Cycle News

VOL. 51 ISSUE 5 FEBRUARY 4, 2014 P67 stripped-out RSD Hyper mode. The TMAX remains the lightest and easiest handling of the multi- cylinder maxi-scooters, thanks to its twin-spar diecast and extruded aluminum chassis that remains the category's reference point. That's as much for the sweet handling it promotes, a key factor in making the twist 'n' go Yamaha very definitely more motorcycle than scooter. Part of that comes from the motorcycle-type diecast alumi- num swingarm working with the progressive-link KYB shock in traction rather than the more usual compression. It offers up to 4.5 inches of wheel travel, matched to the 43mm motorcy- cle-type forks up front with 4.7 inches of travel. There may not be another ve- hicle with a combustion engine that could have gotten us up and down the switchback canyon any faster than the Sands Super- scoot. You're always in the right gear at the right time with the right amount of revs for every cor- ner, for the simple reason there is only one gear. Again, twist and go. The Superscoot also comes with a surprising amount of en- gine braking delivered by the centrifugal clutch, which will even have the back tire chirping from time to time on the right kind of road surface. And in spite of the solid-mount- ed engine tying everything to- gether so tightly, there's no dis- cernable vibration even under hard load, thanks not only to the Ducati-derived counter-balancer system employing a third, blind piston, but also the belt final drive. The Renthal FatBar handlebar on 2.5-inch risers gives a great sporty stance, encouraging you to throw the TMAX on its side for a turn. The much reduced weight means the stock brakes work even better than before – but you must remember that the rear brake lever is on the handlebar, not where you might look for it with your foot. The bike uses twin 267mm floating front discs and their sportbike-style four-piston Sumi- tono monoblock calipers backed up by an oversize 282mm rear brake – still unlinked, as always on a TMAX. By motorcycle stan- dards the new Yamaha already stops pretty well - but for a scoot- er, the quality of its brake pack- age is unbelievably good. The result is improbable stop- ping power for something with zero engine braking thanks to the CVT transmission – yet with complete stability, thanks to the lengthy 62.2-inch wheelbase. It seemed weird riding what amounted to a café racer with nothing between my knees to hold on to, and a rear brake I had to work with my left hand rather than my right foot. But once I'd come to terms with the pretty minimal cut-down footboard space for my size-11 boots, it was so easy and thus so addictive to see how fast you can hustle the Hyper through turns. Thanks to its inherent good balance, the TMAX is stable in faster corners, even those with a bump in the middle. That's where the high ride quality of the sus- pension package, coupled with the lowdown center of gravity, helped iron out any road shock. "Literally nobody who's ever ridden the Hyper has come away with anything other than a big smile on their face," says Sands. "It's cute, it's practical, it's fast because we took so much weight off, but it's also accessible. Just twist and go – no clutch, so a little kid can ride it, but then any- body who wants to go race the s**t out of it can do so, too. I've ridden it around a lot myself, and people freak out when they see it. To be honest, I didn't expect to like it myself as much as I do, but it's so different and weird, yet it works great. It still rides the same way as a stock TMAX, but it's even lighter and more agile, and sounds like a dirt bike thanks to the race exhaust. It's crazy!" He's right. And there's no way around this: I want one myself. Riding the Yamaha TMAX as re- duced to its absolutely bare es- sentials by Sands was the most fun I had on two wheels in 2013. Hey, Yamaha, putting this EVO- scooter into production would be mainly a matter of stripping parts off rather than adding any, with zero need to redesign or restyle it. Sands has already done the R&D for you. Now just build it. CN

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