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Yamaha Vmax test

200 hp monster bike

Earth, fire, water, air ?? four elements without which we cannot exist. Now a fifth has been added: Anyone who has only used the new Vmax for half a day can hardly imagine living without it.

Dawn in the south of France. Black becomes blue and then orange. It is a Sunday in December 2008. Optical temperature: 20 degrees, feels like minus ten. The new one has hoarfrost Vmax covered with a silver coat. It melts into pearls of glitter, as if in slow motion the sun reveals the 200 hp most powerful production motorcycle in the world – apart from a practically hand-crafted Boss Hoss. In an hour or two, the roads will be dry and test drives can begin. Time enough to sneak around the colossus with a hot coffee, to enjoy the sight of it and to pause for thought. Dawn in the south of France. Black becomes blue and then orange. It is a Sunday in December 2008. Optical temperature: 20 degrees, feels like minus ten. Hoar frost has covered the new Vmax with a silver coat. It melts into pearls of glitter, as if in slow motion the sun reveals the 200 hp most powerful production motorcycle in the world – apart from a practically hand-crafted Boss Hoss. In an hour or two, the roads will be dry and test drives can begin. Time enough to sneak around the colossus with a hot coffee, to enjoy the sight and to pause for thought.

It is undoubtedly a colossus, the editorial scales indicated 314 kilograms. But a delicious colossus. The finest materials, superb workmanship, monumental design. Of the proclaimed 200 hp, “only” 192 remained on the MOTORRAD test bench. And the cardan shaft only sends them to the mighty 200 mm tire in fourth gear. In the third, the machine turns around 1000 revolutions higher, up to just over 10,000 rpm, but with 187 hp, the power is five hp below the maximum power output. In the fifth, the irrepressible vigor of the 1680 cubic V4 is slowed down during normal driving at around 8000 tours by closing throttle valves – at 220 km / h it is over. This is how the Yamaha technicians determined it. Nowadays it is not uncommon to prepare the performance of two-wheeled horsepower limbs in a user-friendly way.

Heavy sprint wonder?

In view of these values, disrespect crept into colleagues: the Vmax a sprint miracle? Under 3.0 seconds to 100 km / h? Will never make it. Never! Why? You just have to calculate: 314 kilograms and a measured 192 hp – each hp has to accelerate 1.64 kg. Need a comparison? Please: The best acceleration ever documented by MOTORRAD with 2.9 seconds from zero to 100 km / h was recently achieved by the new BMW K 1300 R and Kawasaki’s flagship ZZR 1400. A super sports car like the 180 hp and 200 kg light Honda Fireblade requires for the sprint from standing 3.3 seconds to the 100 km / h limit. Because the Blade, like all of its lightning-fast colleagues, fights with a rising front wheel. Even a nearly 400 hp turbo Hayabusa didn’t break the three-second mark. Her permanently spinning rear wheel could not convert the power into thrust. "Then why in the world should this "cruiser" achieve a top score??" asked a colleague.

Why? In addition to a long wheelbase with a balanced wheel load distribution of 50 to 50, the technicians gave the Vmax an extra gimmick: If you accelerate fully from a standstill, the V4 supposedly recognizes that it is now based on a comparison of abrupt throttle opening and wheel standstill about the sausage. He goes into sprint mode and gives everything. Nice. But what is it all? One can be curious. Point ten will be "Cruiser" frightened out of his cold rigidity at the push of a button. Soprano grumbling. Opinions can be divided about the term cruiser. However, if you take key data such as weight, the mighty 1700 millimeters wheelbase, the very flat steering head with 59 degrees and the exorbitant caster of 148 millimeters as a basis, the allocation is not so wrong. Take a seat. Lift the machine from the stand – uff, you can feel every kilo. Turn the handlebars while standing – unbelievable how heavy it feels. Pull the clutch – in gear. Not a bang. No hacking. The gear wheels mesh softly. The hydraulically operated clutch works precisely, runs relatively smoothly, can be adjusted wonderfully and gives away the feeling that it is almost indestructible. A central point in the acceleration measurement. A fat 110 Newton meters are available from idle. They spit the chunk across the street in an unexpectedly vehement and relaxed manner. Because: The cumbersome turning while standing – gone. The feeling of fat six hundredweight – almost reduced to a handy four. Big surprise.

Chassis and brakes

Artist

Quote from a test driver: "When you step on, you think: Oh dear, a cruiser – that can’t drive well. And when you step down again, you think seriously about how you could scrape together the twenty grand."

The handlebars lie comfortably in the hand, are not too wide or too narrow, you have to bend your upper body slightly to grab it. Central in the driver’s field of vision: the huge rev counter with its flange-mounted shift light. In contrast, the info panel is barely legible and is hidden on the dummy tank. It is positioned far too close to the driver’s body. Otherwise, the ergonomics are excellent for smaller drivers. Big ones, however, hit the mighty air scoops with their knees. The feet rest on notches that are quite high. Since these are attached behind the driver, he can better support himself. The bench also has a backrest. In case it really gets down to business … But it can’t for the time being. The fuel gauge reports low tide. Go to the first spigot. Aha, closed on Sundays. Card payment doesn’t work either. Second tank, same problem. That’s it: test drive canceled due to lack of fuel. How do you explain that to the boss? The sun is shining, the streets around the Le Castellet race track are now teeming with bikers. Most popular outfit mix: kevlar boots, bruised black leather jacket and jeans. A ZX-10R driver stops, looks at the Max. He nods approvingly. Of course there would have been a gas station open ten kilometers away. Please follow. He pulls on the cable so extremely, as if there was one euro for every tenth won.

The Vmax accelerates with fascinating ease. Whoever opens the mighty 48 throttle valve self-confidently but respectfully, experiences a thrust that completely erases the memory of the actual weight from the memory. From 6000 rpm all hell breaks in. Then a servo motor reduces the length of the intake funnel, which improves the filling of the cylinders. The system called YCC-I is also used in the YZF-R1 and the R6, it is supposed to increase the power output at high speeds. Obviously it works at Vmax. You stick the super sports car loosely on the straight in the rearview mirror. Feel this mighty V4 beneath you, listen to its wonderful rumble, be happy about such immense reserves of power and suspect: Man, there is much more possible. Corner entrance. Brakes! – Another wonderful feeling. The radially screwed six-piston calipers not only look very high quality, but also decelerate properly. The pressure point of the front brake is clear and it is easy to operate. Two fingers are enough. During the brake measurement, the machine comes to a standstill from 100 km / h after 45.5 meters – that is an average deceleration of 8.5 m / s and unfortunately only mediocre. Perhaps there would be a little more, but the roughly regulating ABS prevents better values.

It is enough to stay tuned to the ZX-10R, because the driver is not chasing records. A long curve is approaching. The giant leans gently. Deep, deeper – you can’t get rid of the feeling, something is about to have to be scraped, a canal in the tar, and a flight of sparks. But the high-mounted footrests allow proper inclines. The casual turning and bending behavior of the Brockens is also surprising. Once on an incline, the fat Max remains stable – on level asphalt. If it gets wavy, it begins to swing slightly. The swanky 200 direct slipper unrest into the chassis. Flawlessly coordinated, the gigantic 52 fork with its 120 millimeter suspension travel filters out almost everything and is also great. At the back it looks different: the shock absorber with its 110 millimeter travel is fully adjustable, as is the fork, but there are short, hard hits unfiltered. Anyway, the gas station is in sight. The French gives his thumbs up and nods in appreciation. He is gone.

"Power out of the sleeve"

Yamaha

Yamaha should give Vmax buyers a folding chair. Hardly any other machine seduces you to sit down and admire as well as driving.

A pull on the hidden lever pops up the seat, which gives access to the tank. It holds 15 liters. Let’s see how far you can get with it. The horsepower monster masters the country road swing skillfully. And belies anyone who uses the expression "Shake power casually out of your sleeve" has ever used before. Regardless of when the shower is opened, things are making great progress. From 3000 rpm, the Vmax hovers on a torque plateau of 135 Newton meters. From 4000 rpm the V4 clenches its fists and 2300 tours later lifts a trembling 171 Newton meters. But the sheer performance is not impressive. Rather, it’s the way the Vmax feels: confident in every respect. It never appears nervous or fidgety, nor does it tempt you to heat. It is the trump card up its sleeve. This motorcycle is the perfect symbiosis between cruiser, sport and muscle bike. And it’s so easy to ride that even cold, damp mountain passes don’t bring sweat to your forehead.

170 kilometers of country road lie behind the 18-inch wheels of the Vmax. On average, the engine consumed an impressive seven liters per 100 kilometers. Now it goes on a closed route to determine the acceleration values. It is 2 p.m., twelve degrees Celsius and almost no wind. Test driver Georg Jelicic is at the start, engages and starts shooting. It looks like the Vmax is being shot out of an oversized twin. 1680 cubic roars, it smokes, it stinks. What remains is a 200-meter-long black line – the rear wheel spins through to third gear. Still: 2.9 seconds from zero to 100. Second attempt: 2.8 seconds. "You have to engage the clutch earlier than you thought, not to tear open the gas quite as violently, then there’s more to it, "says Georg and makes it come true: 2.7 seconds. It stays that way. Absolute record.

By the way, it says in Yamaha’s press prose: "Although the top speed is limited to 220 km / h, an intelligent system enables full power when accelerating over a quarter mile." Very mysterious. Whatever it is, you have never seen such acceleration on a production motorcycle. This sprint mode is eerily beautiful and literally screams for permanent repetition. It has absolutely nothing in common with normal driving. Yamaha has set a milestone with the new Vmax. The 19,750 euro machine looks more elegant and is even more confident and casual than many a Harley. And by the way, it is even suitable for everyday use and accelerates faster than anything that is currently approved. The Vmax has only one flaw: it is addicting. What’s wrong with that? In 2009 only 1500 copies will be delivered to Europe. Order exclusively over the Internet. Test drives not possible.

The center of power

Yamaha

The fifth element: Yamaha Vmax.

With a nominal 200 hp, the Vmax sets a milestone in series motorcycle construction. What was hardly imaginable ten years ago: Thanks to the latest electronics and fuel injection, the performance is wonderfully realizable. Compared to the original Vmax, the displacement grew thanks to a bore that was enlarged from 76 to 90 millimeters. The stroke of 66 millimeters remained, the compression was increased from 10.5 to 11.3 to one. Despite a 40 percent increase in displacement, the new V4 is only 27 millimeters shorter than its predecessor, is roughly the same width and is only 6.5 millimeters higher. This was made possible by a reduced cylinder angle, very compact cylinder heads with roof-shaped combustion chambers and steeply positioned valves: 14 degrees on the exhaust side, 15 degrees on the inlet side ?? the total angle has shrunk to 29 degrees compared to the original Vmax (36 degrees). So much for the key data.

In contrast to the massive air scoops of its predecessor, which were pure mock-ups, the new V4 breathes air into an airbox that is about twice as large through its hand-polished aluminum snorkel. All the high-tech features currently used in series production come together inside the V4: intake pipes with variable lengths, anti-hopping clutch, electronically controlled throttle valves or Exup roller in the exhaust. The clutch and generator covers as well as the transmission tunnel are made of magnesium. Four liters of coolant circulate through two radiators to cool the power plant. The 4.7 liters of engine oil are also chased through a cooler? the Brocken is thermally resilient. Acceleration scenarios performed several times in a row put away not only the clutch, but also the cooling system.

The real wonder of this engine is its ability to adapt. Regardless of whether it is predictable power input for swinging on the country road or brute force development for the sprint over the quarter mile: a computer determines all operating conditions a thousand times per second, such as wheel speed, injection quantity or throttle valve position, and ensures that the engine does not choke if the throttle cable closes is excited, nor that he is too aggressive when cruising. The enormous 171 Newton meters can be used for gliding in the same way as they paint fat lines on the road.

Technical data Yamaha Vmax

engine
Water-cooled four-cylinder, four-stroke, 65-degree V engine, two overhead, gear / chain-driven camshafts, four valves per cylinder, bucket tappets, wet sump lubrication, injection, regulated catalytic converter, 420 W alternator, 12 V / 11 Ah battery, hydraulic actuated multi-plate oil bath clutch, (anti-hopping), five-speed gearbox, cardan, secondary ratio 3.082.
Bore x stroke 90.0 x 66.0 mm
Cubic capacity 1680 cm³
Compression ratio 11.3: 1
Rated output 147.2 kW (200 hp) at 9000 rpm
Max. Torque 167 Nm at 6500 rpm

landing gear
Bridge frame made of aluminum, telescopic fork, Ø 52 mm, adjustable spring base, rebound and compression damping, two-arm swing arm made of aluminum, central spring strut with lever system, adjustable spring base, rebound and compression damping, double disc brake at the front, Ø 320 mm, six-piston fixed caliper, disc brake at the rear, Ø 298 mm, single-piston floating caliper, ABS.
Cast aluminum wheels 3.50 x 18; 6.0 x 18
Tires 120/70 R 18; 200/50 R 18
Tires in the test Bridgestone BT 028 ?? G ??

Dimensions + weights
Wheelbase 1700 mm, steering head angle 59.0 degrees, caster 148 mm, spring travel f / r 120/110 mm, seat height * 780 mm, weight with a full tank * 314 kg, payload * 186 kg, tank capacity 15.0 liters.
Two year guarantee
Service intervals every 10000 km
Color: Black
Price 19,750 euros
Additional costs around 205 euros

Readings
Performance
Top speed 220 km / h
acceleration
0 100 km / h 2.7 sec
0 ?? 140 km / h 4.4 sec
0 200 km / h 8.3 sec
Draft
60 ?? 100 km / h 3.1 sec
100 ?? 140 km / h 3.3 sec
140 180 km / h 3.2 sec
Speedometer deviation
Effective (display 50/100) 47/93 km / h

consumption
Country road 7.1 l / 100 km
Theor. Range of the country road 211 km
Fuel type super

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