The Yamaha VMAX was launched in 1985 with a powerful 1,198 cc V4 engine.
Yamaha developed the VMAX as a muscle bike inspired partly by the American preference for large-displacement acceleration. Its liquid-cooled V4 engine used Yamaha’s V-Boost system, which opened additional intake passages at higher engine speeds to increase top-end power.
The original model was known as the V-Max in several markets and became one of Yamaha’s most recognizable motorcycles. Its long, low profile and prominent intake scoops gave it a distinctive appearance, while its engine performance made it famous beyond conventional sport-bike circles.
The VMAX is sometimes confused with later Yamaha performance models such as the FZ1 or MT-01, but those motorcycles used different engine designs and belonged to different families. Yamaha later produced a substantially redesigned 1,679 cc VMAX, but the landmark original dates from 1985.