Whats faster the FJ1200 or the V-max?

[Burns]

I've owned both and I can tell you that the V-Max is MUCH faster - to the gas pump. Tiny tank and MPG's in the mid 30's make this a town bike
since anything over 100 miles between gas stations is dicey. 

Tests show the FJ/Max through the traps within a heartbeat of one another and the FJ outperforming the Max pretty much everywhere else except a certain roll-on. The FJ rolls on stronger at some speeds and the Max is stronger in some others.

They are both great bikes, but the FJ is just flat better.

[giantkiller]

Vmax has always been a bucket list bike to ride. Haven't gotten to ride one yet. But hopefully before the end gets here.

[gumby302ho]

 I came across an article once that said the FJ from like 65 to 78mph with a third gear roll on was the only bike that could out muscle the V-max. Of coarse the V-max took the FJ everywhere else in the roll on test.

[4everFJ]

Quote from the 1985 Cycle World test of the V-max:

With all this talk of ungodly power and unprecedented torque, you might wonder why the V-Max's quarter-mile times aren't quicker. After all, its best run of 10.89 seconds is .02-second slower than the time posted by the FJ1100 Yamaha we tested last year. But the V-Max's considerable weight (599 pounds without gas) extracts its toll in acceleration. And its rear tire simply is unable to provide sufficient traction for ultra-quick launches, despite its mammoth size (150/90-15). But once the big Yamaha gets ahold of the ground, there is nothing you can buy off of a showroom floor that can rocket down the road as quickly.

[aviationfred]

A very interesting topic. There are a few motorcycle owners that I have come across, either here or on the Facebook FJ pages that actually own both an FJ and a 1st Gen Vmax. I am one of those owners. Sadly at the moment, I can not give a first hand, seat of the pants comparison. My Vmax is in project mode and has been neglected for far to long. I need to get on the ball and put some effort into getting the big lump running and road worthy. I have never ridden a Vmax and having one tucked away in my garage is almost criminal.

I know this is an FJ forum, but there are a few bikes that have reached legendary or mythical levels. And members love to read about them. A few that come to mind are the Kawasaki H2, Yamaha RD400 Daytona Special, Honda RC30, 1982/1983 Suzuki Katana and the Yamaha Vmax. Once I get mine up and running, I will give an in depth bike comparison between the Vmax and the FJ's.

Fred

[FJmonkey]

Good on you Fred, taking one for the team. What a selfless person to restore that poor old rocket, then wring its neck to see how much she can give back....

[squidley63]

The thing that you need to think on the vmax is they dont like turns. The straights gst really shirt on a vmax and the corners become deathtraps. I had to try and keep a fellow biker from losing too much blood for about an hour waiting for an ambulance after a vmax got into a death wobble mid corner because of a bump.

Vmax accelerates with a visceral primal nature like no other bike i have ever ridden(including a zx10 and gsxr1000)  It is a bike that you need to experience in this lifetime the sounds and feeling when the vboost opens is almost a religious experience.

Being over a decade between riding a vmax and my fj I cant say my fj would be faster. Unless there is a couple of corners involved

[Country Joe]

I'm pretty sure a V-Max can accelerate harder than a FJ. But I am also pretty sure that a V-Max would not have been able to hang with the group of riders that I was chasing through the Ozarks yesterday. The most frequently question was "What year is that Yamaha?"

[PaulG]

...I know this is an FJ forum, but there are a few bikes that have reached legendary or mythical levels. And members love to read about them. A few that come to mind are the Kawasaki H2, Yamaha RD400 Daytona Special, Honda RC30, 1982/1983 Suzuki Katana and the Yamaha Vmax. ...

Fred

Like this 1982 Katana GSX-1100S or this 1972 Kawasaki 750 H2 or this Yamaha RD400 Daytona Special - couldn't find an RC30 specifically around here.

I only own one bike at the moment. And have never had the benefit of owning more than one  .  I think a thread about other rides members own would be a good idea.  A basic who/what/when/where/why would be interesting.  Stock - modded out to the t's?  Practical or sentimental?  Resto junkie?  What quirks to look out for if in the market for one?

Just a thought.

[Bill_Rockoff]

I like the "other bikes owned" idea. We all like FJs obviously, but we may also like other stuff, for other reasons.

I've ridden one briefly, and ridden with the owner almost as briefly.

The V-Max was a jewel of an engine, a liquid-cooled V4 that sounded like rolling thunder and ran like an old Can Am racer. And in its day, there were probably things a V-Max would do a bit faster than the FJ.

Also, riding it was an event; it sits like a cruiser but it accelerates like a sport bike, and it looks and sounds unique, and it responds to the throttle like nothing did back in the 1980's.

And that's part of the impression it makes on the rider - it sits like a cruiser. There's minimal wind protection, your feet are in front of you, and you're sitting upright, and this all makes its acceleration and speed feel much more pronounced.

Its weight and its shaft drive and its aero drag take back a bit of what that engine gives you, and the result is something that will accelerate pretty much like an FJ, up to the point where the FJ's aero advantage conferred by its fairing becomes more pronounced. But as strong as the FJ feels when you ride it, it would feel even stronger if you were sitting upright and had no fairing. And if you the type of person who "would never ride a sportbike," a V-Max's acceleration would be like nothing you had ever experienced before. It can be overwhelming. The actual performance is not much different from its sportbike contemporaries, but the experience is different because a V-Max doesn't help you cope with the acceleration and speed the way a forward-leaning fully-faired sportbike does.

It's not that it's faster than an FJ, it's that it *feels* faster. To get an idea what the fuss is all about, try going against typical sport-touring ATGATT practice and try riding with NONE of the gear - normal pants, a t-shirt, and as little helmet as you can get away with. Even better if you have the windscreen off, or the entire upper fairing. Even a worn-out old bike like my 115,000 mile FJ will suddenly feel "HOLY SHIT" quick.

[Shane4371]

Been years ago.but  on my test rides if both the vmax and fj .I'll never forget the vmax getting rubber in second and grabbing then pulling the front wheel off the ground.very impressive. Shaft driven bikes aren't my fav.

[ribbert]

I came across an article once that said the FJ from like 65 to 78mph with a third gear roll on was the only bike that could out muscle the V-max.

Gumby, I suspected you may have been winding us up, now I'm sure of it. Do they even have equipment that can measure that?
65-78 mph is barely a hearbeat.

Noel

[gumby302ho]

I came across an article once that said the FJ from like 65 to 78mph with a third gear roll on was the only bike that could out muscle the V-max.

Gumby, I suspected you may have been winding us up, now I'm sure of it. Do they even have equipment that can measure that?
65-78 mph is barely a hearbeat.

Noel
Not sure of testing procedure, one does come across roll on tests articles, not sure how they stage them or line them up beside and go but that is what I read, I agree it is barely a heartbeat and I think the actual number was even smaller. I was always told ''Dont believe anything you see and only 50 percent of what you hear'', bottom line is both are fast powerful machines. I would never wind you guys up! I would like to smoke a few of you around some twisties FJ to FJ though on 16's.

[ribbert]

....... I would never wind you guys up! I would like to smoke a few of you around some twisties FJ to FJ though on 16's.

Good onya Gumby, excellent reply. Yep, if there was a higher power that could police internet content for truth and accuracy, 95% of it would disappear tomorrow. 

Noel