Issue 637
Yamaha XV950
A Virago from the dark side
Yamaha Project X
BMW R75/5
Give them what they want
69’s other Superbike
MSL October 2013
MOTORCYCLE FOR THE FUN OF RIDING
◆ The Practicals Test ◆ 2014 Harley-Davidsons ◆ Ride Better For Free
Better riding – the basics
Be smoother, faster and safer in 15 minutes
SPORT & LEISURE
33 PAGES OF TOURING
Canary Islands, Italy, France and Finland
Cars 1 Bikes 0
How they won the MPG war (how will the bikes fight back?)
What’s the power output of Kevin Schwantz’ 1993 Suzuki RGV500?
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK 76MPG £4650 Honda CB500F. Are you scared by the fightback, China?
SCOOP! HARLEY GOES LIQUID COOLED
hell freezes over – exclusive first ride
PLUS: Kevin Schwantz’ Suzuki RGV500 ◆ ‘It’s only a flesh
wound…’ Ripping adventure yarns from biking’s golden age ◆ MSL’s bargain CBR600F – up, running and flipping brilliant!
No. 637 October 2013
£3.99
First Rides
There’s a massive amount of engineering in the yoke for it to look this simple.
Krazy Horse
The kind of cool the factories are aching to get, and KH comes from Bury St Edmunds instead of Los Angeles!
WORDS: Bruce Wilson PHOTOGRAPHY: Joe Dick
S
o here it is then, one of the best kept secrets in world cool motorcycle customs. Krazy Horse is Britain’s top custom bike shop. And this is the firm’s simply gorgeous featherbed-framed Sportster. Krazy Horse is an independent outfit owned by Paul Beamish and Paul is a real riding bike genius too. He’s got his own Frisco-style 1950s Panhead that he’s ridden all over Europe and Scandinavia and adorning the company’s shop are a host of bobbers, Swedish long-fork choppers, street trackers and cafe racers just like this one – the first time the British firm has embraced the rocker era. “We love building bikes,” said Paul. “We’ve always built what we like. You only have to look around to see that we don’t stick to one particular style. “e Harley thing has really expanded in recent years. We started building choppers but people want different stuff, hence our street trackers for example. And we’re currently building a Cal Rayborn-style, fully faired Sportster. You can do anything with a Harley motor.” So what about the current cafe racer ‘phenomenon’ that’s sweeping the world? Paul laughs: “It’s great since the 20 mslmagazine.co.uk
Americans invented it! C’mon, the cafe racer thing has never gone away. It’s not that different to the chopper thing. Californians started chopping Harleys to make them go faster. We did the same here with British bikes. e only difference in culture is that they have sunshine all year round. We have horrible weather. “ing is, you can see from the variety of bikes we have here, we get enquiries from all sorts – there’s people in the UK still wanting the old-style Swedish chopper with long forks. e great thing is that you can build what you want.” ABOVE: A gorgeous chassis to ride, the Öhlins shocks and sorted front end, combined with the Manx Norton geometry, make this bike truly special when it’s on the move. RIGHT: Never has a H-D motor served such a lovely creation.
NEW
Paul Beamish is the man who creates such pretty things.
Riding the coolness... The whole ethos of this bike was sold to me the second Paul fired it up. Genuinely, it’s hard to describe the raucous music released from the bike’s two cylinders as fuel met ignition, exploding a symphony of ground-shaking gases from the CR’s cool-looking, open exhaust. Up to that point, I had been questioning whether the motor would be worthy of such a beautifully crafted chassis. It’s a real eye-catcher, with so much attention to detail that I almost gave myself a headache staring at the cleverly laid out features that riddle this bike from headto-toe. From the integrated handlebar microswitches to the sleekly positioned starter button, nestled on a purpose built bracket to the left of the motor, I was overwhelmed by its multitude of genius. And at this point, I hadn’t even sat on the thing.
Unfortunately for me, the racket from the CR being fired up had drawn a crowd to the front of the Krazy Horse premises, all of them ready to watch me succumb to the pressure of my audience as I left the premises, destined for the open road. With its rear-sets and low-mounted clip-ons, the riding position took a moment or two to adjust to, as did the upside-down, five-speed gearbox. So leaving the car park, my mind was focused on sneaking out of view without any reason for embarrassment. First gear engaged, the clutch felt so smooth and the supply of revs was plentiful as the wheels got under way beneath me. So far so good. And things only got better on heading out down the main roads. Cruising along in second, a derestriction sign gave me the permission I was longing for to crack open the throttle, which
launched us both forward at an addictive rate, while belting out heavenly noise. Believe me, this thing’s got some go in it, which shouldn’t have been half as surprising as it was. When you think about it, there’s nothing really to the bike other than a minimal frame and this stonking great, tuned 1200cc V-twin. It’s the perfect formula and I was having the perfect ride. Heading out into the countryside, I put the bike through its paces in a nice sequence of sweeping corners and you could tell how well set up the chassis is with the changes Krazy Horse has made to the stock Sporty forks, and those Öhlins shocks. The winter-ravaged Suffolk roads were a bumpy mess, but that never really translated into discomfort for me as I pitched the bike where I wanted it to go and it obligingly obeyed.
Regardless of speed, it held a good line and filled me with confidence. But you’d expect that from a frame with Manx Norton geometry. Leaving the shop, I’d been told that new brakes had only just been fitted, so throughout my ride I was somewhat gentle with my application on the front anchor. Even so, it hauled itself up soon enough, aided by massive amounts of engine braking as I tramped down the gears. We only had a brief ride but the smile the Ace Cafe 1200CR smacked across my face is still well and truly planted. What a fantastic bike.
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First Rides Harley-Davidson 2014
HOG 2.0: THE NEXT CHAPTER Under attack from at home and abroad, H-D needed to come up with a big gun or three. And it has. Water, sound and light.
Words: Tony Carter PHoTograPHy: Harley-Davidson
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ompanies love codenames. Harley-Davidsons’ secret project to build a motorcycle for them is called Project Rushmore. Why so? Because you get Rush and More from the word, the rush is for the customer just looking at the bike and more because every part is changed to give you more – plus there’s some piece of gen-you-wine American real estate that shares the name. e first products to come out of this ‘way of listening to and developing motorcycles around what the customer wants through listening to the customer’ were launched in late August 24 mslmagazine.co.uk
in Colorado, where the mountains are invitingly bathed in glorious sunshine, the blue skies only occasionally troubled by thunderstorms. We’ve got two new models to try out today, the Ultra Limited and the Street Glide. Both have come in for a lot of work but without doubt the main talking point in this line up is the Ultra Glide. So H-D starts talking before we even see the bike in the flesh, then talk some more. A bit more and then the bike is revealed and on the dimly-lit stage it looks pretty bloody good. ere’s a real hint of the familiar about it... you can tell it’s a Glide, but this one looks like a Glide that’s been properly thought through between stylist, engineer and punter...
Oh, and the Ultra’s cylinder heads are liquid-cooled. Excuse me? Isn’t that important? Yes, the V-Rod was wet back in 2002, but surely, this is a big deal for the big twins? Next day we grab an Ultra and head for the hills. Instantly, things are not going well. e all-singing, all-dancing brand new Boom Box infotainment (ugh) system has shut itself off twice and randomly puts the iPod which is sitting in a snazzy waterproof glovebox on mute, and the heat from the righthand side of the engine is doing a lovely job of pot-roasting the underside of my right leg. But that’s just detail and teething trouble. ere’s some stuff of real genius here. And as we snake along the
In Detail Harley:
SHORTER WINDSHIELD> Helps slightly in the reduction of head buffeting from wind. There are three aftermarket versions coming for the Ultra Limited; tall, short and smoked.
NEW
MORE STORAGE> Four percent more storage in the top box alone, where no punches have been pulled. A retracting wheel pulls the topbox down so now it’s that little bit easier thanks to a thin web belt.
rolling ups and downs and head up to the Rockies there’s plenty of time to take in what team H-D has done. Basically, there’s nothing on this bike that hasn’t been tinkered with or changed completely. Yes, the watercooling and two radiators will make the headlines, but that’s philosophical, more than tangible improvement to the rider – we’ve ridden air-cooled Ultras through Death Valley without so much as a burp from the motor. Take the luggage on this new bike and other bits that you might have to open with a gloved hand, for instance. e new Ultra’s top box opens with a single lever and onetouch locking flaps. It all works. Wonderfully. Please, every single
other bike maker, go and look at this design – this is how you do it. en there’s the inner fairing. All new. Fewer gauges (down to four from six) and spaced wider apart so they’re easier to read. e infotainment (ugh!) touch screen with built in sat nav, Bluetooth etc. is a delight to use. And if you don’t want to spend your time touching buttons on a large colour screen then there’s a cursor-type joystick on the bottom of each handlebar which sounds complex but is amazingly intuitive to use. Again, everyone else – please take note. And while we’re here then appreciate do the iPod cupboard to the right of the screen. Waterproof, with a cable
Get ’em over! The new Harleys certainly can corner very well, and the confidence-inspiring handling means some not at all bad cornering angles are now possible before everything crashes down. On the Ultra Limited the clearance is 31.9 degrees o n the right and on then left it’s 31.8 degrees. For the Street Glide the numbers goes to 32 degrees on the right and then 31 degrees on the left. Why the difference inessentially the same chassis? We don’t know either.
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First Rides PANNIERS AND TOP BOX
One-hand opening and closing operation, topbox gets cord on retracting wheel to ensure that no cable gets caught up looking out of the box.
REAR
LED stop lights built in.
SEAT
Redesigned pillion seat with rougher leather on the top of the armrests so that the pillion can get purchase with their elbows when pushing down to get out of the seat.
WHEELS
New contrast chrome impeller cast aluminium items.
The other bikes of Project Rushmore The Fat Bob gets a more aggressive look with blacked out panels and parts, new cosmetics to make it look, according to Harley ‘like a bulldog’. It also gets slash-cut silencers, a chopped rear fender and a trimmed down improved comfort seat. CVO Road King joins the CVO line-up under Project Rushmore with blacked out components, twopiece seat with tuck and roll storage, Daymaker headlights and new custom wheels. CVO Softail Deluxe gets white wall tyres (which really suit the bike), new
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hand controls not too far away from the Ultra Limited’s kit. Standard ABS and detachable saddle bags. The Sportster family get the new braking system and a new electrical system to support the updates. There’s a snazzy new exhaust system and ABS is available as an option. Both the Super Glide Custom and Street Bob have the Twin Cam 103 motor. The V-Rod Muscle motorcycle has a new two-tone paint job, amber whiskey with flames.
INNER FAIRING
Gloss black inner with new dials and colourscreen infotainment system including sat nav, one-touch iPod box and Boom-Box 6.5 GT audio system..
ENGINE
Twin-cooled high output twin cam 103 engine.
TOP FAIRING
Redesigned Batwing fairing with Splitstream vent under the screen which can be opened with one touch to reduce buffeting at speed.
BRAKES
Reflex linked brakes with ABS as standard.
linked to the stereo for the iPod and even a handy foam piece that holds the MP3 player secure shows just how much the engineers are thinking about the customer. I should say at this point that when the stereo was working the music quality was crisp, clear and rich – even at speeds well in excess of perhaps what should have been observed. And then there’s the switchgear itself! Oh my... redesigned and placed on the bars based on extensive research, hundreds of hours of riders with different early designs actually riding prototypes and being videoed having to carry out instructions from a chase car. e result is that this switchgear, with its knurls just right, feels like it’s an extension of your hand. Cruise control is now a one-button, two press operation. Simples. And the hydraulic clutch is effortless to use. e pillion is better provided for too. e whole seat has been redesigned but in reality more for the pillion than the rider – more comfy seat, wider
LIGHTING
Daymaker LED headlight and fog lamps. New bulletstyle indicators.
FRONT MUDGUARD
Pulled-back design exposes more of the front wheel.
entry and exit and the saddlebag pannier has also had a tweak being pulled back slightly so that the rail it sits on isn’t as in-the-way when the pillion climbs on and off the bike. Now that’s very clever. e beefed-up 49mm forks, up from 46mm previously, lighter aluminium cast wheels and a whole host of other bits and bobs make the front end really talk to you when cornering – the whole chassis may only be mild steel, but it’s one of the best H-D has ever produced when combined with the less-weight, more strength add-ons. e linked brakes are blissfully nice too. Under 25mph the system doesn’t cut in, so around town you’ve got standard individual brakes front and rear but go above 25mph and the Bosch brain controlling things in the stopping department cuts in. Hit the front lever for all you’re worth and you get initial bite up front and some fork dip (but not much) and then you can feel the rear brake being applied by the system, pulling the rear down too and
NEW Closest rival
The cockpit view of a CVO Ultra Limited. Yours for £29,995.
With new money pouring into the several-times defunct firm Indian, the new bikes have really given HD something to think about. With an all-new (air-cooled) engine, new design team and a plan to kickstart the ailing brand, things are looking good again for the ‘other’ American bike builder. Handling wise, the bike is a dream and there’s lots of spec being thrown in for free at dealers too. A cracking new entry to the modern big cruiser market.
ABOVE: Pillion seat is grippier thanks to rougher leather. RIGHT: Brakes are linked. LEFT: New vent means buffeting is reduced.
Did you know? LOADS OF COLOURS There are 28 new colour schemes in total across Project Rushmore. That’s quite a palette to choose from but if there’s another colour you want then the factory can sort that for you. CHAIN CHANGING? According to Mark-Hans Richer, senior VP of marketing, the chain’s days on Harley might be up one day. “We’ll develop what we will develop in terms of the market and what the customers tell us they want.” So that might mean chains make way for belt or shaft, if enough of you contact H-D
levelling up the bike. It works the other round too, should you fancy just stamping on the rear pedal alone. en there’s the new motor, with the twin-cooled system (radiators to you and me...). It feels very familiar, the cooling helps smooth things out slightly although there’s still some vibration at pace – but still it’s nothing to worry about at all. Sixth gear is a virtual overgear though, sticking to fih and riding the torque curve worked out much better for dodging American semis along i70. So what we’ve got here is something very special indeed. It’s a massive list of parts changed and improved upon and you instantly get the feeling that H-D has actually listened very closely to the customers it has and wants with the Rushmore changes, but it’s also more than just the sum of those parts changes. What we have here is the next wave. It’s the next phase of Harley-Davidson and they’ve got much of this bike so, so right. It’s really quite amazing how different it feels to ride. More focused without becoming another try-toohard big bike. Yes, the stereo niggles and other things annoyed but at the end of the day it’s no big deal because it’ll be sorted by the time these bikes get in your hands. I suppose that all this praise is justification enough for the Mission: Impossible-esque project name aer
INDIAN CHIEF (FROM) £18,100
So what’ll it do, Mister? In terms of miles per gallon, then both the Ultra Limited and new Street glide came in well, logging 42mpg as an average figure. Which in real world terms, and taking into account all the extras now bolted on to the bikes – and therefore adding weight too – makes sense.
all. When a bike like this comes along then we really have witnessed the next chunk of Harley-Davidson evolution. And it’s good. Maybe we shouldn’t call it a chunk. Maybe we should call it a new chapter for this century. For 2014, only the Ultra gets the new cooling system. All the other big twins remain solely air-cooled. MSL thinks that’s a smart move. Harley know it will face resistance over the liquid cooling. Which is why it hasn’t done the whole engine. Putting it on the top of the range, premium product (and the one with the most bodywork and therefore, in theory, the biggest cooling problems) makes it desirable to one portion of the customer base, while the traditionalists can still buy the old motor. Expect the new cooling to trickle (not literally) down to the rest of the range over the next few years. Smart move, smart company.
Specification HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHTK ULTRA LIMITED Price: £21,395 Engine: 1690cc, twin-cooled, twin cam 103 with 2 valves per cylinder Power: Not given Torque: 101.8lb-ft @ 3750rpm Bore x stroke: 96.4mmx 111.1mm Compression ratio: 10:1 Fuel system: Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection Frame: Mild steel, tubular frame, 2-piece stamped and welded backbone, bolt on rear frame Front forks: 49mm telescopic, 117mm of travel Rear shocks: Air-adjustable, 76mm of travel Wheels: (F) Contrast chrome impeller,cast aluminium, 17in x 3in. (R) 16in x 5in Brakes: (F) 300mm dual floating discs, 4-piston calipers. (R) 300mm single disc, 2-piston caliper Length: 2600mm Width: 960mm Height: 1440mm Seat height: 740mm Ground clearance: 135mm Rake: 26 degrees Trail: 170mm Wheelbase: 1625mm Tyres: (F) 130/80 B17. (R) 180/65 B16 Fuel capacity: 22.7 litres Final drive: chain Weight: 414kg (wet)
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Improve Your Riding: Part One
BASIC ROAD POSITIONING
Ride better. Ride smarter. And it won’t cost you a penny to improve.
WORDS: Tony Carter & Rob Chandler PHOTOGRAPHY: Joe Dick
How these features work
In the pictures, Legoman Smoothie- Dave (red bike) will show you the correct position to be in,
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his two helpers, PC Gary and PC Roy will risk all by showing you what NOT to do on the road.
So follow Fast-andSmooth Dave, not the plod and you’ll soon be getting things sorted.
W
elcome to the Improve section of MSL. Everything you need to know about motorcycling but were afraid to ask. Because no matter how long you’ve been riding; 30 days or 30 years, there’s always something still to learn. Especially as so many riders of our generation are... ahem... self-taught and survivors rather than highly trained and invincible. First up is road positioning. In some ways it’s the most simple part of better riding. Ride here, not there – how much more straightforward can things be? Except, so many of us don’t quite get it right. And being in the wrong place compromises your ability to get through a corner as smoothly, safely and quickly as you could. How important is getting the position right? Consider this; almost all advanced riding is based on it. Half of the police manual Roadcra is dependent on where you are on the road. We’re not talking about racing lines and setting records on your own personal TT here, just the simple (that word again) act of putting yourself in the right place at the right time and understanding why you need to be there. Talk to the instructors and they’ll tell you that many people get this stuff “almost” right. Many have an idea of where to be, but just miss out on the last few feet – the commitment and confidence that adds those last few percentage points of ability. And as always, the key is practise. Read the feature, follow the instructions and swap those ingrained bad habits for shiny, fresh new ones. Good luck.
Step one: Straight, not narrow You might think that few things could be as simple as riding on a straight road, but correct road position is vital if you’re going to make the most of each ride. Visibility is key here. Your ability to see what’s coming at you, whether that’s traffic or changes in direction of the road. But also other road users’ ability to see you. So let’s assume that you’re riding along a straight, level road. ere’s no other traffic... so where should you be positioned? Ideally, if you imagine you’re looking down on the road from above and the le side of the road itself is split into equal thirds then you should be sitting on the line one third in from the centre of the total road. Or two-thirds away from the gutter, if you’d prefer. ere are three main reasons for this. e first is so that you’re not in the gutter, riding over debris. You’ve paid for your part of the road and you’ve got every right to be on it, so make the most of it. Don’t be timid. Control your part of the road, and ride in the two-thirds position confidently. e second is so that you have the most available amount of road to either side of you quickly should you need to get on to it to avoid trouble. And the third is that ‘V’ word again, visibility. Ride in this position and you will be able to see the progression of the traffic in front of you and the progression of the traffic coming towards you on the other side of the road. And you can do that without having to weave over to the side of the lane for a lean-and-look at what’s approaching before an overtake. You’re less hurried when you want to make a move, and less hurried means more time to think. And that means safer, better riding. So here the common mistakes are sitting too close to the gutter and drains (not much grip on metal, remember) or sitting too close to the middle of the road which means being perilously close to the traffic coming head on at you and losing the flexibility to move right if you need to. Two-thirds is spot on. Ride like that and you’ll not find yourself constantly having to correct or adapt your position for safety or visibility’s sake.
Key points: ■ Stay on the two-thirds line as much as possible ■ Stay out of the gutter ■ Stay away from hogging the centre line.
2
1 ABOVE: Dave on the red bike is sitting at about twothirds out from the kerb of the lane. The right position to be in, the other two riders (only shown for demo purposes) are in the wrong position.
BELOW: By hanging back and being on the very inside of the lane, cornering visibility in traffic is increased.
Step two: Left-hand corners Getting in the correct position for corners should be done in plenty of time BEFORE you get to the corner. Get this right and you can see much further round the corner much sooner so you can plan your line through it and set your speed and gears accordingly. So, nice and early you need to get over to the righthand side of your lane – without driing too far and crossing the white line (because this is a road, not a racetrack and we’re having fun, not settng records). If you’ve never done this, you’ll be genuinely surprised how much more visibility you can get from an extra foot to the right. If you do it aready, try another six inches and see what happens. Traffic makes it trickier. Should you find a truck blocking your view, the smart move is to hang back a bit and shimmy le so you can see down the side of him (if the geography of the corner will allow without having high hedgerows etc) and judge the road ahead for overtaking opportunities once the corner opens out. It feels weird at first if you’re new to this, but once it becomes a habit you’ll wonder why everyone doesn’t ride this way. Out to the right, look across the inside arc of the corner and get an idea of what’s up ahead in some cases even before you enter the corner.
Key points: ■ Get into position nice and early, no sudden sweeping moves out to the edge of the lane ■ Drop back from the traffic in front ■ Use your clever positioning to give you a view across the corner and much further ahead.
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The Practicals Test:
Twin Town
Under threat from the Far East the Japanese have gone back to their roots and shifted the focus from performance to practical wth some stunning twin cylinder cycles. But this time they’ve added style too.
WORDS: Bruce Wilson PHOTOS: Joe Dick
YAMAHA T-MAX
Price: £8699 Power: 46bhp
KAWASAKI W800SE Price: £7099 Power: 47bhp
PRACTICAL TEST
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HONDA CB500F Price: £4650 Power: 50bhp
hen it comes to finding a new bike, we all have an agenda in mind. We vaguely know what that bike should be and how it’ll suit our lifestyles and riding demands. Some people want fast. Others go for looks. And then there are those who’ll want for nothing more than a simple and practical twowheeler. A bike that’s going to offer them comfort, fuel economy and an easy time... which is where this month’s crop of machines comes in. ere’s nothing here that’ll grab headlines (okay, maybe the Honda’s mpg figure), but they still demand attention. In two weeks’ testing culminating in a 123 mile photoshoot, we got to know them intimately. Here’s what we learnt…
The (really) loud one OPTION 1: Yamaha T-Max FUEL ECONOMY: 68.33mpg
TOP: With its CVT transmission, the T-Max ruled supreme in town. ABOVE: Stopping power was plentiful and so was the feedback.
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Comfort and ease. If you were to question why someone would opt for a maxi-scoot like Yamaha’s T-Max, I’d put money on the aforementioned being right up there in the reasoning. ey’d have to be, because those two words tell you the core of what you need to know about these wheels. Personally, I’m a maxi-scoot fan. It’s something of a subjective attraction, but when you’re tootling around town and being thwarted every five seconds by buses and cars, consequently forced to change gear and faff around with the clutch lever relentlessly, a nimble and easy-going bike makes sense – as the T-Max did for me on the streets of the market town of Stamford. Head-to-head with our other two bikes, the Yamaha stole the glory in this environment, proving a doddle to hustle around the town’s quaint and narrow streets with very little effort applied. It was always first away from the lights and untouchable when it came to achieving a tight turning circle.
Out in the sticks, the T-Max continued to appeal, although it was obvious it was better suited to the place we’d just le. e problem with small wheels is they don’t like big bumps, and despite how impressively damped the Yamaha was, it simply got abused by the route we were riding. Naturally, that meant I also got a good toeing in turn. While the scoot’s stiff aluminium chassis encourages fantastic agility and stable cornering, it offers little buffer in the transfer of energy from the wheels below straight through to the rider up top. It’s a small price to pay, and quite oen the best way to make the ride less painful is to simply slow down on the rougher stuff. Typically speaking, the T-Max is a comfortable machine to ride. e sporty seat is both well padded and large, while the scoot’s bars are located high, with an affable angle. Get your feet plonked in the most forward location and you’ll surprise yourself at how far you’ve travelled before you even begin to acknowledge the mildest of discomfort. e adjustable, sizeable screen does a great job of deflecting the elements, while the wrap around front fairing only makes the situation even better. It’s like riding in a convertible.
PRACTICAL TEST
ABOVE: When it comes to style, the T-Max’s clocks represent a very modern look. RIGHT: The Yamaha’s handbrake is perfect for hill parking.
As far as the Yamaha’s engine goes, the recently increased capacity of 530cc delivers a decent amount of oomph for all riding situations. It’s plenty quick from 0-60mph and capable of much faster speeds... if you’re prepared to wait for the motor to build momentum. e initial uptake is fast and the fuelling throughout the rev range is unquestionably smooth, which comes into its own when you’re plotting your overtakes. Considering the motor’s a sizeable twin, you feel very little in the way of harshness from the lump, because it features a special slave piston to absorb and dissipate the worst of the unpleasantness, just leaving plenty of character and a raucous noise. On the whole, the T-Max is an enticing proposition, with lots of practical storage space locked below the seat. It’s capable of carrying two riders and reasonably economical too. If it were to have one major flaw, it would be its pricing. Costing upwards of £8699, it’s nearly double what you’ll pay for the Honda. row in the top-box and Akrapovic exhaust that’s featured on our model and you’re looking at over £9000... which takes some stomaching.
Second Opinion
TONY CARTER
Okay, so this big scooter... I know what the score is with this type of thing. Comfort, space on board, quick, chuckable, usually surprisingly adept even if they look a bit OTT in the flesh. And yes, the Yamaha is all of those things. The motor’s quite a rorty little thing and does chop forward responsively when you give it a handful, which I quite like. I also quite like the riding position, upright enough without causing a sore lower back. At pace there’s no back-buffering as the wind bubble made by the decent fairing closes around you and even the mirrors are good. Dash is pretty modern and on the money, even in direct sunlight. It’s a
T-Max. You really could go and do almost anything on this. Except go through a quiet village without causing the odd furrowed brow from the locals. That’s because this T-Max, with standard exhaust, is LOUD. Oh it’s legal, yeah, but the frequency of the noise and the way the bodywork must direct the sound up makes this seem properly LOUD. It genuinely surprised me while riding this bike how LOUD it is. Much LOUDER than the other two on test. It wouldn’t put me off riding the T-Max again, but it’s a lasting memory of what is a good, big scooter. You know the sort of thing. Bit OTT, good quality ride, loads of space.
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