I am a regular motorcyclist of many years experience and use a bike for daily travel all year round. Unfortunately modern motorcycles are increasingly recreational rather than functional, so I have tried the new "super scooters" to see if they better suit my needs.

The Tmax is a good deal larger than normal scooters, with a 500cc twin cylinder engine and "automatic" transmission. It has a leg shield with a small storage pocket and fixed windscreen. Under the saddle there is a decent storage compartment which will take a single crash-helmet.

Never having ridden a scooter I found it unusual to have nothing to do with my feet and I had a couple of “moments” because I forgot to move them when stopping! As a motorcyclist my left hand desperately wanted to de-clutch when slowing down, which was very effective, as the clutch lever had become the back brake! So I had to concentrate hard on the hand controls, to avoid a silly mishap. I have had a couple of rides on travelled over 100 miles in all.

The riding position is very upright and the handlebars very close. The saddle is also quite tall, which combined with the width of the bodywork beneath it means only my toes could touch the ground. It made my motorbike feel small! In addition, the “threshold” of the step-through part is very high to step over when getting on.

The Yam’s performance is a revelation. It provides decent engine braking when shutting the throttle and responds promptly when accelerating. With a long wheelbase and compliant suspension the Tmax rides beautifully, and its handling and cornering are wonderful.

The saddle is apparently quite wide, but sitting on it suggests otherwise and more bum support would be nice, as there is little under-thigh support.

The brakes were effective, though slightly spongy, with conventional scooter left lever operating the rear brake, right lever the front, so the right h
and had to do most of the work of driving the thing, leaving the other three limbs relatively idle.

An invigorating scooter with remarkable handling and performance. It would be even more impressive with the linked brakes and storage of the Honda Silver Wing.