Yamaha Says: Don't Expect A TMAX ADV Scooter Anytime Soon

Coke vs. Pepsi. Ford vs. Ferrari. Apple vs. Microsoft. History's filled with great clashes between titanic brands. In the moto world, Honda vs. Yamaha might be the greatest rivalry. Now, an interview by Motociclismo gives us some insight as to how that works out in the maxi-scooter scene, and why it means we won't see an ADV version of the TMAX anytime soon.

Wait, what? Isn't the TMAX a scooter? Why should we expect an adventurized version of this step-through—aren't those for paved city streets, not bumpy gravel roads?

It's simple. For the second time in its history, Honda's proving there's a significant demand for twist-and-go machines that are capable of pushing on once the pavement ends. Starting in the 1970s, Big Red had the CT series motorcycle/scooter hybrids.These tiny rough riders featured simplified shifting, low seat heights, and knobby tires, and proved to be the perfect solution for riders who didn't want to rip and tear through the woods—they just wanted an easy-to-ride bike for unpaved roads.

More recently, Honda's revisited this idea. First came the X-ADV maxi-scooter, and now we've got the ADV150 and the CT125 Hunter Cub. There's lots of interest in these machines, so wouldn't it be Yamaha to build its own take on this concept?

Not so, says Yamaha Motor Europe bigwig Paolo Pavesio. He says the X-ADV is a great idea, melding scooter sensibility with SUV design (although he didn't sound so keen on the DCT gearbox, saying a CVT was better for city riding).

However, Yamaha doesn't want to just copy other companies' ideas, he says, so don't expect an ADV version of the TMAX anytime soon. If it does happen, says Pavesio, it certainly won't be in the next two years. Instead, for now, the focus is to bring back the TMAX's reputation for sporty performance, something Pavesio says was missing from the outgoing model.