Yamaha TMAX 500

Under such conditions, the city with its immediate surroundings becomes extremely uninteresting for life and creativity. We leave too much time and nerves on the streets. This, however, does not prevent public services, administration, and similar non-economic activities from spreading into the city centre. And as a result, residents from near and far abroad come to him, just to get things done. Therefore, the life of the unemployed passes - behind the wheel.

Little is done on foot. Public transport? The other day I specifically tried the city bus on the main road through the city. The bus looks the same as it did when I was a student in 1972. Minimal comfort, little air, no air conditioning, dirty. In a word, repulsive in all respects.

The Mayor of Ljubljana is in favor of car bans. Nothing new as it was a hundred years ago when he brought Codelli to the city. Not the only one. Of course, this is easier than effectively reorganizing public transport or opening parking lots at a reasonable cost. The green alternative, however, favors walking or cycling. Well, up to some reasonable distance and not too many times in a row it certainly does, and then we are confronted with our own unpleasant smell of sweat.

Italy, led by the mayor of Rome, has found an effective alternative to a heart attack between a car and a bus using a scooter and more powerful engines: a moped for short distances, a larger scooter for longer trips or more comfort. This is how the police behave.

There are countless motorcycle parking spaces on the streets of the city center. The solution is not perfect, but getting to your destination can be done quickly, comfortably and cheaply. As a result, Italy has become the most promising market in Europe. Unsurprisingly, Yamaha has chosen Rome and the surrounding area to unveil its new 500cc super scooter. Cm.

More car than motorcycle

This Yamaha scooter is something so new in size and luxury, and it's designed for comfort that it's confusing. This is a new dimension that requires a mental revolution. This requires at least as big a leap as going from a car with a classic transmission to a car with an automatic transmission. Many are not yet able to realize this comfort of technology.

This scooter looks more like a car than a motorcycle in terms of quality and (not) demanding ride. And it looks more like a motorcycle than a scooter as we knew it until yesterday. There are too few words to understand that anything can make it possible. Test drive required. Only then will the driver be able to focus on how to overcome the inconvenience of traffic without deviating from life habits.

Why such a scooter?

It's comfortable. Thanks to the wheels of the right size, it is stable on the road. It springs well. It has excellent brakes and an engine that matches the capabilities of, for example, a mid-size Alfa or Audi: it accelerates from 7 to 5 km per hour in 0 seconds. The maximum speed is 100 kilometers per hour, and the speed of easy movement is 160 kilometers per hour. 140 cc two-cylinder four-stroke engine CM without vibration develops a good 500 hp.

The point, however, is not the amount of power, but the fact that this power has come into the world. It grows softly and boldly, the engine is solidly resilient. All this is complemented by an extremely precise automatic clutch unit, coupled to a CVT-type gearbox, which adjusts the gear ratio in accordance with the change in speed. On a two-hundred-kilometer route from the city through mountain passes similar to Vršić and back along the highway, the scooter covered kilometers like the most comfortable convertible.

The frame, suspension and tires provide a high level of safety, so the reaction of the vehicle should not intimidate the ignorant motorcyclist. Even on steep slopes, he walks very logically and even uneven asphalt does not confuse him. Brakes: Both levers are located on the handlebars, which are similar to a bicycle and are therefore home to most people.

However, during a sharp turn, this prevents the driver from pinching his knee on the steering wheel. Each scooter is a little misleading: the driver's position is presented with more extended legs (like in a car), which is otherwise normal. But at a speed of less than 30 kilometers per hour, there is no real balance and the motorcyclist begins to "fly" with his feet. But then, when turning, you can catch on the steering wheel. Be careful when doing this.

She sits in the director's chair and there is plenty of room for the lady in the back too. Luggage is placed under the entire seat and there is nothing wrong with the fact that you cannot safely drive a laptop, handbags, a folding umbrella and all the rest of the junk that a businessman carries with him.

Helmets take some getting used to. Legs, body, valuable shoes and clothing are protected from dirt and drafts by a plastic case with a windshield (slightly lower for a driver with a height of 185 cm). Thus, there is no need to fear dental inflammation, sinus infections and similar ailments that attack managers in their prime. Men's Health magazine recommends exercising to increase the body's resistance. It also pays off at the table.

Okay, this scooter has no roof. If you look at the statistics, then it rains infrequently here, and forecasters are pretty good at predicting the future. But in the light mist under the sky, a man dressed in an English waxed coat looks at least fresh, if not sexy.

Avoid tradition

There is no tradition in Slovenia to drive a car with an automatic transmission. Most believe that "driving a car loses its charm." A scooter with such dimensions, technology and, of course, the price is a rather unusual vehicle, deviating markedly from tradition and opening up completely new horizons. It is an interweaving of automotive traffic with some of the non-traditional branches of motorsport.

Interestingly, it can travel 160 kilometers per hour and that it accelerates well to 130 kilometers per hour. It's actually a very smart car to drive on demand and without (prior) motorcycle knowledge. Price? Pleasure has always been available only to those who have money.

dinner: 7.195 euros (Delta Team Krško)

Technical information

engine: 4-stroke - in-line twin-cylinder - anti-cylinder stabilizing system for vibration damping - liquid cooling - 4 valves per cylinder - double overhead camshaft driven by chain - 66 x 73 mm - displacement 499 cm3 - automatic multi-plate oil bath clutch, power transmission to the wheel through two silent chain systems with sprockets in the rocker arm and gearing to the wheel

Maximum power: 29 kW (4 hp) at 40 rpm

Maximum torque: 45 Nm at 8 rpm

Tires:

front 120 / 70-14

ask 150 / 70-14

brakes:

front disc 282 mm

ask wheel 267 mm

Wholesale apples:

length 2235 mm

wheelbase 1575 mm

seat height from the ground 795 mm

fuel tank 14 liters

weight with all liquids 197 kg

Text: Mitya Gustinchich

Photo: Patrick Kurte, Mitya Gustinchich

• Technical information

  engine: 4-stroke - in-line twin-cylinder - anti-cylinder stabilizing system for vibration damping - liquid cooling - 4 valves per cylinder - double overhead camshaft driven by chain - 66 x 73 mm - displacement 499 cm3 - automatic multi-plate oil bath clutch, power transmission to the wheel through two silent chain systems with sprockets in the rocker arm and gearing to the wheel

  Torque: 45,8 Nm at 5.500 rpm