Motorcycle Yamaha V-Max 1 200 - a cruiser can also be sporty

Japanese motorcycles have long been the benchmark for reliability, style and performance, but this has not always been the case. At first, manufacturers from the Land of the Rising Sun diligently copied European and American models, and then modernized and refined them.


It quickly bore fruit - in the "sport" and "classic" classes, the Japanese won the championship. Moreover, they began to massively sell their bikes to Europe and the USA, forcing out local manufacturers.

Only in the chopper/cruiser class, wildly popular in the US, did the Japanese fall behind for a long time. The same Harley-Davidson was incomprehensible to them - an outdated structurally bike with a huge expense, clumsy. But they adjusted - they began to make their own versions of choppers / cruisers, from time to time not just copying, but equipping them with derated engines from sportbikes.


Sometimes Japanese manufacturers broke through into something unimaginable - non-standard, which in the Land of the Rising Sun and Europe would hardly have been immediately appreciated. But in the USA, with their love for pomposity, such models often “come in”, after which they suddenly begin to see clearly in other parts of the world.

One of these iconic motorcycles was the Yamaha V-Max 1200, known to fans as the "Male Hammer". This is not just a cruiser, but a real drag racer, capable of surprising both with its acceleration and terrible handling at speed.

History of the legend

Japanese engineers from Yamaha conceived to create an unusual bike in the early 1980s. At that time, only the Soviet and Czech motor industry could afford to exploit the developments of the past decades, minimally modernizing the appearance and performance characteristics. The Japanese had to fight with competitors.


To give something special, designer Akira Araki decided to focus on the favorite entertainment of Americans - quarter-mile races. They were held not only in the class of cars, but also motorcycles.

Looking at the races, Araki saw that home-made "monsters" on the chassis of sports Suzuki Katana with liter engines were in the lead. It was these customs that were taken as the basis for the design model, which was embodied in a running copy in 1984.

The premiere cannot be called loud - the Japanese did not believe that a strange motorcycle could become a bestseller, so the Yamaha V-Max 1200 prototype was shown in one of the dealerships, of course, with the invited press and chopper / cruiser lovers.

The effect was like a bomb explosion - American bikers demanded a new motorcycle, were ready to make an advance payment for it. The Japanese, knowing that competitors could interfere in the race, quickly set up serial production of the model. In 1985, it was already officially sold in the US and Canada.


Interestingly, in their homeland, in Japan, the model began to be offered later, as in Europe. Sales started only in 1986.

By the way, Akira Araki himself did not act in a Japanese way with the Yamaha V-Max 1200. He risked his career, because the motorcycle immediately did not like the company's management. They openly spoke out against him and agreed to debut in the United States only for the sake of "maybe they're lucky."

Appearance of the model

Yamaha V-Max 1200 turned out to be revolutionary. Even now, there are few production models that can compete with the Sledgehammer. The bike looks like a custom without any alterations.



A false tank is located on top so as not to spoil the overall picture of the layout. The real fuel tank was hidden in the subframe under the driver, and by the way, it is quite large - 15 liters.


The instruments of the motorcycle are located in two sections. The first is classic, like a cruiser - it is located on the steering wheel. This is the usual archaic "well" of the speedometer.

The second section is located at the top of the false tank and looks like a tidy sports dragster, of course, homemade. There is a tachometer, control lights and an antifreeze temperature gauge in the engine.

Мотор

The most important thing for the Yamaha V-Max 1200 is the power unit. V4 with a displacement of 1 cm198 develops a fantastic 3 hp for the mid-80s. With. However, for Japan and Europe, motorcycles give out from 145 to 97 hp. With.

The base motor from the Yamaha Royal Venture was boosted from 90 to 145 hp. With. thanks to the V-Boost system. By the way, initially it was planned to introduce turbocharging into the frame of the motorcycle, but there was no place for this - and so the model has too tight a layout.

In fact, there is nothing fundamentally new in V-Boost. In short, after 6 revolutions, it opens the damper, connecting pairs of carburetors and pouring a double portion of the air-gasoline mixture into the cylinders.


The result is logical - despite the driveline to the rear wheel, which is rumored to "eat up" up to 25% of the power, but in fact, no more than 10%, 145 hp were removed from the engine. With. Well, the consumption is appropriate if you turn the engine above 6 rpm.

Only the frame of the Yamaha V-Max 1200 is to match the 1980s - the usual duplex, made of steel. For a powerful engine, it is clearly not enough - there is little rigidity. And the motorcycle also has a front fork and brakes that are average for their time, that is, they do not match the motor.

It’s not for nothing that the Yamaha V-Max 1200 was called the “Sledgehammer” and “Ax” - this projectile is about the same controllable as the above tools after a heroic swing. That is, the bike flies along the indicated trajectory, but it is difficult to turn or brake at speed.


Because of this, the motorcycle had a lot of complaints. In 2003 and 2007, the model lost 5 liters each. With. in the USA for this very reason, although it was officially said about compliance with the new environmental standards.

Changes

Motorcycle Yamaha V-Max 1200 turned out so successful that it was produced 23 years in a row, without much difference. There were minor edits and minor improvements that did not pull on a full-fledged restyling of the model.

In 1987, new wheels and a number of design nuances appeared. Despite the beginning murmur from customers about the handling shortcomings, Yamaha engineers were in no hurry to finalize the model - it sold well anyway.

In 1993, the motorcycle was redesigned more seriously - the diameter of the fork legs was increased from 40 to 43 mm, the two-piston front brakes were changed to four-piston ones from Brembo, the discs also became larger in diameter and received perforation.


There were no more changes. Do not consider the limited edition black edition of 1996 as an upgrade.

Motorcycle disadvantages

Like any old bike, the Yamaha V-Max 1200 has enough problems. Among them there are specific, inherent only to this model. When buying a Sledgehammer, you need to be aware that it is better to immediately overpay for a copy in good condition than to restore a “shabby” motorcycle.

With proper care, the model is quite trouble-free, but often repairs are difficult due to the density of the layout. If you have to get into the engine, then the owner will remember the Japanese engineers more than once with a bad word.

The overrunning clutch here is from a Yamaha Virago 535 and it is not well adapted to the loads that a powerful engine produces. Its body can crack, and the part itself is held on by three bolts. If you miss the moment, the clutch will fly apart, spreading the motor. The state of the node is recommended to be monitored periodically.


Aggressive riders often fly clutch. The gearbox also does not like sharp jerks - gears are produced.

Strange, but the Yamaha V-Max 1200 gimbal drive is also not the most reliable part, which also sins with oil leaks. The frame is soft and brittle, many strengthen it on their own with spacers and brackets.

Despite the disadvantages, the Yamaha V-Max 1200 is still considered a legendary and popular motorcycle. Its cost in the secondary market starts from 200 and ends at 572 thousand rubles.