Yamaha TMax 530 test

Menus

• 2015 vintage
• Discovery
• In the saddle
• Contact
• In the city
• Highway
• Departmental
• Braking
• Comfort
• Consumption
• Convenient
• Conclusion

2015 vintage

Thirteen years since the TMax made its appearance with several major evolutions since the TMax 500 cm3. If the maxi scooter evolves again in 2015, it is rather a minor evolution concerning points of style and safety for the TMax 530. No revolution therefore, but for the best. What justifies switching to the new vintage knowing that the price has – almost – not changed? Test…

Discovery

Is there still a need to present the TMax? The large scooter is in France the symbol of success in terms of sales with its 50,000 copies distributed since its launch. A success that has tried to be copied without any manufacturer succeeding in spite of significant investments from the competition. Unmatched therefore and yet without race to the power and the rise in displacement, except the gain of 4 horses in 2004 (from 40 to 44 horses) and the passage from 500 to 530 cm3 in 2011. The scooter now accessible to the A2 license s ‘is therefore imposed both for its style, sporty and its sound. Because to the ear, the big scooter affixes an acoustic signature also unparalleled on the market with a hoarse and muffled sound.

Evolution 2015, the TMax loses its 3rd eye on the front face in favor of a signature with LEDs permanently lit with the most beautiful effect. Beyond the aesthetic aspect, the boomerang shape with two new position lights also makes the two-wheeler more visible day and night. The two front lights are also a little more tense while the rear light remains the same, with its heritage from the R1, thus confirming its sporting ambition..

The 2015 vintage wins above all an inverted fork with 41mm tubes, the main technical / mechanical evolution. The mudguard also evolves with a tighter line.

Formerly delivered in two versions, the 2015 TMax is now only available with Dunlop SportMax with a large 160 at the rear, the tires rather reserved for sporting use..

Note that in 2015, Yamaha unveils both the TMax and the Iron Max, a customized version with golden reverse fork, golden caliper protection, two-tone saddle, matte black rims, interior of the headlights in metal look, rests aluminum feet, specific dashboard finish and white backlighting and a color dedicated to this model. The two models are finally separated by only three hundred euros.

In the saddle

The TMAx has not changed chassis and with its high saddle perched at 800mm, the 1.70m rider still touches the ground very little, just touching the ground with the tips of his feet. Fortunately, well balanced, with a low weight placed (219 kilos fully loaded, 222 kilos for the ABS version), this does not interfere with maneuvers and even allows to consider small rear steps with the tips of the feet without going down.
The arms fall suddenly on the handlebars, with a higher saddle. The head passes over the high bubble with excellent visibility. We will not say the same of the mirrors located far on the front fairing, so much so that it is almost impossible to adjust them once underway unless you do stunts or have a long arm. In short, it is better to adjust them when stationary. Evolution despite everything, they have been significantly raised in height and now pass well above the mirrors of cars by making the interface. However, further out of sight, not too far apart, they offer a reasonable rear view but nothing more..
The meter evolves noticeably without much change for the Boeotian, except by putting the old and the new models side by side. The numbers are a little more modern and the inside of the counter has a red circle. It’s more modern and more pleasing to the eye for a 2015 machine. We still find the two large analogue meters framing a clearly readable digital screen displaying, totalizer, clock, partial double trip, fuel gauge, instantaneous and average consumption, oil temperature.

Contact

There is no longer a key switch! Evolution of the 2015 vintage, the "SmartKey" or intelligent key / transporter replaces the usual key, which is only used to open the tank and the saddle in the event of battery failure. It is therefore sufficient to carry it on yourself, to allow remote starting or immobilization (however, it is impossible to immobilize the scooter remotely if it is rolling). Practical on a daily basis, it is also supposed to make the theft more difficult, especially since the tracking system is no longer part of the elements installed on models sold in France. Effective at the beginning, the thieves found the solution with jammers and the system did not therefore make it possible to stem the scourge of the theft of this model, in particular in Paris and in the south of France. In the meantime, the location of the contactor is therefore replaced by a huge pusher divided into two, allowing on the one hand to open the saddle, on the other hand to turn off and lock the Neimann of the scooter. Note that to turn it on, you must both press the start button AND tighten the front or rear brake handle..

Note under the left handle, the parking brake, discreet, practical and very easy to handle.

In the city

Contact with the right thumb, the TMax snorts with a muffled but slightly hoarse noise. We are far from the rattling noise of some scooters and this sound really contributes to driving pleasure and yet without being too important. In short, it is possible to start in the middle of the night without waking up the neighbors and yet having a rewarding sound. Without change in engine or chassis, we immediately find the 4-stroke twin cylinder of the TMAx with an undeniable engine character delivering responsiveness to the slightest request and power. Some scooters go up in the towers at the noise level but experience a lag time at the propulsion level. Nothing like that here. You turn the handle and the reaction is immediate, direct, lively and pleasant. Suddenly, in town, with no speed to go, the TMax is the absolute weapon from starting at a red light … Before setting the brakes at the next traffic light to stop. There are eco scooters that encourage you to have a casting drive. The TMax just encourages fooling around in order to play all the time. Its character, its maneuverability and its ability to squeeze between the lines further accentuate this playful side, which allows all the jokes on a day-to-day basis. And the worst part is that we never tire of it !

The braking is up to the expectations of the machine and even more with this vintage which wins radial-mounted calipers, derived from those which equip sports cars; a first for a scooter, driving if necessary, the highlight of the sports scooter. Precise, powerful, the braking offers an excellent feeling. We will just be careful not to use only the rear brake, which then triggers the ABS and a few seconds of driving without brake before feeling the braking again. A scenario that does not happen when you combine the use of the front and rear brake that it is not possible to block, in the dry in any case.

Highway

With engine sizes between 300 and 400cm3, the highway is still the way to measure the limits of a model both in terms of top speed and times. The TMax is once again a weapon for those who want to lose their license. At 120 km / h, it is still only at 5000 revolutions / min or three thousand laps from its red zone! And at 140 km / h, it is still only 6,000 rpm. He then accepts to climb easily again to 150 km / h before marking time to climb to 165 km / h or even graze 170 km / h at 7,000 rpm. But with the barely running-in twin-cylinder of our presentation models and without engine modification compared to the previous vintage, the 2015 version should be able to titillate the 180 km / h counter (actual 170 km / h), like its predecessor. In short, enough to be very speeding and have your license withdrawn. Stability is excellent at high speeds, proving the efficiency of the construction closer to that of a motorcycle than a scooter with its aluminum beam and mid-engine. The high screen offers good protection both in height and in width, with a single downside linked to all the bubbles, the generation of additional sound / noise in the helmet. To see if the adjustment of the screen, possible in two positions, but with the use of a key, allows to perform the best possible adjustment according to the height of the bust.

Departmental

Stable on the motorway, manoeuvrable in town, the TMax reveals its liveliness on departmental roads. Instinctive, incisive, the front axle is light, fits easily and even accepts changes in trajectory at the last moment. And when the pace picks up, the scooter does not come apart but continues to behave very well to ensure rapid sequences. On the other hand, it is necessary to keep the handle in the corner to consider the bleeding arsouille, the times at mid-speed being penalized by the absence of speed, or of speed changes with the paddle as on certain competing models. Everything remains as fun, lively and reliable as ever. Better still, the TMax is very insensitive to degraded pavements and readily accepts holes, cracks and slopes without waddling but on the contrary always remains perfectly in line..

Braking

With a dual 267mm front floating disc and radial mounted 4-piston calipers and 282mm rear brake, braking is more than up to the maxi-scooter’s capabilities offering power and feeling. Note that only the ABS version will now be distributed in France.

Comfort

As much as the XMax is very firm at Yamaha, the Tmax offers excellent comfort and even more with regard to its sporting speeds. In general, comfort often means flexibility and rough handling. The TMax manages to reconcile excellent road holding while erasing particularly well the defects of the road surface..

Consumption

The consumption of the TMax varies little depending on the driving, oscillating between 5.2 and 5.5 liters per hundred according to the on-board computer. And when checking the pump, the calculation turns out to be exact and precise. The first stick falling after 40 km and the second after 100km, we generally fall on the reserve around 220 km, knowing that with the 15-liter tank, the scooter offers a theoretical autonomy of 270 km.

Convenient

The TMax is a maxi-scooter, but sporty. It therefore benefits from the same approach as sports cars with a boarding capacity limited to a modular helmet in the trunk … By pushing, we manage to wedge a rain suit and some trinkets or even a large smartphone in the front right storage compartment. . It will be sufficient for the single person but a little limited for the one who wants to ride as a couple and be able to do his shopping..
On the other hand, the saddle has a jack, which allows it to be kept open easily. Note the small internal lamp that allows you to see, even in the dark.

Good point, the cigarette lighter socket placed on the front left, allows you to charge a GPS or a smartphone placed on the handlebars. But with the appearance of this plug, the TMax lost the very practical left storage compartment on the previous vintage, in particular to put a toll or parking ticket there..

The more cautious can think about the heated grips, available as an option (no heated saddle on the other hand).

Finally, the crutch has a ring for attaching a disk block and thus preventing the scooter from rolling: a new protection to make the theft a little more complicated.

Conclusion

The TMAx evolves in continuity, without major change which could really make people hesitate between a 2015 vintage rather than 2014. Only a possible price difference in concession could make one think knowing that the two vintages are almost at the same price between the 10,290 euros (without ABS) and 10,990 euros for the 2015 vintage (with ABS). At the same price, the transponder key is a daily plus; to see, if it constitutes a barrier against theft or on the contrary facilitates it once the electronics become part of the standard arsenal of thieves. Despite everything, it remains a maxi scooter that is really worth the detour and will delight the dynamic frame as well as the biker who wants a practical, sporty and rewarding two-wheeler. Better, with its engine capacity, it allows you to consider long weekend getaways, including in the mountains to chain the virolos with pleasure at the key.

Strong points

• line / style
• motor
• braking
• handling
• finishing

Weak points

• storage
• attracts lusts

The TMax technical sheet

Competitors: Aprilia SRV 850, BMW C600 Sport, Honda Silverwing, Piaggio X9 500, Piaggio X10, Suzuki Burgman 650

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