1999 Yamaha V-Max Cruiser reviews

I am very pleased with the straight line performance of my Max. The handling leaves a bit to be desired. Stops very well and goes like... well you know. No wonder they have been around for 20 years. Show less

' just got my Vmax last week (1998 w/ 6k mi.-"used little"). Had/have a 1977 Honda 750 supersport which I loved but my wife wanted more back seat comfort. So far we like the max (It came with the sm. windscreen, forward foot pegs/engine guards, and the sissy bar). The only concerns I have at this point are; 1)The front seat/operators position forces all my weight onto the tail/pelvic-bone area -causing soreness after about 20 miles. 2)The handle bar grips could be about 2" more forward (my left wrist gets sore where it is (I am 58 yrs. and ~5'9"/ 162#). 3)Foot pegs/controls could be a couple of inches lower and/or forward.(seat ht. is 30" vs the 32" I'm used to.). Excepting for the seat discomfort -it's a "Keeper" for sure. p.s. That huge engine produces a lot of heat on a hot day and I see the temp. needle climb onto the lower red limit when we're sitting for a minute!-better get it moving. Show less

I currently own a 1994 V-Max, and the bike is yellow. This bike is great, i love the design, which is the same one ever since 1985. Performance wise the bike is unbelievable. I greatly encouraged people to own one. Show less

My last review written about three weeks ago was less than enthusiastic concerning the purchase of my '99 V-Max. There was so much about the bike I liked such as the looks, quality finish, comfortable ride, shaft drive, etc., but the all-out-white-knuckled performance I had expected just didn't seem to be there. I consider myself and older and mature rider (49), but I still like a good kick in the pants just like everyone ele who rides a motorcyle once in a while. Today I made a modification to the bike that made all the difference. It's called T-boost, and it works with the factory V-boost to bring in the extra carburetor power at 3,000 rpms, instead of 6,000 rpms. Now, for just about all normal driving, I have lots of extra power and acceleration which is what I expected when I bought the Max. It was there before but you had to get the motor up to 6,000 rpms which is just not practical or safe for most of the driving I do. The T-boost can also be switched off at any time, and I think it is probably a good idea when driving in traffic. Why don't V-maxes come from the factory with a lower limit for the boost to kick in? I have heard that it is mainly due to emission problems, but I wonder also if it isn't really just too much power for Yamaha to sell over the counter to the average rider. Whatever, I am now 100 percent exited and happy with my '99 V-Max and would recommend the cycle to anyone. -But add the T-boost -which is available on different V-Max websites; is fairly easy to install, and costs only around $50. Show less

I owned a Yamaha V-Max for about a year. Still feels like the most powerful bike I have ridden to this date. When the V-boost kicked in it made me grin from ear to ear. The only bike I have ridden that has come close to the same feel for me is a CBR1100XX that had 140 RWHP. The V-max still made me smile more! I would like to add another V-Max to my stable some day and regret selling my old one. Show less

i must say right off, this is no ordinary power cruiser. it is the true "sleeper" of all pwer cruisers and unless you previously know the reputation of the "vmax", you best not challenge it at a stop light. its best to just admire it and say "hey, nice bike man!" i am somewhat of an amateur rider (3 yrs) all of which has been on my vmax. the bike can scare you if you dont assure yourself good stopping distance. the back wheel tends to chirp during heavy braking in certain situations. also the rear end will side out from underneath you while down shifting in any degree of wetness on the ground. the riding position is comfortable but i recommend the upgrade to a corbin seat or rms sportmax seat. the power is all there even after 50,000 miles. i ran side by side next to my father's 2001 vmax all the way up to 110 mph and he didnt gain an inch on me. after market pipes bring out th e real monster in this bike but damn, i dont think its necessary unless you have a death wish. anyone else wishes to ask further questions, feel free to email me@ bluevmax@adelphia.net Show less

Owned my '99 V-Max for 3 weeks now and I'm still trying to decide if it's the bike for me (No, the dealer wouldn't let me test-drive it before I bought it......). I bought the bike over a FZ1 and Suziki Bandit, and had also looked at Valkyries and sport bikes. My previous ride was a Honda CB 900, and I'm 49-years-old. I was not first impressed with the V-Max. I just didn't get the feel of all that power, torque, and "white-knuckle" acelleration that I had heard so much about. The V-4 configuration is also nowhere near as smoothe as the inline four-cylinders I was used to. The bike IS fast, and powerful, but I think a little exaggerated as far as some of the words I have heard to describe it ("Dangerously-fast," "rocket," "beast," etc.)I had no problems pushing the bike hard from day one; twisting the throttle, hitting the V-boost, and agressive cornering (for a sit-up bike). The power and speed was manageable and predictable (and as I mentioned -a little disappointing), and I have yet to scare myself with this cyle -as I was warned would happen. I am making this point for any of you that have considered this a "dangerous" motorcyle, and for that reason, were worried about buying one. I would say it would only be dangerous in the hands of a irresponsible rider, and all others would not have any safety concerns not associated with any motorcycle. My initial disappointment with the performance (or may too-high expectations)is waning quite a bit now after 3 weeks of riding. I like the bike more each day it seems, and I am very glad I purchased it. Good overall finish, good brakes, good balance, comfortable seating position, nice shifter, great clutch, "feel" of a big bike, best-looking motorcycle since 1985, and a good bike for riding two-up. I guess if I want more performance from my MAX I'll have to go the "mod" route (jet kit, headers, etc.), but for now I'm going to leave it alone and enjoy it like it is. It's plenty fast, -just not the F-16 I was expecting in stock form. The only other drawbacks I see at this time are the well-documented poor gas milage, and small fuel tank. -As soon as you fill it up you've got to start thinking about needing more gas! Like most, I think, I fell in love with the looks of this bike the first time I saw one, and I think it's only a matter of time before I begin to love everything else about it. East Tennessee rider says hi to everyone,and ride safe! Show less

yamaha built a cruiser that is not just a bike to cruise but it is really very torqueee machine, i had a max year ago and believe me that i regret that y i sold it;-( my experience with it was really very gr8, if u guyz like to have a sports cruiser go for max (max power)! Show less

I'll start by saying I love this bike so much I have 2 of them. One with over 120,000 miles on it, all original stock. Durable. Loves the Highway. Can lean in a curve and has the throaty growl of a lion. Not bad on maintanence cost, has torque out of this world on the luxury of shaft drive, thus no chain adjustments needed. Only drawback, you have to stop every 125-130 miles for gas. I have driven from New Orleans to Maine in 2 days, and driven in bumper to bumper traffic at rush hour. I have driven in below freezing and above 100 degree temperatures, rain or shine. The Max is about raw power and delivers it. Show less

There is no excuse for Yamaha not evolving this bike. The engine is one of the best there is so why have they kept the rest of the bike in the 80's. The brakes are crap, the finish is truely awful, ( I watched mine dissolve before my eyes during it's first winter), and don't believe those tales that every Max owner seems to have of how they regularly blitz sports bikes, it ain't going to happen. Show less