The legend continues

1985: The birth of a legend
Back in the ’80s the big V8 muscle car was the undisputed boss on the strip in the USA, and in both the car and the bike drag race scene, the large-capacity engine was king. A quarter of a century ago, cubic capacity ruled – and Yamaha captured the true spirit of the time with the introduction of the awesome VMAX in 1985.

With its massive 1,198cc V4, 4-stroke, 4-valve DOHC engine kicking out 140PS, this radically-styled muscle bike became an instant legend which established itself as the definitive cult-bike. With around 100,000 units sold during its production run that spanned three decades, the original VMAX made history by being included in the Guggenheim Museum’s ‘Art of the Motorcycle’ exhibition while still in production. There has never been anything to beat it…until now…

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