The Yamaha TMAX is a mega-scooter that Yamaha presented in July 2000 in Naples and Iwata. It combined motorcycle performance with scooter convenience and is widely credited with creating the mega-scooter class.
Yamaha TMAX at a glance
| Maker | Yamaha Motor Company |
|---|---|
| Class | Mega-scooter |
| Debut | July 2000, Naples and Iwata |
| Original engine | 500 cc, the largest in a production scooter at the time |
| Engine layout | water-cooled four-stroke horizontal straight-twin, DOHC |
| Valves | four per cylinder |
| Frame | tubular steel on early models, cast aluminium from 2008 |
| Transmission | twist-and-go CVT |
| 530 cc version | from 2012 |
| 560 cc version | from May 2020 |
| European sales | more than 233,000 |
| Awards | Good Design Award gold 2001, Red Dot 2012 |
Based on one source (English Wikipedia).
History of the Yamaha TMAX
After the success of the YP 250 Majesty in Europe, especially in Italy, Yamaha began work on a “New European Commuter”. The aim was a larger scooter suitable for high-speed motorways such as the German Autobahn and the Italian Autostrade, and better suited to European riders than the Japan-designed Majesty. Yamaha targeted existing scooter riders, middleweight motorcycle owners and returning riders who wanted scooter simplicity with car-like comfort.
The TMAX was a hybrid of motorcycle and scooter ideas. Its swingarm was a motorcycle type rather than a unit combining engine and swingarm, and the engine was bolted to the frame further forward to give motorcycle-like weight distribution. Although it was a step-through design, it used a motorcycle-style tubular steel frame instead of the usual pressed-steel monocoque. The engine was a water-cooled four-stroke horizontal straight-twin with four valves per cylinder and double overhead camshafts, balanced by a reciprocating balancer acting as a third dummy piston rather than a conventional balance shaft.
The first generation ran from 2001 to 2003. The 2004 model added fuel injection, a higher compression ratio, 41 mm forks in place of 38 mm items, dual front discs, optional ABS, a parking brake, radial tyres, a 15-inch rear wheel and a tachometer, with a BLACK MAX edition in 2006. The 2008 model brought new bodywork, a cast aluminium frame, 43 mm forks, a 15-inch front wheel and a 15-litre tank, plus a WHITE MAX edition in 2010. In 2012 the engine grew to 530 cc with a 2 mm larger bore, a pent-roof combustion chamber and revised injection, and the enclosed chain final drive gave way to a belt with a separate aluminium swingarm. The 2015 model gained an inverted fork and radial calipers, and the 2017 XP530 offered standard, SX and DX versions with ride-by-wire and traction control, the DX adding cruise control, an electric screen and keyless ignition. The TMAX 560 replaced the 530 in May 2020, and sales remained strong in France, Italy and Spain.
Design and features
- Motorcycle-scooter hybrid: a motorcycle swingarm, forward-mounted engine and tubular frame.
- Large engine: 500 cc at launch, then 530 cc and 560 cc.
- Long equipment list: fuel injection, ABS, traction control and cruise control on later versions.
- European success: more than 233,000 sold, with the strongest markets in France, Italy and Spain.
Yamaha TMAX versions
- TMAX 500 (2001–2003): first generation with carburettors.
- TMAX 500 (2004–2007): fuel injection, bigger forks, dual discs and ABS option.
- TMAX 500 (2008–2011): aluminium frame and new bodywork.
- TMAX 530 (2012–2016): larger engine, belt final drive and new chassis.
- TMAX 530 (2017–2019): standard, SX and DX versions with electronics.
- TMAX 560 (2020–): final enlargement of the engine.
Other Yamaha scooters on the site include the Majesty and the X-City. More models are in the Yamaha collection.
Sources
- Yamaha TMAX, English Wikipedia: launch, design, generations, equipment, sales
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