Yamaha builds a power scooter
By Steve Bond
I've never stashed pens and pencils in a pocket protector. I've never held my glasses together with white tape and I don't own any Star Trek memorabilia. I am, however, developing a new respect and sudden fondness for scooters.
Before the Sacred Order of Macho Motorcycle Brethren disowns me, I'll explain. Prior to riding the 2005 Yamaha Majesty, my only scooter experience was a 125 cc rental unit on Cozumel last winter. It was so slow it would barely get out of its own way but proved a fun, comfortable and efficient way to tour the island.
Yamaha's new Majesty is serious hardware - definitely not your typical scooter with donut tires and a weedwhacker engine.
It cruises effortlessly two-up at 100 km/h (and more), it easily out-accelerates traffic, the brakes are excellent and it'll keep up with all but the most aggressive sportbikes through your favourite set of twisties.
Except for the lack of a fuel tank between your knees, the view from the comfy saddle is immediately familiar. The twistgrip is on the right handlebar, as is the hydraulic front brake. On the left, there's no clutch, so you've got another brake (the rear this time) and a lever that activates the parking brake.
Instrumentation is complete and easily readable with a large analog tach and speedo, while the central LCD display contains the fuel gauge, temperature indicator, clock and twin tripmeters.
Pull either of the brake levers, hit the starter button and the DOHC 400 cc, fuel-injected engine springs to life. There are no pedals to push or levers to pull - just twist the throttle and go.
When accelerating it seems a bit odd at first, because the engine speed remains constant as the machine builds speed and the belt-driven, constantly variable transmission plays catch up.
A combination of both brake levers will bring Her Majesty to a safe, controlled stop in a surprisingly short distance without any fork dive. There is some engine braking designed into the system but that disappears just as you're about to stop so you have to be prepared to apply a tad more brake.
My pillion seat analyst proclaimed the Majesty "extremely comfortable" and "much better designed" than most motorcycles I bring home. The suspension soaked up all but the most heinous potholes with surprising ease.
The only drawback was that her feet never felt totally secure or comfortable on the passenger footrests that are integrated into the lower bodywork.
Wind and weather protection is excellent. Even when keeping with traffic flow on the 401, the Majesty keeps the rider well insulated with a cocoon of still air. When riding in the rain, everything stays surprisingly dry except the hands, which seem to be hung out in the airflow.
The handlebar and controls all fall readily to hand, although the riding position seemed a bit odd at first with no tank for the knees to grip. I soon got used to it though, and found it amazingly comfortable for a couple of hours in the saddle. You can tap-dance your feet all around the passenger compartment to change positions and the stepped seat forms a built-in backrest to support the lower back area.
Under the seat you'll find a cavernous amount of lockable, lighted storage. Yamaha claims 60 litres worth and it swallowed up my rainsuit, extra gloves, two full-face lids and my notebook with ease. There are also two smaller storage areas on the dash, one lockable, one not.
Performance is nothing short of amazing. I estimated 0 to 100 km/h in about six seconds and the 100 km/h cruising speed equals 5,000 rpm - quite a comfortable velocity as the redline is 8,000.
The aluminum frame and 41 mm forks tie everything together in a nice tight package and it's a hoot throwing the thing around corners.
While riding the Majesty, I got to thinking that one answer to Toronto's traffic gridlock is right under our noses - or, in this case, under my butt. In the 1970s, mopeds made great inroads in relieving congestion while being fuel efficient and easy to operate, but the government over-legislated them into oblivion.
If our elected officials could think outside the "four wheels or public transportation" box and encourage scooters (and of course motorcycles) in the downtown core, we'd see tangible benefits in a short period of time.
Calling something practical is usually its kiss of death but the $7,999 Majesty goes way beyond practical: it trashes the boundary between scooters and motorcycles.
It's got terrific performance, gets great fuel mileage, has more luggage capacity than most touring rigs and, as an added bonus, it's just about the most fun you can have with your clothes on.
wheels @ thestar.ca scugog8 @ yahoo.com