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On July 6 in Napoli, Italy and July 7 in Iwata, Japan, the all new European market model "sports commuter" TMAX was launched in consecutive press events. This revolutionary model is powered by a newly developed 500cc liquid-cooled, 4-stroke, twin-cylinder engine with horizontally-opposed reciprocating balancer, mounted on a diamond-type frame. With outstanding running performance at expressway speeds, stable handling comparable to a full-fledged motorcycle and an exciting and extremely comfortable ride, the TMAX rewrites the book on what a scooter can be, offering a whole new world of riding enjoyment.
For this issue of Yamaha News We sat down with Senior Engineer and Project Leader for the TMAX, Mr. Toshiyuki Suzuki, to hear about the development of this extraordinary model and some memorable behind-the-scene stories.
The Maxi Scooter Market that Produced the Majesty
The European motorcycle market (over 126cc) has shown strong growth in the last few years, with annual demand climbing from 430,000 units in 1994 to 800,000 units last year. An important factor in this growth has been the Yamaha "Majesty 250" released in 1996. Its attractive futuristic styling, comfortable ride and sports-like performance, have made the Majesty a best seller in Italy and other European markets, winning nearly a 1/3 share of the 250cc and maxi scooter market. And, with a model revision last year, the Majesty maintains its lead.
Still, the market has continued to call for models with increased high-speed touring performance and even more enjoyable and comfortable tandem riding potential.
It happened that some four years ago the idea of future a large-displacement scooter had come out of a brain-storming session for young employees at Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. in Japan (YMC), and at about the same time, a call came from Yamaha Motor Europe NV (YMENV) for a larger scooter-type commuter better suited to the high-speed traffic thoroughfares of Europe like Germany's Autobahn.
"At the time we dubbed this the New European Commuter concept, and eventually it led to the start of a development project in 1997," recalls Mr. Toshiyuki Suzuki, the project's leader. |
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| The TMAX's launch took place in Napoli, Italy. |
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