written by Frankycello on 16/07/2014
Love the T max it's way in front of all the other maxi scooters I would buy one tomorrow if they put a few more horses under the seat 800cc would be perfect with the same fuel consumption. Come on yamaha you can do it.
written by on 06/06/2013
Have had the tmax for 8 years with 41000miles always starts still fun good handling 45mpg a little juicey good fun always puts a smile on me face
written by on 02/04/2013
Have a 2009 Tmax since 2010 as my "commuter" in the garage as keep my BMW GS for the long trips. The GS is an amazing bike when it comes to handling but the Tmax has now won my heart for my commuter AND my week end short ride machine. Braking is amazing; super nimble in traffic. I ride this machine as if I stole it and have had NO handling bad surprises at all! No wonder the T has been on top of sales in the EU all these years : perfect urban/ suburban machine (whished the engine had a little more humpf but fine anyways). HUGE fun factor!
written by on 30/04/2012
Just great scooter, but even better after I tuned it up with parts from Malossi.
written by maurie32 on 02/07/2011
Hi i have just traded in my yamaha Majesty 400 for a new T Max on 02/07/2011,a big jump in price but i am very impressed with the first days run. I live in Bournemouth so took it for a run to Marlborough in Wiltshire,100 miles in just over two hours, riding steady as im observing the run in procedure,had a coffee and a sandwich from Greggs and then returned home . Filled the tank at 50 miles and on the return called in at "Dock gate 20"in Southampton [main Harley dealers] for a coffee,just managed to get home as the tank was reading reserve,so i had managed to do 160 miles on 12ltrs,works out at 13:5 per ltr so converting to mpg around 60 miles per gallon.Very pleased but i will do another review when i have run it in and use the performance that the bike is capable of ,this wont take long as now that i am retired i have ample spare time to amuse myself.best regards Maurice.
written by on 11/02/2011
The problem with Yamaha's 500 Tmax is that there simply is no other bike I can find to replace it!! I've now owned 5 of these machines and covered over 140,000m between them. The highest mileage on one bike being 44,000m.
Previous bikes were: 250 Honda foresight: 22,000m and many failures inc 2 drive-belts snapping. 2 Suzuki 400 Burgmans (34,000m and 22,000m) and these were pretty OK apart from horrible rusting of the silencer and difficult to remove rear wheel. Good economy but not so good in side winds.
I've never ought a new Tmax as the price, I feel, is far too high. The best point overall with the bike is that it seems able to do almost anything I ask of it: I have used them for courier work, commuting, holidays and just local rides. My bikes live out of doors and are ridden in all kinds of weather, all year round. If you just regularly clean, wax-oil and Scott Protective spray often, the bike can stay like showroom: I sold my 44,000m bike for £2,300, so if you buy second hand (low miles) you don't lose a lot!
The design of the bike is, in my opinion, very good all-round and I only change the screen for better protection (Givi) and move the rear rests forward so that my wife isn't cramped! Good point here is that the flat seat means the passenger avoids the windblast of a stepped seat which almost all super scooters have. We also manage to fit our dog in his bag in the forward recess for holidays. Two -up (or three) the bike will cruise at 75-80mph all day.
The only down points are: A bigger fuel tank to make 200m poss. More MPG.
A bit more ground clearance.
written by on 04/01/2011
EXCELLENT HANDLING! The way the Tmax takes the tightest curves and the excellent balance will insprire confidence
E-A-S-Y to ride, comfortable, excellent wind protection
Mini Gold Wing. I have been riding crotch rockets for years and always thought I was an experienced crotch rocket rider, but after riding the Tmax I find myself being more brave and daring in the tight hairpin curves, it holds the road like the tires are glued to the road!
I can also find myself balancing the Tmax upright without my feet touching the ground when stopped at a red light.
Sure, your crotch rocket riding buddies will laugh at your Tmax but watch them fall back when you hit a tight curve and leave them behind, I have passed the biggest and fastest crotch rocket in the middle of a curve.
written by on 07/11/2010
I've owned the T max for the best part of 18 months. It goes handles and goes well if fitted with the right tyres (I find Bridgestone hoops very sure footed and last well).
The power delivery can be greatly increased with a 'tuned' variator. Had a malossi unit fitted which sped things up and am now trying the J Costa one. (see you tube clips) Not cheap but worth it for the extra poke, especially with the akrapovic pipe and changed front fork springs.
Only real issue is servicing. £550 for the 12,000 and it'll be £750 for the 22K one. They need looking after: brakes need rebuilds every 12,000 and the exposed parts can rust.
I own an R1 aswell and I can recommend the max alongside this. It's done 19,000 in my hands and all have been fun. You're guaranteed to p*ss off the 'bigger boys'.
written by on 05/08/2010
Been a motorcycle rider my whole life. Had to stop riding because of nerve damage in left leg causing problems shifting gears. I went to the scoot store just looking for something to ride and there sat my Lucy (Tmax). It's the best bike I've ever owned and I'm in the wind again. Handles like a dream, can go anywhere. I have the blue/purple one. I'm 5'7" and wasn't able to flat foot it. So being a girl, no problem, just bought me a pair of riding boots with heels and problem solved. Highly recommend this bike. It's easy to handle, smooth ride on the road. Always disappointed when I pull into my garage because I just want to keep going. Well worth the price.
written by sabustin on 26/03/2010
Having owned a 250 cc Xmax for a year, I decided to go for the 500cc Tmax, as my daily commute involves a 60 mile roundtrip that takes in the A1(M), the North Circular and the A1 all the way to Whitechapel and I ferlt the extra punch would make life easier. The Tmax is a fabulous scooter, very responsive, great brakes, accurate handling, stable, comfortable, clear dash, fast with great acceleration. Not as much storage space as the Xmax, but with a rear carrier that is no problem. The 15 litre tank is adequate and gives me a range of around 190 miles; would have preferred a larger tank. Fairly quiet at speed, with great fairing (extensions and knuckle deflectors added). Bought from Tony Moore's in London Colney; great dealer - very helpful, friendly and knowledgable. Tmax is not cheap, but well made and worth the extra. Now waiting for the rumoured 750 cc.
Written on: 16/06/2010
I found this review very helpful because...it answered a few questions I had.
<br/>Also, I currently have a Xmax 125 for a 12 mile round trip commute into central London which is great. Considering trading up to the Xmax 250 or maybe the Tmax for a bit more umph. Probably don't need the extra power of the Tmax as never go that quick but imagine the extra power over the 250 is considerable..?? Is there much other space under the seat on top of having a full face helmet in the Tmax?
Written on: 27/06/2010
I have a Schuberth C3 helmet and it and my Weise textile trousers fit under the seat. Having travelled on my TMAX for more than three months, I still find it a great ride for my 60 mile daily commute roundtrip. It has lots of oomph between 40 and 70 mph and is more relaxed cruising at 70 mph. The bike is definitely more stable than the XMax, with the rear tyre being wider, but is also significantly more thirsty. The air flow across the wind shield could be better, as it does get quite noisy at speed.
written by on 03/03/2010
Nothing in the world of Maxi Scooters comes close to the TMAX!! Best handling most powerful maxi by far. The Suzuki Burgman 650 has more power but weighs a lot more has a smaller wheel base and has sluggish handling. Your best bet in a super scooter that is as close as your going to get to a small cruiser motorcycle with super sports bike handling.
written by on 24/11/2009
I got the T-Max after owning a 400 Burgman for a year. The T-Max has so much more punch, is much more agile in traffic and overall the better ride. I have done 10,000km on the T-Max, no trouble of any kind.
written by flatcap007 on 10/10/2009
From UK but hired one in Majorca on holiday after months admiring them, really impressed with the machine. Spent the day driving through the mountains twisting through curves and steep hills the bike handled great. Even spent time driving on the motorway in the rain. Got the thing flat out at 180k or, 110mph could do with another 10mph to be fair. Excellent storage having never experienced a Sport Scooter before. These bikes are stigmatized in the UK, beats me the Tmax rides better than most bikes. Every bike you see on the continent is a scooter because of the practicalities of the thing. Made my mind up I'm having one they sound great too!
written by on 17/06/2009
New Bike to me (Yamaha TMAX).. after Firebalde!.. Great easy to ride and great pleasure with superb handling. If you want a tourere with attitude this is the bike!. (Scooter!_)
written by on 17/05/2009
The Yamaha TMAX 500 seat is wide, Im 6'01 and hit the ground on toes due to the seat width, however sitting closer (shorter people) the seat narrows down. Seating position, mirrors, and brakes are Wonderful Took off in Europe too bad took so long to get here
written by on 26/04/2009
All of it , easy to ride handing great, a fun bike to own. However, wee bit hard on bumps. Great bike, the Yamaha TMAX 500 is too good to call it a scooter.
written by fossie1953 on 25/03/2009
Overall, a great piece of machinery. I use the TMAX every day to commute 15 miles and back to the station and look forward to the trip (even in the rain). The bike feels very solid on the road and has no handling quirks - holds the line every time. I used to have a small 50cc for commuting and a big bike for weekends. The TMAX covers both roles easily and even surprises my friends on their traditional motorbikes with its handling and performance. I bought some handlebar mitts and one of those tuscano urbano leg covers for the winter which kept me warm and dry; these are now off and I am looking forward to some long summer rides.
written by PanJammi on 23/03/2009
The Yamaha TMAX 500 bike is sexy and surprising. One time I was riding down from Oregon to California for a high school reunion which was about a 7 hour drive and I saw a Harley Cruiser up ahead in the slow lane. I chuckled to myself and did something funny. As I drew closer to this mean looking biker in the fast lane I started to give the appearance that I was peddling my scooter while looking like a geeky guy struggling to get the scooter to go faster. He and his female companion just started to bust up and waved with the thumbs up. The speed limit down the Hwy 5 corridor is 75mph. I still had plenty of power to go. I will say that the only thing that made me nervous going down wasn't the speed that I had to keep up with but it was the wind. It was wicked evil in some spots near Tracy and Livermore. I thought I was going to die in one particular part going over the grade towards Livermore. Anyone from that area will tell you how bad the wind blows through there. Other than that this scooter is awesome.
written by guest111 on 15/09/2008
I ' ve wanted a Yamaha Tmax for about 8 yrs now, when Yamaha first introduced them to the European market. Unfortunately, it wasn ' t available when I bought my last scooter- a 2003 Burgman 400. I never gave up hope that eventually they ' d stop depriving us... and earlier this year I found out I was right!
This is definitely a scooter with racing genes. It ' s purpose-built to be a "Sport scooter" and it doesn ' t disappoint. Compared to the Burgman, it sits a bit taller, rides a bit firmer, and is a LOT more nimble. Not that the Burgman 400 is a slug, by any means. I used to ride the B400 WFO on the freeway in the carpool lane. That means a comfortable 90mph or so. The Tmax? I haven ' t been able to use full throttle very often, or for very long.
The 2 cylinder, 500cc engine is extremely smooth and quiet compared to the 400cc 1 cylinder of the Burgman 400. Gas it from a start, and it takes off VERY quickly. The big surprise is when you hit about 35mph and the engine note turns to a low growl and things in the rearview mirrors start to shrink.
Storage is adequate, but the trunk is smaller and there are only 2 cubbies, no glove box. Gas mileage is probably about on par with the B400 when flogged, but it requires 91 octane. Again, these two tradeoffs are no big deal for the extra performance.
written by peanuts6blonde on 30/08/2008
I bought my Yamaha T-max 2001 model on Monday morning in Tasmania Australia put it on the ferry that night over too the mainland then roade it 2200klms back home to Queensland very comfortable in 3 days what can I say but dam this is a good machine not bad for a 69 year old, 5.5lts per 100klms @ 125kp.
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As rated by our community of reviewers
Guest's Response to maurie32's Review
Written on: 21/11/2011
If you're really getting 60mpg, then you could have gone a lot further before refuelling. It's a 15 litre tank, remember. You don't even have to think about refuelling until the Odometer changes to 'F' mode, and even then, you'd have at least 20 miles even at the 45mpg that I usually get on my well-thrashed example of the breed. (Owner of a Mk1, Mk2 and now a Mk3 Tmax)
Vedder7208's reply to Guest's Comment
Written on: 09/01/2013
How about the maintenance part of this bike? I'm considering to buy a used bike...please advise.
Rgds