Back in 1984, Yamaha's then-new VMax set the motorcycling world on fire with its four-cylinder engine and mechanical V-Boost intake system which gave an extra shove of power at around six-thousand rpm. Riders fell in love with the VMax, and it has been the quintessential muscle bike ever since. Still, consumers have been hoping to see an update to Mr. Max for quite some time, and Yamaha Star Motorcycles has finally made those wishes come true. For 2009, Star will offer just 2,500 VMax's for sale in the U.S. If you want one, the line starts at your nearest Yamaha dealership and will require a $1,000 deposit.
Since the very first Yamaha V-Max was introduced way back in 1984, the motorcycle scene has seen countless changes. The V-Max, though, has remained steadfast in its ways, surviving right on through the break off of Star Motorcycles from its Yamaha parent. A look at Star Motorcycle's current website shows a V-Max from 2007 that is almost exactly the same as the first edition was all those years ago. That will soon change. Although the official unveiling of the machine that started the muscle-bike category is still a week or so away, the internet has struck out with a few early shots of the new 2009 Max. Early specifications point to around 210 horsepower from a new 1800cc V-Four engine, which ought to have no problem establishing Mr. Max as the new quarter mile king. Just how quick will the new V-Max be? We, along with just about everybody else, predict a trip down the 1320 to take a little over nine seconds. Yeah, it'll be the new bike to be seen on.
If somebody asked us what an environmentally-friendly motorcycle of the future would look like, our best answer would be nowhere near as awesome as what Jake Loniak, a student at Art Center Pasadena, came up with. Perhaps that's why we are just bloggers who write about cool stuff instead of the actual designers. Called Deus Ex Machina, which means God Out of a Machine, the vehicle is a blend between a motorcycle and an exoskeleton.
Featuring seven artificial vertebrae, thirty-six pneumatic muscles and a head of its own, the Yamaha-branded concept looks like something out a child's worst nightmare. As speed increases, though, the two front wheels move outward, forcing the rider into a proper forward lean which resembles a current motorcycle stance more closely. In-wheel electric motors get their juice from a hybrid power pack made from Doped NanoPhosphate batteries and ultracapacitors. The designer believes that the machine could accelerate to sixty in three seconds and reach a top speed of seventy-five miles per hour. Sure, we're not likely to see anything like this in production in the near future, but it sure is cool to look at.
Though it's usually the adventure touring crowd that excels at turning their motorcycles into rolling technology test-beds, we've recently run across a Yamaha Vino scooter that has been fully farkled. Featuring an on-board computer based around a VIA mini ITX form factor motherboard that's cleverly been hidden under the stock Vino's seat, this rolling geek-mobile packs in WiFi, Bluetooth, USB, GPS, FM radio, a TV tuner and a front-mounted camera in its diminutive frame. With the full-spec computer, pretty much anything should be possible right from the road using this scooter. While this is certainly a cool project, we have a few questions regarding its durability. How long will the acrylic plate that makes the structure for the computer hold up? Perhaps most importantly, how long will the scooter's battery be able to power all this technology? In the name of science, of course, we graciously offer our services for a road trip on the machine to find the answer to these all-important questions.
Professionals earn pockets full of cheese usually because they do whatever it is they do better, faster, stronger than anyone else. Sometimes, though, they get the big bucks because they'll do something again after having nearly killed themselves the first time. That is: they'll get right back on the horse when a lot of non-professionals would instead grab a gin and tonic and watch reruns of I Love Lucy.
Jorge Lorenzo earned his money and a stay in hospital over the weekend during practice for the MotoGP China Grand Prix. On one run the bike bucked under him coming out of a turn, sending the 21-year-old rider up out of his seat like he was riding a bronco, but he managed to keep the bike upright and moving. On a following run he wasn't so fortunate, highsiding, somersaulting, and suffering a fractured left ankle, a painful right ankle, a cut heel, a knee abrasion, and forearm compression.
But here's where Lorenzo really impresses: he still got on the bike to qualify on Saturday, and came in fourth in Sunday's race. Follow the jump to check out the videos of the bucking incident and the highside. And from now on, the word you're looking for to describe Jorge Lorenzo: pro.
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We always appreciate when folks can give it to us straight. Even if they've done something, um, regrettable, they can at least admit it, give us a no-bull explanation, and we can all get on with the show. Next up in the Please Relieve Me of My Mistake category is a gent in Seattle who got rid of his Ford Explorer for a Yamaha R6, only to realize that sportbikes weren't the must-have accessory he thought they were.
After buying it because it had shiny tires due to Armor All, laying it down in the parking lot at 5-mph, not having the desired effect on females, and putting just 3,000 miles on it, he has decided it's time for the R6 to go. It's possibly the only classified ad to include the word "douchecanoe", and the only R6 to allegedly come with side impact airbags, heated and cooled cupholders from a MINI Cooper, and a Wendy's Baconator coupon. Follow the link for your chance to purchase a piece of shattered dreams. The laughs you'll have while reading come free of charge.
Over the weekend, Dylan Weiss from Cry Havoc Productions, Inc. let us know that his latest motorcycle-specific documentary went live at Discovery's Turbo online site. We've spent some time watching the footage, and we think it's awesome. Focusing in on Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki, BMW, Ducati, MV Agusta and Bimota, the crew took plenty of footage home with them and managed to ride some of the greatest modern sportbikes ever created along the way. Best of all, over four hours of video is available online for free at their mini-site, broken down into 50 segments.
The whole shebang was shot in High Definition, so we have some serious hopes that it will air on The Discovery Channel, be offered on DVD or both. It's extremely entertaining and we definitely recommend checking it out.
The last time that the Yamaha R6 was redesigned in 2006, the focus was purely on the racetrack, with street riding a distant thought in the backs of engineers minds. We're not suggesting that the R6 isn't a capable bike to ride on the street, but there are certainly far better choices if your main goal were to commute back and forth to work. On the track, however, the R6 shines with its high-RPM power band and razor-sharp handling traits. This year, the R6 got a few tweaks in an effort to add midrange power while still retaining its class-leading high-RPM punch, including a higher compression ratio, Yamaha's Chip Controlled Intake (YCC-I) and Yamaha's Chip Controlled Throttle (YCC-T). These changes have allowed the R6 to break the 170 mile-per-hour barrier, a first for a 600cc machine. Fortunately, Yamaha saw fit to increase chassis stability by reinforcing the steering head, engine mounting points and rear swingarm pivot, among other subtle tweaks. Suspension tuning is slightly different too, with a 41mm inverted fork and a more adjustable rear shock.
We are quite impressed by the speed and power that Yamaha has wrangled from its middleweight racer, which makes up more than half its total sportbike sales.
The 2008 Barrett-Jackson classic car auction is underway, and we will be reporting from Scottsdale to bring you live photos from the auction throughout this evening. The first four days have seen hundreds of vehicles sell for a variety of prices - everything from a 1992 Yamaha dirt bike that went for $2700 to Tony Stewart's Monte Carlo racecar that had a final price of $300,000. The premier vehicles of the event will be going across the block today including the very first 2008 Shelby GT500 KR, 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8, and 2009 Corvette ZR1 that should all command high prices. Other cars capable of reaching high triple digit figures include two 1960s concept cars, the General Lee Dodge Charger, and Carroll Shelby's personal 1969 GT500 Convertible. The vehicle we are most looking forward to, though, is the car-crunching, fire-breathing Robosaurus.
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