Can it be? Is the long awaited and hoped for new Yamaha Vmax just around the corner? Are long suffering, frustrated Vmax devotees about to have their faith restored? If the countdown clock on the Yamaha Europe website is to be believed, it looks or at least sounds like the new Vmax is coming June 4th. When you go to the website, there is a brief sound clip. Listen to it a few times. ... No details, yet.
Actually, it's on the US website now, too.
Is that shouting, cheering and applause I hear? Actually, I'm grinning myself.
Thanks for the tip, Roger!
Link: Star Motorcycles
Link: Yamaha Europe
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A time clock for the first custom VMax to appear should start on June 4th.
It will be interesting to see the custom world evolve. Stretched choppers to stretched ‘Busas to who knows with the V-Max ?
That sound is formidable.
clarification: first new-era custom V Max
The Canadian Yamaha site has a count down clock for the same date. Talk of a 500cc scooter and . . . the new V-Max!
THE ONLY BIKE FROM JAPAN THAT I HAVE EVER LOVED, I CAN”T WAIT.
It’s nowhere my current shopping shortlist (street triple, shiver, f800gs, 695) but I really want to see how this thing looks/rides after all this time – the most recent update of a modern classic went horribly wrong (ducati 696 monster – maybe seeing it in the flesh will change my mind?) hopefully they will only change what needs changing, and not go too wild with overstyling the thing….
I wonder if they fixed /upgraded the pathetic walnut sized gas tank? The brakes were horrible on the 80′s models so hopefully that was addressed also.
Maybe it will a total redesign. Those engines were known to drop valves into heads and also the infamous shaft drive spline that broke causing the cases to be split in order to repair.
A chain drive would also be a plus…
Good Luck Yamaha
PS: Dont hire Pee Wee Gleason to do the 1/4 mile tests either.. no one weighs 110 pounds with leathers on.
I would think that a chain drive is a must, given the popularity of extended swingarms and wide tire kits on hayabusa’s – suzuki likely would have lost more sales to the zx-12 and zx-14 if the busa wasn’t such a customizers dream.
ditto a strong engine – the gsx/gsxr 1100, bandit 1200 and ‘busa all got street cred for the high levels of tuning they could take. for any bike with a close link to the drag strip, this is a required feature.
Well, since they are choosing to promote the bike under the “Star” brand that would suggest to me they are going to soften it up a little. Shaft drive would be a likely fit on a Star bike.
Maybe they are going to use the Max to spice up the staid image of the brand.?.
-todd