The first-generation Yamaha VMAX had an engine displacement of 1,198 cc.
Yamaha launched the V-Max in 1985, using a liquid-cooled 70-degree V4 engine with four valves per cylinder. Its defining feature was Yamaha’s V-Boost system, which opened additional intake passages at higher engine speeds to increase breathing and power.
The original displacement was commonly rounded in informal descriptions, but the specification is 1,198 cubic centimetres. Later VMAX versions grew to 1,679 cc, so references to a 1,700-class VMAX generally describe the second generation rather than the original motorcycle.
The VMAX was designed around strong acceleration and cruiser ergonomics rather than the handling-focused layout of a full sportbike. Its power-oriented image helped establish the “power cruiser” category. The name is styled as V-Max or VMAX in different sources, but both refer to Yamaha’s V4 performance cruiser.