Church Of MO – 2001 Yamaha Tmax 500
One of the coolest scooters to ever grace the streets, Yamaha’s TMax 500 eventually came to the States, but didn’t find the level of popularity it has enjoyed in Europe. It’s too bad, as fans of the TMax 500 (the numeral was later dropped from the name) will tell you the big scoot is a nice blend of motorcycle and scooter. For this week’s Church of MO feature, we travel back to 2000 and recount Glenn Le Santo’s time aboard the then-new TMax 500. Note his cautious yet optimistic approach towards the scoot. With the luxury of hindsight in our favor, we now know Le Santo had nothing to be worried about. At least in Europe.
2001 Yamaha Tmax 500
Somewhere in Europe, July 12, 2000 — For many years the worlds of motorcycles and scooters were two entirely separate universes. No self-respecting motorcyclist would be seen dead on a scooter, and the scooter boys felt the same about motorcycles. Such was the animosity between the two groups that battles were often fought between the two camps on the beaches of Great Britain. These confrontations made front page news and are the basis of much of the prejudice motorcyclists suffer from even today, over forty years later.
For 2001 Yamaha has come up with a vehicle that they claim unites the two concepts into one. That vehicle is the Yamaha Tmax 500.
The engine boasts the largest capacity of any production scooter in the world as well; at 44 bhp it is the most powerful engine fitted to a production scooter. This motor will propel the Tmax’s 197 kilograms (434 pounds) to a top speed of around 105 mph. The sophistication of the suspension, plus the fitting of 14 inch wheels, gives the sort of high speed stability not normally associated with scooters.
The engine has been carefully positioned to give the Tmax as much of a motorcycle feel on the road as possible. The twin-cylinder water-cooled power plant is layed down flat, below the rider’s feet, central between the wheels. Ride any scooter after riding your motorcycle and it’ll feel nervous. Yamaha have made every effort to avoid this sensation, a good job too considering the power output and claimed top speed. Due largely to the positioning of the engine, weight distribution is 47% front 53% rear, much closer to the 50-50 balance of a superbike than any other scooter where the rear mounted engine puts excessive weight on the back wheel. The 14″ wheels are shod with 120/70 rubber up front and 150/70 rubber in the rear which is wider than you might have found on most big bikes twenty years ago. Yamaha claims this all adds up to the best handling scooter around.
OK, so we have a scooter that has been genetically modified with the genes of a motorcycle. A scooter with the performance and handling of a motorcycle combined with the convenience of a scooter. Great. But who will buy such a machine, especially considering it’s likely to cost about the same as a middleweight commuter motorcycle such as Kawasaki’s ER5? Yamaha is aiming at three groups of riders: existing scooter riders; owners of middleweight motorcycles; and new riders who may be re-entering the sport.
In the past, any existing scooter rider looking for higher levels of engine and chassis performance has had to move up to a realmotorcycle. Now, with the arrival of the Tmax, they have the opportunity to buy a model that offers them the increased performance they demand without having to compromise the level of riding luxury, day-to-day practicality and “twist and go” convenience they expect.
The second group that the Tmax is aimed at are those owners of middleweight street, commuter and sport touring motorcycles. Yamaha expects them to be surprised and impressed by the higher levels of comfort and weather protection offered by the Tmax.
Finally, the third group which the Tmax is targeting are new riders, car drivers and re-starters who demand the luxury of a car combined with the simplicity of a scooter. Yamaha estimates there are millions of holders of full motorcycle licenses in Europe that no longer ride any kind of two-wheeler.
Until now the movement of riders between scooters and motorcycles was generally in one direction only, that is from a scooter to a motorcycle. With the arrival of the Tmax Yamaha hopes that will change.
Yamaha believes there is massive demand amongst non-riders for a new type of scooter that offers style, convenience and performance. This has been demonstrated by the success of the YP250 Majesty during the last five years. In fact the Majesty is one of Italy’s best selling two wheelers. With its class-leading specification, the new Yamaha Tmax is being rolled out to tap into the potentially huge interest from existing car drivers and re-starters who, until now, haven’t been sufficiently turned on by what the scooter market has had to offer. Capable of attaining 0 – 60 mph acceleration times that will outpace all but the most powerful sports cars, the Tmax delivers the levels of performance, comfort and sophistication that the discerning newcomer demands.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONSXP500 TmaxType Parallel twin, liquid cooled,8 Valve, DOHC engine Displacement 499 cc Bore x Stroke 66 x 73 mmCompression Ratio 10:1Max Power 29.4kW (44bhp) @ 7,000rpm MaxTorque 45.8Nm (4.67kg-m) @ 5,500rpm Ignition TransistorOil Capacity 3.6 LitersFuel Tank Capacity 14.0 LitersTransmission V-beltFrame Diamond FrameOverall Length 2.235 mm Overall Width 775 mmOverall Height 1.410 mmSeat Height 795 mmWheelbase 1.575 mmGround Clearance 140 mmDry Weight 197 kgTrail 95 mmWheel Travel F 120 mmR 120 mmSuspension F Telescopic ForkR SwingarmBrake Size F Single, disk, x 282mmR Single, disk, x 267mmTire Size F 120/70-14M/C (55S)R 150/70-14M/C (66S)
Troy's been riding motorcycles and writing about them since 2006, getting his start at Rider Magazine. From there, he moved to Sport Rider Magazine before finally landing at Motorcycle.com in 2011. A lifelong gearhead who didn't fully immerse himself in motorcycles until his teenage years, Troy's interests have always been in technology, performance, and going fast. Naturally, racing was the perfect avenue to combine all three. Troy has been racing nearly as long as he's been riding and has competed at the AMA national level. He's also won multiple club races throughout the country, culminating in a Utah Sport Bike Association championship in 2011. He has been invited as a guest instructor for the Yamaha Champions Riding School, and when he's not out riding, he's either wrenching on bikes or watching MotoGP.
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I had a 2009 Tmax and loved it, for commuting and even some weekend get aways it was ideal. I gave it to my brother in-law who still rides it today, it has well over 30K miles and is still running strong. Yamaha, like most manufacturers (other than Kymco) don't really promote their scooter offerings, and the sales figures reflect that. In, Boston and surrounding area scooters are everywhere, and on any given day you see more of them whipping around the city then traditional motorcycles. The scooters of choice seem to be the 150cc Cheap Chinese dropped shipped ones bought online.
The Tmax was ahead of it's time. I wonder how it stacks up against today's super scooters.