Yamaha NMAX inside out
In the world of motorcycling, rarely do we get the best of both worlds.
When you go beast mode on the throttle for aggressive speed, your fuel consumption suffers. When you decide to go easy on your fuel for that extra savings, you don’t get the acceleration that you want.
That is why Yamaha has decided to bring in the NMAX, a 155cc scooter with a single-cylinder four-stroke engine and sporty styling.
At first look, you’d think that the NMAX will eat up much of your gasoline budget because of its bulky built. It looks like a maxi-scooter as its bodywork was derived from its big brother, the 530cc TMAX.
But MotoPilipinas was fortunate to get the chance to test the NMAX not just for a spin, but for a joy ride from Baguio City to Mabalacat, Pampanga together with several motoring media. And we were proven wrong.
Aesthetics
The NMAX comes with an elegant, stylish design having been initially intended for the European market. It is locally available in two colors: Gun Metal Gray and Metallic Black with hues that further accentuate the scooter’s “sophisticated” yet sporty look.
The NMAX also comes with a full LCD dashboard with all the signals you’d need: the fuel indicator, speed indicator, turn signals and even an “eco” indicator.
It has a triple lamp headlight for better illumination for night riding and an LED rear light that flashes brightly with a slight grip at the brake levers.
”As you can see, this is not an ordinary design,” said Yamaha Motor Philippines Inc.’s Sales and Marketing Director Kaoru Ogura during the NMAX’s presentation in Baguio City. “We believe this Max series is suitable for the metro area.”
Coziness
Before we could take the scoot down to the winding path of Kennon Road, Yamaha Philippines invited us to test the NMAX around Camp John Hay to give us a taste of its handling.
The first thing we noticed is the comfy bike seat. It was just wide enough at the front, but even wider at the pillion area, giving us reservations about the backrider’s coziness during long rides.
The upright riding position, however, makes the ride easy for the driver’s back. The footboards also allows the rider to either sit straight or ease his spine further back with the placing of the footpegs.
Other very interesting features the NMAX boasts of are the large 25-liter compartment box which could fit a helmet or a medium-sized bag and the dual shock absorbers at the rear which assure a bump-free ride in the city.
IMG20151210101720
Blue Core Technology and VVA
The centerpiece of the NMAX is its 155cc fuel-injected powertrain, which is equipped with Yamaha’s patented Blue Core technology and VVA (Variable Valve Actuation).
Ryan Jude Camus, Yamaha Philippines marketing section manager, these features maximizes fuel burn while minimizing engine friction.
“Ano ba ang Blue Core?” said Camus. “What it does is provide more power with less fuel. This means, an engine with Blue Core has a very nice fuel burning system.”
As a result, the engine could easily push the 127kg-scooter at speeds quite remarkable for a 155cc bike.
The NMAX is also equipped with ABS (anti-lock braking system) in both front and rear tires, thereby preventing the wheel from locking in case of sudden braking.
The ABS proved useful while we were traversing down the winding lanes of Kennon Road.
After getting past Kennon Road, we were hitting the straights nearly at full speed. A quick check on the digital clock indicated that we reached 120kph without too much stress on the engine. I think we did 120kph runs four times before reaching Mabalacat.
Price and fuel cost
So how about the amount of fuel it consumed while we were speeding through from Baguio City to Mabalacat, Pampanga? We could say that the engine merely sipped fuel for a 172 kilometer trip as it gave us a reading of 41 kilometer per liter.
Not bad for a 155cc scooter, huh?
For P118,000, a maxi-scooterish bike like the NMAX with ABS and a host of state-of-the-art sophistication is very worth the price.
No comments: