VintageVmax.com

The 81 SRX was supposed to be in the high 80's at 9000rpm and very peaky. The 84 Vmax was about 87hp at 8000rpm. The 84 had updates that made them better than the 83's unless the 83 had been updated too and alot of them were. I don't know anyone that has run an 81 440 up against a Vmax 540 but it should be close with maby a slight nod to the 81 depending on the tuners. I have a friend who has owned, trailed and raced them all (76-81 SRX's) and he said the 81 would really haul some mail. He said it was a tempermental SOB and always needed fiddling but would really run strong when dialed. I asked him how fast it was compared to the old SRX's and he said it was the third fastes of the bunch and it would beat the 78-80 SRX"s when it was right. That is quite a feat when you consider that the 81 had 2 less cc's and the sled was about 100lbs heavier. None of them were much compitition for the 76 SRX and the 77 was in a class of it's own. It was just BRUTAL!!!.

I've only seen one! A stock 77 SRX is in it's own world and my Vmax won't hold a candle too it!! The Biggest sled that I have raced against was two indy 650's and the Vmax beat both of them in 1000ft by 1.2 to 1.4 mph! I was in Total that I beat the 650's!! Remember old Yamaha's never DIE they just go faster!! It just shocks me that these old Vmax's hold off the new sleds!

I have both ,the 81 SRX & the 83 Vmax. The SRX had 88 HP at 9000 rpm , and the 83 was said to have about 86 to 88 HP at 8250 rpm. The vmax has a LOT more bottom end & mid range torque & HP ,and is a lot easer to drive and keep in tune. The SRX will run like he-- but you have to keep after it, because weather and altitude changes can throw it out of tune, It is a great sled but it is a labor of love, where the V max is pretty much a drive and go sled. To answer your question , in a drag race the vmax will beat the SRX most of the time out of the hole and up through mid range , the top end is about the same and maybe the SRX has 1 or 2 MPH on the vmax , but it is going to take a long run to catch the Vmax . The one thing that the SRX gives you that the Vmax can't is the SRX gives you the feel of a TRUE lake racer were as the Vmax is more like the muscle sleds of today that are fast but also have a soft side.