Not having been around, or at least not old enough to ride bikes, in the days when the original V-Max was launched, I missed most of what the fuss was all about. In the couple of years I have been riding I have unfortunately not had the pleasure to find out what the original V-Max was all about.
Thus when the very rare opportunity came to ride the brand new V-Max, I honestly didn't have a clue what to expect. I had heard about this ludicrously powerful "muscle" bike, yet to me it still looked like nothing more than an overpriced cruiser. And then by cruiser standards my experience has mostly been riding Harley Davidsons of all sorts, which foolishly led me to believe that the V-Max would be much like a V-Rod, the names are virtually the same after all...what a mistake.
When I first saw photos of the final release version of the bike, I didn't exactly think it was ugly, but it was a hell of a long way from drop dead gorgeous. Having met the bike in person now, my opinion has changed quite drastically. It's not that the bike has become better looking, but rather that the details you see up close and personal give you a real appreciation for the amount of thought put into producing this motorcycle.
When I first saw photos of the final release version of the bike, I didn't exactly think it was ugly, but it was a hell of a long way from drop dead gorgeous. Having met the bike in person now, my opinion has changed quite drastically. It's not that the bike has become better looking, but rather that the details you see up close and personal give you a real appreciation for the amount of thought put into producing this motorcycle.
Being a limited production bike, no cost was spared on specially machined aluminium covers, with even the exhaust header being covered in aluminium presumably to keep the bike looking as good as the day it left the factory, and hiding the discolouration of the actual header pipes over time (or it might just serve the purpose of heat shielding, as some Yamaha fans have pointed out to me). Maroon accents can be found all over the bike, breaking the typical Black & Chrome combination, but adding a very exclusive and classy touch to the overall package. Everything has an immense sense of quality, and of course at the higher than average purchase price this is exactly what one would expect.
Everything on the bike looks fairly normal, except for those massive air intakes either side of the tank, the massive exhausts coming out of both sides and then the rear end which I don't like all that much but suits the bike very well with it's Mad Max styling. Looking at the bike it reminds me of a game I played many years ago Full Throttle. It's almost like it comes straight out of a comic book, for once the bean counters at Yamaha were told to bugger off so the designers and engineers could have their fun.
Yamaha build quality has always been phenomenal, and you would be hard pushed to find anything out of place on this bike. There are no wires or cable ties anywhere in plain sight, which can't be said for most bikes these days. If I have to be nitpicking then the only problem I experience with build quality was that the padding on the left side of the seat leading up to the tank, felt just a little bit more than on the right which might be fixed with a slight adjustment or fitting change on this specific bike.
Getting on the bike for the first time, knowing it weighs just over 300kg, it is a pleasant surprise to find that it feels much lighter than expected. My only real gripe with the bike is that the seat is too wide, making it feel much taller than it really is, because you can't put your feet down as firmly as you would like to. Quite possibly this is only an issue for someone of my stature, because generally it feels like the bike was built for people much larger than myself, which is strange for something of Japanese origin. Still cruisers are usually quite easy to flat foot due to their being so low, and it especially helps since they are always heavier than other bikes. It's tricky putting ones feet down when stopping, partly because of the wide seat but more so the protrusion of the rubberised foot pegs, which is of course the norm for cruisers so it shouldn't be a problem for anyone used to these kinds of bikes.
Initially the bike is somewhat scary, not because of the power from the 1679cc V4 engine as you would expect, but because of a strange dip when almost at full steering lock. Navigating the parking lot to get to the world outside was somewhat daunting, especially when you remember the price of the bike underneath you, never mind the fact that it's not even yours and one of only a few in the country. Coming from a sportbike background the low speed handling probably feels normal to regular cruiser riders, but in my case I had to over think every move just to make sure I don't topple over.
Surprisingly the moment I got into second gear and on the move, the initial fears of toppling over dissipated completely. I had told myself that I wouldn't be lane splitting on my journey, cutting out potential damage as much as possible. That was until the first gap in traffic presented itself, and I took a quick look around the bike to check clearance, and then proceeded through the gap and continued doing so for the rest of the trip. The only real worry when splitting cars, are the exhausts sticking out from either side of the bike, but amazingly the bike handles traffic so well I could easily live with it on a day to day basis. The turning circle is quite wide, so you won't be making any quick lane changes between cars, but then again with this being a cruiser you generally wouldn't be in a hurry to get anywhere would you?
Breaking free from stagnant city traffic, I finally got to open up the throttle and experience the massive V4 engine between my legs. I was told you don't need anything other than top gear, which is 5th, because it feels like you are breaking away from the traffic lights in 1st on any other bike. Hearing that statement I figured it was the typical marketing push, but I was astounded to find it to be absolutely the truth, and the realisation was shortly followed by a massive grin on my face. And then I did it again, and again, and again to the point that my face started hurting.
Spanking the V-Max away from the lights the weight of the bike is actually quite comforting, because you know that although it feels like the nose is going to come up any second it simply won't, at least not without some serious man handling of the clutch. Of course with that much power, breaking traction is a concern, but ultimately anyone should be able to launch the V-Max at warp speed much more easily
Sadly the engine note isn't quite as exciting as I had dreamed, which I'm sure has more to do with the environmental regulations of late, rather than by Yamaha's own choosing. Of course fitting some aftermarket exhausts would resolve that problem, but at an exponential cost I'm sure. That being said, having a quiet sleeper bike is exactly what you need to scare the daylights out of unsuspecting superbikes at the lights, or even better non-biker boy racers.
The V-Max will go from 60 to it's limited 220 km/h in top gear without hesitating, and without even breaking a sweat. I have never overtaken other vehicles as easily as I have with this bike, and I think it would make for a fantastic tourer if it weren't for the limited tank range I'm guessing the 15l tank offers. Which brings me back to my only real issue with the bike, the seat. Riding around town sitting up against the tank is quite comfortable with reach to the bars quite relaxed, and the gear and brake levers easily accessible. However when you approach highway speeds and you want to employ the crazy acceleration on offer, you have no other option than to sit back against the stop in the seat, otherwise you will slide right off. The problem is that in that position the reach to the bars becomes somewhat taxing, and at the same time the angle of the gear shifter a little sharp, not that you need to change gears, but it means you can't really grow into the position over time, and train yourself to sit against the stop permanently. Ultimately if the stop was adjustable the seat would have been perfect, but that would be asking too much, especially since the stop pops up to reveal the fuel filler cap.
The wind is surprisingly not much of an issue. Granted I ride a Naked bike everyday, so I'm easy to please compared to most, but for a wide which doesn't even try to keep the wind out it does a surprisingly good job. Naturally under extreme acceleration one's head gets pushed around a bit, but generally the torso and arms are well covered as well as the upper leg area. If anything the wind is a problem from the knee down where your feet are completely open to the elements and you need to make some effort to keep them on the pegs. Still overall I went out on a moderately windy day and it honestly didn't bother me in the slightest. As heavy as the bike is it should be really comfortable in cross wind conditions, not something that can be said for most.
At cruising speeds of 160-180km/h the V-Max is most comfortable, not only from a wind protection and ergonomic perspective, but also because the engine simply settles there. Acceleration from that speed is almost exactly the same as anywhere else in the range, but aerodynamics count against you and anything over 200km/h becomes a chore. Braking is phenomenal, simply because you expect something this big not to stop at all, never mind as well as it does. The ABS is a nice to have feature, although I didn't specifically test it out, and I'm not sure I'd want to. Besides who needs brakes, this bike just wants to go, go, go.
Although I only rode about 60km, I did so on familiar roads and again you just don't expect the bike to handle so well. Sure it's not a superbike, but it storms into corners with confidence, instead of the wobbliness experienced with all the cruisers I've ever ridden. Although the turning circle is quite wide, you don't want a bike like this to turn on a dime either. I much prefer slower steering, over twitchy snappy handling with this kind of motorcycle. The tyres are normal by all standards with the usual 120 up front, and a 200 at the rear, which means replacing them shouldn't be too much trouble.
One would need to have a Get-out-of-jail-free card if you plan to ride the V-Max on a day to day basis, as it simply does not do slow, at least not on the highway. Whenever I looked down I found myself at 160+km/h, even though it didn't feel like that at all. At the same time it idles along at 60km/h without complaint, so it's all about your mental ability to control that right hand, but then again why buy this bike if you only want to cruise. The power is a little tricky in slow corners, as you need to be on the throttle to steer the bike, but putting in those small throttle inputs around those corners can be a mental battle of extreme proportions. Strangely, I expected engine braking to be very strong but it's not, possibly due to the slipper clutch and shaft drive combination, as I can't remember ever riding a shaft driven bike which had a slipper before. The clutch itself is very easy to operate, although the reach was a bit far, and thinking back now I never even checked to see if it was adjustable. Although the gearbox is a bit clunky and quite loud, it's soft to operate and very accurate never missing a shift or hitting a false neutral.
Looking back I don't have anything particular to comment about the suspension, which leads me to believe it's more than adequate. Normally after getting off a bike the complaint is generally that the suspension is either too hard, or too soft. In this case I honestly can't say that I found the suspension bothering me in either manner, and that tells me it's perfect. Should you find yourself unhappy with the suspension it is fully adjustable, which is something you rarely find on a cruiser.
On top of the tank is a small screen hidden under more machined aluminium, indicating the usual odometer, trip meter, time and temperature gauge as well as a half-circle fuel gauge and gear indicator. The gear indicator is a strange one, since I honestly don't see why you would need it with this bike, but mostly because it's location is impractical since you need to look down between your legs to view it. Maybe Yamaha just put it there to add another feature to the list, just in case someone felt it was lacking.
In front you will find the usual dashboard with analog rev counter, digital speedometer, the usual warning lights and a massive dragster style shift light.
Maybe I should stop referring to it as a cruiser, because as much as it looks like one, it's nothing like any cruiser I've ever ridden, except maybe for typical tractor gearbox. As I said at the beginning, I expected the V-Max to be something like a Harley Davidson V-Rod, which is not even remotely the case. The V-Max is a truly unique experience, and not having the money for one I find it difficult to justify paying R235 000 for a motorcycle, but I'm dead certain if I had that kind of money, it would already be on it's way into Yamaha's account.
The Key is a somewhat strange entity. It is so large and oddly shaped that I doubt any biker would be able to pocket it comfortably. Yamaha must have done this on purpose to get people to place it where everyone can see it, thus scoring some free marketing. I couldn't figure out if it's possible to attach it to anything, but then again it would be quite difficult to lose something that big.
Which actually brings me back to a thought I had before riding the V-Max. I wondered why anyone would pay this kind of money for a generic Japanese bike, when they could have a Harley with a true heritage. Well I found that the V-Max isn't generic at all, if anything the Harleys seems generic in comparison, but most of all it might not have a heritage, but it sure is the start of one.
Regarding generic, one thing I simply cannot get over are the indicators straight from the Yamaha sportsbike parts bin, which spoils the dark and handsome looks of the bike completely with their screaming orange covers. Personally I would have fitted smoked or clear indicators with orange bulbs, instead of orange covers. Other than the indicators I have personal issues with the seat, which would probably be perfect if you carry a little bit more than average weight.
The V-Max is so solid that it almost feels immortal. When you approach an obstacle you think to yourself that if things should go wrong, you'll just fly straight through it, and out the other side in one piece without a scratch.
If you have the money, I doubt you will find anything else in this class as entertaining. If only Yamaha built a smaller engine, smaller chassis and somewhat lighter version at half the price, then I would have one parked in my garage...but then again that would completely defeat the purpose of the V-Max.Initially the bike is somewhat scary, not because of the power from the 1679cc V4 engine as you would expect, but because of a strange dip when almost at full steering lock. Navigating the parking lot to get to the world outside was somewhat daunting, especially when you remember the price of the bike underneath you, never mind the fact that it's not even yours and one of only a few in the country. Coming from a sportbike background the low speed handling probably feels normal to regular cruiser riders, but in my case I had to over think every move just to make sure I don't topple over.
Surprisingly the moment I got into second gear and on the move, the initial fears of toppling over dissipated completely. I had told myself that I wouldn't be lane splitting on my journey, cutting out potential damage as much as possible. That was until the first gap in traffic presented itself, and I took a quick look around the bike to check clearance, and then proceeded through the gap and continued doing so for the rest of the trip. The only real worry when splitting cars, are the exhausts sticking out from either side of the bike, but amazingly the bike handles traffic so well I could easily live with it on a day to day basis. The turning circle is quite wide, so you won't be making any quick lane changes between cars, but then again with this being a cruiser you generally wouldn't be in a hurry to get anywhere would you?
Breaking free from stagnant city traffic, I finally got to open up the throttle and experience the massive V4 engine between my legs. I was told you don't need anything other than top gear, which is 5th, because it feels like you are breaking away from the traffic lights in 1st on any other bike. Hearing that statement I figured it was the typical marketing push, but I was astounded to find it to be absolutely the truth, and the realisation was shortly followed by a massive grin on my face. And then I did it again, and again, and again to the point that my face started hurting.
Spanking the V-Max away from the lights the weight of the bike is actually quite comforting, because you know that although it feels like the nose is going to come up any second it simply won't, at least not without some serious man handling of the clutch. Of course with that much power, breaking traction is a concern, but ultimately anyone should be able to launch the V-Max at warp speed much more easily
Sadly the engine note isn't quite as exciting as I had dreamed, which I'm sure has more to do with the environmental regulations of late, rather than by Yamaha's own choosing. Of course fitting some aftermarket exhausts would resolve that problem, but at an exponential cost I'm sure. That being said, having a quiet sleeper bike is exactly what you need to scare the daylights out of unsuspecting superbikes at the lights, or even better non-biker boy racers.
The V-Max will go from 60 to it's limited 220 km/h in top gear without hesitating, and without even breaking a sweat. I have never overtaken other vehicles as easily as I have with this bike, and I think it would make for a fantastic tourer if it weren't for the limited tank range I'm guessing the 15l tank offers. Which brings me back to my only real issue with the bike, the seat. Riding around town sitting up against the tank is quite comfortable with reach to the bars quite relaxed, and the gear and brake levers easily accessible. However when you approach highway speeds and you want to employ the crazy acceleration on offer, you have no other option than to sit back against the stop in the seat, otherwise you will slide right off. The problem is that in that position the reach to the bars becomes somewhat taxing, and at the same time the angle of the gear shifter a little sharp, not that you need to change gears, but it means you can't really grow into the position over time, and train yourself to sit against the stop permanently. Ultimately if the stop was adjustable the seat would have been perfect, but that would be asking too much, especially since the stop pops up to reveal the fuel filler cap.
The wind is surprisingly not much of an issue. Granted I ride a Naked bike everyday, so I'm easy to please compared to most, but for a wide which doesn't even try to keep the wind out it does a surprisingly good job. Naturally under extreme acceleration one's head gets pushed around a bit, but generally the torso and arms are well covered as well as the upper leg area. If anything the wind is a problem from the knee down where your feet are completely open to the elements and you need to make some effort to keep them on the pegs. Still overall I went out on a moderately windy day and it honestly didn't bother me in the slightest. As heavy as the bike is it should be really comfortable in cross wind conditions, not something that can be said for most.
At cruising speeds of 160-180km/h the V-Max is most comfortable, not only from a wind protection and ergonomic perspective, but also because the engine simply settles there. Acceleration from that speed is almost exactly the same as anywhere else in the range, but aerodynamics count against you and anything over 200km/h becomes a chore. Braking is phenomenal, simply because you expect something this big not to stop at all, never mind as well as it does. The ABS is a nice to have feature, although I didn't specifically test it out, and I'm not sure I'd want to. Besides who needs brakes, this bike just wants to go, go, go.
Although I only rode about 60km, I did so on familiar roads and again you just don't expect the bike to handle so well. Sure it's not a superbike, but it storms into corners with confidence, instead of the wobbliness experienced with all the cruisers I've ever ridden. Although the turning circle is quite wide, you don't want a bike like this to turn on a dime either. I much prefer slower steering, over twitchy snappy handling with this kind of motorcycle. The tyres are normal by all standards with the usual 120 up front, and a 200 at the rear, which means replacing them shouldn't be too much trouble.
One would need to have a Get-out-of-jail-free card if you plan to ride the V-Max on a day to day basis, as it simply does not do slow, at least not on the highway. Whenever I looked down I found myself at 160+km/h, even though it didn't feel like that at all. At the same time it idles along at 60km/h without complaint, so it's all about your mental ability to control that right hand, but then again why buy this bike if you only want to cruise. The power is a little tricky in slow corners, as you need to be on the throttle to steer the bike, but putting in those small throttle inputs around those corners can be a mental battle of extreme proportions. Strangely, I expected engine braking to be very strong but it's not, possibly due to the slipper clutch and shaft drive combination, as I can't remember ever riding a shaft driven bike which had a slipper before. The clutch itself is very easy to operate, although the reach was a bit far, and thinking back now I never even checked to see if it was adjustable. Although the gearbox is a bit clunky and quite loud, it's soft to operate and very accurate never missing a shift or hitting a false neutral.
Looking back I don't have anything particular to comment about the suspension, which leads me to believe it's more than adequate. Normally after getting off a bike the complaint is generally that the suspension is either too hard, or too soft. In this case I honestly can't say that I found the suspension bothering me in either manner, and that tells me it's perfect. Should you find yourself unhappy with the suspension it is fully adjustable, which is something you rarely find on a cruiser.
On top of the tank is a small screen hidden under more machined aluminium, indicating the usual odometer, trip meter, time and temperature gauge as well as a half-circle fuel gauge and gear indicator. The gear indicator is a strange one, since I honestly don't see why you would need it with this bike, but mostly because it's location is impractical since you need to look down between your legs to view it. Maybe Yamaha just put it there to add another feature to the list, just in case someone felt it was lacking.
In front you will find the usual dashboard with analog rev counter, digital speedometer, the usual warning lights and a massive dragster style shift light.
Maybe I should stop referring to it as a cruiser, because as much as it looks like one, it's nothing like any cruiser I've ever ridden, except maybe for typical tractor gearbox. As I said at the beginning, I expected the V-Max to be something like a Harley Davidson V-Rod, which is not even remotely the case. The V-Max is a truly unique experience, and not having the money for one I find it difficult to justify paying R235 000 for a motorcycle, but I'm dead certain if I had that kind of money, it would already be on it's way into Yamaha's account.
The Key is a somewhat strange entity. It is so large and oddly shaped that I doubt any biker would be able to pocket it comfortably. Yamaha must have done this on purpose to get people to place it where everyone can see it, thus scoring some free marketing. I couldn't figure out if it's possible to attach it to anything, but then again it would be quite difficult to lose something that big.
Which actually brings me back to a thought I had before riding the V-Max. I wondered why anyone would pay this kind of money for a generic Japanese bike, when they could have a Harley with a true heritage. Well I found that the V-Max isn't generic at all, if anything the Harleys seems generic in comparison, but most of all it might not have a heritage, but it sure is the start of one.
Regarding generic, one thing I simply cannot get over are the indicators straight from the Yamaha sportsbike parts bin, which spoils the dark and handsome looks of the bike completely with their screaming orange covers. Personally I would have fitted smoked or clear indicators with orange bulbs, instead of orange covers. Other than the indicators I have personal issues with the seat, which would probably be perfect if you carry a little bit more than average weight.
The V-Max is so solid that it almost feels immortal. When you approach an obstacle you think to yourself that if things should go wrong, you'll just fly straight through it, and out the other side in one piece without a scratch.
