Motorcycle News stated "Yamaha's VMAX is one such machine that refuses to be put in anyone's convenient category box".
I think of it as a sporty multi-purpose muscle bike for the road.
What was your close 2nd choice to the FZ8?
- Thread starter decooney
- Start date
Motorcycle News stated "Yamaha's VMAX is one such machine that refuses to be put in anyone's convenient category box".
I think of it as a sporty multi-purpose muscle bike for the road.
Black Widow
Avid Rider
Muscle Bike is the category , along with the Diavel and Rocket 3. As far as insurance categories it is a cruiser and the same price to insure as my FZ8, a big plus. The fuel tank is only 2 liters less than the FZ8. I get 32 mpg on the Vmax and 39 mpg on the FZ8, the range difference is only 30 miles. I also have an upgrade and hold 22 liters, and can go further than the FZ8 with the Vmax now. My FZ8 is better for commuting, stop and go riding, zipping around heavy traffic, the Vmax is by far more comfy( especially seating position and comfy seat) for long trips and the suspension is 100% finger tip adjustable including rebound, compression, and spring preload. Being able to ride and adjust spring preload is nice for long trips ,you can dial it super soft and just cruise, see some twisties dial it to performance and your flicking thru corners like a sport bike. The ridiculous acceleration force you get when you crack open the Vmax is unlike any other bike, and is actuaLLY dizzying the first few times you open it up, actually can throw your equalibrium for a loop, seriously, check out the reviews and you hear very experienced riders say they were actually nervous throwing a leg over so much power LOL. Ishook like a leaf on my maiden trip on the Vmax, if your not careful , you can be doing 60 km/h in third, wack the throttle (no clutch), the bike imediatly start to melt the the rear tire for a city block, grabs traction and you are riding a wheelieuntill you let off to change gears, inFrom a stop you can not give more than 1/4 throttle or your sliding sideways ,smoking out the cars behind you, fun , hell ya. In the end Yamaha was not thinking of fuel economy or range, the Vmax is all about the most hi- tech, high HP engine Yamaha makes, along with every component on the bike being Yamaha's best, took 11 years to develop the new Vmax, hence the 20,000 (U.S) pricetag
. The Fz8 , in my opinion gives you the best bang, quality craftsmanship, killer looks that you can buy for Under $8,000, the fit and finish on the FZ8 is really nice(typical Yamaha) . I really would have a hard time parting with my Black Widow FZ8. I will try to find a photo of my larger fuel capacity, on the Vmax.Being this is a Yamaha site, i won't get flamed too hard for talking Vmax , ya whatever....LOL
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Black Widow
Avid Rider
Ya the new FJR is very nice. I like the upgrades it has gotten this year. When i get older that may be the one to relpace myFZ8.
master paper clip
New member
Muscle Bike is the category , along with the Diavel and Rocket 3. As far as insurance categories it is a cruiser and the same price to insure as my FZ8, a big plus. The fuel tank is only 2 liters less than the FZ8. I get 32 mpg on the Vmax and 39 mpg on the FZ8, the range difference is only 30 miles. I also have an upgrade and hold 22 liters, and can go further than the FZ8 with the Vmax now. My FZ8 is better for commuting, stop and go riding, zipping around heavy traffic, the Vmax is by far more comfy( especially seating position and comfy seat) for long trips and the suspension is 100% finger tip adjustable including rebound, compression, and spring preload. Being able to ride and adjust spring preload is nice for long trips ,you can dial it super soft and just cruise, see some twisties dial it to performance and your flicking thru corners like a sport bike. The ridiculous acceleration force you get when you crack open the Vmax is unlike any other bike, and is actuaLLY dizzying the first few times you open it up, actually can throw your equalibrium for a loop, seriously, check out the reviews and you hear very experienced riders say they were actually nervous throwing a leg over so much power LOL. Ishook like a leaf on my maiden trip on the Vmax, if your not careful , you can be doing 60 km/h in third, wack the throttle (no clutch), the bike imediatly start to melt the the rear tire for a city block, grabs traction and you are riding a wheelieuntill you let off to change gears, inFrom a stop you can not give more than 1/4 throttle or your sliding sideways ,smoking out the cars behind you, fun , hell ya. In the end Yamaha was not thinking of fuel economy or range, the Vmax is all about the most hi- tech, high HP engine Yamaha makes, along with every component on the bike being Yamaha's best, took 11 years to develop the new Vmax, hence the 20,000 (U.S) pricetag
Being this is a Yamaha site, i won't get flamed too hard for talking Vmax , ya whatever....LOL
That vmax sounds like a blast but holy crap 20k... that's a lot. Looks are starting to grow on me though every time I see one just gets better and better looking
I looked at the Honda CB600F Hornet and the Suzuki GSR750.
Really wanted the Suzuki at that time but I went to yamaha just to see what they got, I was all new to bikes at this time. All I knew is I wanted a naked bike.
However there the black beauty stood with some touch of gold and shiny! "SWEET I'LL TAKE IT!" haha
Really wanted the Suzuki at that time but I went to yamaha just to see what they got, I was all new to bikes at this time. All I knew is I wanted a naked bike.
However there the black beauty stood with some touch of gold and shiny! "SWEET I'LL TAKE IT!" haha
Black Widow
Avid Rider
Ya, almost as much as Old tech Harley with steel frame and pushrod engine
LOL.Like Roland Sands said in his longer video of the build, Yamaha has already put the best available parts into the engine/ frame/ suspension... it is only astheticsts that i have done to the Vmax.
Black Widow
Avid Rider
The FZ8 just has that sinister, in your face , kick a$$ look, that makes you WANT the bike. Even after a year of owning the 8 i still catch myself staring at the bike. The reason i have changed verry little on the bike(mirrors,remove pass pegs,black levers, seat) was when i saw the bike it was so wicked looking, still is the meanest, sinister looking naked sport bike out there IMO ( especially in the Gloss black version, gives it the bad boy look (sorry Camo , white reminds me of Police bikes LOL).
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Fazed
Guest
I quite agree, which means they will go for around the $30 000 mark here. 2009 ones go for around $22 000 used, so this will be nothing more than a pipe dream for me
I can't justify spending that much on a bike when you can get a car for the same price and get a whole lot more. I must be getting old because I don't see why a frame with two wheels and a motor should cost so much.*Edit* price in Oz $31 299.
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Black Widow
Avid Rider
I quite agree, which means they will go for around the $30 000 mark here. 2009 ones go for around $22 000 used, so this will be nothing more than a pipe dream for me
*Edit* price in Oz $31 299.
Holy crap, what is the exchange rate over there, you can get a used 2009 Gen 2 here for $14,000. Comparing a car to a bike is like apples to oranges, the feel of freedom can not be experienced in a car ,the rush of leaning over around a corner, nor can the acceleration rush even come close, especially at $20k LOL, never seen a Kia or Hyundai go 0 -250km/h in under 10 seconds stock off the lot, as a matter of fact you could spend $100K on a car that won't hang with these bikes. Apples to apples is Vmax to Lambo or Ferrari. But still no car can give you that open road ,freedom, sence of danger of any bike.
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Camo
Guest
BW, what he's saying is that at $30k it's out of reach. Not that it's comparable to a car of the same dollar value, more that as a second vehicle/toy it's way to pricey given that your car is generally carting around a wife and kids... More the primary vehicle for the family and generally the more expensive. (For me, the Aussie battler anyways lol)
I know even at $20k, that's a toy well out of reach unfortunately.
I know even at $20k, that's a toy well out of reach unfortunately.
Black Widow
Avid Rider
So why does it cost &30k U.S over there, what is the exchange rate. I know here in canada the bike retail is $23,999 because we always pay more than the U.S, even though our $ is about par with theirs now. Seems like an extreme difference down under.
master paper clip
New member
So expensive cause there on an island out in the middle of the ocean, they can make the price whatever and say its that high because of shipping
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Fazed
Guest
Camo gets what I am saying. I'm struggling to see the bike as being worth $30K in the grand scheme of things. I just don't see the physical value there. However I don't ever dare test ride one, as I'm sure from your excellent describtion BW, I'll make myself afford one. I'm in enough shit with the wife for buying a $30K car.
Our dollar is also about par in value to the US one, but we pay ridiculously more. One reason is we pay a high tax on imported vehicles to protect our car industry. Our car industry is the equivalent of a lame horse that should be put into the back paddock and shot. No other continuously failing business in Australia gets the hand outs from the government that the car industry does. I don't think any of them has made a profit for years.
To get around this ppl used to buy cars/bikes in the US and ship them over her. It only costs around $2500. Now I've been told that there is a new law, where if the car is already imported and sold here then you cannot road register one you have bought and imported in the US. I think the only way around this is to own it a year before bringing it into the country.
Our dollar is also about par in value to the US one, but we pay ridiculously more. One reason is we pay a high tax on imported vehicles to protect our car industry. Our car industry is the equivalent of a lame horse that should be put into the back paddock and shot. No other continuously failing business in Australia gets the hand outs from the government that the car industry does. I don't think any of them has made a profit for years.
To get around this ppl used to buy cars/bikes in the US and ship them over her. It only costs around $2500. Now I've been told that there is a new law, where if the car is already imported and sold here then you cannot road register one you have bought and imported in the US. I think the only way around this is to own it a year before bringing it into the country.
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Camo
Guest
It comes down to buying power.
In The US, lets say they import 1000 vmax's. 200 hundred of those are bought from the US by Canada at a slightly higher price, giving you a comparable retail price to that of the buying market in the US.
Now in comparison, Australia only import 10-20 Vmax's. The price on such a small order is always going to be more expensive plus it has to make its way all the way here with a hefty import tax... Our retailers, Yamaha especially, are renowned for huge markups any way but that's the gist of the price difference in laymens terms.
Mind you, I can see it comparable price wise to the beemers RR's but both are way overpriced brand new.
Black Widow
Avid Rider
So how much is a new FZ8 over there. If it is $8000 ish here new is it like $12,000 there, or do they only rape you on the rare bikes? Ya, i would be hard pressed to spend $30k for a bike, although my cousin just bought a used 2006 Harley Street Glide for $24k, all it had was aftermarket chrome and a Black Cherry paint job done. Here in Canada, the land is vast and very underpopulated( especially Western Canada ) for its size, not many transit systems ( none where i live), so every house has at least 2 vehicles ( usually a big pick-up truck), quads, bikes, snow machines, i never thought of choosing between having one or the other, in winter we can't ride our bikes, so most have a $10k snowmobile, and an ATV for hunting ect, on top of the car we use to cart kids to hockey games to play in other towns sometimes 200 miles away or more on the weekends. A bike is usually a toy or hobby here due to the climate and not being able to use it as transportation most of the time. Canadian's and Americans usually have overkill for vehicles i.e bigger is better way of thinking. I am guilty as heck of this, i have a $50,000 1 ton diesel truck just to tow my trailer 6 or 7 times a year , so do most of my nieghbors and friends. I was born and raised in Southern B.C , have never been further than 2000kms from home, so this seems normal to me, but obviously different in other older countries. Our town had it's 100th Anniversary a couple years ago, we are still the Wild West compared to 500- 1000 year old developed countries. No wonder when the newcomers from England a few miles down the road think we are spoiled and wasteful To me it's always been our way of life.
To me it's always been our way of life.
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Camo
Guest
Lol, they're on sale at the moment for 10990 but were 12.
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WARPTH
Guest
So how much is a new FZ8 over there. If it is $8000 ish here new is it like $12,000 there, or do they only rape you on the rare bikes? Ya, i would be hard pressed to spend $30k for a bike, although my cousin just bought a used 2006 Harley Street Glide for $24k, all it had was aftermarket chrome and a Black Cherry paint job done. Here in Canada, the land is vast and very underpopulated( especially Western Canada ) for its size, not many transit systems ( none where i live), so every house has at least 2 vehicles ( usually a big pick-up truck), quads, bikes, snow machines, i never thought of choosing between having one or the other, in winter we can't ride our bikes, so most have a $10k snowmobile, and an ATV for hunting ect, on top of the car we use to cart kids to hockey games to play in other towns sometimes 200 miles away or more on the weekends. A bike is usually a toy or hobby here due to the climate and not being able to use it as transportation most of the time. Canadian's and Americans usually have overkill for vehicles i.e bigger is better way of thinking. I am guilty as heck of this, i have a $50,000 1 ton diesel truck just to tow my trailer 6 or 7 times a year , so do most of my nieghbors and friends. I was born and raised in Southern B.C , have never been further than 2000kms from home, so this seems normal to me, but obviously different in other older countries. Our town had it's 100th Anniversary a couple years ago, we are still the Wild West compared to 500- 1000 year old developed countries. No wonder when the newcomers from England a few miles down the road think we are spoiled and wasteful
you guys obviously earn more money than us too
they retail for $12990 plus on roads (registration dealer delivery fees pre delivery fee and what ever the fuck other fee they feel like charging)
but now the 2013 model is coming with adjustable suspension they'll probably retail for 19990
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Fazed
Guest
No, we pretty much get raped for everything and anything. Example. PCV 5 $270 in the US, $420 here.
Black Widow
Avid Rider
Fazed and Camo, thanks for clearing that up. Wow here you can almost buy 2 Fz8's for the price of one over there as i have seen new one's go for $6,999.