Yamaha VMAX 1700 (VMX17) Complete Maintenance Schedule and Service Intervals

This is the maintenance schedule and service intervals for the second generation Yamaha VMAX, the VMAX 1700, released in 2009 in Europe and the US.

The Yamaha VMAX followed on from the original Yamaha V-Max 1200, the VMX1200. This was a huge update — a much bigger motor, more rigid chassis, and a lot more ride tech.

But the core of the VMAX is the same, a fire-breathing V4 musclebike that’s awesome in a straight line and somewhat acceptable around corners (but a lot better than the first gen).

The heart of the Yamaha VMAX is a liquid-cooled DOHC 65-degree V4 with a displacement of 1679 cc and compression ratio of 11.3:1. It puts out a ludicrous 147.2 kW (197 hp) at 9000 rpm, and peak torque of 166.8 Nm (123 ft-lb) at 6500 rpm. There’s a 5-speed gearbox with slipper clutch and a shaft drive.

The VMAX was discontinued in 2016 in Europe and in 2020 in the US in the wake of tightening emissions regulation.

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Maintenance schedule for the Yamaha VMAX

Below is the maintenance schedule for the Yamaha VMAX 1700. It’s the same content as in the manuals, but presented more succinctly.

There are two maintenance schedules below

• US version — 4000 mile (6000 km) or 6 month maintenance intervals
• Europe/APAC version — 10000 km (6000 mile) or 12 month maintenance intervals

This follows a pattern common to many (if not all) Yamaha motorcycles.

Notes:

• Observe the earlier of time- or distance-based intervals if both are present. Some items have only a distance interval (e.g. valve service), and some only a time interval (e.g. brake fluid).
• Follow the pattern of the maintenance schedule once you reach the end of it.
• The break-in service is not shown (this bike is no longer in production)
• Replace the air filter; don’t clean it with compressed air as you may damage it (and the engine)

Yamaha VMAX 1700 — US maintenance schedule (4000 mile intervals)

Below is the maintenance schedule for the US-delivered Yamaha VMAX 1700 with 4000 mile / 6 month maintenance intervals.

Yamaha VMAX 1700 — Europe / APAC maintenance schedule

The below maintenance schedule is for the VMAX 1700 as delivered in Europe / APAC. Maintenance intervals are a wider 10000 km / 1 year, though major items like valve clearance checks follow a similar schedule.

Wheels and tires for the Yamaha VMAX 1700

Below are the standard quoted tire sizes and pressures for the Yamaha VMAX 1700. Use these as a starting point and adjust as suits your needs.

About the Yamaha VMAX 1700

The Yamaha VMAX 1700 is in a rapidly dying, highly specialised breed of motorcycle — the muscle cruiser.

There’s very little like it out there in the motorcycling world. There’s the Ducati XDiavel, which actually has respectable weight and handling, and there’s the now discontinued Harley-Davidson V-Rod line, which never made as much power as the VMAX (but which has many other virtues).

But the Yamaha VMAX 1700 stands alone on a number of fronts. It has a massive engine in a quite unique configuration for a cruiser — a V4, which itself is a more rare configuration among motorcycles. Yamaha had made V4 cruisers before, but not intended for straight-line blasting like the VMAX 1700.

The 1679cc 65-degree V4 in the Yamaha VMAX is liquid cooled, with dual overhead cams in each cylinder head, and 16 valves. It has a compression ratio of 11.3:1, similar to many early sportbikes. But despite this, the Yamaha VMAX puts out a massive amount of torque, helped no doubt by the huge displacement.

In the words of one reviewer: “The VMAX will pass just about anything — other than a gas station.”

The Yamaha VMAX’s engine makes 147.2 kW (197 bhp) at 9000 rpm — the same as a stock 2nd gen Suzuki Hayabusa territory — and peak torque of 166.8 Nm (123 ft-lb) at 6500 rpm. There’s a 5-speed gearbox with slipper clutch and a shaft drive.

Even more shocking, there’s no traction control. The Yamaha VMAX 1700 has to make do with a few other technologies, like

• YCC-I — a technology first seen on the Yamaha superbikes a few years earlier, this is a variable length intake controlled by the ECU
• ABS (standard)
• YCC-T — Yamaha’s nomenclature for ride-by-wire
• A digital tank-mounted dash which has a gear indicator

The VMAX has fully adjustable suspension front and rear. The front forks are massive 52mm units — able to withstand a lot of abuse.

Front brakes are huge 6-piston calipers on 320mm wave-style rotors. Big brakes, not intended to provide great traction, but a lot of stopping power. The calipers are from the 2008 YZF-R1, by the way.

The old V-Max (which was written differently) suffered from really bad handling. It could corner, but it wasn’t its happy place. Yamaha sought to rectify this with the new VMAX, significantly strengthening the frame.

The result is a bike that holds itself together, but it’s still a heavy, long motorcycle that takes a bit of muscling to get it to change direction.

However, with its formidable torque and upright seating position, the Yamaha VMAX is still the best bike for those who wish to detach their shoulders from their sockets in a hurry.

Manual for the Yamaha VMAX 1700

The above maintenance schedule came from the European and US versions of the manuals for the Yamaha VMAX from recent years, and were checked against earlier years.

Yamaha VMAX 1700 – US maintenance schedule

Yamaha VMAX 1700 – Europe maintenance schedule

You can download manuals from Yamaha online here.