Road test of Yamaha1700 V-MAX CARBON 2015 How do you lose a V-Max among 771 others?

the most fun parties are often those organized at the last minute. This was my thought process when, a few days before the 30th anniversary of the Vmax, I decided to join Oberbronn for 48 hours.

how do you lose a Vmax in the midst of 771 others?

come on, the countdown is on, the bike is OK, and I've had the bright idea of reserving a full carbon for a week.

for the itinerary, I've got two hours of battery life with my GPS, so I'll have to trigger it at the right moment!

i get on Facebook to find a bed for Saturday night. 2 or 3 emails later, Adrien, a member of "Vmax, le club - Paris", offers to share his. "In all honor and if I don't snore" he said.

he was certainly afraid he wouldn't hear himself snoring if I had more volume than he did! Anyway, thanks again to my landlord.

saturday morning, 7 a.m., I lightly load the bike with a saddlebag, attach my GPS holder, fill up the tank and set off for 420 kilometers.

the 1700 is surprisingly comfortable, and I had the good sense to buy a palm throttle, so I could rest my hand. Yes, when you've already had both hands broken (ah, motorcycling!), you have to anticipate the tingling sensation on long motorway journeys.

no sooner had I arrived in the south of Belgium, and despite my smooth ride, surprise, surprise, the fuel warning light came on! I'd forgotten that the big V2 has a 15-liter tank! Well, first stop, the Vmax has lost none of its power of attraction, and several people come up to me to congratulate me on my superb bike.

it's true that, magnified in this carbon version and equipped with two Akrapovic tailpipes, "my" little Vmax is a real eye-catcher.

i cross the border and am soon on the German freeways. I'm starting to show off. The claimed 200 hp are there, but easily exploitable. at 100 kph in 5th gear, all it takes is a twist of the throttle to hook the 200!

the return to reality comes very quickly when I feel my saddlebag detach from the bike... Whoho, calm down! Well, the reserve light has come on again anyway. A little detour to find a pump and, well, I'll have to tell you about that one...

after filling up, I get back on the freeway, waiting for an exit that will allow me to turn around and head in the right direction. In Germany, unlike here, there's only one exit every 10 to 15 kilometers, and when I finally reach it, bingo, roadworks in the other direction. After panicking my GPS and tapping its battery (remember, I only have 2 hours of juice), I finally find the next exit. The result was a 40 km detour, and ironically, when I finally passed the pump again, I'd already lost a bar on the fuel gauge...

after 350 kilometers of freeway ordeal, I finally attack the last part of my journey, with a gift of 60 kilometers of small roads - what a treat!

the second-generation Vmax is much more civilized. It pushes (with 200 hp and 17 mkg at 6,500 rpm, who'd have thought!) but above all, it now brakes. I'm having a great time on these little roads, the 1700 still responding, the bike rocking from bend to bend, you just have to be careful not to be too optimistic with the throttle, the speed reached is often surprising.

oberbronn, here I come!

as I get closer and closer to my destination, I start to come across more and more Vmax, and it's beginning to smell like a stable. The organizers have come up with an infallible trick for spotting the place from a distance: they've suspended a Vmax 1200 from a huge crane, which gives you an idea of the level.

i arrive at the campsite, and there are plenty of Vmaxes everywhere. First surprise: registration and welcome in English! It's all right, I manage, but I do have the opportunity to follow one or two lunar conversations between English people from England and French people from France.

after being relieved of some money, I'm allowed to go to the main parking lot. Okay, let me describe the scene: a field, a few tents, several tuners, a tire fitter (and yes, it burns dry in concentrations) and 772 Vmax. I must have the most stock bike of the lot. 385hp engines, crazy tires, embossed paintwork, everywhere smells of crazy preparation.

i start looking for my landlord, and a few text messages later, we find each other. Not easy in the midst of several hundred people. I discover the chalet where I'm going to spend this life-saving night.

as a good old-fashioned backpacker of this kind of focus, I give myself a good hour's nap right off the bat. The rest of the afternoon, evening and night alternated between motorcycle discussions, beers, "Vmax, the club" meetings, champagne, Vmax accessory shopping, aperitifs with Vmax Portugal and then we drank!

all this to say that I was frankly charmed by this natural welcome from the whole Vmax family, the different clubs all ready to welcome a little Belgian. No sectarianism, even if I wasn't really one of "them". I discovered a real bunch of enthusiasts, guys who only live in the spirit of the Vmax. On site, I think there were 80% 1200s, and yet the 1700 riders weren't looked at any differently. A fine spirit, bravo!

sunday's return journey was trouble-free, apart from a near-miss. I managed to put 14.83 l in the tank, so it was about time I found a filling station.

thanks again to everyone and especially to Adrien for welcoming me so naturally.

see you soon

oli the Belgian