And TMax Makes Three

[redeye]

While driving through Alabama, minding my own business  , I suddenly heard and felt a gentle thud from the bed of my Dodge pickup truck. Unexpectedly, a 2009 Yamaha TMax descended from the sky and landed in the correct position on the truck bed, then connected all of the appropriate straps for the journey back to Georgia.



The parts about driving in Alabama and the journey back to Georgia are true. As some may have surmised already, much of the first paragraph is a tad fanciful. However, the pictured TMax has now joined the 'Yamaherd' in north Georgia along with my Morphous and FZ-09.



Most likely, the convenient but unattractive top box will disappear soon. With a plate that expired last October, the TMax was parked for a year according to the seller. Lots of TLC and services are just ahead, and I'm looking forward to a long ride.

[CathyN]

Nice looking TMax redeye.

[Expat47]

Wow!! You had me fooled about where that scoot came from.
Congrats on the new BLUE ride.
^{You know, blue is the fastest color afterall.}

[minimac]

Looking good!  With the limited underseat storage, I'd leave the top case, unless you really hate it.

[jdbrot]

Congratulations!

[Virginian]

That's awesome, you're going to love it!

[redeye]

Looking good!  With the limited underseat storage, I'd leave the top case, unless you really hate it.

Good thought. I'll remove the top box, but keep it in storage for future reconsideration.

Wow!! You had me fooled about where that scoot came from.

OK, neat. I wanted to keep the story close to the edge of believable .

All, thank you for your comments and observations. This is my first MC/scooter purchase since 2013.
Insurance is already in place. I'll visit the county office for title transfer and registration tomorrow.

[Maggie]

Awesome!!!

[Maggie]

PS: Get rid of that hideous TBox.   Sell it and replace with:

https://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-4B5-W0750-00-00-Console-Bag-TMAX/dp/B007CMQC06

[redeye]

Five bolts and an electrical connection, and the top box removal was simple... and easily reversible.



Wasn't sure what to do with the top box bracket mounting bolts behind the seat, so I ran them back in finger tight to the rubber washers that formerly separated the tupperware from the top box bracket. Two of the bolts were unexpectedly long, three inches or so.

My guess is there's a permanently secured bracket where those bolts attached and, if I can find some plastic caps or something similar for the tupperware, the bracket won't be free to move about or rattle without the bolts in their current position. The three bolt heads are easily visible.

A service manual is on the way, but if anyone has knowledge of the TMax underseat structure, I will appreciate any information on the bolt bracket.

The rear tupperware, light lenses, etc. all returned to a bright shine with Honda Detailer spray. There are a few flaws in the paint, but a tube of touch-up paint with the tiny paint brush included should render them barely noticeable.

PS: Get rid of that hideous TBox.   Sell it and replace with:

Thank you for the link. That's a nice idea.

[Expat47]

I've got a great big Yamaha dealer right down the street if you need some small parts give me a shout.

Have you YouTubed "Tmax Top Box"?

youtubed v. to have done a search or watched a video on the internet site YouTube

[sailingskier]

Nice addition .... congrats !

So -  fun, fun, fun to come; and no T-Bird involved ... but a T-Max instead.

Mike

[Virginian]

I'm fairly familiar with the '09 Tmax as I've resurrected one from the grave. You are missing several parts that were removed to accommodate the topbox.

Here's a quick glace off the top of my head.

2 - #21
1 - #18
1 - #19
1 - #22
2 - #23



https://www.partzilla.com/catalog/yamaha/scooter/2009/tmax-xp500yl/side-cover

Ask away and I'll do my best to help you.

[redeye]

Thank you for the information and offers of assistance. I truly appreciate them and will have more to do 'down the road.'

The TMax is now officially a street legal Georgia resident, rolling through the inspection process with ease. 'Ease' means this part of Georgia has no vehicle inspection, at registration or any time periodically, for any reason. Provide the properly signed title, proof of liability insurance, then pay the initial registration fee, title fee, and plate fee, and off you go until registration renewal time.



*** TMax in Blue Ridge ***



The top of the service list included engine oil and filter replacement, immediately followed by replacing the final drive oil, done yesterday and this morning. The other fluids will receive attention soon, and the front tire tread isn't far above the wear bars. The age and octane of the 1/4 tank of gasoline were unknown, so 1.5 gallons of fresh 93 octane E0 went in.

The TMax seems to run a bit better, but I will readily admit that's what I want to believe. Might just be wishful thinking.

[klaviator]

Nice!  I think the Tail box looks good and would just leave it on.  It's so nice to be able to park and just put your helmet, glove and maybe jacket into the box and walk away.  I'd never have a scooter without a top box. 

[Expat47]

Nice!  I think the Tail box looks good and would just leave it on.  It's so nice to be able to park and just put your helmet, glove and maybe jacket into the box and walk away.  I'd never have a scooter without a top box. 

My machines have all done shopping duty and other sundried hauling jobs as was required so the top box is a standard, must have, item. Currently I've got a 43ltr model and it just qualifies as enough.

[Spike]

Congrats on the Yamaha 3-fer.  I like the T-max as well (maybe someday)...

[redeye]

Thank you for the continued comments and suggestions.
A final configuration for the TMax is still in the works, but considering and trying different ideas helps a lot.
An issue attracting attention very early in my ownership is the tall windscreen.

I recall a similarly tall windscreen on my Honda Silverwing years ago, helpful on cold mornings but otherwise much less.
My Morphous has the very short stock screen again, with the fairly tall Cee Bailey windscreen long gone.
My FZ-09 has no windscreen and, after six years of ownership, I have no interest in adding one.

Unlike many riders' preference, tall windscreens don't suit me well.
For another reversible change, I notice a 'TMax Windscreen Delete' video on YouTube and follow the author's steps.

Off comes the tall windscreen...


The disassembled appearance reminds me of 'Toothless' from 'How to Train Your Dragon'...


With all except the windscreen reinstalled, a road test confirms my preference for windscreen-less operation at all speeds.

For now, the tall windscreen goes into storage, awaiting a final decision...


However, I expect the final configuration to include a dark tint cover that extends a couple inches past the TMax's gauges.

maxi-scoots.com includes great TMax posts over the years, many of them from Skutorr, EZMark, plus a few others.
Thank you for your thoughts, observations, and contributions; I find them very helpful.

[Virginian]

Okay, the toothless dragon analogy made me LOL. Looking good.

[EZMark]

One tip for messing with the windshield.
When you tighten those plastic screws around that rubber apron, grab your screwdriver by the shaft, not the handle.
If you use the screwdriver handle, you will still have too much torque and strip those little suckers.

[SilverBullet]

Congrats Steve!!

[Navydad]

I was just through Fannin County three weeks ago riding from Maggie Valley to the Barber Museum. Nice riding in that area. Congrats on the T-Max. I have an 09 with 33,000 miles on it and I love it. I have the Yamaha luggage rack and backrest on mine which makes installing and removing the Givi trunk a ten second ordeal. It seems things like luggage racks, backrests, and windshields are hard to come by for these great scoots. I prefer a taller shield, but then it's probably due to the cooler weather we get in Ohio. That shield is like the Dodo bird so keep it around. I am always have my eyes open for T-Max parts or accessories.

[Maggie]

One more thought.... do you know if the fuel pump has been replaced??

http://maxi-scoots.com/scoot/index.php?topic=2500.msg39783#msg39783

[redeye]

One more thought.... do you know if the fuel pump has been replaced??

http://maxi-scoots.com/scoot/index.php?topic=2500.msg39783#msg39783

No, and thank you for the link. I'll ask the local Yamaha shop to review the service history.

One tip for messing with the windshield.
When you tighten those plastic screws around that rubber apron, grab your screwdriver by the shaft, not the handle.
If you use the screwdriver handle, you will still have too much torque and strip those little suckers.

Thank you. I have 'beheaded' a couple of those screws on my Morphous over the years. One of the screws in the TMax was already headless upon disassembly, but removal was fast work for the needle nose pliers. Also, two or three of the TMax's screws were missing, so I need to replenish my supply of them. Holding the screwdriver by the shaft is a great tip for tightening.

I have the Yamaha luggage rack and backrest on mine which makes installing and removing the Givi trunk a ten second ordeal.

The Yamaha luggage rack on your TMax looks much better than mine, and the backrest is neat.

[redeye]

Several weeks of waiting finally brings results as a new, very nicely packaged TMax wind deflector arrives from an overseas purchase. On a pleasant day after Thanksgiving, I unpack the deflector and perform the installation.



The deflector, rising to roughly the same height as the stock mirrors, suits my preference.



The deflector's price is more than agreeable, controlling the outlay on a 10+ year old ride.



On the highway, the deflector performs quite well, allowing the expected air flow to my torso and pleasingly little to my helmet.

During installation, I notice some missing fasteners under the front fender, exhausting my garage supply of 6mm nylon rivets before replacing all of the missing ones. A new batch is already on the way!

So far, so good. Noticeably different than my FZ-09 and Morphous, the TMax is an excellent ride and should prove a long-term addition to the Yamaherd.

[Expat47]

Looks good & the tint should keep your identity well hidden from prying eyes.

[SilverBullet]

Looks really nice on that bike! 

[Skutorr]

Now go for flush Euro turn signals to finish the look!

[Dan]

I know it's an older post but I did not realize you got a new scoot, Redeye.  Love your choice, the TMax has always been my favorite and I love what you've done by removing the top box and putting on the shorter screen, looks great.  And just a bit of trivia, the Maxi-Scoot logo is a profile of a TMax.  Happy riding.

Oh, and "Yamaherd", thanks for the giggle.  I either have a Hondasaki or a Kawaonda herd.

[redeye]

I know it's an older post but I did not realize you got a new scoot, Redeye.  Love your choice, the TMax has always been my favorite and I love what you've done by removing the top box and putting on the shorter screen, looks great.  And just a bit of trivia, the Maxi-Scoot logo is a profile of a TMax.  Happy riding.

Oh, and "Yamaherd", thanks for the giggle.  I either have a Hondasaki or a Kawaonda herd.

Dan, although a few years have passed, I recall you adding the TMax profile to this site. A great addition!

Bringing an older post up to date can be very interesting. And I haven’t been very active here recently, so a few updates follow. After removing the top box, installing the deflector, and some routine services, the mostly worn front tire experienced a puncture. With replacement moving from high priority to top of the list, and pleased with Pirelli Angel GT tires on the FZ-09 over the years, I decided on a Pirelli Angel as the TMax’s replacement front tire.



The TMax also received a pair of ‘auxiliary springs’ for the gas-operated seat struts, which essentially restores the functionality of the depleted (gassed out?) gas cylinders. The springs are apparently more durable than a replacement set of gas struts, which in turn fail in other owners’ experience. Many thanks to Skutorr for posting a description of this inexpensive and effective repair.



I have held off on other TMax modifications, not wanting to add much more on what started out as an inexpensive initial purchase. I canceled my plan to powder coat the wheels, although similar work on the Morphous looks great. A tube of touch-up paint is on the way but, for now anyway, future expenses are limited to maintenance and repairs. This decision is subject to change at any time. 

On some of the fantastic roads in this area, the Angel front tire performes superbly, as many other tires brands would surely do. As always, a new front tire inspires confidence, and with little doubt the TMax's performance capability exceeds this rider's skill level. How-some-ever, on a couple occasions, riders of a certain type of motorcycle endeavor to ‘test’ the nearby 'lowly' scooter’s capability. Confessing a ‘measure of pleasure’, I usually find the results amusing.

On the other hand, the Morphous attracts just as much attention in Georgia as anywhere else. But the Morphous’ acceleration is little threat to anyone’s vehicular pride on the highway except mine. With my high-viz gear and the Morph’s brilliant stripes and wheels, we look like little else on the road.



Not long ago, I am waiting at a red light in the right lane of the highway passing through Blue Ridge. A few seconds later, a Georgia State Patrol Dodge Charger pulls up next to me in the passing lane. Although not really much of a ‘car guy’, I consider these cruisers/interceptors to be among the coolest looking law enforcement vehicles, and I cast an admiring, nodding gaze from front to rear.



The light turns green, and we accelerate towards the posted 55 MPH speed limit. In my peripheral vision, I notice the trooper making no effort to pass me. With a head turn toward him, and noting his head turn with a smile toward me, both of us still below the speed limit, I initiate a series of exaggerated but simulated throttle twists, as though challenging him.

In return, the trooper nudges his gas pedal, audibly increasing the Charger’s exhaust note and causing just a bit of front end lift, but for a moment we’re still side by side in what must be the silliest looking non-race in recent memory. Returning my wave, he accelerates and proceeds to complete the pass and continue his patrol.

A minor event in the grand scheme of things, but this made my day. For many reasons, I'm very happy living here in north Georgia.