “standard” bike of the Eighties. Sure, the term conjures an image of a station wagon, when in fact the V-Max is more like a two-wheeled funny car; but the bike's footpeg location, handlebar bend and overall riding position all are very standard-ish.
Even the bike's handling is along those lines. At 600 pounds. Max is a bit heavier than the standards of old, but it has better tires and brakes than were available in the Seventies. The net result is a bike that handles competently, if not spectacularly, in all situations. It’s stable and comfortable on the freeway, reasonably agile on backroads. and manageable in town. And in the final analysis, the V-Max's biggest handling liability is not its chassis but its engine. The big V-Four is so potent and responsive that it demands constant respect. You just don't whack the throttle open in turns; you roll it on gently, and even then, only after you're pointed where you want to go.
On long, straight tours, the V-Max has a few' hitches, too. The seat looks wide and comfortable, but is actually hard and inhospitable. And while the twin-shock suspension performs acceptably on rough and tight roads, it’s harsh in most other conditions, giving Max a rather low TQ (Touring Quotient).
But that’s okay. There probably isn’t one V-Max owner who would trade a single horsepower for a softer seat or a smoother ride. Because that’s not what this bike is all about. There are enough other motorcycles that have those kinds of qualities. If you want a touring bike, buy a Venture or a Gold Wing. If you want a racebike, get a GSX-R or FZR. But if you want pow er—pure horsepower on two wheels, unwrapped and undiluted by any pretense of being anything else—then Mr. Max is who you want to see. Still.
YAMAHA V-MAX
$5899
SPECIFICATIONS
PERFORMANCE
