Issue 137 : October - November 2004
Buell City X
Yamaha T-Max
Yorkshire Pudding Rally
Ducati's "Centopassi" Event
Bristol Show
South of England HOG Rally
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Buell City X
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First came the V-Max then it was time for T
Take a look back in the scooter history books and you see small wheels, hand gear-change mechanisms and relatively crude weather protection. It was a machine that you consciously chose in preference to a motorcycle and if you were a motorcyclist you would not be seen near one. Times have changed, thanks to the fact that the vast majority of scooters have become 'twist and go' fully automatic items that are smart and trendy. They are also a lot faster, handle reasonably well and the wheel sizes have increased, making them look more substantial and safer. As motorcycling has moved more towards a leisure pursuit with bikes being kept for sunny day rides, many bike riders now have a small scooter in the garage. Short trips are easy and winter commuting is a more pleasant affair than a trip on the bike. Needless to say the manufacturers instantly recognise any trend and gradually exploit it. Yamaha was one of the first to see that people were commuting longer distances on scooters and that sport bike riders were also using them. They produced the first of the super-scooters, the T-Max. The launch of this 500cc bike was so important they took literally hundreds of journalists out to Italy for a 3-D presentation that has rarely been bettered since. The bike was and still is a major landmark in scooter terms even though Honda have eclipsed it with their 600 Silverwing scooter and Suzuki now weigh in with the 650 Burgman, which some see as a step too far. Yamaha on the other hand have refined that original T Max and updated it into today's good looking and frightengly efficient form of transport. After two weeks use I can see that you could easily abandon the traditional motorcycle and live with just one of these in the garage, which is worrying for a die-hard bike rider such as myself. With a daily journey that consists of rural country roads, fast A-roads, motorway spec roads and inner city commuting, it coped with all with consummate ease. Not only that, it gave a level of comfort and weather protection normally only found on the larger touring bikes. So what is it that makes it so good? Beneath the acres of black plastic bodywork sits a steel diamond shape frame supported at the front by a set of telescopic forks that could have come from a medium sized motorcycle. At the rear is a swinging arm that also forms part of the drive to the rear wheel. This all rolls along on a 14-inch front and a 15-inch rear cast wheels with disc rotors attached that would a few years ago have graced a sports bike of nearly double the capacity of the T Max. At the heart of this is a 499cc four stroke liquid cooled parallel twin motor pushing out just short of 47 bhp. Drive to the rear wheel is by means of belts and chains through a fully automatic system. You see very little of the aforementioned thanks to the bodywork that makes it look as good as any sports bike, in fact park it near an R1 and you can see the family resemblance. Twin headlamps, a decent screen, a well padded seat capable of easily accommodating two in comfort, it's all there. There is even a parking brake operating on the rear wheel!
Starting is just a case of pulling in a brake lever and thumbing the button to get the fuel injection to bring the beast to life, then just twist and go. With this though you really need to keep a constant eye on the excellent dash to check your speed if you are not to fall foul of the law. So good is the transmission and the weather protection that you get no idea of speed. This is a bike that will top a ton without breaking into a sweat or letting the rider know it is working hard! Thanks to the four-stroke motor there is some reasonable engine braking but the twin disc at the front will get things down to a walking pace with nothing more that a gentle caress from all but the highest motorway speeds. On the open road the bike will cruise all day at speed and side winds have no real affect, despite the side bodywork. Around the country lanes the bike handles better than you would imagine and a 900 Triumph rider was surprised to see it ride around him on a series of bends and then pull away from him on the straight! Even when you use the performance to the full, under £10 fills up the tank beneath the rider's seat with 150 miles showing on the trip which is not bad at all. The T Max is in the shops at £5,799 otr which mean that only the Honda 600 Silverwing and the Suzuki 650 Burgman come in on top. At this price there are a lot of good 'proper' bikes on sale for a lot less, that while they may not give the weather protection are still bikes as I know them! However, to make such a comparison is wrong because whatever changes have been made they are still two different types of vehicle and most riders will make a positive choice. Still I can't help thinking if a T Max came up at the right price, I would be sorely tempted! Ian Kerr |
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The hybrid comes into its own, Yamaha's T-Max is more motorcycle than scooter
It almost goes without saying that there is adequate storage under the seat to leave your helmet and an over-suit, so you can arrive at your office looking as though you arrived by train or car.