2017 TMax review

[ramasay]

Yes, everything locks...the snag is opening things! The seat, fuel cap & glove box lock automatically 1 minute after the engine is switched off. They can be unlocked via the general On/Start switch or via the peculiar 'P' button, but in the latter case lock themselves again after 15 secs! The Steering lock and Centrestand lock are activated by the Off button and can only be unlocked by the main On/Start switch.
I hope that's clear....the system isn't the easiest thing to understand!

Understood, thanks.

[MrGrumpy]

Local dealer has one in, but no battery connected, so fuel cap and seat buttons just opened,

Hang on, does that mean that if you disconnect the battery, the compartments all unlock?? As the battery compartment is relatively easy to open (its on the dashboard and requires 2 screws to be unscrewed), then as soon as scrotes find this out, then this could be a major security weakness!

[2wheelover51]

Well there's certainly no chance of that happening with the Mk 3...

[ramasay]

Local dealer has one in, but no battery connected, so fuel cap and seat buttons just opened,

Hang on, does that mean that if you disconnect the battery, the compartments all unlock?? As the battery compartment is relatively easy to open (its on the dashboard and requires 2 screws to be unscrewed), then as soon as scrotes find this out, then this could be a major security weakness!

Er... had not thought of that, will be down there later and will ask as I need to get a new disc lock. When I was playing around with T max, I put my helmet, gloves w/proofs etc. under seat to see how it compared to my Xmax 400 and what room was left.

It could be such a simple thing as once battery has been installed that if then disconnected the ECU retains information, I know when I had battery off for @ 6hrs when I was wiring h/grips , power socket etc on xmax, when reconnected the time clock was still correct.

[abitmad]

Not been on here for ages, but considering the latest T max when I get my pension lump sum in November. One question, does the seat lock in place when away from bike and ignition off so to speak? Local dealer has one in, but no battery connected, so fuel cap and seat buttons just opened, they said they will not know until they PDI it, and connect battery when sold.

Would not like to think I had put stuff under seat and anyone could just push button to gain access. Guess Mr Grumpy may know.

As Grumpy says, everything locks. I don't know if the locks fail to work when the battery is disconnected but your comment suggest that this is indeed the case.

I've just taken delivery of my DX version and one thing when collecting it is a bit of a drag. The bike has to be registered with Vodafone's smartphone online tracking system upon collection and this can take a long time. So for anyone buying a DX, allow hours for collection and hope that your dealer understands it or if not that you are good with computers. It's the same as the tracking system now used on many expensive cars.

What happens is that after your details are entered into the Vodafone online system, the dealer phones Vodafone and are placed in a queue of other callers. Eventually, took about 20min in my case, they answer and then a laborious procedure has to be gone through involving emails and passwords. Finally they make the bike's horn sound by remote control to indicate that it has been registered. Clever, that bit.

Make sure you are able to access your own email account because you have to respond to confirm identity etc. You also need to access your app site, Apple or Android, to download the Vodafone tracking app which give details of journeys and a lot of other info. Of course all this assumes you have a smartphone, without it none of this can be done. It's a bit of a pain but only has to be done once.

You get the first year sub free and after that if you wish to continue, it's something like £90-100 per year so not cheap.

The DX is dearer than the basic model but I think it's worth it if you can afford it. Extra features of the DX include the electric screen, cruise control, two riding modes, the above mentioned GPS tracking system, heated grips and seat, adjustable rear shock. Of these, I'd place the power screen, cruise control and heated grips as the most useful for me. The heated seat, tracker and adjustable rear shock are of secondary importance in my case and I probably would not have paid for them if they were optional.

One silly omission, to adjust the shock preload requires a C spanner to fit the notches on the adjuster which the handbook says is in the toolkit. In my case it wasn't there so I'll be asking the dealer for it. It's a pain to get to the adjuster because the shock is almost horizontal so you have to crawl under the bike. Same with the rebound adjuster but that's a screw so doesn't require any special tool. But at least in my case once I've decided on the settings I like, I'll probably never need to change them. Don't carry pillions.

[MrGrumpy]

Glad I didn't bother with the DX as it all sounds complex! Of the DX's toys, I'd have liked the electric screen, though I've fitted a deflector which improves the standard screen a lot for only £45 and heated grips can be added reasonably cheaply afterwards. Don't like the controls for the DX heated grips either - instead of a simple switch, its scroll through the screen menus till you find the heated grip menu, select that, scroll through the heat settings, select OK....by which time I'd have run into something! Anyway, I've got heated gloves, and I've bought some Tucano Muffs for it, so I should be fine.

[ramasay]

.... will be down there later and will ask as I need to get a new disc lock.

Just got back, to put minds at rest, when I looked at bike battery had been connected, but mechanic I spoke to did not know the other mech. had done it. Key was within 3ft so that's why it was all unlocked. good job I did'nt press the Start button .

If battery is disconnected then it all shuts down and is locked, then the owner has to use the "secret hidden lock" to access, and or code that's stored in ECU.

I will buy the base version as I prefer gloss paintwork, rather than DX's semi matt/satin.

[MrGrumpy]

If battery is disconnected then it all shuts down and is locked, then the owner has to use the "secret hidden lock" to access, and or code that's stored in ECU.

I will buy the base version as I prefer gloss paintwork, rather than DX's semi matt/satin.

The emergency procedure is hilariously complicated...the secret lock by the rhs footrest only gets you so far. To start it you have to open and close the seat 3 times and then put in the secret code by a difficult and error prone method. The chances of doing this in an emergency, even if you have the instructions, is close to zero.

Yes, I also liked the gloss paint, though the DX's blue looks quite nice in photos.

[ramasay]

The emergency procedure is hilariously complicated...the secret lock by the rhs footrest only gets you so far. To start it you have to open and close the seat 3 times and then put in the secret code by a difficult and error prone method. The chances of doing this in an emergency, even if you have the instructions, is close to zero.

, sounds like like the "secret files" in the film "The Firm". Sorry to have made you all panic.

[MrGrumpy]

If battery is disconnected then it all shuts down and is locked, then the owner has to use the "secret hidden lock" to access, and or code that's stored in ECU.

There again, if the main battery is disconnected or completely dead, will you be able to unlock anything? The security system is electronic, so if there's no juice it won't work, and all the locks appear to be electro-mechanical in that a electrical switch causes something physical to happen, so again, if there's no juice, how would the system unlock? The emergency hidden lock is designed to work if your smart key is lost or not working, not the main battery.