Road test of Yamaha1700 V-MAX 2012 The run machine!!!

Our tester's opinion on the 1700 V-MAX from 2012

there are moments in life that are a joy to behold,

oh, sure, you think of marriage, the birth of a child or even your first kiss of love...
But here I'm talking about a simple, furtive moment.
Let's get to the point: I'm telling you about my latest orgasm.

i go into the Yam importer's garage to drop off my TDM and pick up a V-Max for a week.
It's already starting to smell good.
On the way to the machine, I pass a group of policemen picking up a new "special police" SuperT, to whom the operation of the 1200 is explained.
Diligent, they listen attentively to the well-rehearsed speech by Yam's "press relations" man, but when Christian pulls out the Vmax, I sense that they're a little distracted, and frankly more than a little interested in the big 4-cylinder.
And when I'm about to mount the beast, surrounded by the men in blue, it's with a blissful smile that I stop, change my mind, slap my forehead and turn back to my TDM, telling them: "I almost forgot to transfer my Coyote from one bike to the other because, in my opinion, with 200 hp between my legs, I might need it!"
Here it is, that simple, but oh-so-pleasurable moment!

tHE MACHINE HAS RUN!

the pressure was on, ever since I knew (and let it be known;-)) that I had a VMax on my racing calendar.that I had a VMax in my test calendar, the comments from those who had already had a chance to ride it were unanimous: it's a bomb, a monster, "it works harder than a Hayabusa", they said, and so on.
Even my rather calm-tempered motorcyclist advised me that, in case of rain, it would be better to continue on foot.
When it comes to confidence-building, there's nothing better!

with this in mind, I set off from Yam on eggshells. Firstly, I didn't want to get stuffed in front of the cops (given that the beast weighs 310 kg!), and secondly, I risked losing 5,000 euros. Yamaha could only insure the VMax with a deductible of this amount.

can you imagine my state of mind during the test?
Let's put aside for a moment these lowly material considerations to enjoy the simply staggering finish of this bike.
huge, long and imposing, the Vmax manages to moisten the mouths of many motorcyclists right from the start. Indeed, I can't imagine a two-wheeled enthusiast who doesn't drool over such a machine.
The big 4-cylinder V-twin clatters at idle, and as soon as you turn the throttle a few millimeters, the engine makes its voice heard and the bike vibrates on its stand.
The mechanical noise gives the impression of a hyper-prepared racing bike.

after a few kilometers, the pressure is off, if you take the trouble to stay under the throttle.after a few kilometers, the pressure eases off, and if you take the trouble to stay below 4,000 rpm, the 1700cc remains "civilized", and apart from the weight at very low speeds, it handles without a care in the world.

unsurprisingly, passing through the first urban center leads to 3 reflections:
1) if I keep looking at myself in all the shop windows, I'm going to get a car!
2) Damn, I've got to get a move on before my legs and other male attributes get cooked!
3) How and why does everyone look at me, envy me with admiration...?

when you turn the ignition on the V-max, you'll notice that the liquid-crystal screen on the second dashboard, which is located on the false tank (and which, by the way, is illegible when you're riding), sends you a welcome message: "Time to ride - This is V-Max", and when playtime's over and you switch off the engine: "See you next time", nice, isn't it?

after the welcome message, the instrument panel goes back to work, providing information on: the gear engaged and the time in the center, on the right: trip 1 or 2 and oil temperature, and on the left: total mileage and tank level. The central rev-counter I'm looking at is topped on the right by a shift-light flash, which, when lit, announces both the ignition switch and the (momentary) halt in the passage to the speed of light!
Yes, with this kind of monster between the legs (I'm still talking about motorcycles here ;-)), the slightest opportunity coupled with a straight line of some consequence immediately makes you want to wring out the right-hand throttle.
Let's just say that from 4th gear onwards (and there are only 5), you can start to think about turning the throttle energetically if the road is dry and straight.
Otherwise, it's a guaranteed run!

for readers less familiar with stunts (and for my father, who corrects my texts), "a run" is the term used to designate a spinning of the rear wheel while riding.
For 98% of motorcycles, to achieve this, you need to apply the front brake more or less hard.
In the case of the Vmax, up to 3rd gear (or 5th in the rain), there's no need to use the front brake, as the 200 horsepower available from 5,000 rpm puts a strain on the grip of the 200 mm wheel flange.
Fortunately, the 1,700 mm wheelbase and the bike's natural stability don't make this a perilous exercise.
In both dry and wet conditions, the big V4 starts the run with a 10 cm slide to the left or right to stabilize itself and "smoke" its rear tire.
To give you an idea of the power, I did a test between 2 short runs (less than 2 kilometers) on the ring in Germany!
Starting off at +- 100 km/h, I settle into the mini backsplash saddle in 3rd gear and get into the swing of things, managing the rear tire.
I choose to stand up straight, a position made possible by the protection and width of the front assembly (headlight-motor-counter), 4th, ignition switch, 5th and I arrive at the next exit.
I see the speedometer: 253 km/h, the bike's stability has remained impeccable and the hard braking to stop at the stop sign doesn't even trigger the abs!

unlike its predecessor, the new Vmax has been fitted with a chassis commensurate with its power.

obviously, at this rate, the 18-inch rear wheel won't have a very long life expectancy, but it's clear that the buyer of a Vmax doesn't normally have too many financial worries.
The starting price ("just" under 20,000 euros in Belgium) is enough to dissuade the average biker. Then there's the bike's high fuel consumption (at least 10 litres per 100 km), its short range and the difficulty of getting around town (engine heat, wheelbase, 140 mm ground clearance). All these factors would normally be the death knell of the motorcycle's sales and, to say the least, thwart its success

but no, the two-wheeled enthusiast remains above all an enthusiast, and the commercial success of the Vmax (old and new generation) only proves that dreams are still a buying factor.

See you soon

Oli the Belgian