got to ride a new V MAX

[not a biker]

my friend ordered a 09 V MAX last july, it came in friday. i got to put about 10 miles on it. i liked it . the seat is way more comfy then the old V MAX and the handling is very good for a 700 lb bike. power is very impresive. all around i loved it. we took a ride sunday to the ROCK STORE. we parked side by side. funny how more people are interested in a old 84 gs 1150 then a brand new V MAX.

[pkbjamn]

That's not too surprising. I have a 2002 Hayabusa in the garage with the 81 GS650 Cafe project. People look at the Hayabusa and nod, then begin to ask questions about the Cafe Racer. Go figure ....

[highmileage]

I get the same thing w/ my old GS and CBX.

Face it, anyone with a wad of cash can go buy a new bike, but to have a survivor all these years later is pretty trick.

I've had many people tell me that they much rather have a CBX like mine than any new bike just because it's so different than what they see everybody else ride...

And all this attention for a fraction of the price of a new bike.

While I will gladly agree that the new bikes offer so much more than the old bikes, having seen the price of admission on the new V-Max (it's like $18K!), as much as I'd kinda like to have one, I'll pass...

[Big T]

I get a fair amount of that with my GS and GPZ, but when I ride the Ducati, I have to move away from it quickly when parked as it always draws looky loos.

[Smokinapankake]

My neighbor and riding buddy Tim has an 85 V-Max that is in pristine condition. No doubt about it, its one bad a$$ machine.

[83GS1100E_Tornado]

Well, decided to go check out a new VMAX today, a dealership just north of me has one advertised on Craigslist. Apparently, the poor sap that put down the deposit lost his job and had to back out. Anyway, all I can say about it is............hmmmm. Didn't impress me as much as I thought it would. I mean, sure, it's a nice bike, but I really expected more, to me, it just didn't live up to the hype. I definitely don't like the exhaust, and the headlight doesn't do anything for me either. The seating position is VERY similar to my older one, it did feel a little heavier though, I started it up and it actually sounds alot like my old one too, not loud at all! Of course, the saleman said he had ridden it, and promised me it was faster than anything on the road, save the Busa' or ZX14, but I'm still on the fence about it. They have it advertised for 17,900, but I told them I had seen them selling up north for as low as 16K, and he said since they already had a grand made on it, they had some wiggle room, already came down to 16,900 before any "real" negotiating took place. Here's the kicker though. You can't test ride it! You can test ride a new R1 or R6, but not this "beast"? I told the guy that was a deal breaker for me, because I wasn't going to buy ANY bike without test riding it. He went and talked to the general manager and he said absolutely not, unless I went ahead and filled out all the paperwork for the purchase, including the financing! In other words, you have to buy it before you can ride it! Not me. I told him I would think about it and kindly went on my way. Funny thing though, bike has 15 miles on it, so SOMEBODY else was riding it! Pretty pi$$ poor way to sell a motorcycle, but I can understand their quandary. Oh well, I will just wait a year or two and wait until a used one comes around for half the price of new, they aren't exactly "flying off the shelves", and there is very little hope they will even make them again next year, kind of like a failed experiment like the B-King, if you believe the early indications. Most of it is because of the economy, but I think they just priced it a little bit too high. If it were in the 12K range, I would have went ahead and pulled the trigger, but it just didn't fire me up the way I expected it to. I really don't like the exhaust, the headlight, or the lack of some kind of fairing, although I'm sure alot of that will be made in the aftermarket soon, hopefully. Here are some pics I snapped at the dealership today, enjoy!

[83GS1100E_Tornado]

More pics

[tkent02]

Well, it certainly is a butt ugly machine, isn't it?
Out of curiosity, what does that warning sticker on top dead center say?

[bonanzadave]

Out of curiosity, what does that warning sticker on top dead center say?

"The surgeon general has determined that BBBB (Big Bad Buttugly Bikes) may be hazardous to your health." Or at least your wallet !

[almarconi]

If I were going to spend more than 10k on a bike, I'd rather have one of
these or a new concours.

[SqDancerLynn1]

Old school bikes will never be out of style

[ricardo]

I could get past the headlight but the exhaust look like something that should say mattel

[Rat44]

Well, it certainly is a butt ugly machine, isn't it?
Out of curiosity, what does that warning sticker on top dead center say?

Only to be ridden at night when people can't recognize you.

[Calvin Blackmore]

My God what a hideous Bike.

Its as if they believe a progressively ugly machine to be evolution of design.

[Grandpa]

That's one helluvan engine, as any Venture owner knows.