Yamaha vmax 1200 full power

Finally getting around to making the vmax running. Part exed a running Kawasaki 750 for this, with a known engine problem - my diagnosis (which was correct), was a holed piston, but it had other issues - badly score bores on the rear pair.
a pair of replacement liners were fitted, tops skimmed (easy to say, but I had to make a jig to hold the upper crankase in two positions), ready for rebuilding. Sadly though my quick look over the rest of the engine missed a badly worn crankshaft.
So I splashed out on a replacement engine. But crikey, these things are fragile. Whilst replacing the generator with mine (analogue Vs digital pickups) I found a short 6mm set screw in the bottom of the casing. Off with the sump then - see pic of more carnage - the loose bolt had allowed the main oil gallery to drop, the fabled orange o ring to break and pop out, as well as a return oil pipe to fall into the sump.
I used solder to build up two places either side of a the adjustment o ring, which seemed to work. I couldn't find my gaskets so had to make a sump and side cover gasket.
Engine now running, looks ok. I'm fitting some normal controls as well as keeping the forward controls it came with.

 

thats a whole lot of motor in that frame

 

At 04.26 is that a supercharger that is fitted to that machine with the external toothed belt and pulleys?

 

Yep, not fast enough from the factory...
The vmax is one big, heavy engine. It was also a poor design that should have been improved, but they only fiddled with it. The crank is flimsy, the oiling system fails, they overheat, leak water, head gaskets fail, did I say it was heavy?
They must be something else to ride, otherwise no one would buy one.
The xj's engine is a beauty compared to the vmax's

 

l didn't know about the faults with them. That's a heavy looking engine l like the XJ although l have not tried a V Max.

 

A point and shoot bike that I would pick up if the price was right.

 

They hold their values over here - 1980's xj - £600 to £1000 for a good one, same age Vmax 3 times that. And as I've found, the Vmax is anything but vice free.
Managed to get the gearchange working today, with the link to forward controls working as well. One of the difficulties has been the aftermarket engine mountings, stripped captive nuts etc. Will finish the rear brake controls tomorrow night, then take all the duff mountings off and weld in new nuts etc. Takes an age

 

Minimutly,
Don't get me wrong, if one came across my path for the right price I would pic her up. I love the hooligan bikes big time, love the torque, they have. Fun bike to take out from stop sign to stop sign, not so much on long hauls to taking that knee down in a corner. I love the look of that huge engine in that frame. I have owned most of the big V4's but a Vmax, do to their cult following and their price. Like trying to find a good priced Honda Hawk 650GT not going to happen.

I wish you the best of luck and I really hope you enjoy her, they are fun bikes.

 

Those forward controls have now been supplemented by normal controls - so I have both. I have to say I wasn't geatly impressed by them - 6mm stainless bolts in single sheer on the brakes is a bit dodgy imho.
Now replaced with clevice pins in double sheer or 10mm ht steel. Once all fitted together with the right fasteners etc, rubber gaiters etc pics to follow.

 

Pics of (almost completed dual controls). Fasteners still to be replaced with ht steel socket heads, 6mm adjusting thread to be changed for 8mm etc. also need to refit the return and break switch spring bar.

 

Been getting on with this. Nearly ready for mot test. Bought a new front tyre, refitted the engine mountings and frame cross brace (welded in new captive nuts), changed the oil filter, battery, made and fitted an airbox cover. Today I thought I'd drop the fork oil - pooee, what a pong, no wonder it's a handful. Will fill it with some synthetic gear oil for now and flush out again in the next few days. Anyone have anympref for fork oil - the manual says 10W, I'm thinking some Silkolene synthetic?

 

Mine isn't a V-Max, it's a naked Venture Royale

 

I guess that pulls like a locomotive with no carriages?

 

Short,
How does that bike ride...will she pull your arms out of their sockets then you give her fill throttle? Reason I ask, there are a lot of those full dress models in my area. I have heard they do not have the same tuning at a VMax and even if you play with them they are still mellow bikes. I love bikes with huge torque. Vs1400, F6C Honda....

 

The vmax tuners use the star engines as basis to get extra ccs, then bore bigger, add the full power kit. 6000 rpm all hell breaks loose, you'd better not change gear just then - wrong time to take your fingers off the bar to pull the clutch...

 

Mine had an issue with one cylinder the summer I had it on the road...it was normally only running on 3 cylinders. You wouldn't have known, as it still moved okay running on 3. When that 4th cyl kicks in a full throttle tho....