Yamaha SMax Review

[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.