Yamaha SMax Review

[kz1000st]

They like it.

http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/281/19...irst-Ride.aspx

[wheelbender6]

I read a different review today that described the SMax and PX150 as freeway capable scooters, able to hit 80mph. I'm not buyin' it.

[kz1000st]

I think that depends on your point of view. Many people think that if a bike can't accelerate to 80 mph in the blink of an eye to "provide a margin of safety" it shouldn't be on the interstate. That would eliminate a lot of bikes and scooters and that includes 600 Silverwings. I can tell you this, mirrors are your friends.

If a PCX or SMax can do 65 mph all day and can goose it up to 70, I'd ride them anywhere. Stat for stat that makes them as quick as a Honda Helix and there are a lot of those on the highways.

http://www.motorcycle.com/manufactur...de-review.html

This guy said this:
Speaking of speed, I was pleasantly surprised to see an indicated 85 mph on our freeway jaunt with the aid of the draft. Without others to pull you along, a solid 80 mph is doable with enough room.

[bnc]

I would like to see the speed confirmed by GPS although my Yamaha Riva speedometer was accurate.

The Smax is said to have 14.8 hp and weigh 328 lbs wet with a 2 gallon fuel tank. Roughly that means 316 lbs dry. My Reflex is 19 hp and 379 lbs dry and it can do about 80 at redline even with 28,000 miles on it.

The author suggests in mixed riding it does not get 81 mpg though more like 55 mpg. My Riva would do 92 mpg at city street speeds but one time I took it on a long expressway ride at 55 mph; the mpg dropped to about 60 mpg. The Reflex at 65 mph gets about 68 mpg and at sustained 70 mph, about 64 mpg.

Each engine seems to have a unique rpm for optimum efficiency that is a function of displacement.

[wheelbender6]

80 mph (not just 80 mph indicated) still seems very optimistic for a 150ish scooter. A lot of 250cc motorcycles are not considered freeway bikes. Perhaps the max rpm of the engine has more effect on top speed than displacement, as in the Ninja 250.