2009 Star V-Max (My first look)

Interesting motorcycle ride yesterday, got a good day to get out in Concord. Sure do enjoy riding in the winter in the Carolinas (was a lot more difficult to use the term "enjoy winter" during my days in the Louisville, KY area). Near the end of the ride went by RideNow in Concord, and saw this surprise there. This is the 2009 Star V-Max. It is the newest version of the Yamaha (same company, sells cruisers and the V-Max under the Star name) V-Max which was in production since the 1980's. That bike (which sold for $10,899 in 04) had a 1200cc engine, 4 carbs, a 150 rear tire, shaft drive, and a weight of 580 pounds. It put out 133 hp, and 86.8 foot pounds of torque. The V-Max was a master of "stoplight to stoplight" transportation. The 2009 V-Max as seen above and below, has a number of changes. One is the cockpit, which is updated with a lot of digital instruments. The gas tank is still under the seat (and holds 4 gallons like the old one). The V-boost system though is now functional, those silver air scoops on the side of the tank actually work.

The new V-Max is now 1679cc's, and puts out a claimed 197 hp, with 122 foot pounds of torque. The new bikes weight is 683 pounds. Like the old bike is has a shaft drive, but a lot of the items have been upgraded. I have ridden an older V-Max some years ago, and it did have a very 1980's feel. The suspension, and other items were certainly dated. While great in a straight line, it was not a great bike on a twisty road. However, Star has put a lot into improving the whole motorcycle with a better frame, suspension, and tires. The front tire is a 120, while the rear is a 200.

Only 2500 of the 2009 Star V-Max will be made, and the MSRP is $17,990. It will be interesting to see how well the bike sells this year with the economy (see my previous article on used bikes is this price gets too depressing) . In fact along those lines, the old V-Max was in production over many years; some good versions of the bike are still around. Other bikes to check out if this type interests you is the Suzuki B-King which follows much of the same concept design as the V-Max.
It was good to see the bike first hand, have read a great deal about it, and think it is certainly one of the most interesting bikes of 2009. Nice to see Star do an upgrade on a bike that has been a big part of the companies history, and filled a role that few bikes can hope to match. For the fans of the V-Max, your bike is here at last!