The Yamaha VMAX had to feature on our favourite cult bike list. The bike was introduced in 1985 and was to be sold in the US first. So the first keyword that Yamaha used to define the bike was simple: American Hotrod. Designed by Atsushi Ichijo, the current VMAX (originally named the V-Max) continues to ride on the same design lines as the first bike.
The bike gets a muscular design and air-intakes large enough to swallow small mammals whole; no wonder it’s called the Ghostrider’s ‘vaahan’. Apart from the looks, the bike has also been famed for its explosive acceleration. The first VMAX was powered by a 1200cc V4 engine that produced 145bhp and had the potential for having the most powerful acceleration on a road-legal bike. Although the plan was to equip the bike with a turbo charger, Yamaha came up with the ‘V-Boost’ system. This system consists of two passages, each connecting to a pair of the V4’s cylinders. The passages are closed until 5,700rpm after which an rpm-sensitive motor pulls a wire to open the butterfly valves in each passage. The V-Boost system added 10 per cent of power to the engine.
The V-MAX was sold the world over and apart from slight updates to improve braking, handling and safety; the bike remained almost the same from 1985 to 2007. It was only in 2008 that the ‘VMAX’ was launched, completely redesigned along with an all-aluminium frame. It also got the fuel-injected 1679cc 65-degree V4 engine as a stressed member of the chassis. This unit produces 196bhp at 9,000rpm and maximum torque of 167Nm at 6,500rpm via a five-speed manual gearbox and slipper clutch. Instead of the V-Boost system on the earlier V-MAX, the bike got the Yamaha Chip Controlled Intake. This lifts the air horns inside the air box with a servo at 6650rpm.
The 2009 VMAX also received major upgrades like a fully adjustable suspension, ABS and a fuel tank beneath the seat. In the same year, Yamaha launched the VMAX in India. However, the manufacturer has now dropped the ‘muscle-bike’ from their line-up in the country. If we get a chance, we at Bikewale would be overjoyed to get our hands on this maniac machine. The Yamaha VMAX was a trendsetter when it was first introduced 33 years ago and will remain an iconic motorcycle in the power cruiser segment in the years to come.
