Tmax review / the benefits of Maxi-scoots

[ramasay]

If the DX was gloss blue or black I may consider, so while it may be nice to have all the toys, colour is a deal breaker for me.
Having just worked out the price diff. between DX and base as £1300, that £1300 gets an awful lot of other bits. Had an RT for a while and once I moved power screen to highest position I never bothered changing it, so power screen does not bother me.

The good thing is there is a choice according to one's taste.

[abitmad]

Yes...As far as I understand it, the Off (RH) button turns the engine off when running, then when pressed briefly locks the steering (if the bars are in the correct place) and locks the centrestand when pressed for a second or so. The other LH ('P') button seems to unlock the seat, fuel cap and glovebox - or at least enable them to be opened by the switches, when the scooter is switched off. However, it doesn't release the steering lock or stand, which needs the main ON button to be pressed (I find this a bit annoying as when I get the scooter out of the garage I want to wheel it out and put stuff under the seat, but I'd rather not switch the whole thing on). The manual seems to hint that the P button has other uses but I can't work out what they are. What seems really odd is that you seem to be able to press the P button and something unlocks, even if you've switched the Smartkey off!!!

Its very clever, and the centrestand lock is a great idea, but having an old fashioned key would make life so much easier!!!! Perhaps someone will offer a degree course in TMax electronics before long??? Or should I get a 6 year old to explain it to me??

I think I get the locking systems now after some serious study of the manual and playing around with the bike but am quite happy to be corrected if I've still not got it properly.

I agree with what you say as far as it goes but I don't experience anything happening with the P button and the Smartkey off.

Agreed on functions of RH Off button.

The LH P (for parking mode) button has two uses. One as you say is to enable access to the seat, fuel and glovebox when the ignition is off. That's a very useful feature. They stay unlocked for about 10 seconds before auto relocking.

The other use, accessed by a long push when the steering is locked, is to enable operation of the indicators, either L or R or both as a hazard warning, in that locked postion. Unlikely to be used much, if ever. The seat, fuel and glovebox cannot be unlocked in this mode. To exit this mode, press P.

All this requires the smartkey to be on of course.

As for having to turn it on to wheel it out of the garage my answer is I don't bother to lock the stand or steering in the garage so don't have that situation. But maybe I'm being a bit careless in doing that.

An old fashioned key would be simpler I guess but then again it's just the initial learning curve as with a lot of things. I'm not sure they could provide such a big range of locking options with a mere mechanical key though. The problem I can sometimes have with complex systems as I said earlier is that if I don't use a feature, then maybe many weeks later when I want to do so, I've forgotten the precise method. Don't know if others have that difficulty, might just be me and my sad old age.

[MrGrumpy]

The other use, accessed by a long push when the steering is locked, is to enable operation of the indicators, either L or R or both as a hazard warning, in that locked postion. Unlikely to be used much, if ever. The seat, fuel and glovebox cannot be unlocked in this mode. To exit this mode, press P.

All this requires the smartkey to be on of course.

As for having to turn it on to wheel it out of the garage my answer is I don't bother to lock the stand or steering in the garage so don't have that situation. But maybe I'm being a bit careless in doing that.

Thanks for that - adds to my knowledge! Can't quite see what the point of the other P function is though!
I must try further experiments with the P switch with the smart key on or off. I always like to switch the smartkey off to save the battery, but I seem to recall doing so and then pressing the P button and something unlocks!

Since locking the steering and stand is only a matter of pressing the button, I do that in the garage, just to deter anyone. I guess it depends on where you live - I don't have a ground anchor or anything, but burglary rates are very low in this area. Famous last words........

[abitmad]

Agreed it's simple to lock the stand and steering in the garage but the reason I don't is the same one you gave earlier in that you have to switch the ignition on to unlock them when pushing it out of the garage. I have the same (peculiar!) aversion as you to turning the bike on just to do that, cos I don't then get on and ride immediately, I park it whilst I get my gear on etc. so would turn it off again. My nav is ignition wired so if I have to turn the bike on and off, the nav does so too.

I've found another minor oddity. The manual says after the 1,000m break-in period when you can rev freely, to keep the engine speed out of the red zone on the tach. That makes sense except for one thing. I don't got no red zone on my tach! It goes up to 9,000 but no red zone.

I've bought the Yam tunnel bag, (console bag they call it), neat looking and useful if you need more storage.

[MrGrumpy]

Agreed it's simple to lock the stand and steering in the garage but the reason I don't is the same one you gave earlier in that you have to switch the ignition on to unlock them when pushing it out of the garage. I have the same (peculiar!) aversion as you to turning the bike on just to do that, cos I don't then get on and ride immediately, I park it whilst I get my gear on etc. so would turn it off again. My nav is ignition wired so if I have to turn the bike on and off, the nav does so too.

I've found another minor oddity. The manual says after the 1,000m break-in period when you can rev freely, to keep the engine speed out of the red zone on the tach. That makes sense except for one thing. I don't got no red zone on my tach! It goes up to 9,000 but no red zone.

I've bought the Yam tunnel bag, (console bag they call it), neat looking and useful if you need more storage.

I thought for a moment that the answer would be to lock the stand but not the bars, but then you'd need to switch the thing on to unlock that! Though I have all the gear on when I go to the garage, I normally need to stow stuff and since my garage is so crowded I have to take the topbox off in the garage and remount it when I leave. Oh for a double garage!!!
As for revs I've found it quite hard to exceed 6000 rpm, even on quite rapid acceleration, so rev limits are not things I worry about!

I've got the tunnel bag, but have rarely used it.

[abitmad]

I thought for a moment that the answer would be to lock the stand but not the bars, but then you'd need to switch the thing on to unlock that! Though I have all the gear on when I go to the garage, I normally need to stow stuff and since my garage is so crowded I have to take the topbox off in the garage and remount it when I leave. Oh for a double garage!!!
As for revs I've found it quite hard to exceed 6000 rpm, even on quite rapid acceleration, so rev limits are not things I worry about!

I've got the tunnel bag, but have rarely used it.

I'm not worried about max rev limits either, I just found it odd that the manual refers to a tach red zone which doesn't exist.

Don't have a topbox, no need for one and I find them ugly, no offence. I guess if you have to carry a load of stuff there's no alternative.

You happy with the TMax? I'm very pleased with mine. Apart from the excellent handling and all its other qualities, what's particularly interesting, I find, against its principal rival, the Burger 650, is the remarkably low weight. It's a huge 60kgs lighter.

[MrGrumpy]

Don't have a topbox, no need for one and I find them ugly, no offence. I guess if you have to carry a load of stuff there's no alternative.

You happy with the TMax? I'm very pleased with mine. What's particularly interesting, I find, against the competition like the Burger 650 is the remarkably low weight. It's a huge 60kgs lighter.

I don't carry stuff around, but I use a topbox to store my bulky hot bike jacket in when I'm off the scoot (or I put the jacket under the seat and put the helmet in the box. I need storage space when I'm off the scoot not when I'm on it!

I'm very impressed by this version of the Tmax. I haven't owned a Burger 650 for several years now, but even older Tmaxs were much more fun. I'm surprised by how much more grunt (especially mid range acceleration) this version has compared to previous versions, despite apparently having no more peak power than before, and the amazing handling - it just flows into corners with so little effort! Nothing is perfect of course - I find the ride a little firm when out in the sticks, the footboards have shrunk putting your legs in the breeze and the mirrors aren't as good as previous versions, and it generally feels bigger, wider and taller than before. Perhaps the biggest snag is that it rides so well and is such fun it encourages me to ride like a hooligan! (or even more so than previously!)

[abitmad]

New TMax DX review

[MrGrumpy]

Yes, yet again, he seems to think its all something new, but Yamaha have been making them for 16 years now!

[2wheelover51]

Great review. He didn't mention how the lockable centre stand performed though. Reading through the comments on the video it's sad to see the usual prejudices and biased comments from people who consider themselves "real" motorcyclists.