Modern Vespa

I test drove a T-Max yesterday and it was Faaaast and a good ride. Not to mention it was my favorite color Yellow. These are very popular in Europe but brand new to the USA. The local dealer has one he will sell at cost but I'm tapped out.

Looks like a sports bike, doesn't it ?

cheers

They recently did a comparison between the new T-Max and the old version in scootering and it got a really good write up, so raid the piggy bank cfargo and get yourself one!!

How does it compare in performance to a BV500? Not just the specs, but the actual ride. Anybody tried both?

Shane

Since I already own a Maxi-Scooter (Burgman 650) I could not justify a second one.

Does the TMax have a swing arm set up in rear or is the engine fixed to the frame like a motorcycle?

Much faster and more comfortable and of course more storage. They are defiantly worth going and taking a look at and if you can, do test ride.

Fixed

The new alloy frame feels as stiff as a modern beam frame. The fully-stressed motor bolts to the back of the frame. The swingarm pivots on the engine castings, so unlike most scooters the motor is sprung weight. That takes some pressure off the single rear shock, which is positioned about where it would be on a sportbike.

That was a quote from :

http://www.motorcycle.com/manufacturer/yamaha/2009-yamaha-tmax-500-review-87665.html

the local yamaha guy has one on sale, nice looking big scooter, would be great for covering long distances in a hurry

Lets compare it to a scooter in its own class.How does it compare to a Gilera Nexus 500? I know only non US folk would know this.Sure am curious.

The Scarabeo is much, much cheaper than the T-Max also!!

The T-max is also THE MOST stolen scooter in Europe!!!

T-max has a V-Twin 500cc.
Problem that I have with these bikes is that, at low speed and in urban area.. they are a B...h to handle!!!

Sweet looking though!

Based on some quick research, it's got 44hp and weighs 490lbs wet. The BV500 has 40hp and weighs 416lbs dry.

Shane

On my last visit to Milan in may I was amazed at how many of these are being sold (at least in and around Milan). I saw lots of guys trying to manhandle them through rush hour. Most did it pretty well - but it does look ungainly at slow speeds. I have to say though that once the traffic opened up - and their riders got on the throttle - they sounded pretty sweet and rapidly took off.

I did not know the motor was on the frame - hmmmm. Sounds pretty interesting.

(my sportcity is MORE than enough for me right now)

Why is it that a crappy old Kawasaki Ninja 500 can get over 50hp, yet a modern fuel injected scooter is only at 44? Or a BV500 at 40?

Shane

How does the long wheelbase affect the handling and low-speed maneuvering? It looks like it is quite a long one. If we are losing scooter maneuverability, I think a regular motorcycle might be better in several ways.

Also, I think most maxi-scoots are sorta fugly, and yellow doesn't help this one, IMHO.

Hey Curt, great to hear from you.

A soccer colleague of mine just bought one; his first scooter. From what I could tell any resemblance between that thing and scooter seemed accidental. A goldwing guy (another player) parks next to us and it looked much more like his ride than mine.

He loves it. I'm hoping he sticks with scootering for a while but my gut tells me this is just a passing thing for him.

Found this pic at Motoblog.It is of a recent National T-Max get-together.Who ever said T-max's sell like hotcakes overseas wasn't kidding.

That makes it unquestionably a motorcycle with a relocated gas tank, not a scooter by ANY stretch of the imagination. You can only stretch a definition so far.

Personally, I'll stick with scooters, thank you.

I would love to have a maxi without all that unsprung weight. It can be very harsh at high speeds on the BV500.

Shane

Probably because a Ninja has a gearbox that can handle a wider rpm range than is desirable for a CVT. I bet the Ninja makes is extra power in an RPM range that a scooter motor can't even get to. Just guessing though.

hands down the best looking maxi out there, burgman designers should take a few pointers

I have ridden both (I own the BV). I rode a T-max during an international motorcycle show demo ride. I was very impressed by a few things. 1. The CVT is very responsive. Blows my BV500 CVT out of the water. In fact after I test rode the T-max I have been desiring to upgrade my variator to maybe a J Costa to try to get the responsiveness of the bike. 2. The bike is very very smooth. The motor purrs more than the BV. 3. It seems better at freeway speeds than the BV does.

But all of that aside I hate the way it looks. I feel that if someone wants a bike that looks like that why not get a FJR or something along those lines instead of the T-max. I like how my BV looks more like a traditional scoot. I know it has the huge wheels and aggressive rear end but I think it definitely looks more elegant than the T-max.

Absolutely love mine. Handles like a dream and I get anywhere from 50 -55 MPG. Plenty of storage underneath the seat (enough for a full face helmet). If I were to replace this it would be with a BMW F800 ST (my dream bike).

It's actually quite nimble and a breeze to handle at low speeds. The bigger wheels help in that regard.

Why not just go for the R1200RT?

A rider in Oregon Scooter Club just bought one and we went on a 3 day camping trip together two weeks ago. We run neck and neck most of the time. He is faster off the line. The twin in his scoot just sounds very happy, from start up in the morning to WOT. I also like the fact that the unsprung weight is much lower on the T-Max.

I am not crazy about the rice rocket look, but it is an impressive scoot nonetheless.

-Arjen

Internet gossip has the TMax going up to 750cc next year. The engine will be a 3 cylinder. Competition for the Gilera GP800.

I've ridden both the BV 500 and the T-Max. Both are nice scooters but the T-Max is more like a motorcycle than the BV is. It is definitely faster and has much better brakes, the front brake is really powerful.

That makes a lot of sense. The cira 1987 ex500 model hits peak hp at 9200 rpm versus 7200 for a T-Max. The T-Max also has more torque, so it probably feels faster. I'm guessing there is a lot of room for after-market performance improvements on the T-Max.

Shane

Sorry; That thing is hideous. It's the scooter version of the V Max, which is the latest and greatest mid-life crisis bike on the market. The reason I call it a mid-life crisis bike is because the only people who think they need (and can afford) a 1750 cc motorcycle are middle-aged men who just stated riding six months ago.

ahh... the ravings of children

If you consider 34 and almost completely gray a child, then maybe your next scooter should be one of these:

http://www.thescooterstore.com/mobility/spur/ppc/Scooter05/?code=INT806GP11&p=8663655052&lt=ppc&gclid=CObUopLozZsCFQ_xDAodQSYaJw

yea your way younger then me, point is tons of power is a lot of fun, I'm not into it anymore on a regular basis but every now and then I miss that feeling

I don't have any idea where'd you get this theory from.

THE mid-life crisis machine is still the Harley Davidson. Expensive, noisy (when made so), and slow enough to give that moneyed old newbie half a chance of surviving a month or two.

An almost 200 hp V-max is no toy for fools and beginners.

I'm well past my mid-life crisis point, and I wouldn't mind a new generation V-max in the garage one bit.. so that makes me living proof that more than just poser newbies would own one.

The V-max is ugly though, but in a brutally good looking way.

The 500 T-max doesn't interest me much for some reason, though a 750 triple version might...as long as Yamaha can keep it under 10G's....which I doubt, considering the price of the 500, which is too high for me for what you get when the aformentioned OLD Ninja 500 (EX500) can run circles around the scooter for a lot less money.

The last specs I saw on the Ninja 500 show it at 59 hp at the motor, much less than 500 lbs wet and yielding a 1/4 mile of just over 100 mph...and this thing's been around since the late 1980's.

(Edited for spelling)

gees man you should'nt be grey at 34, get ya a T-Max Ok I'll stop, have a fun weekend!

I still love my big scooter for longer rides. You just push your thumb in to switch the gears just like the Burgman. 145 HP and a 0 -60 in about 3 seconds. Now where is that Gen III bike they have been promising to release?

A 500cc step through motorcycle is a mid life crisis bike? Your comments on the looks aside (because that's completely subjective) - I'm confused.


Dave

I like the Tmax alot and my only issue is getting this 6'5" body to be comfortable. I never have a good place to put my legs?