asmith

I used to own a V7 Racer, which is what you have with some fancy clothes. These are great bikes, but I would advise you to leave the engine management well alone. You're never going to squeeze any more meaningful power out of the engine, and you could end up spoiling it. Where you can make a huge improvement to the sound, is by fitting a decent end can. A couple of years ago I went to Mandello Del Lario and visited the Guzzi museum. When I came out I saw a V7 go past making the most glorious sound. I saw him parking up and rushed over to have a look. It was fitted with an Agostini silencer that looked as beautiful as it sounded. They are expensive but transform the feel and sound of the bike. It's a bolt on with no modification necessary. Not that long ago, no one really paid much attention to them, but in recent years Guzzi's have become cool, which could have a lot to do with the vintage / retro craze that seems to be sweeping through biking at the moment.

These old K series Beemers are one of the best kept secrets in the biking world. They were so over engineered, and way ahead of the current BMW's in terms of build quality and reliability. I have a 1993 K1100RS.

Not to be confused with the old 1200 VMAX, It is designed to look the same, but is in fact a completely new bike from the ground up. The generation 2's new engine, has a factory claimed power output of near 200bhp MCN tested it and recorded 175bhp at the back wheel. So the VMAX is monstrously fast in a straight line then, yes ? Well yes of course, but no more so than most other tarmac burners such as the Hayabusa, ZZR1400 et all. It only feels mental because you have the same straight line performance in a bolt upright riding position. Take the fairing off a ZZR1400 and stick some high bars on it, and see how much more intense the acceleration experience is then. What I do love about this monster is that it doesn't mind being ridden in Harley mode all day long, and in fact rewards with beautiful silky drive even at low rpm. Crack open the throttle in top gear from 30mph though, and the nature of the beast changes dramatically, and it just takes off like nothing else I have ridden. No hesitation, or flat spots, or even need for down changes, Just incredible, instant drive from anywhere, to license busting speeds in a few seconds, You really have to experience it to believe it. I test rode a Diavel before going for the Max, and it didn't come close in this respect. The legendary old VMAX shopping trolley handling is also now a thing of the past. OK so the VMAX is way too heavy to get even close to a well ridden sports orientated bike, but it'll never be far behind, and whatever ground is lost in the corners, is quickly regained on the straights, That said, cornering is stable and predictable. Brakes are lifted from the R1, as is much of the electronic jiggery pockery, so it is bang up to date, handles, and stops. One slight criticism, is the ABS which I feel cut's in too early on the front. I've noticed this with other ABS equipped Yamaha's I've owned in the past, namely the FJ1200A and GTS1000A. Anyway. Comfort is pretty good except for the pillion accommodation, which is only bearable in short doses, according to my Wife who is 5ft 2 inches and weighs 8 stone. Running costs are not as bad as I thought they would be. Tyres are up to 5000 miles now, and the front is only just on the limiter, whilst the rear has at least 1000 miles left. Yeah I know. I've never known a bike get through fronts quicker than rears either, but this one has. The biggest problem is tank range. About 80 miles from brimmed is when you need to start looking for fuel. At 100 miles, start panicking, It's not that the VMAX is particularly thirsty. I've worked my fuel consumption out (from a brimmed tank) at 35/38 mpg. Now considering what the bike is, that ain't bad. I regularly ride with two guys who own a Yamaha Fazer, and Triumph speed triple. The pace is usually quite brisk, and when we fill up again, we've all used pretty much exactly the same amount of fuel. No. The problem with the Max is the pathetically small 3 gallon fuel tank which is under the riders seat. So a long distance tourer it most definitely is not, In fact it has no real practical virtues, and exists really for one reason only. To go incredibly fast in a straight line, which begs the question, WHY. What's the point. On occasion I have asked myself the same question. Then, just once in a while, I come to a quiet stretch of road with no traffic or junctions, and for just a few seconds, I unleash hell. So is it worth having a bike like this for those rare once in a blue moon moments, You bet your a*se it is. The VMAX is a two wheeled fairground ride, and something everyone should experience at least once. I wouldn't recommend having it as an only bike, if like me, you do a fair amount of miles, but if you want a special bike to bring out on sunny weekends, you could do a lot worse. There are bikes available with equal performance and more practicality, but these things have never been what the VMAX is about, It is a bike that sticks two fingers up at convention, is a bad ass in the real sense, and is all the better for it. It defines the term "muscle bike", and is the reason more recent pretenders to the crown like the Ducati Diavel, Triumph Rocket 3 and Harley Davidson V ROD exist at all. The VMAX Gen 2 has a retail price of £22,000. GULP However my 2009, in as new mint condition with only 900 miles, cost me £9,500 (£5000 taking into account my P/X). To put that into perspective, that's the same price a new Honda CBF1000, so it really is a genuine used bargain, Hope that was informative. Here's mine Sorry the photo is so small, I can't seem to change it. http://s27.postimg.org/6rnbabxvn/Max.jpg