Alas, Tommy Roderick, Kevin’s Duke and the Yamaha VMAX have all left the building – and yet they’re all still there and all still capable of putting out a ton of hot air and tire smoke – all things less a la fashionable now than ten years ago but just as adorable. Let’s face it, we live in a more sanitized, more sensitive world (even if the emission of a lot of hot air has reached pandemic levels). All the more reason to return once again to the past.
Like a good Chuck Norris joke (Chuck Norris doesn’t call the wrong number, you answer the wrong phone), the Star VMAX legend got bigger than the actual motorcycle. That’s not to say the VMAX isn’t a fire-breathing hell that eats less two-wheelers. On the contrary, the VMAX retains its title as the most impressive motorized cruiser of all time due to its incredible performance, menacing beauty and cult status. When a VMAX is turned on full throttle, it feels like the earth’s rotation is speeding up.All motorcycles derive their personality characteristics from their engine’s performance, sound and power, but the VMAX is the epitome of a motorcycle defined by its engine. The 2012 MAX has a Brembo radial-pump master cylinder controlling its dual 6-piston front brake calipers, ABS, slipper clutch, ride-by-wire, aluminum frame, and more, but that hardware pales in comparison to the 176 rear-wheel-drive of the MAX’s 1679cc V-Four powertrain.
The 2012 VMAX sells for $19,890. How much money you will spend on replacing the rear tires depends on your self-control or lack thereof. |
“If you’re into tire acceleration, the Max is the undisputed king of burnouts thanks to its outrageous power and shaft-driven rear wheel that’s harder to hook up than a chain-driven bike,” says the smoker. chief tires, Kévin Duc.
Revered among throttle junkies for its original “V-Boost” system – where each cylinder is mated to a single 35mm carburettor until a butterfly valve opens at 6,000 rpm allowing the Fuel mixture from all four carburetors feed into a common chamber from which each cylinder draws, resulting in a white-knuckle experience of forward motion. The new MAX, reborn in its current version in 2009, is fuel injected and not carbureted. YamaStar therefore had to design a new type of V-Boost system.
The VMAX’s V-Four engine delivers heart-pounding, searing acceleration. |
On the original V-Max, the side scoops were purely ornamental, but they are fully functional on the current VMAX.
Now Yamaha Chip Controlled Intake (YCC-I) and Yamaha Chip Controlled Throttle (YCC-T) replace the butterfly effect of the old model. At 6650 rpm, the YCC-I shortens the length of the intake runners from 150mm to 54mm in 0.3 seconds, while the YCC-T controls the throttle valves by calculating the input of a variety of sensors and calculates the best EXUP setting combination. , throttle position and ignition advance. The end result is a VMAX that doesn’t advance as dramatically at a specific rpm, but instead uses technology to smooth out and broaden the power delivery.
Ironically, it’s now the ungraceful deceleration that we found intrusive. “The ride characteristic I was least interested in was its harsh, annoying engine-braking response when it ran out of gas,” Duke says. Considering this is the new VMAX’s third year of existence, it’s surprising that YamaStar hasn’t programmed this effect off the bike. It’s not as if the VMAX didn’t come equipped with the technology to make the transition between acceleration and deactivation easier.
At the dragstrip, we posted a time of 10.16 at 136.10 mph (corrected for temperature and air pressure at 9.81 at 140.9 mph). |
At 66.9 inches between contact areas (0.4 inches longer than a Gold Wing), the VMAX is long, but it’s also wide. “As you ride Mr. MAX, the overriding impression is of a saddle as wide as a touring bike,” notes Duke. “It provides good support, but it forces short legs to struggle to reach the ground.” In other words, the bigger you are, the less intimidated you will be if/when the 683-pound (wet) VMAX gets somewhat unbalanced.
Lightweight is not a word used to describe the VMAX, but it will outperform other bikes of equal size and weight. And if not, the VMAX simply overtakes them on the straights.
For its size and weight, plus its 18-inch wheels, the VMAX handles twisty roads with better-than-expected proficiency, but athletic the bike isn’t, unless you’re talking about the power-lifting kind or athletics shot-putting. Although we didn’t detect any chassis flex when we forced it into a turn, “the VMAX’s narrow bars and considerable weight slow steering transition responses,” Duke says.
Fuel economy should be the least of the concerns for anyone looking to buy a VMAX, but we’ll mention here that we observed an average of 33 mpg. With its 4.0 gallon fuel tank, you’ll go 132 miles before you walk, and that’s no lie. On our return trip from Famoso Dragway near Bakersfield, we drove 30.8 miles with the low fuel light on. When a gas station finally showed up, it had 125.2 miles on the odometer and it took 3.78 gallons to fill up.
A shaft drive isn’t as effective at putting power to the ground as a chain, but shafts don’t require adjustment or replacement, and with 176 hp on tap you’d be doing a lot of both if there is had a chain. .
Drive the VMAX the way it’s supposed to be ridden and you’ll do much worse (26.3 being our lowest mpg). And that’s exactly what happens when it comes to owning a VMAX. To hell with fuel economy, protective fairings, aerodynamics and pretty good looks – that’s not what it’s about.
Though refined from its old V-Boost ways, the VMAX still embodies the elemental forces that appeal in much the same way as ’60s muscle cars did. In fact, according to Duke, “with its V-Boost engine 4 giant between your legs, you almost feel like you’re riding a motorcycle with a car engine.”
The 2012 Star VMAX is a combination of internal combustion bravado and industrial design that no other motorcycle can match. And let’s not forget its V-8 sprint-car sound. When it comes to power and presence, the VMAX remains the king of power cruisers.
The VMAX (née V-Max) will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2015. How fast will it be in 30 years? |
Related Reading
2013 Victory Judge Review
2012 Ducati Diavel Cromo Test
Review/Test Star V-Max 2009
2009 Harley-Davidson VRSCF V-Rod Muscle Review
1998 Muscle-Bike Shootout: Matchup of the Heavyweight Contenders
Alas, Tommy Roderick, Kevin’s Duke and the Yamaha VMAX have all left the building – and yet they’re all still there and all still capable of putting out a ton of hot air and tire smoke – all things less a la fashionable now than ten years ago but just as adorable. Let’s face it, we live in a more sanitized, more sensitive world (even if the emission of a lot of hot air has reached pandemic levels). All the more reason to return once again to the past.
Like a good Chuck Norris joke (Chuck Norris doesn’t call the wrong number, you answer the wrong phone), the Star VMAX legend got bigger than the actual motorcycle. That’s not to say the VMAX isn’t a fire-breathing hell that eats less two-wheelers. On the contrary, the VMAX retains its title as the most impressive motorized cruiser of all time due to its incredible performance, menacing beauty and cult status. When a VMAX is turned on full throttle, it feels like the earth’s rotation is speeding up.All motorcycles derive their personality characteristics from their engine’s performance, sound and power, but the VMAX is the epitome of a motorcycle defined by its engine. The 2012 MAX has a Brembo radial-pump master cylinder controlling its dual 6-piston front brake calipers, ABS, slipper clutch, ride-by-wire, aluminum frame, and more, but that hardware pales in comparison to the 176 rear-wheel-drive of the MAX’s 1679cc V-Four powertrain.
The 2012 VMAX sells for $19,890. How much money you will spend on replacing the rear tires depends on your self-control or lack thereof. |
“If you’re into tire acceleration, the Max is the undisputed king of burnouts thanks to its outrageous power and shaft-driven rear wheel that’s harder to hook up than a chain-driven bike,” says the smoker. chief tires, Kévin Duc.
Revered among throttle junkies for its original “V-Boost” system – where each cylinder is mated to a single 35mm carburettor until a butterfly valve opens at 6,000 rpm allowing the Fuel mixture from all four carburetors feed into a common chamber from which each cylinder draws, resulting in a white-knuckle experience of forward motion. The new MAX, reborn in its current version in 2009, is fuel injected and not carbureted. YamaStar therefore had to design a new type of V-Boost system.
The VMAX’s V-Four engine delivers heart-pounding, searing acceleration. |
On the original V-Max, the side scoops were purely ornamental, but they are fully functional on the current VMAX.
Now Yamaha Chip Controlled Intake (YCC-I) and Yamaha Chip Controlled Throttle (YCC-T) replace the butterfly effect of the old model. At 6650 rpm, the YCC-I shortens the length of the intake runners from 150mm to 54mm in 0.3 seconds, while the YCC-T controls the throttle valves by calculating the input of a variety of sensors and calculates the best EXUP setting combination. , throttle position and ignition advance. The end result is a VMAX that doesn’t advance as dramatically at a specific rpm, but instead uses technology to smooth out and broaden the power delivery.
Ironically, it’s now the ungraceful deceleration that we found intrusive. “The ride characteristic I was least interested in was its harsh, annoying engine-braking response when it ran out of gas,” Duke says. Considering this is the new VMAX’s third year of existence, it’s surprising that YamaStar hasn’t programmed this effect off the bike. It’s not as if the VMAX didn’t come equipped with the technology to make the transition between acceleration and deactivation easier.
At the dragstrip, we posted a time of 10.16 at 136.10 mph (corrected for temperature and air pressure at 9.81 at 140.9 mph). |
At 66.9 inches between contact areas (0.4 inches longer than a Gold Wing), the VMAX is long, but it’s also wide. “As you ride Mr. MAX, the overriding impression is of a saddle as wide as a touring bike,” notes Duke. “It provides good support, but it forces short legs to struggle to reach the ground.” In other words, the bigger you are, the less intimidated you will be if/when the 683-pound (wet) VMAX gets somewhat unbalanced.
Lightweight is not a word used to describe the VMAX, but it will outperform other bikes of equal size and weight. And if not, the VMAX simply overtakes them on the straights.
For its size and weight, plus its 18-inch wheels, the VMAX handles twisty roads with better-than-expected proficiency, but athletic the bike isn’t, unless you’re talking about the power-lifting kind or athletics shot-putting. Although we didn’t detect any chassis flex when we forced it into a turn, “the VMAX’s narrow bars and considerable weight slow steering transition responses,” Duke says.
Fuel economy should be the least of the concerns for anyone looking to buy a VMAX, but we’ll mention here that we observed an average of 33 mpg. With its 4.0 gallon fuel tank, you’ll go 132 miles before you walk, and that’s no lie. On our return trip from Famoso Dragway near Bakersfield, we drove 30.8 miles with the low fuel light on. When a gas station finally showed up, it had 125.2 miles on the odometer and it took 3.78 gallons to fill up.
A shaft drive isn’t as effective at putting power to the ground as a chain, but shafts don’t require adjustment or replacement, and with 176 hp on tap you’d be doing a lot of both if there is had a chain. .
Drive the VMAX the way it’s supposed to be ridden and you’ll do much worse (26.3 being our lowest mpg). And that’s exactly what happens when it comes to owning a VMAX. To hell with fuel economy, protective fairings, aerodynamics and pretty good looks – that’s not what it’s about.
Though refined from its old V-Boost ways, the VMAX still embodies the elemental forces that appeal in much the same way as ’60s muscle cars did. In fact, according to Duke, “with its V-Boost engine 4 giant between your legs, you almost feel like you’re riding a motorcycle with a car engine.”
The 2012 Star VMAX is a combination of internal combustion bravado and industrial design that no other motorcycle can match. And let’s not forget its V-8 sprint-car sound. When it comes to power and presence, the VMAX remains the king of power cruisers.
The VMAX (née V-Max) will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2015. How fast will it be in 30 years? |
Related Reading
2013 Victory Judge Review
2012 Ducati Diavel Cromo Test
Review/Test Star V-Max 2009
2009 Harley-Davidson VRSCF V-Rod Muscle Review
1998 Muscle-Bike Shootout: Matchup of the Heavyweight Contenders