Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128208
described by a California magazine as having an "engine that writes checks the chassis can't cash." Amen to that! This is just one of the several Egli chassis improvements, which include not only truing up the geometry, but also fitting special sliders to the rear of the stock 43mm Yamaha forks these are 3.2 inches longer to give more overlap to the stanchions, which Egli says is "absolutely inadequate in standard form.' I still can't say I'm a fan of the UltraMax's handling, though - the forks felt very underdamped, pogoing up and down over rough surfaces, and there's lots of dive when you squeeze hard on the eight-piston Spiegler brake calipers gripping the pair of 320mm discs up front, matched to a single one at the rear. Just as well, because contrary to the exact same brakes fitted to the last Teutonic ultrabike I rode, the much heavier and even more accelerative Munch Mammut 2000, there wasn't a lot of bite from them on the V-Max, making it necessary to plan ahead and use all three brakes quite hard to stop for corners, before turning, pointing and squirting the 'Max down the next bit of reasonably straight road. Ride quality from the Koni twin rear shocks was good, though. "The V-Max is an absolutely unique bike that so many different kinds of customers enjol' so much to ride in so many different ways," Egli said. "It has always been absolutely reliable, too - we have one customer who bought a bike from us and rode it for 37,200 miles with absolutely no problems - and no maintenance! before he brought it back to us for an oil change!" Given that remarkable reliability, the V-Max looks set to be staging at stoplights of the world's streets for quite a few years to come, making the Egli big-bore kit an attractive option for keeping the original Japanese streetrod - the bike that, thanks to Yamaha's engineers and stylists GK Design at the instigation of Yamaha USA, arguably invented the whole naked bike genre - on pace against more modern rivals. Still, it seems strange that in spite of periodic rumors to the effect, Yamaha has taken 18 years not to update such an evidently successful concept with a 21 st-century mega-Max. However. if the speculation is true, the Japanese firm is planning to do just that on Max's 20th birthday a couple of years from now, with a reworked engine fitted with EFI and cubed-up to around 1700cc to produce upward of 160 bhp at the wheel and enough torque to raise the Titanic. I guess the big-bore Egli V-Max provides a trailer of what an updated V-Max might be like to ride. I can think of one Italian Porsche owner who won't be relishing its appearance. CN r----------------------------------------------YES! Start my subscription imme- diately to Cycle ews. 1 year/50 issues for $45.00. (can be billed 2 monthly J'<'yments) Every week for two years 000 issues for 580.(0) Six months second class (25 issues for $23.(X» arne Address City _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ State Zip _ This is a o ew Su bscri ption Phone _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Order Date o Send to: ~~, Inc. o o po. Box 5084, Costa Mesa, CA 92628-5084 o Toll Free Subscription Hotline (800) 831-2220 24-hour FAX Order Line (714) 751-6685· E-mail: Subscribe©cyclenews.com Signature Renewal Please bill me 1 payment of $45.00 Bill 2 payments of $22.50 Enclosed is my check or money order Charge my ~ ~ Mastercard _ One year (SO MC/Visa# VISA 0 Visa iMllIl.'f». 2nd clallll CalUld" or Mexic'o ~~a~ln~t~~~~~~~lt::a~:u~a~~~r:(~::::.~dSl.151 Expiration Date ._---------------------------------------------cue e I n e _!IS • APRIL 9. 2003 53