Faults:

There is slight wear to the front of the seat, caused by the previous owner wearing jeans. The marks are from zip chafing.

I replaced the clutch at 32000 for an up rated one, as standard clutches can be worn out after around 6000 miles due to the huge torque.

Other than that, absolutely nothing has gone wrong, not a fuse blown or a bulb popped.

General Comments:

After owning a Virago XV535 and XV750, I always hankered after a V-Max. This one came to me because the owner wanted a new clutch fitted. I did the work plus serviced the bike. During the post service test ride, I fell in love. Obscene acceleration coupled with the noise from the Supertrapp exhaust became instantly addictive. The owner never got it back!

This is what bikes are about, they must make you feel alive, mortal and free. The "Max" will happily bimble along in top two up at 60 like a faithful old Labrador, but drop a cog and wind it on, and it becomes a fire breathing banshee on a mission to headbutt the horizon.

The fuel filler cap is located under the seat bolster, and really is no bother. Some say it's a fiddle, but I don't find it so. Tank range is usually around 90 miles, but on a gentle cruise to the East coast I managed 120 miles before the fuel light came on (this lights up with 3 litres left)

I get a huge amount of pleasure from this bike. It made me fall in love with riding again. It has huge road presence and gets respect from other riders who know its fearsome reputation. Handling is actually more than acceptable, and better than the two Harleys I have owned. Brakes are borderline compared to sports machines, but give them a good pull and you do stop. There is bugger all feedback though, and they feel wooden. A change of pad material would sort this.

It is not a bike for the shy and retiring; it will bring out the extrovert in you. If you want to fit in with the crowd, then buy a BMW and pretend you're Ewan or Charlie. Leave the real men's bikes to us.