Officially Official: 2009 Star Motorcycles VMax, with live pictures

Click above for more live images from the official worldwide VMax unveiling

Back in 1984, Yamaha’s then-new VMax set the motorcycling world on fire with its four-cylinder engine and mechanical V-Boost intake system which gave an extra shove of power at around six-thousand rpm. Riders fell in love with the VMax, and it has been the quintessential muscle bike ever since. Still, consumers have been hoping to see an update to Mr. Max for quite some time, and Yamaha Star Motorcycles has finally made those wishes come true. For 2009, Star will offer just 2,500 VMax’s for sale in the U.S. If you want one, the line starts at your nearest Yamaha dealership and will require a $1,000 deposit.

Want to know all the details? Click on past the break for the full rundown.

All Photos Copyright Jeremy Korzeniewski / Weblogs Inc.

As the preeminent power cruiser, Yamaha has seen fit to throw all of its go-fast tech into the 1679cc V-Four engine, including four valves per cylinder with both chain (intake) and gear-driven (exhaust) dual overhead cams, an EXUP valve in the exhaust, fuel injection with Yamaha Chip Controlled Throttle and Intake along with a rather high 11.3:1 compression ratio. All of which adds up to 197 horsepower at the crank. The five-speed tranny features a slipper clutch and leads to a shaft drive. Expect a nice rush of power at around 6,650 RPM as the intake funnels shrink to their shortest length, which is sort of an electronic version of the iconic V-Boost from the original edition.

The tach is up on top of the bars, as it should be, and includes a digital speedometer and shift lights. An OLED cluster sits atop the tank and displays things like what gear you’re in and current miles per gallon. The engine is housed as a stressed-member in the cast aluminum frame and nice 52mm fork tubes, which are coated with titanium oxide, hold the front wheel. Wave-type brake rotors feature a Brembo radial pump master cylinder and radial mount six-piston calipers along with ABS. A single rear shock features adjustable preload, compression and rebound. If all of this high-spec stuff sounds pricey, it is, as the ’09 edition VMax will go for $17,990.

Our travel and lodging for this event were paid for by the manufacturer.

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