Post-Sale Update: After 24 bids, this Yamaha V-Max sold for $4,550.
The Yamaha V-Max was the quintessential example of 1980s muscle bikes that Japanese manufacturers came out with after Honda introduced the Magna. Suzuki also had a competitor called the Madura, but the Yamaha V-Max is the hands-down favorite of Bike-urious’ staff.
Considered a power cruiser, this bike took a tuned version of the V-4 engine from the Yamaha Venture which made over 110 horsepower, made over 80 pound-feet of torque. The prodigious power and excellent acceleration was enough to make up for the wallowy suspension and below average handling characteristics. The Yamaha V-Max was popular enough that it was produced until 2008 (nearly 23 years!) with only a minor refresh in 1993.
The Yamaha V-Max is a very distinctive looking bike, particularly with the distinct intake manifold. The “V” of the name is a reference to the V-Boost system, which controlled butterfly valves in the manifold to increase horsepower. The V-Max is an unique bike in the motorcycling world. It’s fast, dangerous, and totally impractical. It gets poor gas mileage, and it doesn’t handle particularly well. But crack open the throttle in a straight-line, and you’ll immediately forget about all the negatives I just listed. For those of you that consider themselves experienced motorcyclists, a ride of the Yamaha V-Max should be a requirement – this bike puts a smile on your face like few other bikes can. There’s a reason why Cycle World considers the Yamaha V-Max a classic – check out what they had to say in a recap here. Just keep in mind – suspension technology has made serious advances since this review came out!
This specific Yamaha V-Max is being sold by the third owner, and has less than 4,000 miles. In the last few years, this original condition bike has had the carbs rebuilt, the original fuel tank relined, and the clutch and master cylinders rebuilt. As a 1985 model, this bike is one of the first released – so ditch the original tires and give this bike the use it deserves!
Find this Yamaha V-Max here on eBay in Lancaster, Pennsylvania with bidding at $3,800 and less than 3 days to go.