These are my personal opinions of all products either previously used or currently in use on my Vmax. They are not necessarily listed in the order they were installed.
Sportmax Seat: All I can say is wow! After riding on that joke of a stock seat, this Sportmax seat is amazing. This is the very first mod you should do to your max. John basically flattens out the stock seat so it no longer feels like you're riding a pvc pipe. You can retain the stock height or have as much as 2" cut out to drop you down. Mine is cut about 1.5".
Superbrace:
I can honestly say that I could not tell any difference this product made in
handling but that certainly doesn't mean it did or didn't. When I
installed the brace my bike had tons of handling issues such as loose steering
head bearings and weak front springs. I can tell you that the stock cast
brace is very weak and susceptible to cracking. If nothing else, the
superbrace certainly looks much better than stock and it can't hurt handling.
It's well made, polishes up nicely and can be chromed.
RMS Frame Braces: Some of the best money I've spent to date.. While these braces require a bit more effort to install since welding two tabs to the frame is required, they are well worth it. These braces take most of the wiggle out of the bike when pushing hard into curves. They are well made and can be chromed. I prepped the frame myself then took the bike to a local shop where the tabs were tig welded in just a few minutes. A stick welder could possibly be too hot for the frame.
UFO Exhaust: Another product worth every penny.. If I had it to do again, yes I would purchase these pipes. Since they were installed, I couldn't tell you how many compliments I get on the sound. You know people like them when they walk up from a distance after you've turned it off and ask you to crank it again so they can listen.. They make good power too.. With a Stage 1 and Dynatek 3000 ignition it produced 118rwhp. With a Stage 7 and Dynatek on curve 4 that number went to 131.8rwhp.
Yamaha Fly Screen: Yes this little dude does have merit. Not only does it protect your instrument cluster but it directs wind over your helmet and reduces buffeting. I no longer have the screen since it blocks the view of my chromed triple trees.
Dynatek 3000 Ignition: This product is difficult to evaluate on performance since you'd need dyno access to test all curves. I have to go on what it has to offer versus the stock to justify it. It has seven curves, two of which are retarded for nitrous or blower applications, one stock curve and four advanced curves. It also has an adjustable rev limiter. It has been said that curve 4 makes the most power and happens to be the most advanced curve. It takes about 30 minutes to install and you can change the settings by simply removing the air box cover then using a pencil or pen changing the dip switches.
Dynojet Stage 1 Jet Kit:
The Stage 1 coupled with the UFO pipes before the ignition made 116.5 rwhp..
With the Dynatek 3000 ignition added that went to 118rwhp. Some or all of
this gain may have been due to the addition of lighter wheels and not the
ignition. Since I never had the bike dyno'd bone stock I have no
reference.
Metzeler Z4 Radials:
These are considered sport touring tires.. That means performance and longevity.
I get around 3k out of a rear with one to two burnouts.. The front will go 6k
unless you ride deal's gap
often then expect 3k from the front as well. With these tires you won't
have to fight your bike around those curves. You can get a Z4 for your
stock 18" front rim but there are no radials available for your 15" rear rim.
BBR rear and Thundercat front 17" rims: The BBR rear rim comes from
France and is fashioned from a GSXR 5.5" rim. The BBR comes ready to bolt
on complete with adapter for use of the stock rear rotor or you can remove the
adapter and use a Suzuki Rotor and caliper. The front is made from a Yamaha
Thundercat sport bike and is almost a bolt on. Modification to the left
inner fork leg and right wheel spacer are require to use this rim. The BBR
rim is still available but I have no idea where to get the matching thundercat..
I bought my set from an individual who wanted billet rims. These rims were
worth the money as they are not only lighter but give the bike a sporty look and
give the best tire selection available. They come polished and even though
they are from two different brand motorcycles, match perfectly.
XJR 1300 Reservoirs: You won't get a huge performance gain here
but you will get a 14mm brake reservoir, 5/8 clutch reservoir and adjustable
levers. These also come with the mirror bosses so you can retain the stock
mirrors if you choose. If you go with bar end mirrors, order the black
plastic mirror boss plugs for a 2002
Kawasaki ZZR 1200. The 7mm brake reservoir does provide better stopping
power over the stock vmax and requires less force on the lever.
M and P carbon covers: As long as they don't leak fluid, they'll do fine.
Galfer Stainless brake/clutch lines: Say goodbye to mushy brakes with these lines. I'll never go back to a rubber line. Clutch and brakes feel much better and fade is not an issue. I think all bikes should come stock with these from the factory.
2001 R1 Front Calipers: Bolt these onto your 93 and up forks along with stainless lines and you'll have some serious braking power. The R1 calipers are one piece and won't flex like the stock two piece units. The 2001 and earlier calipers have the blue inset while 2002 and up have a gold inset. You can also use R6 and FZ1 calipers. You can find these on ebay all day due to the large number of wrecked sport bikes.
Hawker Odyssey PC680 Battery: Click on the link and read up on this battery.. It's reasonably priced and you will notice an increase in starting power. Only time will tell if it lives up to its claims.
Sigma BC1400 Cycling Computer: What can you say for thirty bucks?
This little unit does its job well recording top speed, avg speed, odometer,
trip meter, total ride time and more.. It has dual memory so it can be moved
between two different bikes and maintain separate settings for each. It
will record up to 170mph. I bought the unit mainly for its ability to
record top speed. This prevents me from having to look down while
achieving those eye watering speeds. It can be found at bicycle shops and
all over the internet.
Chromemasters: If
you've been on the vmax lists for any length of time, you've probably heard of
Chromemasters. These folks do top notch work. You won't be
disappointed. They will not chrome
cast sport bike rims but will chrome billet rims. I have had the following
chromed from them:
- Scoops, side covers, carb diaphram covers, upper and lower triple trees, all
associated hardware for triple trees, cylinder covers, grab rail and shock
relocation bracket. I'm currently awaiting the return of my fork lowers
and differential housing.
They also do powder coating and did my swingarm.
MEK Rear Brake Adapter:
This adapter allows fitment of a 298mm front rotor and front caliper to the rear
wheel. Stopping power is greatly improved and visually I think this is
much better over the stock setup.
If you have R1 calipers up front, you can add and R1 front caliper to the rear
and have all matching units.
The adapter is made from billet and is very good quality. The kit comes
with adapter, spacer and a billet caliper brace. The only thing I don't
like about the adapter is you cannot undersling it due to the way its made but
that's no big deal.
Aluminum Engine Bolt Kit from MEK: These blue aluminum hex bolts are a direct replacement for all you engine side covers and look great. Be careful when installing these.. 14 inch pounds maximum torque or they will snap off. Don't forget to use anti seize. These come in different colors.
Lockhart Phillips Bike Boltz: These are similar to the MEK kit but a slightly different shade of blue. Same info applies as above. These can be ordered from your local dealer.
Mario's Radical Bolt Mirrors: Probably the best bar end mirrors
you'll find for you vmax. Take literally minutes to install, contain true
anti-glare glass and polish up nicely.
Flanders Drag Bars: If you're looking to change the stance of
your max, this is a good way to achieve that.
There are several 7/8 bars to choose from each with different pull back lengths.
I bought two pair of different lengths and decided to go with the shorter bars.
You have less room for your reservoirs but everything will fit.
You can order them through most dealers and they run about thirty bucks each.
PCW Modified Swingarm: This is
one of the most radical changes I made to my vmax. After a bad experience
with the now defunct "Uncle Festers", I decided to give PCW a shot at
customizing a swingarm for me. After viewing pics of many vmaxes, I've
always liked the look of a stretched max so I spoke with John at PCW about
stretching. John informed me that his modified arms are done on a jig and
were true/straight.
I purchased a 91 swingarm and sent it to PCW where he notched, braced and
stretched the arm 3". John recommended I keep the shocks at their stock angle so I
agreed and he built a shock adapter for the left side.
The right side is easy as he just welds the new mount in the appropriate
location. I asked that the arm not be powder coated so I could test fit it
first.
Once the arm returned, I performed a test fit and everything lined up nicely.
Then I removed the arm, boxed it up and shipped it to Chromemasters. After
I received the quote of $500.00 for chroming, I decided to just have it
powdercoated for $70.00. Since it will take a beating from rocks down
there, I was afraid it would chip then start to rust.. They did a
fantastic job coating the arm. I did have the left side shock relocation
bracket chromed.
After reinstalling, the first test ride didn't reveal any flaws in handling.. The noticeable improvement comes from launching the bike off the line.. Front end stay down and it goes straight very fast. Turning is no different than stock and the brace keeps the arm from flexing so if anything even turning has improved. I'll never go back to the stock length swingarm.
RMS 3" over driveshaft: You can't have a stretched swingarm without a longer driveshaft.. John Furber supplies these beefy extended shafts for about $240.00. I doubt you'd ever break one which is not necessarily a good thing. I'd rather snap a drive shaft than a tranny part or clutch. Anyway, it's probably the last drive shaft you'll ever have to buy.
Dynojet Stage 7 Jet Kit: You think your stage 1 is powerful, wait till you install this one. Of course don't even think of it unless you already have a free flowing exhaust. There have been many variations on this kit with some keeping the stock airbox and some not, some use the supplied springs and some don't. Since this install is over my head, I took the bike to Jon Cornell at UFO cycles in Cleveland. He tuned the bike to 131.8 rwhp and 82.4 ft lbs of torque. I find any fault in those numbers and the seat of the pants dyno tells me it's way stronger than before. It's like a totally different motorcycle now.
Racetech Springs/Gold Valve Emulators:
These should definitely be part of your max. Brake dive is no longer
an issue.. The bike will now turn better and track better. This coupled
with radial tires and you'll have a max that loves to go around curves.
Dale Walker's Ultra Stand: This
stand is a little pricey but will save you tons of time if you've removed your
center stand. It's great for tire changes, wheel removal or just keeping
your bike straight up. It does not work on modified swingarms with
bracing.
Condor Pit Stop/Trailer
Stop: Money very well spent here. This amazing little stand
holds your bike perfectly vertical by the front or rear wheel. You simply
drive up into the cradle which then rocks forward and locks in.
You can simply pull the bike back which rocks the cradle back and the bike rolls
back out. It can also be mounted directly to any surface. When
bolted to a trailer floor you only need to tie downs in the center of the bike
instead of four.
PCW 39mm Flatslides: These
carbs are an improvement in midrange performance but this does come at a price.
Aside from the $2,000.00 price, you can
expect decrease fuel mileage and a serious problem with air filtration. If
you opt for Uni filters, be prepared for an undertank fire as I experienced
during
Biketoberfest 2004. Click here for more on
this. Supposedly the K&N filters don't fit but I am going to seek an
alternative solution rather than run no filters.
These carbs are picky tuning wise so get yourself the free flatslide tuning
manual from Patrick Burns and purchase plenty of spare jets via
Sudco.
You'll most definately need a good set of gauges whether mercury or otherwise.
1500 Long Rod Motor from Evolution Engines: