YAMAHA TMAX 500 (2001 - 2011) Review

Year: 2009

Traded in for commute shenanigans, and it was so awesome, within 22 hours of owning it, it had been stolen from Ealing broadway shopping centre by scum whilst chained up with sledge hammer attack while I went shopping. (My disc lock didn’t fit and I was 1hr from buying a new one). Don’t buy one in London unless you have 24 hr security guard. Apparently 12 of them were stolen in one day once.

Version: Last of the chain drive models

Year: 2010

After owning many bikes over the years I decided a TMax would best suit my current needs. I think I made the correct choice. The TMax is smooth, has great weather protection and is easy to live with. It will happily potter along in slow moving traffic, and is fast enough for the motorway and A roads, and I'm having fun on it. Roadholding and steering are excellent. It goes around tight bends far better than my last bike (SV1000S) and gives almost double the fuel economy, giving 55-60mpg under most riding conditions. (in stop start traffic the SV dipped to 30 mpg). I had to fit a Powerbronze double-bubble screen as the standard screen causes extreme buffeting to the head. The brakes are excellent and the riding position is upright and quite comfortable. Storage is great with underseat and a large Yamaha topbox. Lights are good to. The only areas I can mark it down (for me) is that the seat height and width of seat at the front combine to make it a stretch for shorties, and the standard windscreen could be far better. also some sort of hugger or mud protection for the rear of the engine and swingarm is needed. I adapted a 4x4 mudflap but you'd think all those brains at Yamaha could have come up with something better.

owned my tmax for a year now, very reliable, had to fit a givi screen as i am over 6 foot which now makes for a better ride, only fault it's heavy.

Mine is a 2007 Black Max on which the fuel pump packed up a year after the warranty expired. Flitwick motors and Yamaha sorted this out between them - at no cost to me. Good service. The scoot has been a delight and has handled my commute in all weather over 4 winters. As many people have remarked the screen doesn't work for a rider of my height (180 cm) making progress at 70 mph tiring. The price has gone up by £2000 since I bought mine which i think is a bit steep for a fairly simple parallel twin.

I always fancied a having a TMax when they 1st came out and I finally got a 2001 model which is a delight to ride I have been told the Mk2&3 are even better which is hard to believe and I do prefere carbs over FI anyway.

If you want to cover lots of miles in all conditions and on british roads and arrive fresh, then this is the machine for you...

Swapped a Buell for a Scooter! Crazy experiment - maybe? But I'm now doing 3 times as many miles so I'm very happy I took the risk! Power, er well it's not bike but 100 plus and Okay. Handling is fab, stable, good ground clearance (without wife on back), good unlinked brakes, turns very well. Best thing is I use it all the time because its so damn usefull, ace in traffic, weather protection and storage - two wheel car that splits traffic- works for me.

With shoddy manufacturing quality and inaccessibility of most of the engine, this machine is designed to be an expendable item. The starter motor was the first thing to go. Yamaha UK were as sympathetic as you might expect - ie not at all. The cam chain tensioner has now failed after 8000 miles, wrecking the engine, and the machine is now beyond economic repair, after only 4 years. An absolute disgrace.