Menus
- The Thug Star
- Discovery
- In the saddle
- Contact
- In the city
- On the highway
- On departmental
- Braking
- Comfort
- Convenient
- Consumption
- Conclusion
The Thug Star
The TMax is the big Yamaha scoot, even THE big benchmark maxi-scooter, to such an extent that it is the main target of copies of the maxi-scooters that have appeared since its birth in 2001, whether it is the new BMW C 600 Sport or even the ‘Aprilia 850 SRV even if it is not really the same type of displacement. Appeared in 500 (and 499 cm3), Yamaha had been announcing a new model for several years and everyone was waiting / hoping for a 600 cm3. With just 30 cc better, bringing the displacement to 530 cc, the 2012 novelty was a real surprise. Only 530 cc? So overtaken by other large scooters now, such as the BMW, Aprilia, or even the Burgman? Test…
Discovery
Aggressive and above all very thin, these are the first qualifiers of the TMax 530. In fact, faced with the weight gain of most scooters and the downsizing which means that some 125 scoots like the Piaggio have the same size as a 500, the TMax has almost the same size as a 125. With a sharp nose … racy is then the second qualifier.
The Tmax thinned by taking additional cubic centimeters. Only the rear part has retained a certain plumpness, a guarantee of comfort with a long and wide saddle while the LED rear light borrows the look of the rear lights of the sporty range of type R1, further accentuating the sporty side of the whole..
If the engine has gained only 30 cm3, torque and power are now available 1,000 rpm earlier, at 6,750 rpm against 7,500 rpm previously for power and at 5,250 rpm against 6,500 rpm for the couple. Combined with a new variator and a weight loss of 4 kilos, the whole thing offers better dynamics, much more energetic pick-ups from the first turns of the wheels and even at higher revs..
On closer inspection, we note above all a secondary belt transmission which replaces the chain of previous vintages. In terms of novelties, we also note reinforced braking with double disc brakes of 267 mm with 4-piston calipers at the front and a rear disc brake of 282 mm in diameter..
In the saddle
The feet barely touch the ground for the 1.70m pilot, with his tiptoes. On a motorcycle, you would have to have a seat height of 850 mm to achieve the same result. And yet the saddle is only 800 mm, but is very wide. However, the weight seems to be positioned low and the scooter well balanced. Suddenly, this height is not so disadvantageous as it seems at first glance. The hands fall on the handlebars, quite low, and narrow. The position is closer to a slightly narrow roadster than a GT.
In front of you, the complete dashboard, with a counter on the left and a tachometer on the right framing a large digital zone displaying: clock, temperature, six-stick fuel gauge, partial double trip, totalizer … on the reserve. Everything is clear, readable, even in direct sunlight.
On board, there is a drawer on the left (more than a storage compartment) that can accommodate a small smartphone (but not long enough for an iPhone) and toll tickets and on the right a lockable storage compartment.
The mirrors are placed far enough in front and require you to move forward to adjust them. But they offer good vision.
The feet find all the necessary space, both in width and in length, on either side of the central beam.
Contact
The TMax 530 snorts with an inconspicuous hoarse sound. Throttle the right handle and the scooter reacts instantly to take off with vigor. it really instantly takes your breath away. Less heavy than a Burgman, and more responsive to the throttle than a C600Sport, it really gives for its displacement. Blindly, it’s hard to imagine that there is only 530 cm3 under the hood. There is hardly that the Aprilia 850 SRV which can keep it high at the dynamic level and only the mid-revving times are a hair below a C600Sport. On the contrary, it offers both dynamic and a form of smoothness that does not make the twin-cylinder feel..
In the city
You have to really master the right grip not to find yourself at highly illegal speeds in town, such are the acceleration and pick-up at any speed and rpm. Its small size allows it to squeeze with incredible ease between cars, even in a mouse hole. The TMax here offers all the advantages of a 125 jig but with the fishing of a very large scoot. Indeed, it was not necessary to go get 600 cm3 here. The engine also offers real flexibility that gives the impression of always having it under the grip, accelerating with power but smoothly without roughness. Maneuverability is excellent, including at very low speed, with a fairly short turning radius, allowing all maneuvers.
On the highway
The TMax takes off quickly and vigorously to happily exceed legal speeds. At 140 km / h and only 6,000 rpm, and faced with the need to overtake, it resumes without worry to overtake in a few seconds. In fact, it quickly climbs to 160 km / h, allowing all possible overtaking in complete safety. It is only at this speed that it can still climb, quite easily up to 170 km / h and more slowly until the last 180 km / h graduation of the counter. At this speed, the behavior remains exemplary, whether solo or duo, whatever the condition of the road, and whether in a straight line or in a large curve. The central beam offers extraordinary rigidity that nothing disturbs, providing an impressive sense of security.
If the bubble high enough gives the illusion of protection at low speed, at high speed, it admits its limits. Narrow, it does little to protect the arms and the bubble directs the wind pressure on the helmet, generating noise or even significant infrasound, not felt with the same helmet on other large scooters. With a hole at its base, the wind generates pressure inside on the bust. In the long run, the noise and the pressure generate discomfort.
At a stabilized speed almost at the cleat, consumption stabilizes at 6.2 liters per hundred.
On departmental
At ease in the city, at ease on the motorway, the TMax 520 can be found without any worries on small winding roads. Light and handy, it is possible to chain turns with mastery. Difficult even to measure the speeds reached, if not a glance at the speedometer, which brings back to reality and to the realization that one could already have lost his license at this rate. With a more fluid pace and at mid-speed, we can take full advantage of the landscape and reduce consumption to close to 5 liters / cent.
Braking
The TMax brakes very well from the rear with two fingers. Solo, on very strong braking, we can hear the beginnings of sliding from the rear, then feel the entry into action of the ABS in the left hand. The pressure is then released and the scooter alternates smoothly, braking strokes and "free" wheel. An ABS, on the contrary, impossible to activate once in a duo. As for the solo, the ABS does not really come into operation with the sole action of the rear brake. On the other hand, in normal use front and rear at the same time, it is possible to brake very hard and very quickly, not to mention the fact that the braking offers an excellent feeling associated with all the necessary power..
Comfort
The Tmax is very comfortable for everyday use, but also very comfortable for long weekend getaways. The mono-shock absorber perfectly smooths out irregularities in the road. Without compromise for its sporting behavior which could have raised concerns about sporty and firm comfort, the scoot offers a perfect balance between rigidity of the whole and comfort without raising information from the ground. So much so that you can pass gendarmes lying down at a high pace without almost feeling the passage when other riders can make you jump in the saddle. And yet, not everything is flexible. As a duo, with the wide saddle, and even greater comfort, it is quite possible to make trips with a single stop every 250 kilometers without the passenger asking to stop. In fact, if the tank allowed it, it would even be possible not to stop.
The long handles, well placed, offer a good position for the passenger … very useful all the more with the sporty character which encourages sporty acceleration and braking. However, the saddle is ideally made up without causing any slip of the passenger, who remains well wedged and installed..
Only the bubble and the narrowness of the scoot lead to weak protection as well as swirls at the back of the bubble and noise at the level of the helmet.
Convenient
The trunk can store a large modular as well as an anti-theft device and a small rain suit. The left drawer is practical and the lockable storage compartment. It just lacks a 12V socket for daily recharging and a little more room to accommodate two helmets (like some competitors).
An anti-theft device is easily placed both at the front and at the rear between the wheel poles, providing additional security, or even two for the front and rear, in addition to the original tracker.
The safety related to the side stand automatically stops the engine when unfolded. The scooter is also equipped with a central stand, and is placed on it effortlessly.
The parking brake, discreet under the left handle, is both simple to use and effective for locking the scooter on a slope.
Consumption
The consumption of Tmax is very stable, whatever the driving. In fact, it varies on average between 5.6 and 6.0 liters per hundred. The city average is rather 5.7 l / 1000 with sporty driving and goes up to 6.2 liters at the maximum hundred on the highway, handle almost at the cleat. Suddenly, the reserve indicator lights up around 220 kilometers, with an overall autonomy of 250 or even 270 kilometers with the 15 liters of the tank. The gauge is very precise, decrementing a stick roughly every 45 kilometers.
Conclusion
Difficult to renew the genre and develop a success. With the 530, Yamaha has succeeded perfectly in the evolution, both aesthetically (making the aging look of the old model evolve) as well as motorization with just the surplus of power and torque necessary for everyday life. With lower and faster uptime and excellent comfort, there was no need to do more, neither in terms of efficiency nor comfort. Comfortable, both solo and duo, the Tmax can very well turn into a quasi-GT allowing long outings out of town for a weekend, or even more, and all while preserving the peace of the household by the comfort provided . Only its price in the upper range, associated with a record of thefts (it is the most stolen two-wheeler in France with the price of insurance in agreement) can make people hesitate while the maxi-scooter has reached a kind of perfection.
Strong points
- motor
- comfort
- braking
- handling
- look
Weak points
- price
- flight
Competitors: Aprilia SRV 850, BMW C600 Sport, Gilera GP 800, Gilera GP 800, Honda Silverwing, Piaggio X9 500, Piaggio X10, Suzuki Burgman 650
The technical sheet of the T-Max 530
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Second time I get on my seven fifty. Very satisfied, I will put the same ones back as long as they are.
GWG, weird your slips, I never had a single groundbait even in the wet. Coiled driving fast, on both sides, on the road, eh, no turning in roundabouts or on a circuit.
When I bought the bike, it was fitted with D207, the best tire in the world from what I had heard. I hated both the front and the back: clumsy, not trusting the front.
Like what, the gommards, it’s really personal. 😉
super tight on the angle no parasitic movement
price up by how much?
Well, I got this on my first bike, so I can’t compare with other tires. It’s a 2012 er-6f, with ABS, and here I have 6000km and the rear won’t do 1000km more. I am a little disappointed by its poor longevity, I was rather expecting 9-10,000km, especially since, as a beginner, I do not attack like a patient.
I know, I still do not manage the downshifts very well by braking with this twin, which sometimes has a tendency to make small commas, this perhaps explains that.
My dealer suggested I put Michelin PR3s next time … they would last longer
[edit] I specified that it is the rear tire that I have to change soon.
Note: my dealer has just told me that the original equipment tires are coming from Asia and that they would not have the same quality as tires bought in Europe…
That’s true?