Yamaha VMAX
Maxabout Review
The King Is Here!!
Monday, September 14, 2009
Overview
John Reed, an English designer who lived in California was contracted by Yamaha to design the ultimate custom bike. He designed a muscle cruiser based on the Venture engine. Upon its release in 1985, the V-Max garnered instant critical acclaim and earned the title "Bike of the Year" from Cycle Guide.
Until 2007, the original V-Max was offered for sale through the Star Motorcycles division of Yamaha Motorcycles. Apart from a minor freshening to the bike's specifications in 1993, when the bike gained a larger-diameter fork to minimize high-speed wobbling and drift, four-piston brake calipers, and other handling and safety related upgrades, the 2007 V-Max was almost the same as the original 1985 version.
Yamaha Motors India has launched the 2009 model of V-Max in Indian market. V-Max is priced at Rs. 20,00,000 (Ex-Showroom New Delhi). On 16th September along with V-Max Yamaha also launched 3 limited edition variants of FZ Series:
- FZ16 Limited Edition
- FZS Limited Edition
- Fazer Limited Edition
Yamaha's Intention is to make the customers feel exclusive and special while creating a pride of ownership in them. Only 3,000 units of White color Limited edition FZ16, FZ-S and Fazer models will be produced and will be priced at Rs. 66,500/-,Rs. 68,500/- and Rs. 73,500/- respectively (Ex-Showroom New Delhi)
Design & Style
Aggressively-styled hand-finished aluminium air intakes mounted on the front left and front right side of the dummy fuel tank give the VMAX a muscular profile, and direct an intense flow of air straight into the massive new airbox which is approximately twice the volume of the design on the existing model. By delivering a strong supply of cool, fresh air, this new large-capacity airbox is designed to maximize the significant performance gains associated with the new YCC-I system.
The beautifully-finished black main frame spars arc forcefully across the top of the mighty V4 engine and down to the pivot in a semi-loop, accentuating the massive engine’s handsome profile, and giving the new VMAX a bold, athletic and high-tech image. The VMAX’s new diamond-type frame has been developed using Yamaha’s industry-leading chassis design and manufacturing technology, and features an immensely strong yet lightweight structure that is made up from a variety of gravity-cast, CF die-cast and extruded aluminium sections.
This innovative new design incorporates gravity-cast components for the main frame and pivot assembly, while the rear frame is made from a range of Yamaha’s exclusive CF die-cast parts and extruded parts which are welded together. This combination of these different types of aluminium, each with a different rigidity level, is one of the major factors in achieving the desired balance of rigidity. To fine-tune this balance even further for excellent handling and accurate rider feedback, the wall thickness on the main frame varies from between 3mm through to 6mm.
Engine & Transmission
Powering the 2009 VMAX is an all-new 1679cc liquid-cooled 4-stroke DOHC 65 degree V4 engine which has been designed to offer an unforgettable acceleration experience created by higher levels of power, and an imposing design. The engine develops maximum power of 194 Bhp at 9000 rpm with maximum torque of 170 Nm at 6500 rpm.
These truly impressive power and torque figures are the result of many factors, not least being the 40% increase in the new engine’s All Yamaha’s control technologies feature in the latest incarnation of its V4 cubic capacity. In addition to the extra cubes, the completely redesigned VMAX engine also benefits from the application of some of the most advanced Yamaha engine management technology ever seen in the category.
The new VMAX benefits from this advanced technology with features such as YCC-I (Yamaha Chip Controlled Intake) and YCC-T (Yamaha Chip Controlled Throttle) which are key factors in achieving the new engine’s high levels of power. This new high-tech engine is the first Yamaha V4 to be equipped with a sophisticated new fuel injection system, which, together with the YCC-I and YCCT, ensures that the powerful 65-degree V4 engine is fully equipped to deliver previously unimaginable levels of standing-start and rollon acceleration.
But the engine offers a whole lot more than awe-inspiring acceleration feeling, and advanced hip-controlled technology. It not only delivers outstanding straight-line performance, but it also ensures instant pick-up at all engine speeds, and offers remarkable performance right across the rpm range, making the new VMAX a top performer on both the strip and the open road. The VMAX has a governed top speed of 220km/h, by a smart system, that still allows a complete quartermile run under full acceleration.
In order to keep the new engine’s front-to-rear length as short as possible, it adopts a 65 degree V bank, compared to 70 degrees on the original VMAX. This narrower angle between the massive cylinders serves to concentrate mass for more neutral handling performance, and makes the new powerplant 27mm shorter (from front to back) than the original model.
YCC-I - Yamaha Chip Controlled Intake
The YCC-I (Yamaha Chip Controlled Intake) system is designed to vary the intake funnel length so that it is ‘tuned’ to give a positive intake pulse that best suits the prevailing engine speed. When engine revs rise above 6,650 rpm, electronically-controlled servomotors cause each intake funnel to separate instantaneously, effectively creating a shorter intake funnel measuring only 54mm, which enables the VMAX engine to deliver even stronger performance from the mid-range right through to peak rpm.
Fuel Injection and YCC-T – Yamaha Chip Controlled Throttle
Another highly advanced feature seen on the new VMAX is the YCCT Yamaha Chip Controlled Throttle, which features the same design as that used on the current Yamaha supersport models. This innovative throttle has a remarkably high calculating speed, and assesses the engine’s running conditions every millisecond, which enables the system to respond instantaneously to rider inputs.
Instrumentation
Mounted on top of the dummy fuel tank is a multi-function Organic Electro-Luminescent “OEL” instrument panel which displays a wide range of information on its 256×64 dot display. This newly designed OEL panel gives a bright, easy-to-read display and offers an instant response, and its functions include:
- Odometer
- Tripmeter
- Clock
- Fuel gauge
- Temperature gauge
- Gear position
- Running fuel consumption
- Intake air temperature and throttle openin
- Stopwatch with a countdown function.
Braking System
The braking system that has been developed for the new VMAX is one of the most sophisticated and powerful designs ever seen on a Yamaha motorcycle. At the front end, dual 320mm diameter wave-type discs are gripped by radial-mounted 6-piston calipers for excellent stopping power – and for superb feel, the master cylinder features a radial-type pump. And for strong, confidence-inspiring braking, the new VMAX runs with a 298mm wave-type disc slowed by a pin-slide type single-piston caliper.
The VMAX is equipped with a newly-developed linear-controlled hydraulic ABS system which is designed to enhance braking control over a variety of road surfaces and in varying riding conditions. The hydraulic control system is activated by a linear solenoid valve which prevents wheel lock-up during braking, allowing the rider to experience smooth lever action and achieve effective braking on different types of road.
This innovative and compact ABS system combines the ECU and hydraulic mechanism into a single unit which is situated under the seat. By keeping the system’s dimensions to a minimum, neither the machine’s aesthetics or weight have been compromised, and the positioning of the unit ensures that overall mass centralisation is enhanced.