Installing Solid Motor Mounts in a V-Max

Installing Solid Motor Mounts in a V-Max

*****See bottom of page for comments from the users.

Those that have installed solid motor mounts in a V-Max have spoken highly of the handling
improvements with only a slight increase in vibration. Here is an instruction sheet graciously
provided by Mike Lesicko. Thanks Mike!

This is a detailed description for replacing the 6 stock rubber motor mounts with solid mounts.
This modification will greatly improve the handling and stability of the Yamaha V-MAX. There will
be some increased vibration after doing this mod. Required tools are the normal metric sockets
(including a 1 1/16 or metric equivalent for swing arm nuts), allen wrenches and torque wrench.
Also, at least 2 small hydraulic jacks. I will omit torque specifications, refer to shop manual for
proper torque for all removed bolts and nuts. Depending on the age/condition and if you still have
the stock exhaust bike you might want to take some penetrating oil and spray all the allen screws and
nuts on the exhaust and exhaust guards a day or so ahead of the job.

*PRELIMINARY STEPS*

1) Place bike on center stand. Remove tank cover, remove scoops Using large phillips screwdriver,
unloosen the 3 screws on the black plastic plate on left side that holds the relays and module and let it
hang down. On the right side, remove screws that hold the radiator cap and hose joint. Pull assembly out
slightly. Remove screws from top of airbox, remove top, unloosen phillips screws in clamps (under air box)on
top of carb throats. Pull entire airbox up and out. ALSO LOOSEN TOP BANDS UNDER ALL 4 CARBS.

2) Remove rear brake lever and right foot peg, unloosen and remove 10 mm bolt holding engine ground wire
(next to oil filler cap).

3) Remove plastic side pieces on each side of radiator remove 10mm bolts on each side of radiator and pull
forward.

4) Remove License plate and bolts holding brake caliper. Remove cotter pin on rear axle and axle nut, pull
rear axle out on right side(take notice where the washer is on the right side by brake arm bracket) Pull brake
assembly arm up near fender, pull rear wheel off to the right and out the back. Pull brake line out from holders
on swingarm.

5) If you do not have the stock exhaust, remove complete exhaust system using the appropriate steps and then
go to step 6. For stock exhaust, remove chrome exhaust guard on rear pipes from right side and both rear chrome
exhaust covers from rear pipes. From under bike, unloosen all 4 bands connecting 4 pipes to mufflers. Remove bolts
from each side of mufflers (near rear foot pegs). Remove bolt from under bike in the center right under fender.
Grab both mufflers from rear and move up and down, back and forth, side to side and pull out towards rear
(much easier said than done).

5a) Remove the bands holding the rear exhaust pipes to the rear heads and pull pipes down and out bottom of bike.
Remove 4 allen nuts from front pipe exhaust studs, front pipes will come off as one piece. PUT ALL PARTS AND
PIPES ON SIDE OF BIKE THEY WERE TAKEN OFF OF.

6) Pry chrome caps off each side of swing arm, remove nuts,using allen wrench back out threaded pins. HOLD OR
PUT SOMETHING (WOOD or RAGS ) UNDER SWINGARM because swing arm is going to fall right out. Remove
rubber boot from around U-joint.

7) If you have the Yamaha engine guards remove them.

8) Place a hydraulic jack near center, front of underneath of engine block Make sure jack is on flat surface of bottom of
block. Raise level so it just touches surface slightly. The idea here is to just relieve a little of the engine block weight off
mounting bolts, if entire bike raises up its too much pressure. WARNING!!! If you raise the bike\motor too much it will
fall off the center stand. If you have the ability to tie a rope to the handle bars and to something above....do it!!

9) Remove the large allen head bolt on right side of frame near radiator on frame down tube. Place another jack towards
rear of block on right side, raise just enough for support of the engine block like the other jack. Remove right rear motor
mount bolt. This will allow frame down tube to be removed.

MOTOR MOUNT REMOVAL AND INSTALLATION

**4 of the new mounts will have a smaller diameter bolt hole These are for the front. The larger diameter holes are for the
rear 2 mounts**

10) Remove right front lower mount bolt. Twist and pull out rubber mount. Replace with a new solid mount and replace bolt.
Do not tighten yet.

11) On the left side of frame, remove acorn nut You may need to hold rod on inside with 12 mm wrench. Unloosen the two10mm
bolts on upper triangular shaped bracket and remove bracket. Unloosen and remove lower left mount bolt.

12) Unloosen lower bracket bolts,do not remove. Twist and pull out lower left rubber mount, replace with a solid mount and
replace bolt. Snug but do not tighten yet.

13) Remove acorn nut on upper front right mount. You may have to hold rod on the inside of the mount with a 12mm wrench to
keep from turning. Repeat for left mount. Twist mounts back and forth. Remove rod and do not replace new solid mounts yet.

14) Move jack from front around to under rear left mount or as close to rear left as possible, raise jack just a little to take
weight off rear bolt and remove bolt. Now engine is only supported by jacks in the rear and the one left lower front mount.

15) Use a pry bar to help move the engine around!! Slowly raise jack up, watch U-joint it will need to be turned so it hits the
gas tank at an angle that will allow engine to be raised enough to pull old mount out. You may need to remove the U-joint, I did
not. Also watch carb assembly it will move around when hitting upper frame. You may have to remove, again I did not. Once
you clear the tab on frame, twist out old mount and replace with solid mount. On right rear side, move one of the jacks or use
another one to raise this side. AGAIN WATCH U-JOINT,CARBS AND RADIATOR HOSE ABOVE CARBS ON RIGHT SIDE
. It takes some jacking up and down and watching everything all at once but it all moved up just enough for me to just barely
get the 2 rubber rear mounts pulled out and the new solid ones installed. SLOWLY LOWER JACK until holes in frame tabs
are aligned. Replace left rear mount bolt and snug up.

16) Slide in upper front mount on right,slide in rod from left side. Install upper left mount. Replace right acorn nut, replace
bracket and acorn nut on left side, then replace bracket bolts and tighten.

17) Replace frame down tube, right rear bolt goes through this first then through mount. Replace all large allen bolts.

18) Tighten down all 6 mount bolts and front bracket bolts. Remove jacks.

19) Reverse doing steps 7 through 1. It would be a good time to check, clean and repack swingarm bearings. Just pry off
dust cap on each side of swingarm.

Tip on reinstalling stock exhaust: Leave bands on rear heads loose and attach both rear pipes to mufflers first. Then
attach front pipes to muffler assembly before fitting front pipes into heads. Install 3 mounting bolts for mufflers last.

Comments:

Paul wrote: There is only a slight increase in vibration. For me the only thing I noticed was the mirrors were no longer clear
due to the vibration. I noticed nothing else, perhaps because the handling was so good afterwards that you pay no attention
to it. I am going to put my Buzz-Off bar ends back on to see if the mirror vibration goes away.

Mike wrote: Same here, I noticed more vibration at lower speeds for about the first 3 miles after installing them, stopped
for gas,and got back on,couldn't tell any difference. I can feel a buzz in my hands around 65-75, but if I am wearing my
summer riding gloves, I cant feel it. At
around 95-100 the mirrors vibrate and aren't too clear. It could have 10 times more vibration and I still wouldn't change
it back to rubber mounts.

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