Power Wheelies | Yamaha VMAX 1200 1986 Review | First Ride

Review of the absolutely animal Yamaha VMAX 1200 from 1986. It is a docile beast at low revs and when you just want a relaxing ride, but crank that throttle and MAN does she go.
Absolute beast and an immense joy to ride and live.
#RIDE IT, LIVE IT.
→ SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE - Previous Video: • Biker Girl Road Rage |...
→Instagram: / duke_blade
→Snapchat: freds1
→Facebook: / dukeblad3
→Current Bike - Ducati Monster M600 (2001)
→Previous Bikes - Yamaha YZF-R125 / Honda VFR 400
→Gear:
Dainese One Piece
RST Blade Leather Pants
Ixxon Fueler Jacket
RST Blade gloves
GoPro Hero 3+
Shark S900 Helmet
Caberg Stunt Helmet
~-~~-~~~-~~-~
Please watch: "Riding Motorcyles with my moto Girlfriend | THE YAMAHA VMAX 1200 IS BACK | Dual Vlog"
• Riding Motorcyles with...
~-~~-~~~-~~-~

[@greggstankowski5073]

Bought mine in 85, one thing I loved doing on it is , baking the rear tire while the front one was in the air!! Cycle world mag said it best " the engine is writing checks that the chassis can't cash " WooHoo!!

[@richthepilot9906]

Bought an 07 new, love it! Every improvement from the manufacturer was made by the time I bought the last year of the gen 1 and I have no complaints except wishing the fuel tank was bigger. The "wobble" in the steering is a steering head adjustment is all and can be fixed in just a couple minutes. I'll never part with it. It is heavy so it just needs some muscle to get it to behave but you get use to it 😁

[@stevomcsteve9492]

"put's a mouth to mouth grin on my face" LMAO....

[@KatanaiBlade]

I actually have a 04 V max 1200 and love it!! couple of things to point out from the review, it was ran from 85-07 and the engine has never been changed maybe except for the oil filter and carbs. over the years they improved on the brakes (4 pot front brakes) and suspension (bigger forks). Also very typical for those bikes to have wobbles because improper head adjustment. I'm not sure about yours since they made restricted once outside of USA but they make 140 hp on crank. lastly, i feel like those bikes are very sensitive to tires because if you have old tires, improper pressure, unbalanced they make it a nightmare to ride but with proper tires or if you upgrade the bike to radial tires instead of the bias once they become one of the best handlers of the same class. btw you cant ride a V max without trying it's V-boost it hits a little after 6k rpm.

[@DUKEBLADE]

Thanks man! Really well read! :)

[@TheQuantumzone]

I own one too. Agree with most of what katana blades saying except best in class handling,.. hmmm maybe with some upgrades front and rear suspension and some engine bars to stiffen it up... but I stock for.m the chassis is woefully inadequate for the torque and they don’t corners at all....

[@abcanimal]

Love the vmax! It's one of my dream bikes for sure

[@randomnoise63]

I have 3 Vmax's. 1986, 2000, 2003, Love em to death, and have taken it to 165, what a ride, and yes , they make you smile and laugh to be alive....live to ride and ride to live, enjoy it while you can!!!

[@duke7888]

Fell in love with the 1200 Vmax! Gorgeous muscle bike😎

[@chrisvantassel8867]

I had an 85.....thinking about a new one. Iconic bike for sure!

[@boomerhgt]

Love my V Max the worst thing is the awful tank range I'm forever stopping to fill it up .

[@DUKEBLADE]

boomerhgt I really want one and turn it into a cafe bike hehe. But yeah new bigger tank on that hha

[@fakenews7266]

I'am getting 7 MPG

[@GG-ub4ej]

Fake News Your having some fun.

[@fakenews7266]

I cannot leave town

[@ONEBADZ]

Dude your edits are getting a cinematic characteristic to them!! very nice. That thing is all around retro man, supertrapp exhaust and all. very cool, a little slice of performance history.

[@DUKEBLADE]

thanks man, I'm trying haha...shame I doubt many will see it as it's a bit of a niche but fuck it, had a blast riding it and full of history

[@adaptordieai]

Put the dunlop qualifiers on the bike. they were engineered for the gen 1 vmax. it got rid of all my speed woble. proper tires will make a world of difference. i also own an 86vmax

[@MElliottHolcman]

The FIRST Japanese 'Muscle Bike' was the Honda V65 Magna (and Sabre). On the V-Max, Yamaha had to increase their displacement by 100 cc's in order to beat the Magna. I've had 2 V65's and they were both awesome bikes. Honda and Yamaha are different feeling bikes so it's ultimately a matter of rider preference.

[@poncoolride]

M. Elliott Holcman i remember the v65 comercial.. and how badass it was.. then came the vmax

[@tangledline]

Took mine out this weekend..Hit 130mph with more to go.

[@jamesvzfighter]

Absolutely Proper.

[@bobfeller604]

It's the most comfortable bike I ever sat on...something about the ergonomics that hit me just right.

[@TheJpo911]

Hey Bob I'm looking to get one. I'm 210lbs 5'10". Would you say it would be comfortable at my height?

[@cuisina1055]

USD forks, frame brace and r1 brakes you got a beast. My bro put a stage 7 carby kit in his . Then forward controls lmfao . I'm looking for my 4th. Adictive.1

[@cabezamiami]

Best bike ever

[@randomnoise63]

I have a V65 Magna, and a 500 shadow and V45 interceptor, love all of them and 3 Vmax's...trust me the power on the Vmax is real power.....but the V65 does cruise nicely, love it..at 75mph..yes its a nice ride,

[@johnowen9299]

Phenonomal bike. I took one out yesterday. Me mates 1989 Amrerican import. It blew my fuckin mind. What a machine. Don't get me wrong I love me sportsbikes but lifting the garage door and seeing that sitting there would bring a smile to my face. Which would only get bigger when Im on it. I could have stayed out all day Id have spent every last penny on petrol. I was a teenager again. The Joy x

[@DUKEBLADE]

100% agreed!

[@bigfatpanda2721]

awesome vid dude keep em coming

[@gilzr473]

Good video thanks for sharing.

[@sstroh08]

Did you ever wind it out any? If you didn't you need to borrow it again and have another go because you didn't experience anywhere near all it has. After around 5500 rpm it feels like it almost doubles it power output. They're crazy when you open the throttle lower RPM but if you keep in it what I guess could effectively be called secondaries open up and it becomes flat out insane! First time I layed into mine and it opened up I started graying out a little bit and had tunnel vision due to the extreme acceleration. They're awesome bikes.

[@DUKEBLADE]

TBH I didnt really, as it was my girlfriends fathers bike - gotta stay on his good side haha! But I'm sure I will have another crack at it soon in the future. Thanks for the watch mate.

[@bournivaljeep5099]

I have a 2007 and At about 6000 RPM it feeds each cylinder with two carbs. It is called the Vboost. It is so much fun to ride.

[@sstroh08]

Bournival Jeep I was trying to keep from going full nerd on you guys, but since you brought it up and because I think it's an awesome bit of engineering, here goes haha. The VMax 1200 engine is obviously a V4 engine and in the valley of the engine it has 4 carburetors (one per cylinder) all synchronized together. Under normal riding they all operate that way keeping it fairly civilized. On top of this there are two butterfly valves and passageway (Operated by a servo between each. The bike actually runs it through a cycle before starting. That's the electric motor noise you hear before it starts.) between the carbs per bank of cylinder. So when you drop the hammer and when the bike reaches 5500 rpm or so the servo begins to open those butterfly valves making each cylinder pull out of two carbs instead of one which really wakes up the demon within these bikes! haha. It's kind of sort of similar to the secondaries on a 4 barrel car from the 60s and 70s or so in which at a certain point of throttle travel it opens up the secondary 2 barrels in the carb giving the car a big kick in the butt haha. That's why I call them "secondaries" long story short. I love these bikes and will never get rid of mine lol.

[@fakenews7266]

You need to remove the V-Boot and add the stage 7 kit with a set of real pipes not slip on's but a custom Hindle spit 2x2x2 header system and add a beefed up clutch ( Barnett & pressure plate with a beefed up throw out bearing ) stainless lines all around fork brace frame brace K&N's ( they come with the stage 7 kit ) a set of 1985 carbs then polish the intakes from the carbs to the heads and then a head job removing all the edges for better flow after around $32,000 ( not including the bike ) your in for some real fun . All yeah add a steering stabilizer to control the front end shake . I did not chrome out mine and add a bunch of nonsense but just drag racing / speed parts and its a blast . I'am getting 7MPH on the highway and making 198 rear wheel HP . I only run Metzeler Lasertec on the front and anything on the back usually a Bridgestone Battlax on the rear and get from .00001 acting like a nut to 1000 miles on a back tire driving normally . The drawback is I cannot leave town or I will run out of gas , my cruising range is under 35 miles under 55 MPH . These are just the basic parts to build a very fast straight line bike you can go crazy building up the engine / transmission / rear end but I have broken off a few ring / pinion gears and the driveshaft a few times other then that the engine is bullet proof . I went as far as to remove the reflectors and added reflective tape to cut down on the weight . We have no inspections in Florida so its MAD MAX time if you live here . Maryland I got pulled over for speeding a few time's just sitting at red lights because of the sound and I'am running baffles . This is my second MAX and I have put on all of the best factory parts plus anything for racing except for a chain drive / supercharger made , I have 2 a 1987 & a 1999 both with the 1999 beefier front ends and 1985 front rims to cut down even more weight . Good luck and keep the shiny side up

[@sstroh08]

Fake News Nice! That sounds sick! I might have to get me a second max and do that to it someday.

[@jonynedeky3878]

you should have done a 1990 instead of the 86 because they didn't have all the hacks out of it yet, the death wobble never happened on my 92VMAX

[@osofhia]

Love the vid. You’re very funny

[@Nunya_Beezwax]

You never even got in the Vboost.. 😔

[@DUKEBLADE]

I know! As I said it was my girlfriends dad's bike, so I was TERRIFIED of messing up! I plan on taking it out again when over the christmas period when we visit them in spain. Fingers crossed i will get to spank it properly this time.

[@arthurhunter557]

I finally got my hands on a 86 she really comes alive with stage#3 carb kit but your mph goes way down but the smile goes way up

[@fakenews7266]

Try the stage 7 kit with a real header system and some porting expect 7 MPG on the highway

[@maxbg]

Please be careful. The bike is a beast.

[@DUKEBLADE]

I will be my man. thanks for the watch!

[@reathyork]

This has gotta be the easiest ive seen a person ride one of these... It'll hit 10-11k. Its a totally different monster past 6k. Scary to be honest, but a LOT of fun!

[@Bob-Maplethorpe]

Funny that a ktm 1090 "smaller" adventure bike now has more hp and torque that this. Is gorgeous!

[@mickmouse3513]

kTM stamds for keep throwing money, vmaxs are reliable unlike the KTM.

[@Theologic]

What's even funnier, is that the Vmax is still quick by today's standards and that engine holds up extremely well 40 years later. Performance is actually 118 at the wheel or roughly 140 at the crank, which is more than a 1090. Vmax also has a much bigger torque curve, take a look at those dyno sheets. Jump on one, experience it, it's a hoot to ride. And if you do, rev that thing above the 6K and you'll find yourself in the business department

[@jimberger7362]

OLD SCHOOL POWER TR THE NEW VMAX!

[@rockingrodders8551]

Nice review & looks like a hot day but no gloves bro..Are you aiming for superman status..Ha..if you got the gear stick it on man..Ride Safe Dude & Good Luck..You got a Sub in me..Peace.!!

[@DUKEBLADE]

+Rocking Rodders thanks man! Yeah I didn't have the gear here it was in Spain on my girlfriends dad's bike..I'm usually in a full suit 🤘

[@JustALegendd43]

that 00:00 to 00:57 edit was amazing! Only thing i can say is try to keep your camera stable while filming the bike.

[@DUKEBLADE]

Thanks for the watch and comment feedback mate! Yeah i was shaky after the ride up hahahaha

[@JustALegendd43]

+DUKE BLADE Oh haha i understand, keep making epic videos!

[@DUKEBLADE]

I shall man. Thanks again for taking the time to check out my stuff. Ride safe.

[@mikelosinger7469]

1st gen and 2nd gen two very different monsters, both king, but to say slight differences is a mammoth misstatement.

[@andrerosa4215]

im thinking about buying a Vmax. Some friends are trying to talk me out of it ,because they say it handles terribly while cornering. I just recovered from a big motorcycle accident and i'm looking for a new bike (safe one). whats your opinion? thanks :)

[@DUKEBLADE]

Hi mate, I am sorry to hear about your accident and I hope you have fully recovered. Your friends are half right - The Vmax is a total beast, but it can be tame; a lion when you want it to be, and a pussy cat when you want it to be. It's all on you and your wrist. In regards to cornering, this was the first time I had ridden it, and it is interesting. If you accelerate too much in a corner, you will have problems as the front end of the bike is VERY light (on a highway it feels like the front wheel isn't on the tarmac), and it does take a person who knows the bike to corner it well. But to help yourself out if you buy one, take it easy at first until you get used to it and buy a decent set of tires. Oh, also, watch out for the rear brake. It is VERY sensitive. Thanks for watching, and ride safe.

[@andrerosa4215]

DUKE BLADE Thank you so much for your advices. It is very important to have an opinion from someone who actually drove the bike. Really helpful, thanks. love your videos mate. cheers

[@DUKEBLADE]

No worries fella! Happy to help.

[@arthurhunter557]

andre rosa steering is ok don't try canyon carving

[@boomerhgt]

andre rosa If your getting back on the road after an accident I wouldn't buy a V Max it's a Rottweiler of a motorcycle get something more civilised. I own one buy the way.

[@jegr3398]

AbsolUUUtley

[@vmax1988z]

It is a Japanese middle-age I get on VMAX made in 1988 A style and a run are distinguished I convert it in Weblio

[@jacksoncrate]

Great video and u sound like a laugh! Good fun I mean

[@DUKEBLADE]

jacksoncrate haha thanks man👍

[@dantan-tt3el]

need to tighten the steering stem to 45 ft lbs. Poor man's dampener

[@stevet4064]

You really mean inch lbs?

[@Cheterboyyt]

I got a 83 vmax 1200 it is amazing mines not stock it goes about 145 I would say so much power and torque I put a air shifter on it and performance hole shot exhaust it is a really great bike for its age and how long it held up I’ve been riding it for a while except the winter and rain and I’ve been a couple trips with it all in all great bike for cruising and racing

[@stevejohn1843]

I love it when ladies ride big bikes. it should be so.

[@DUKEBLADE]

She is a good girl ✌️

[@slokesville]

Still a very cool bike

[@DUKEBLADE]

It is awesome

[@panda59043]

those are not stock mirrors. check your comment.

[@DUKEBLADE]

Its the review of the bike im riding. I dont speak for all of the vmax bikes fella.

[@DUKEBLADE]

Plus its a bike from 1986. Im sure many are still not stock!

[@pgnandt]

Any speed warble means you need a new front tire. No matter what it looks like.

[@DUKEBLADE]

Many factors can cause them. On this bike it is pretty typical to get wobble on decel

[@keithwills6769]

Is this the full power version. I've had 2 of them!. Now have a 2002 gsx1400, great bike, but it's not a MAX!.

[@techmaven5900]

Always liked the GSX1400..Too bad it never came to the US.

[@panda59043]

not the stock mirrors

[@shitshawn1]

Is ur name Nancy? I clicked on this video cause I read Power Wheelies. I never seen u get out of second year let alone pop a wheelie by accident. Just saying

[@DUKEBLADE]

How did you know

[@projectprobe4460]

The way you ride that bike you might as well have taken a scooter 😆

[@MarysJanuszPazdzioch]

Well, it's still cruiser and he said he had never ridden powerful bike

[@jamec5511]

Get on it or take a scooter

[@luima408]

If you can tame it with suspension and steering aids you can juice her to 155 mph

[@andyjohnson7426]

That's not an '86 unless they have modified the front end, looks like an '88

[@tomdac]

NOT the first muscle bike from Japan. 1983 Honda V65 Magna was it... and it's what the VMax was made to compete with.

[@DUKEBLADE]

I thought the magna is a cruiser. The vmax is a muscle bike that was made to brake acceleration records. Very different motorcycles.

[@tomdac]

DUKE BLADE VERY similar bikes. V65 is most definitely a muscle bike. Both bikes are amazing.

[@mickmouse3513]

155mph.

[@smazeleu6421]

whats that? Almeria ?

[@DUKEBLADE]

Close. Alicante, Spain

[@Adrian_The_Great]

Where are these roads located!?

[@DUKEBLADE]

Alicante, Spain mate :)

[@Adrian_The_Great]

+DUKE BLADE Yeeah I knew it :) Saludos desde Denia ;)

[@Adrian_The_Great]

+DUKE BLADE Ok, watch the whole video. Now it seems more obvious. Very nice bike!

[@DUKEBLADE]

thanks man! Its my girlfriends dad's bike. Its a beast. Thanks for watching!

[@MrOutdoors007]

Top speed of 160 mph. Open it up next time you ride it and you'll really scare yourself. lol

[@DUKEBLADE]

I tried to take it out when we visited my girls parents over christmas but the fucking starter motor was busted. So incredibly heartbroken.

[@fakenews7266]

165+ I have a speeding ticket for reckless driving framed to prove it

[@johnjones5977]

Lose your license too, Fake News?

[@fakenews7266]

No I was acquitted

[@BADBUSA71]

Nice gloves.

[@DUKEBLADE]

Thanks!

[@anonymouslegion4928]

DARREN X see through Kevlar 👍

[@Blazin130]

I've had my max at 138mph, wobbles like a bitch at that though, there's no pulling through that.

[@DUKEBLADE]

Karl Mead yeh probably not recommended ha ha

[@garrygreen4814]

Mouth to mouth grin weird face dude! Smoke and drink at the same time, but dental costs double.

[@motto-feelmf3452]

Зачем писать Wheelie???There is Wheelie????

[@Tangobaldy]

gloves

[@DUKEBLADE]

Tangobaldy thanks for the helpful comment

[@sdqsdq6274]

lol this is not a hot rod cruiser, its a dragster bike

[@DUKEBLADE]

sdq sdq okay pumpkin

[@christopherhudson8830]

Did you learn to ride a bike on your gap yaaaah?

[@DUKEBLADE]

yeah down in Paraah (Peru)

[@christopherhudson8830]

Chunder everywaaaaar

[@tz6414]

wear some gloves at least, one off and youve lost your fingers

[@DUKEBLADE]

+t 5 agreed! But this is Spain and I had no gear with me 😂

[@motto-feelmf3452]

Bla bla bla bla bla bla (((

[@michaelhamer1277]

how can it be all american if its japanese...yawn....

[@tittyrino]

Tomorrow after work I’m going to look at a 1985 Vmax with 11,000 original miles garage kept and very well-maintained the old timer can’t ride motorcycles anymore so he’s selling it however he just bought a dodge demon to go with his other muscle cars

[@577buttfan]

Really fast but too fuckin heavy.

[@DUKEBLADE]

Enjoying The Sun 577-Jersey Customs still gives loads of smiles!

[@577buttfan]

DUKE BLADE my brother has one it's the fastest bike I ever rode and I had a ninja zx9r LOL

[@luima408]

Best bike ever