February '09 Bike of the Month

1985 Yamaha Vmax

In 1984, one of the gnarliest motorcycles of all time hit the streets. The Yamaha Vmax and its 145hp(!) V4 easily asserted its dominance as the sport cruiser. 145 horsepower. That may not sound like a lot to those not into motorcycles, so let's put this into context:

-In 1985, Harley Davidson's "big twin" bikes were making 64hp.

-Harley's current horsepower king is the V-rod (featuring the "Revolution" engine) Horsepower? 121.

-Only the newest and most expensive super-bikes have gotten closer to the 200hp mark.

Speed and power were not the only goals of Yamaha's R&D team. They wanted the bike to tap a market of individuals interested in V8 muscle cars; essentially hot-rodders. To that end, the bike was marketed as just that--an "American Hot-Rod." Now, anything can be marketed as a hot-rod, but the Vmax more than lived up to the title (never mind the "American" part). Every gear head knows that there is more to a hot-rod than big power and speed. It has to have "that feel," and "that sound." This bike has both in spades. As Donald "Duck" Dunn says in the classic Blues Brothers, it has a sound "that could turn goat p*** into gasoline." It turns out that a well-designed and tuned V4 sounds a lot like a V8 due to firing order, and that would be a great conversation piece by itself. But when the throttle is cracked wide open in any gear, the line between the two engines becomes a bit blurred--along with the scenery. Take a listen to it here. Skip forward to the 1:15 mark of the video.

The Vmax featured a performance enhancement called "Vboost," which kicks in at 6000 rpm and opens butterfly valves, allowing each cylinder to be fed by two carburetors instead of one. There is nothing like riding or driving a vehicle that seems to "come alive" at a certain rpm, and the Vmax is certainly no exception. The complexity and size of the intake system, with its twin side scoops, made it necessary to move the fuel tank. It was relocated under the seat--hence the odd-looking hinged bump between the driver/passenger seats. The Vmax featured a drive-shaft final drive instead of the typical chain, which helped with reliability. The design of the bike was basically unchanged for over 20 years, which is a near-miracle in the motorcycle industry (Harley is exempt here). The bike has garnered a huge following, with dedicated support and fan sites the world over.

Below are two pictures, one of the 1985 original, and the other of a 2001 model. Can you pick out the differences?

After the 2007 model year, Yamaha decided to "bite the bullet" and completely redesign the Vmax. This left many enthusiasts wondering whether or not justice could be done to the absolute menacing attitude of the original. I will leave you hanging until next month, when I will cover the new one in depth.

I have heard it said that the Vmax may not be a sport-bike, with its upright riding style, but staying ahead of sport-bikes isn't hard. Just pin the throttle and spray everyone with road debris and chunks of rubber!