This is what the bike looked like when I first got it.

Looked nice, but I wanted different.

Picked up a Yamaha V-Max and over the 4 years of ownership updated it to look like the picture above. Yamaha 1200cc V4 engine running around 160bhp.

Over the years the once standard bike had already been modified with Dymag 17" Wheels & Ohliin suspension, but both the wheels, Ohlins and other bits had seen better days and needed a refresh.

Didn't get on with the flat bars so opted for a set of adjustable Jota style bars and also fitted alternate throttle and grips etc..

Wheels powder coated by CTC in Maldon, new boots and new wavy discs and EBC HH pad fitted all round.

The bike came with a Corbin seat which I traded for a newly recovered and modified standard looking item.

Exactrep twin headlights with a polished alloy nosecone were fitted as what was on there when I got it were a bit bashed about.

Next up was the tail piece and after looking at options I went for the Exactrep unit and modified the light to fit.

Also had the Ohlin's springs removed, repainted and refitted.

After I got a replacement front guard and had the outline look I was going for the bits were taken to the paint shop and sprayed gloss black with grey on the tail.

Some links to sources I found helpful during the process. There were many many more but a lot seem to have moved or retired over the years.

So what was it like to own & use....

The standard VMax is nice and there's nothing wrong with that look. When I got this one I knew I was going to modify it and had a pretty clear picture what I wanted to do cosmetically.

When I got the bike the 17" Dymags & Ohlin suspension already fitted as too was a stage 1 tune, so can't comment on what the standard setup worked like, but with those wheels it rode very nicely from the start.

The 'standard' model pre 1996 was only 102bhp and the latter ones with V-Boost around 145bhp. V-Boost kicks in around 5,500-6,000 RPM with a sudden power surge almost 2-stroke like. This one had also had some tweaks and was kicking out 160+, so it was quick.

These bikes are large, heavy and with a very low seat height so suit the typical cruiser riding style well and ridden that way can be a very relaxing ride and very comfortable over distance. However, with a huge amount of power they can go from steady cruising to very very different beast completely.

When riding at reasonable speeds the 274kg weight of the bike doesn't really come into play as it feels well planted and tips into bends nicely. When you have to push it around or in the garage is a bit more of a challenge. Even putting it on a centre stand and on a bike lift was a bit of a worry for the first few times. Sad to say but when working on the bike I found this weight to be off-putting and was one of the reasons I eventually sold it.

Ride the bike quickly and the acceleration is quick (for a weighty bike of the 90s) and on decent roads and country lanes it hustles along very nicely indeed. The big drawback is when you have to brake hard or sharply into bends as the sheer weight and geometry of the bike objects and tries to push the bike wide.

The bike ran well for several years and then the carbs seem to play up. These are fitted with 4 Mikuni 36mm Carbs in a square arrangement with a unique V-Boost system and as such are prone to getting out of sync and being hard to setup. I decided to take mine to a local garage for them to setup and that was the worst mistake I made with this bike. What I got back was a total mess! The bike sounded ok on tickover and in the first couple of thousand revs but after that it was all over the place. You could going along at 5000 RPM and the bike would suddenly lurch forward and when trying to open the throttle would hop and jump down the road. Neither of these are good on a heavy bike like this. Went back to the garage and it became clear they should never have taken the job on as clearly it was beyond their capabilities.

I spent a few weeks sorting the carbs (and finding they had drilled 'some' of the original air jets out and replace them different sized ones) and did manage to smooth the performance out. But it was never the same again. This and the weight of the bike is why I sold it.

Took all the aftermarket bits off the bike and sold separately, then used the bike as trade in for a MV Agusta Brutale 800RR.

I did fit a set of Devil Exhausts to the bike for a while. I'd fitted a Devil to my R1 and thougt they were decent pipes.

They sounded excellent but were very large & long for this model and felt they didn't suit the bike's looks.