Yamahas You Can't Have

YAMAHAS YOU CAN'T HAVE

YEAH, YEAH, WE KNOW. Old news these bikes; one a run-of-the-mill VMax, the other a retro monster bike of the inline-Four variety. Big deal, right?

Have a closer look. First, Mr. Max-called the "V-Max Special" in this iteration-has fenders and dummy fuel tank made of carbon-fiber. Weight savings are minuscule, but the bike's street cred goes up a notch or two. And cast a knowledgeable eye at the shocks: piggyback Õhlins that can do only good things for Max's cornering gyrations. Up front, you'll find more trick tackle in the form of

four-piston Brembo calipers, a pair of `em.

Next up, the XJR 1300, based on the Euro/Japan XJR 1200 super-standard. Each cylinder gets a 2mm bore job, bump ing capacity to 1250cc and staying abreast of the Honda CB1300 (see "Quick Ride," this issue) in Japan's battle of bigbore retros. The XJR also gets the Ohlins/ Brembo treatment.

No, neither Yam is U.S.bound. Both were shown at Tokyo, where they were official ly listed as "special exhibition" models, pre sented in the spirit of kando, which Yama ha tells us is Japanese for "simultaneous feelings of deep satisfaction and intense excitement'

Kando? Can do!