Best touring scooter

[gumshoe4]

Looks great! Let us know how it handles on the freeway...I suspect that the larger wheels translate to more stability on freeway runs. Also would be interested to know how many rpm you're turning at 70 mph...

[maddiedog]

Wow, awesome-looking scooter. I dig the black and yellow, it looks really nice.

[Cortez]

Great stuff!

[Dranrab Luap]

A local dealer had a new 08 T-Max listed for $5999. I went to look at it and it was sold.

[soboy]

Updated ride report:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cortez What the.. ?! No new pictures today?

No pictures because I have been riding my new Tmax every day - this bike is addictive. Let me try for a slightly longer ride report this time: the Tmax is friggin' amazing! This is one of those bikes where you get on and just keep riding because it feels so good. Today I put 150 miles on it when I intended to do 50. And if I didn't have a hot date tonite, I'd still be on it. I am even more impressed with it after today.

First, I kept saying to myself "this is a scooter?" No way. I prefer to call it an automatic sport touring motorcycle. Or a sportbike wrapped in a maxi-scooter body. Regardless of what it is called, I believe this type of hybrid sportbike/maxi-cruiser is the way of the future. In the twisties, it is composed, turns in effortlessly, takes a line and holds it perfectly, it is not twitchy and you can power out of the apex. Awesome! Big grin on my face the entire time.

I hit 85 mph with no effort, it had plenty more. There are three positions for my feet - cruiser style, flat, and using the passenger pegs. When I am railing through the twisties with my feet on the rear pegs, it feels so much like my old Gixxer 1000 that it is scary! Acceleration is excellent for a 500 automatic.

I think this is a better handling bike than my old Gixxer. It is much easier to turn in and hold a line on the Tmax.

The seat is very comfy and my back felt fine after a 3 hour ride!

It would be nice to have a slightly more compliant rear suspension, but I am a bit spoiled coming off dual sports.

I took it on two gravel/dirt roads and it did fine.

This is an awesome machine - I love it! It feels like I am piloting an F-16 fighter jet. The Tmax is one of those rare bikes that is actually better than I thought it would be!

Highly recommended!!!

[Cortez]

I knew it!

Now I KNOW I should NEVER test ride it.
Thanks!

[full of days]

the new GTi300 is amazing. I rode mine to work this morning and was so surprised with how well the machine works for 55-65 mph rural commuting and even the 35-45 urban areas

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=726590

[soboy]

I took the Tmax up to the mountains for the first time today. It did great! After a full day of asphalt dancing in the twisties, the Tmax impressed me to no end. When the reviewers say it has motorcycle-like handling, what they mean is it handles like a very good motorcycle does. Very easy to turn in and hold a line. On one set of particularly challenging S-curves that I have ridden hundreds of times, the Tmax took the curves faster and with greater stability than my old VStrom, Transalp and Gixxer. This is a set of curves marked 25 mph that I usually ride at 50 or 60 mph. The only problem is that due to elevation changes and the way the curves are laid out, while it is fairly easy to stay in your lane going north, it is damn near impossible going south. Until today, I had to cut my apex into the inside of the opposing lane to get through this set at 60 mph regardless of what bike I was on. But on the Tmax, I stayed completely in my lane and held 60 mph through the entire S-curve set. This is better than I could do on the Gixxer! Friggin' amazing bike.

I checked my gas mileage for the first time and got 55 mpg on the last tank. That is good, I can live with that.

Here's a pic of the Tmax on top of Burnt Mountain:

[IMG][/IMG]

[Cortez]

Sir, we'll have to check your chicken strips at this point.

[lowbuckrider]

What range are you averaging tank??

[soboy]

Originally Posted by Cortez

Sir, we'll have to check your chicken strips at this point.

The rears are almost gone completely. One thing I forgot to mention on my last ride report: there were a number of random gravel pieces in many of the curves yesterday. Kind of goes with the territory up in North Georgia, but for this time of the year, there was more gravel than usual. On the DR650 and its 21" semi-knobby front tire, these were never a problem. On the 15" street radial of the Tmax, they can make for some serious "pucker-up" moments when leaned way over and railing through the twisties. Tmax does not like gravel in the middle of twisties! Also made the mistake of riding a few miles on some very broken-up pavement. Tmax does not like broken up pavement!

But on smooth asphalt, this bike can dance.

[Cortez]

Originally Posted by soboy

The rears are almost gone completely. One thing I forgot to mention on my last ride report: there were a number of random gravel pieces in many of the curves yesterday. Kind of goes with the territory up in North Georgia, but for this time of the year, there was more gravel than usual. On the DR650 and its 21" semi-knobby front tire, these were never a problem. On the 15" street radial of the Tmax, they can make for some serious "pucker-up" moments when leaned way over and railing through the twisties. Tmax does not like gravel in the middle of twisties! Also made the mistake of riding a few miles on some very broken-up pavement. Tmax does not like broken up pavement!

But on smooth asphalt, this bike can dance.

Yeah, it's a pure road bike, I guess no sport-bike likes gravel, so Tmax
should be no exception. I had a 150 mile ride on my ER6F today, one
of my usual weekend rides.. but this time it was different - i ran out of
asphalt at 55mph.

Unmarked road constructions!

BOOM! No pavement! No warning!

Thankfully the gravel was already packed up rather well by trucks, but
it was an interesting decelaration from 55 to around 25mph at which
speed I could let the bike 'float' over the bumps just barely holding the
handlebars.

ABS came in handy too. It didn't activate, but I felt more confident in
using brakes at all.. (I rely on it so much, I don't know how I'd ride a big
bike without it now).

Anyways, back to Tmax stuff!

[trekbiker]

I experienced a skiing accident on a double black diamond trying to act 25 when in fact I’m 55. Ok who hasn’t done that before?

I am now suffering from a right hip injury that will only get worse with time. As a result I have refocused my attention to the maxi scooters. A Goldwing or K1200LT may prove to be painful and difficult for my hip due to their weight. That being said the Burgy and Silverwing are not feather weights. The difference is that their weight is down low. The Burgy and the S’wing are truly equals. I tend to be a Honda man but the features on the Burgy are nothing short of amazing. After riding both I still cannot decide. Both will cruise all day at 85 MPH without breathing hard. Besides, they are just so damn cool. (Electric folding mirrors on the Burgy....Really???)

Burgy Pro’s
The Burgy gets better gas mileage at highway speeds. It does offer slightly better weather protection with its electric windscreen. More storage in the dash. Power for two up riding anywhere.

S’wing
Sport bike sprints from red light to red light. It handles better in the twisties. Power for two up riding anywhere

To rebut an earlier post about shop cost. The Burgy is very easy to work on for every less a valve adjustment. Removing all the plastic to access the mechanics is the lengthy part. I would assume that the S’wing is the same.

In summation: I don’t think you could go wrong with either bike. Depending on what type of riding you are planning you may even consider the Burgy 400. It too is more than capable.

[lowbuckrider]

Brought this one home this weekend https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...1&l=593557b13d

[ScooterPapa]

Originally Posted by lowbuckrider

Brought this one home this weekend https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...1&l=593557b13d

You bought a very capable Scoot! I know you will like it; my buddy has one at his Florida house and another at his Delaware home!
For two up touring, you've got yourself a "Mini-Goldwing" :)