how "fast" are these bikes

[DeeGee]

I've yet to get out and ride my 86vr as I'm doing some work to it to make it perfect. I keep hearing how fast these first gens are. Well how fast are they?

I'm sure a few of you have lined up with another bike one time or another. So let's hear what you've taken down.

 

Sorry if wrong place to post. Feel free to move

[bongobobny]

Fast enough to lift the front wheel waaay off the ground! Top speed over 130MPH...

[Yammer Dan]

Maybe this what you want. I had a 1400 Kaw blow by me a couple years ago when I wasn't paying attention. I got back on him cause I just wasn't standing for that!! About 10 mile down the road he pulled over to see what that old bagger he couldn't shake was. Almost had to show him the papers when I told him it was almost 30 yrs old!!

[Venturous Randy]

I really PO'ed a guy on a BIG Dog Harley one day when I pulled him twice. He just could not believe it. I also ran side by side with a Harley V-Rod going up the mountain from Asheville on I-26. He also could not believe my bike would pull like his. That was before I put the V-Max final drive in mine and now I believe I could pull him a little.

Yes, these bikes will lift the front wheel and you have to be careful when two up cause those love handles can get real tender when she is not expecting it. The trick is, don't worry about hurting anything when getting near the redline, as these bikes like to rev.

RandyA

[Peder_y2k]

Yamaha XVZ12TK Venture Standing 1/4 mile:12.69 sec. @ 103.92 mph Cycle Magazine 6/1983 Test Specifications..

Yamaha XVZ1300 Standing 1/4 mile: 12.5 sec. @ 104.5 mph. Cycle Magazine 11/86

-Pete, in Tacoma WA USA

Edited July 28, 2014 by Peder_y2k
notation

[DeeGee]

I really PO'ed a guy on a BIG Dog Harley one day when I pulled him twice. He just could not believe it. I also ran side by side with a Harley V-Rod going up the mountain from Asheville on I-26. He also could not believe my bike would pull like his. That was before I put the V-Max final drive in mine and now I believe I could pull him a little.

Yes, these bikes will lift the front wheel and you have to be careful when two up cause those love handles can get real tender when she is not expecting it. The trick is, don't worry about hurting anything when getting near the redline, as these bikes like to rev.

RandyA

 

This gets me excited! I ride an 85 Shadow 750. Just a slight upgrade:rotf:

[kevin-vic-b.c.]

when you get that urge to twist the throttle..... be hanging on tight!

 

That 86 will feel like you are flying when it takes off.... it is FAST

[Money Venture]

Over the weekend, my Son on my 87 and my Son in Law on his Sportster 1200 decided to duel it out. They only raced 1/8th of a mile. My 1300 was pulling away more the further they went. Both of them thought the Harley would win. My Son has been riding it more this last week or so and fell in love with it the other day on the expressway. He loved the power, the sound and the comfort.

[hushpuppy]

89- backed off at 123- was running out of road - don't know what top end is.

Richard

[SilvrT]

Just don't try racing with a second gen ..... your bike won't go that slow ....

[DeeGee]

Some surprising take downs!

 

Keep em coming:322:

[uncledj]

Just don't try racing with a second gen ..... your bike won't go that slow ....

 

My buddy was riding my first gen (87) and I was on my second gen (06) and we lined up (I already knew what'd happen) and my first gen smoked my second gen. It was pretty frustrating when I hit the rev limiter on Black Cherry, if I knew exactly when it's gonna cut out I could avoid it and improve the 1/4 mile performance by eliminating the recover time.

Anyhoo, Ol' Blue IS a wheelie poppin' tire smokin' beast......no doubt.

[Marcarl]

Maybe not as fast a 2014 Spyder.....

[MasterGuns]

Ha!

[Stache]

Maybe not as fast a 2014 Spyder.....

 

All of mine have no difficulty reaching the posted speed limit. Much past that and I'm concentrating more on the riding than the ride. Relax, enjoy the ride.

[Skid]

I had an old 86 that when I would red line in second and shift to third it would lift the front about six inches. This was at 90 mph.

Edited July 29, 2014 by Skid

[Yammer Dan]

I had an old 86 that when I would red line in second and shift to third it would lift the front about six inches. This was at 90 mph.

 

 

Old?? Just because she was too fast for you???

[videoarizona]

Impressive, guys. Geesh...no wonder my heart beat hits redline when I go to pass someone on the freeway....these are fast bikes!

 

Shift to 4th, look at speedo and see I'm so far past the 75mph speedlimit I'm already in jail without chance of parole!

[Skid]

They are very fast or a full dresser. I always referred to them as an 800 pound crotch rocket, but only a very few riders are brave enough to run them like one.

[Bob Myers]

Rode an IBA ride in June with 6 HD, 2 BMW, and a VTX1800. Everyone was commenting on how my 28 year old bike looked, "all still there and apparently roadworthy" was one comment. When we left the first fuel stop I had had enough of the non-muffled HD's, so the VTX and I leaned out in the left lane and went on. Next fuel stop was mandatory as a corner in the ride, we were fueled and leaving when the HD's got there. Next mandatory fuel/corner stop was 325 miles east of that stop, we were 40 miles back in the return and passed the HD guys going the other way. Next fuel stop the fellow on the VTX ask if I were through showing off, thought I should conserve the "old" bike while it was still so pretty and ran so good. I let him chuckle at me and even lead off when we left. I heard him shift 3 times and cranked mine open. When I passed him I think it scared him, I'm almost sure he pulled over and ran it through the gears again to make sure he was using all he had. Next fuel stop he walked up and patted the bike on the trunk and said" I have a healthy new respect for these old bikes now.

Oh, the BMW's, I caught them at the finish point, they were near an ½hour ahead of the VTX and I.

[videoarizona]

Grins!

[86er]

They are very fast or a full dresser. I always referred to them as an 800 pound crotch rocket, but only a very few riders are brave enough to run them like one.

You could ask Swifty or me about that!

 

 

 

When I first got my 86 I worried because I kept blowing past that 7500 red-line. I asked a mechanic buddy if he could put a rev limiter on it. He said "It has one." and showed me it hits at 10,000 (just like the VMax)! I was racing an HD one time and hit the limiter in 1st, hit the limiter in 2nd and when I shifted to 3rd I was doing one hundred and three!

Oh yeah, and the Harley was just a speck in my mirror.

 

[Ben Rollins]

So does my 83 hit at the same point?

[Yammer Dan]

You could ask Swifty or me about that!

 

 

 

When I first got my 86 I worried because I kept blowing past that 7500 red-line. I asked a mechanic buddy if he could put a rev limiter on it. He said "It has one." and showed me it hits at 10,000 (just like the VMax)! I was racing an HD one time and hit the limiter in 1st, hit the limiter in 2nd and when I shifted to 3rd I was doing one hundred and three!

Oh yeah, and the Harley was just a speck in my mirror.

 

 

HERE IT IS DINGY!! JUMP ALL OVER HIM AND TELL HIM IT AIN"T POSSIBLE!!! YOU KNOW THERE IOS NO WAY THEY COULD DO 110 IN 3rd GEAR!!! QUICK GET HIM DON"T LET HIM GET AWAY WITH THAT STUFF!!!:rotfl: I GOT YOUR BACK TODD!!!:clap2::clap2: While we are there it is about 120+ mph when it redlines according to the speedo in third. Now when it hits the Rev Limiter in 3rd I got no Idea!! Wasn't stupid enough to be looking!!!!

[zagger]

A couple of weeks ago I passed a long line of harleys riding nose to tail. By the time I got to the leaders of the pack, I was going over twice their speed. Pretty zippy for a big bike.

zag