Yamaha V-Max Bikes For Sale

Specs

• Seat Height: Low (765 mm / 30.1 inches)
• Weight: Very Heavy (286 kg / 631 lbs)
• Fuel Capacity: Average (15.0 litres / 4.0 US gallons)
• Economy: Average (40 mpg / 7.1 l/100km / 14.2 km/l)
• Range: Average (130 miles / 209 km)
• Top Speed: Very High (150 mph / 241 km/h)
• Capacity: Very High (1,198 cc)
• Power: High (145 bhp / 108 kW)
• Power to Weight: High (0.507 bhp/kg / 0.378 kW/kg)
• Redline: Average (9,500 rpm)
• Road Tax / VED: Very High (£101 Per Year)

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Price Guide & Used Prices

Review In A Few

What Is It?

The Yamaha V-Max is a cruiser style bike optimised for 1/4 mile drag races and is powered by a liquid cooled 1,198 cc V4 engine, producing 145 bhp at 7,500 rpm and maximum torque at 6,000 rpm.

Features include:

• Shaft drive
• 282 mm discs up front with two piston calipers
• 282 mm disc at the rear with two piston caliper
• Adjustable 40 mm fork with 140 mm travel
• Adjustable dual rear shocks with 100 mm travel
• Four 35 mm downdraft Mikuni carbs
• 5 speed gearbox

The V-Max was fist launched in the USA in 1985 and the iconic side air intakes were inspired by the fast jets flying over the designer in Japan at the time. It was designed with quarter mile acceleration in mind for the love of drag racing in the USA, but unfortunately it handled corners less well and generally tried to contain more power than the bits surrounding the engine could cope with.

It arrived in the UK in 1992 but with power reduced to 101 bhp, rectified in 1996 with the full 145 bhp V-Boost version. The early bikes basically had the V-Boost system turned off and there should be three buzzes on start up if it's enabled.

V-Boost adds 10% more power at the top end. At 5,750 rpm butterfly valves between the cylinders begin to open, reaching fully open by 8,000 rpm. The 15" rear wheel takes a 150/90 tyre and the front 18" a 110/90.

It's also known as the VMX1200.

Model History & Updates

1987: Front wheel joins rear wheel with dished Aluminium design and the air intakes change from silver to blacked out.

1990: Air intakes back to silver and electric starter added.

1991: Engine tweaks to unleash maximum torque at 3,000 rpm rather than 6,000 rpm and new exhaust system to reduce noise by 2 dB. Power reduced from 101 bhp to 95 bhp. Camshafts re-designed.

1993: Fork enlarged from 40 mm to 43 mm to improve high speed wobbles while the front discs moved from 282 mm to 298 mm. The generator was also upgraded.

1996: Air intakes and forks are half blacked out while wheels and exhaust are now all black.

1998-1999: The exhaust, fork and wheels are back to silver.

2001: Carbon look added to fuel tank

2005: 20th anniversary special red edition with red pinstripe wheels. The V-Max was actually unavailable to buy new in the UK 2005-2008 however some have found there way over and command a premium.

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