The TMAX has always been regarded as one of the best sporting scooters on the world stage. In Europe sales have remained strong regardless of age, and no other manufacturer has come close when it comes to producing a scooter with the same blend of performance and handling.

Recent updates have seen small styling changes shadowing those seen on Yamaha's supersport motorcycle range. Other changes have been to tweak the frame, reduce weight and increase wheel size. All small refinements making an already exceptional package even better. So just how good is Yamaha's TMAX, we find out.....

Specifications

Yamaha first released the TMAX back in 2000. Since, the TMAX has stood the test of time and yet still to this day there is no other scooter that combines the same blend of performance, handling and comfort quite like the TMAX. We were lucky enough to have the WHITEMAX Edition, a model representing the 10th anniversary of the MAX.

Everywhere you look, nice touches, like special anniversary badges and graphics, carbon look panels and white bodywork. The wheels have polished outers and the seat is two-tone, white on black. The colour scheme for me looks smart and by far the best I've seen in the flesh, fitting for such a model, especially one celebrating its 10th birthday.

The frame is all alloy and uses Yamaha's own die-cast technology, saving weight and increasing rigidity. The engine that sits in the frame is as good as it gets when talking scooters, a parallel twin cylinder, 4 stroke, liquid cooled, fuel injected, horizontally mounted engine. The motor produces an exceptional blend of power and torque, 43 HP and 46.4 Nm. Yamaha claims a wet weight of just over 220 Kilo's.

Instrumentation is comprehensive with everything you'd expect from a premium offering like this. A mix of digital and analogue the TMAX covers the lot and remains easy to read, especially at speed. The digital tacho is nicely integrated under the analogue speedo, the usual suspects like fuel, temp, time and odo are all present.

On the last upgrade in 2008, Yamaha made some additions which helped refine an already capable machine. The TMAX now runs 15 Inch wheels front and rear with larger diameter motorcycle-type front forks. The exhaust is now mounted high for extra ground clearance when cornering, and follows the lines of the tail, which it too had a little touch-up to reflect the ongoing progression.

The brakes on the TMAX are straight off the Yamaha parts shelf with a 267 mm disc at the front with four-piston calliper. A single 267 mm disc resides on the rear, levers are both fully adjustable. Take note: the brakes are not an afterthought.

Storage is worth noting as being fairly adequate for a scooter of this pedigree. The illuminated underseat storage area is sufficient for a few shopping bags or will easily take a helmet and more. The TMAX comes with a handy external helmet cable if you need some extra room under the seat whilst parked. The key to accessing every inch of storage is the reverse opening seat, held up by twin gas-struts, and giving the TMAX that premium feel. Other nice touches are the twin gloveboxes which provide a handy amount of additional storage.

Other points worth noting are items like the side and centre stands which work a treat, the fuel tank which sits low and central, holds 15 litres in total. The pillion accommodation is probably some of the best out there, great set of grab handles, wide seat and flip-out foot pegs, all combine to make one very comfortable seating position.

On the Road

The secret of success has always been centred around the motorcycle type handling that comes from the all alloy die-cast frame. The motor is centrally positioned, and together they both combine to provide a rigid balanced behaviour.

I have two things really worth noting here, and they were both immediately apparent. The first being a balanced low speed manoeuvrability that makes the TMAX incredibly easy to live with. The 2nd being at higher speeds the TMAX remains rock solid, and by this I mean as speed climbs, the TMAX remains constantly planted and you would be hard pressed picking the speeds you're doing.

The engine is worth mentioning. Power from the parallel twin is abundant, especially up and over the 40 km/h mark, under this the TMAX can feel like it wants to break the shackles and get on with the job. At 100 km/h you have just under 5000 RPM on the tacho, at 120 Km/h you are carrying just over 5000 RPM. The engine will make its best power at 7500 RPM and redlines at over 8000 RPM, you do the maths.

From a set of lights the TMAX would be as quick as most 300 cc machines on the market today, still quick but just to give you some kind of comparison. At 60 km/h and the TMAX would say its goodbyes, never to be seen again. The ability to gain speed is the closest thing this side of a fairly capable supersport motorcycle, the growl is just as good.

Through a tight twisty section of road the TMAX does an amazing job. Always in control the TMAX can be pushed easily in and out of corners, the combination of having torque on tap, razor sharp handling and class leading brakes all adds up. The TMAX is supersport capable, a machine that can stick with the best when the going gets hot.

On the other hand when things settle down the TMAX can also be a very capable tourer. The screen and bodywork both combine to offer excellent wind and weather protection. The screen whilst not adjustable still does a great job at higher speeds and as previously mentioned sitting at legal highway limits is no challenge at all. The seating position remains comfortable, even after a few hours in the saddle.

On reflection it's easy to see why the TMAX is so popular in Europe. First of all you have a scooter that handles low speed commuting with confidence, a well balanced individual even when crawling. On the flip-side the TMAX will handle high speed autobahn style riding with a rock steady attitude, and its got the power in the right spots to be comfortable in doing so.

Summary

So there you have it, the 10th Anniversary TMAX WHITEMAX from Yamaha. I wish I'd actually found this one a little sooner, it really is a scooter you need to experience once in a lifetime. Yamaha have performed a magnificent job in developing the TMAX into what has to be one of the best (maybe the best) all-round scooters on the market today.

Ongoing rumours suggest that Yamaha has a bigger and better version of the TMAX coming, though Yamaha is probably well aware of just how good this machine is already. It will be a hard job to produce a better blend of performance, balance and agility.

The only negative on the TMAX front would be that servicing can get a little expensive down the track, especially if a few panels need to be removed. This and probably resale, which still shocks me with some of the 2nd hand values I come across in the market.

That said, its a shame that many Australian's wont get to ride the TMAX, often its discounted as just another scooter. On a world stage the TMAX has a fine reputation to back it up, a huge range of performance parts and everyday accessories are available, and if your thinking it, I bet its already been done.

The Yamaha TMAX performs its role very comfortably, and after 10 years of tweaking, it has to be regarded as the best supersport scooter currently available.

The ScooterMan Says,