Often referred to as the king of maxi scooters, or even a sports scooter, the Yamaha Tmax Tech Max is undoubtedly one of the most premium maxi scooters on the market in the UK today. 2022 sees the Tmax Tech Max updated again with even more tech that even the latest tourers would be proud of! But does it remain one of the best maxi-scooters on the market?

The Tmax Tech Max has seen a few upgrades from the previous model, some more substantial than others. The impressive clear, colourful, and easy-to-use 7” TFT screen is a seriously cool piece of kit, throw in a revised sporty design and improved aerodynamics, enhanced ergonomics, lightweight spin forged wheels, forged aluminium handlebars, new projector-style headlights, T-shaped LED rear light and freshly revised adjustable windscreen, you can clearly see Yamaha have put a lot of effort into the 2022 Tmax Tech Max.

The Tmax Tech Max is full of typical Yamaha’s aggressive, aerodynamic, and ultra-modern sharp design work, emphasised especially by the large front fairing and dual-led headlights and those winglets and air intake. In more recent years, the Tmax is being referred to as a sports scooter, and with this kind of styling, you can understand why.

With improved aerodynamics and ergonomics, the Tmax has had some pretty cool upgrades, and it’s nice to that even the rider comfort has been improved.

With a large electric adjustable windscreen, further forward mounted wing mirrors, gold USD forks, and sporty mud guard, the Tmax does look quite the serious weapon from the very start. Those sleek and sporty lines continue all around and in either the Power Grey (tested) or Dark petrol colourways, both look pretty awesome to me. The seat as you’d expect is large and well styled with the bike, and there is a nice finishing touch of the T-shaped LED rear brake light.

Powering the Tmax Tech Max is a 562cc liquid-cooled, parallel twin, 4-valve, DOHC, 360 crank engine which is pushing out 46.9 ponies at 7,500rpm and 55.7nm at 5,250rpm, fitting nicely into being A2 licence friendly.

There is no denying the engine is quite sporty for a maxi, accelerating rather nicely indeed. I took this out testing when Roger was reviewing the MT-07 and the Tmax really didn’t embarrass itself. It pulls very nicely, while acceleration (though not crazy by any means) will surprise a lot of bikers and car drivers. It keeps pulling well to 90mph, and I’d fully expect this to get over 110mph as a top speed.

With two rider modes, Touring and Sport being available, I did admittedly spend most of my time in Sport, I was accompanying an MT-07 after all. It is a great riding mode, and when out and about really lets you enjoy the whole package of what the Tmax Tech Max has to offer.

Obviously, the Tmax is a scooter – which means no gears! The Tmax Tech Max runs a CVT drive system, which is a form of automatic transmission, where you twist and go!

The Tmax runs with Yamaha Chip Controlled Throttle with fly-by-wire accelerator position sensor grip, so even when it gets to controlling the engine performance, Yamaha has upgraded again – though most people won’t notice the difference.

In Yamaha’s words, they have moved the Tmax Tech Max design one step closer to the supersport motorcycle world thanks to the new aerodynamic body, but that isn’t all they have changed! With the already compact aluminium chassis, the Tmax also has spin forged lightweight wheels, forged aluminium handlebars, adjustable backrest, extended seat length with slightly longer footboards to name a few, and throw in some improved ergonomics too, with an ever so slightly more forward-facing position.

There is no denying that the Tmax Tech Max is still quite a large and heavy fella, weighing in at 220kg, but really on the road, it will surprise you with just how well it handles.

As you may well expect having ‘Tech Max’ in its name, the Yamaha Tmax Tech Max is well laden with technology.

The best piece of tech for me personally is that mighty 7” full colour TFT display, it looks awesome in all weathers, is very easy to navigate and all the vital information is very well spaced out, so it doesn’t feel cluttered!

The display can connect to Yamaha’s MyRide app via good old Bluetooth, and you get your typical facilities from this including weather, music, calls, notifications, etc. If you choose to take out the extra paid subscription you can use Garmin navigation for your map solutions, though personally, I think it is a shame you can’t just use alternatives like Google maps instead!

When we get to the switch gear and controls, as you might expect there are quite a few buttons and switches because of all the tech the Tmax Tech Max has to offer. Thankfully though it is all very well-spaced out, quality to the touch, and does not overwhelm the rider.

The joystick for navigation of the display menus works extremely well and is very intuitive to use, it really shouldn’t baffle many riders on how to use it, and it feels quality.

If you’re wanting to keep toasty warm during those winter months (who doesn’t!?), well, the Tmax Tech Max not only wants to keep your hands warm but your derriere too, as you’ll have heated grips and a seat to choose your desired heat setting, with three levels for each. I did test both the heated seat and grips on a warm July day, and even on a hot day you could soon feel the heat radiating through, so they definitely work!

There is still plenty more tech to touch on too, from the large electric adjustable screen which offered me very good protection on its highest setting, cruise control, traction control, and of course smart key, which itself is incredibly easy to use and works very effectively. Oh yeah, and it has an anti-theft locking centre stand too for a touch of extra security.

Tucked away in the sporty fuel tunnel has 15 litres capacity, and when you combine that with around 55-65 miles per gallon, should give you roughly at least 180miles on an entire tank. However, when ridden more conservatively, you should be getting towards the magical 200-mile range.

At the front of the Tmax Tech Max is dual 267mm braking discs, with two-piston callipers. On the rear, it has a 282mm disc with a single-piston calliper, and of course, it has the mandatory ABS.

The brakes are more than adequate, though I think most would expect a little bit more bite on that front brake, and to get desired heavy braking you do have to be slightly forceful on the levers. Although you soon get used to how the Tmax Tech Max brakes work (and they are decent), on a maxi-scooter this packed with great spec, the brakes are one small area that could be improved. Being the large maxi it is, Yamaha for safety’s sake has blessed the Tmax Tech Max with a handbrake, which can be handy for times on that side stand.

And now onto the suspension. What should you expect with the Yamaha Tmax Tech Max when it comes to suspension and ride I hear you ask? Well, with those fancy gold 41mm USD forks at the front and preload-adjustable mono-shock to the rear, the Tmax Tech Max is set up with quite a firm ride in mind, further, to cement that motorcycle rideability and feel.

It does a good job of handling everyday roads, but it really comes into its element when ridden in a sporty fashion. The Tmax for a large maxi scooter has fantastic handling capabilities, and when you combine that with the spritely engine, it gives off a rewarding and enjoyable ride – with this Maxi you’ll really surprise many serious bikers out there.

With a height of 800mm, the seat on the Yamaha Tmax Tech Max doesn’t sound scarily high. Though due to its wide nature, for those shorter amongst us, myself included, it can be a bit of a stretch to get your feet down. At 5’ 6 I am really on my tiptoes getting my feet down. So, this is something to be wary of if you are a shorter rider.

The seat is large and offers decent yet firm comfort, with an adjustable backrest to adjust accordingly. There is plenty of room for a pillion too, with suitable grab handles. I would say though I did notice after an hour or so on the saddle, things started to get a little too firm.

When it comes to storage, under the seat is plenty of room to get a full-face helmet and a few other bits and pieces, but not enough for two full-face helmets. In that under-seat storage space, there is even a little light to help to see in the dark, nice touch Yamaha!

On the back of the leg shield to the right, there is a decent-sized glove box with a USB charger, and a little sliding tray/harness to safely store your mobile phone, a really cool idea to house your smartphone safely to stop it from getting bashed around in transit. If the standard storage options aren’t enough, then you can soon get the optional extra top box to solve your storage problems.

Although it is packed full of spec, and marketed to be a premium and sport-like scooter, Yamaha has actually kept the Yamaha Tmax Tech Max as A2 compliant without the use of a restrictor kit. Whereas, in comparison, a good few of the natural competitors against the Tmax Tech Max are beyond A2 limitations (without a restrictor kit).

When it comes to the big premium maxi scooters, there are only a handful of close competitors available in the UK. The likes of the Sym Cruisym (£9,299) and Kymco AK550 (£9,899) spring to mind, but I think the biggest rivals for the Tmax Tech Max comes in the shape of two powerhouse Honda’s, the traditional maxi scooter Forza 750 (£10,399), and then its cross-over adventure maxi sibling the Honda X-ADV 750 (£10,999).

Yamaha’s intention with the Tmax Tech Max is quite clear, to make a fun, powerful, and great-to-ride maxi scooter with tech even the most premium tourers would be proud to have, all packed into a premium high-quality finish. And honestly, there is no denying that they have achieved this - it is just a very premium price.

To get your hands on the Tmax Tech Max, it will set you back £12,700 of your English pounds. Now when you look at this on a typical PCP deal, with a £2,500 deposit, it can cost around £186.43 a month over a 36-month period.

It is worth noting that as the Maxi scooter market in the UK is quite small, Yamaha has opted to only bring over one model version of the Tmax, and that is the Tmax Tech Max. So, unlike elsewhere in Europe for instance, you won’t be able to get your hands on a standard Tmax in the UK.

There is no denying the Yamaha Tmax Tech Max is a great maxi-scooter and fulfills Yamaha’s objective of making a truly premium sports scooter, that is absolutely packed full of spec.

It performs so well on the road; it really is a joy. It has a surprisingly compact feeling, and precision handling, matched in with the sporty 562cc liquid-cooled motor, the Tmax is a maxi-scooter that can be enjoyed ridden conservatively, or out with friends on a Sunday jaunt to the café used to its full potential.

The tech side is all premium, from that truly great 7” full colour TFT display, to the keyless tech it all feels great quality and works with ease – it has all been very impressive.

The big thing about the Tmax Tech Max is obviously the price, at the time of writing, the Tmax Tech Max is the most expensive combustion engine maxi scooter available in the UK at £12,700. Clearly, this isn’t a price for everyone, however, with yet another great Tmax model in the 2022 Tmax Tech Max, Yamaha will be hoping to grow that large and loyal Tmax owners fanbase even bigger! For many, this will remain the king of maxi scooters for another year.

• Packed full of great spec
• Decent MPG range

• If you're a shorter rider the TMAX might not be for you
• Brakes could be a little better 
• Quite heavy