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Driving report Yamaha XP500 TMAX

Tyrannosaurus Max

The dinosaurs are on the loose. Now also with the scooters. The new Yamaha TMax has 500 cc and is a technical revolution.

The arms race of the scooter manufacturers seems endless. Bigger, faster, more comfortable ?? Yamaha’s new XP500 TMax dwarfs everything that has come before. And that applies to both the chassis and the engine.
Completely newly developed, the drive unit of the XP500 sets a milestone in modern scooter engine construction: two cylinders, four valves each, operated by two overhead camshafts and bucket tappets, water cooling. In addition, Yamaha’s engine technicians reached deep into their bag of tricks and considered the mass balancing of the boxer engine. Another connecting rod is articulated on a third crank pin on the crankshaft of the parallel twin. It moves a third piston back and forth in a cast liner, opposite to the working piston. The desire for optimal running smoothness obviously justifies the enormous construction effort. In this way, an engine with a uniform ignition interval and complete compensation of the first and second order inertia forces can be implemented.
Power is transmitted from the crankshaft via a variator with V-belts to the multi-disc oil bath clutch. As the speed increases, their discs are pressed together by a centrifugal mechanism with rollers and ramps, as in the variomatic. Gears then drive the output shaft, which is placed coaxially with the swing arm mounting. From there, a two-stage secondary drive via inverted tooth chains in an oil bath leads to the rear wheel. Chain tensioning and lubrication is not required.
The unsprung masses on the rear wheel are kept within limits due to the rigid mounting of the motor, which is unusual for scooters. In addition, the designers achieved a weight distribution of 47 percent at the front and 53 percent at the rear, as well as a very low center of gravity. That’s good, because the TMax is one of the heavyweights among scooters at 197 kilograms dry.
And yet it is extremely agile. The 40 hp specified by Yamaha catapult the fat Max over the 100 km / h mark in just 7.5 seconds and only despair 60 kilometers per hour later. Even at top speed, the XP500 drives in a stable and swing-free manner. A merit of the long wheelbase, the stable telescopic fork with a 38 millimeter standpipe diameter and the 14-inch wheels. Roller goes motorcycle.
But stop. Although the TMax can be moved almost like a motorcycle, it is still a scooter. The sitting position enthroned upright with the legs in front of the body. The upper body enjoys good wind protection, while the weather protection for the legs is not exactly outstanding. So the first trips in the rain caused wet trouser legs.
In the sunshine, however, the Yamaha can shine. The four hundredweight TMax under the driver can hardly be felt. He is downright fanatical about curves, the Max. Shows off lavishly lean angles, the mounted Dunlop D 305 offer enormous grip. For a scooter, of course. The steering behavior of the XP is accurate and precise, the suspension and damping set absolutely new standards in this area. Likewise, the brake discs, which are huge for scooter conditions, which stop the load safely and easily in any position.
E.Also new in these circles: the price. Even if dinosaurs have been popular with the public since Jurassic Parc, 16,500 marks could dampen the enthusiasm of many TMax-interested parties.

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