The review sums it up nicely. I have a KTM 790 Adventure R. I moved and then had a 50km round commute into the city. The train looked at two and a half hours plus a day and the hassle of getting to a station and waiting for the train to turn up. So I did some research and brought the XMAX 300. The 13 ltr tank can do 400km, more than enough power for a short 110km/h highway stretch. Still small/light enough for city traffic and super reliable. It's my first keyless bike, and heard a few people say they hate keyless. I find it convenient putting the key in my jacket and just jumping on, no faffing getting a key out, not that I previously had an issue with using a key. Breaks are a bit wooden, but it's a commuter scooter. For the price/performance, they are more than acceptable. The suspension a little stiff and over bumps, I sometimes bounce out the seat, it's the same thing, it's a scooter, and price/performance as a commuter is more than acceptable. The under-seat storage space is fantastic for commuting, put a big bag under it, riding to where you want to go, then put your helmet and jacket under the seat when at your destination. Performance, it will leave most things at traffic lights and comfortably do 120 on the highway, which when I look down, I often see thinking it's at 110. In wind/up a long hill on the highway, it struggles slightly but still does 110km/h. The biggest issue I have on the highway is it looks like a scooter. Even when it's traveling with the flow of traffic speed-wise or slightly faster, car drivers see a scooter and have to be in front of it, so they do dangerous overtakes or see you are indicating to overtake so speed up to block the overtake with the perception they don't want to be stuck behind a scooter or overtook by a scooter. Since getting the XMAX, unless I'm doing an adventure style ride / offroad I'll take the XMAX over the 790 everytime. The 790 lives up to the KTM princess reputation, the XMAX you jump on and ride, starts every time, no chain to adjust/maintain etc and so far no warranty faults like the numerous ones I've had on the 790. Being a 300 it has enough power to have fun and travel a bit of distance economically and comfortably. Years of riding motorbikes looking down on scooters, I wish I brought one sooner as a commuting tool now. I used to have a BMW R1200RT, which I absolutely loved. I reckon a 600 class scooter may give one of them a run for the money now for long-distance road touring.
I just bought the YSS suspension and put it on my XMax, man. You'll feels like riding a sofa. Idk if YSS available outside asian market, but YSS is popular in asia, pretty close to Öhlins (minus the compression) and for more cheaper price!
Siperb review my friend .. I had a 2018 model which I kept for 2 years with 32000 miles on the engine was just like brand new still!! ...A fantastic all-rounder👍🏽👍🏽😁
These 300cc scooter are just perfect for everyday riding. Do it all scooter like you said. I have the 2019 Honda Forza 300 and absolutely adore it. My friends laugh at me but once they have a go they like it as much as I do. I do tend to ride it a lot compare to my other bikes because of the storage, low centre of gravity and convenience of the automatic. Tones of fun to ride through traffic, twisties and handles highways no problems. Wind protection is another convenience. Another great review and I enjoyed hearing about your pleasant experience of something so under rated and under appreciated here in Australia.
Yep, it's a shame they haven't caught on more, because they really are a great alternative to driving, or for anyone either not 100% set on a motorcycle, or looking for an easy run around.
Unfortunately the Forza was a little too cramped for me, really trrying to get out to sit on one of these that looks a little roomier, but Vic's closed
Jon Pram yeah the Forza is on the shorter side for comfort. It’s ok but you need a bend in the knee when putting your feet in the forward position. I’m 6ft. You also need to replace the screen. I find it comfortable with my legs down. Feeling bad for all you Victorians, us here in Sydney are obviously hoping we don’t get entangled in the same situation. It would cause serious depression personally to be locked inside.
Thank you for an excellent and very unbiased review Kris, please keep up the great work. I have recently purchased a nearly new 2021 XMAX 300 and could not be happier. This review, along with that from Mark Pulling and The Missenden Flyer in England contributed greatly to my purchasing decision, so thank you. I have 'downsized' from a 2016 BMW R1200R Roadster that I really loved (I thought it was 'motorcycling Nirvana' TBH), but felt it was too much motorcycle for me, especially around town, and so found I did not use it as much as would have liked. I am 5ft 6" with a 29" inseam and was concerned the XMAX would be too tall and unwieldy for me. Yes, as you point out, the seat is wide, but I was able to 'reasonably easily' reach the ground, especially if I 'scootch' forward a little on the seat. With the ultra-low centre of gravity and very light weight, the height and width of the seat is simply not an issue at all. I find it such a well balanced motorcycle, especially at very low speed, I have to remind myself to put my feet down when coming to a stop. I purchased my trusty little XMAX in Orange NSW, so caught the XPT from Sydney to Orange and rode it home the same day. Prior to this, I'd only had one 10 -15 min test ride with about 5 mins on the M4 motorway to assess its performance and cruising ability at higher speeds, which had been a concern for me. Well, I was far more impressed with its open road capability than I thought I would be and this little scooter really does punch WAY above its weight on the highway, easily cruising with comfort at 120-130kph. On the run home from Orange, on overtaking a car, I looked down and saw an indicated 140kph and it did this without even trying. Yesterday I had a bunch of errands to run around Sydney and it truly was the perfect tool for the job, especially with the cavernous 45 litre under seat storage, nimble road manners and amazing comfort and great ergos. Do I miss my quick-shifter or mammoth torque, or 'road presence' or 'cool factor' of the mighty BMW? Nope, not even slightly - TBH changing gears now just seems 'so last century'! The amazing around-town practicality and ease of use combined and low operating costs combined with more than adequate open road performance and solid handling really does place this scooter right in the Goldilocks 'sweet spot' of motorcycling. I can't believe I am writing this, but I am now a complete convert to the sheer practicality, ease of use, lounge chair comfort, light weight and ridiculously low cost of operation of this little scooter. The fact that it also handles the open road with poise and ease really is the icing and glace cherries on an already large XMAX cake. I would have no hesitation in riding this around Australia and would do so in a heart beat - it truly is THAT good. Thank you again Kris for helping me to make the jump to 'a new and improved motorcycling Nirvana'. You have really helped to put a very large smile on my dial every time I head out on the amazing and faithful little XMAX.
Glad to hear I was of some help! They really are exceptional machines. Fast enough, fun enough and so incredibly practical, even coming from a motorcycle. And as much as I love my motorcycles, there are plenty of things scooters do better, especially for day to day use.
6 months now with the X Max 300. All the accessories including the comfort seat, defiantly worth the A$400. DNA Black if Batman owned a scooter he would ride the X Max 300. 🇦🇺🥇🇦🇺🥇🇦🇺🥇🇦🇺🥇🇦🇺🥇🇦🇺🥇🇦🇺🥇🇦🇺🥇🇦🇺🥇🇦🇺🥇🇦🇺🥇🇦🇺🥇🇦🇺
This review inspired me to make the purchase. Honda 350 Forza v Yamaha 300 X Max. Went for the 1.99% finance deal and pick up next week. Added Akrapovic exhaust, sport screen and foot plates.
Thank you for a very good review on the XMax. You shared a lot of good info. I was thinking about buying a Kymco X-Town 300I, but I might hold out for a XMax. They are a little more money and very hard to find, but I think I'll be better off with the Yamaha. Ride safe and enjoy every journey.
In other countries there is three XMAX engine options, they all look the same but you can have single cylinder 125/300/400cc engine, the visual differences are in the exhaust, airbox & on the 400cc scooter you get a twin disk front brake set up.
I think the 400 would be perfect for the australian market... for customers. Unfortunately I think yamaha would be concerned it’d be a little too perfect & eat too much into the premium tmax sales tbh. They’d charge more for the 400 of course, but even at $10-11k or so, a lot of potential tmax buyers would be thinking ‘do I really need to pay an extra $6k for the tmax?’ Which is the rub. I can see why yamaha offer the range and price points they do for our market. Personally I get it - after looking at the xmax for a couple of months I ultimately decided all I really needed was the nmax and I’d rather spend the $3.5k I saved towards a new motorcycle.
The 400cc XMAX engine is an old design back from the YP400 Majesty & it's nowhere near as fuel efficient plus it only raises the power output by five horsepower ! The 400 XMAX has a smaller rear wheel, just thirteen inch where as the 300 has a fourteen inch also the 400 sports an ugly large exhaust that stick out the rear too far, even the after market systems look terrible. In my honest opinion the XMAX 300 is the Goldilocks of the three, the only part of the 400 i would like is the twin disk front brakes, being the same size wheel if i can find a fork & wheel assembly, i may upgrade in the future because the brakes on the 300 do lack a sense of urgency.
@@WhiskeyGulf71 Thanks! as we don't get it here I had no idea, definitely sounds as though the xmax 300 is superior for most applications. Although, Given that euro 5 benefits larger displacement, I do wonder if the reason they haven't updated the 400 to the same level they have the 300 might be because they don't plan to sell it in western markets due to the tmax competition.... but that could just be because I was already going down that thought process lol
@@jonpram1737 That's the challenge, they don't want too much overlap in those categories, and there's already a bit of competition between the NMax and XMax, and XMax and TMax for many people when they consider the riding they'll be doing, especially if you're thinking of a commuting scooter to join a bike or bikes in the garage, or later be joined by one.
Great scooter...it is selling well in Europe! Not sure why you don't see it in the US??? People buy $5k electric bicycle but scooters are a tough sale, hard to fathom!
I live in the US, and I am jealous of the scooter market outside of my country. I am getting an Xmax whenever the new models come into the dealerships in my state, but I would have loved the option to get a Forza or an ADV350
@@MotoJournoKris 650, 2014 model, unfortunately it had a known valve issue and when it broke it hit the 1 cylinder and made 2.5k -3k damage (1 cylinder off so a new motor was needed). Anyways happy with my new xmax right now, might get a motorcycle later on for the thrills :)
@@lakostakis Yikes, that's unfortunate. Glad to hear you're enjoying the XMax though. Always fun to add another bike to the garage if you get the itch so that's something to look forward to.
You'll be glad you did....after having my new 23 Xmax 300 I don't find one single flaw !!!! It has more leg room ....storage room ....gas mileage....speed 87 mph easily ....I'm 6'3" 205lbs and added a spoiler on top of wind screen for $31 from Amazon and now no wind buffetting on top of helmet ....so everything's 100 % to satisfaction !!!!! You will be glad you got an Xmax 300 !!!!!
They should upgrade the brakes is the only thing i dont like much on Xmax 300. They should use the same Xmax 400 brakes on that model. All the rest for me is very good. I'm going to buy a new motocycle next year i don't know yet if will be that one or new Honda CB500x that i also like a lot but don't have the space of xmax 300.
I'm 180cm, and did lane split a bit during testing, however it wasn't the really tight situations, as it not being my bike I didn't want to risk squeezing through the tighter stuff like I would on my own bikes, which are a little narrower and I'm more used to.
@@StephanoHamez I just bought a 2021 Kia Rio a week ago because I had to scrap my van a few days before that. Gonna be a while before I get a bike now.
I actually only ride with a back pack, i feel it is good protection in lots of crash scenarios, i know it could be a detriment as well, but i think more beneficial than not
Thank you, I enjoyed your presentation. (enjoy my xmax300 2019 a lot) Can't you update and give a feedback - milage on the clock - reliability - do you still have it - etc😢
Hi man, very nice review! Can you tell me how tall are you? I am 1,74 m (or 5,7 ft) is that good height to stop on both feet without "tip toeing" ? Cheers from Portugal
I'm only 180cm, and if I sat towards the front of the seat a flat foot was easily achievable, it was only if I pushed right to the back of the seat I needed to shift around if I wanted to get a foot flat, as it's a reasonably wide seat - but that's still easily doable too.
I too am looking at this bike. Thanks for the awesome review. My concern is the seat height vs my short legs. I've read that there is a seat available with a lower profile but then you lose some of the lower storage. Unfortunately there are none available locally for me to test ride either.
It would be frustrating to lose the space for a helmet under the seat, you could try and see if there are any for sale second hand or privately to check it out too.
A short sports screen and aftermarket exhaust and these things look really good. But as a budget city only ride, I'd rather have my forthcoming Yamaha Aerox 155. Lighter and shorter and extremely quick up to 60 kph. Honda have brought out a Forza 350. You'd think Yamaha would make the XMax a 350 to compete.
The 155 is really hard to beat for city riding, it's great value and has plenty of performance. There is an XMax 400 available in some places, so it's interesting we haven't seen it here yet, or that it wasn't used in the larger Tricity.
is the zuma 125 offered there in outback? i love the zuma's flat floor board and level seat to stretch out as the bunched up knee nerd look not crazy about. added luggage rack, foot pegs and windscreen also. i was close to buying the x max but now zuma fits the bill. 58 -60 mph slower than x max but hangs with road traffic.
It looks really familiar, but I'm not sure if I've seen one in Australia or overseas. Not available at the moment though, the smaller options are the D'elight and the NMax 155.
Nice review. I rather have an agile scooter than a maxi scooter but always wondering if a midrange scooter is big enough without loosing that agility. May I ask how tall you are for comparison?
I'm 6'3" 205lbs and I've tested all makes and settled for my 2023 Xmax 300 because it had more leg room than any of the others plus it had more storage and is smoother, better gas mileage and foes 87 mph easily !!!! There's no comparison for a mid size Maxi scooter ...Maxi 300 is the best on the planet !!!! I've had mine for 3 weeks and I feel I made the best decision for a lifetime !!!!
will it be that Yamaha engineers are not able to perceive, that all scooters of the XMAX line have a very serious defect, the rear suspension does not work for the rider, because the rear spring is at the end of the Scooter and without any inclination, working only for the rump, while the rider, which is the most important, has no damping to protect the column from bumps. I work with an XMAX 125cc 8h a day in London and I started to experience terrible back pain after buying this scooter, because the XMAX rear suspension is at a right angle, with no forward tilt, as most scooters and motorcycles have . causing great discomfort to the pilot who uses XMAX for many hours at work
The XMax 300 is very comfortable and soaks up most bumps very well, but if the XMax 125 is similar to the NMax 155 at 70kgs I definitely feel like a softer shock setup or softer springs would have been preferable for poor road conditions when riding solo, as the harsher bumps, especially the big ones can definitely be transferred to your back/spine if they overwhelm the shocks. That said they are building these to suit a pretty wide range of riders and situations. If you've got someone on the back, you'll certainly appreciate the stock setup more. If it was as simple as changing the shock angle I'm sure Yamaha would have done it. With only 75mm travel on the rear on the XMax 125, it's going to be like a cruiser, if the roads are rough the big bumps will generally be transferred that way, as you can't really take weight through the pegs on these machines, and you can't grip the bike like you can on a normal motorcycle. When I commuted for a while on a 250cc scooter I actually found it much more taxing on my back than on a regular motorcycle, but to be fair the XMax 300 suspension was a lot better than the 250 Aprilia I did that on. Might just have been a matter of building up better core strength for the particular muscles the scooter required compared to a motorcycle though.
Ya have no idea how suspension works ey. It would be WORSE if you were sitting on top of it. Sitting between the wheels means you only experience some of the movement.
What is the weight of this bike because I would absolutely love to know what exactly the weight of this bike like is it heavy or or light just like the NMax is a very light bike and I just hope that it's not too heavy because I want to be able to control the bike because I am actually a very small guy so I just hope that it doesn't really wayes too much because I plan on buying myself one of these right here in Canada
These are about 180 kg wet, so quite a bit heavier than the NMax in comparison. They sit somewhere between options like the NMax and a full maxi-scooter. Arguably not as good for zipping around town, sneaking through small gaps, but more stable at speed, better suspension, better two-up, way more power, etc.
Hi Kris, love the way of your presentation of motorcycling on this channel. Easy to understand with all the right technical informations. I need your oppion on scooter, I'm 162cm and find that the XMAX 300 and the new Forza350 quite tall, can scooter suspension be lowered or is there option for a lower seat. I like to do a lot of touring on highway and wanting a maxi scooter
Sorry for the slow reply! Scooter suspension and ground clearance tends to be fairly low already. There's a low seat height for the XMax though which drops it by 40mm which is pretty decent. I think with the Forza you can buy brackets for the shock to bring the seat down, I couldn't spot any low seats however!
@@vialli45 The XMax Low Seat should be a Yamaha accessory, so normally orderable from a local dealer or via the Yamaha online store locally. If you google Forza Lowering Brackets you'll see there are a few options, but I'm always wary about recommending a lowering link or similar as it can cause issues with handling.
Ouassim Djida These XMAXes are a very different machine to the TMAX, the T is much closer to a motorcycle with the engine mounted more to the front & makes up part of the sprung weight whereas the XMAX engine is unsprung. The T is also more refined with cruise control & other rider comforts.
@@WhiskeyGulf71 Yep there's a fairly big jump in specs to the TMax, with more performance that really lands it in that touring category with motorcycles. The XMax 300 is great fun and an amazing all-rounder but not as impressive as the TMax in that regard. It just depends the type of riding you're thinking of.
@@WhiskeyGulf71 I hear you my friend ! thank you for your comment and advices! What I want is the Tmax, but unfortunately it is not available at Yamaha Motors here in the US. All you can find is old 2010 & 2009 Tmax and it's very rare ! I started getting interested in the BMW 650 GT, but I was told that it's nothing like the Tmax, it's heavier and slower ( for $14.000 which is expensive ). So I figured I can get the xmax 300, I test rode it and loved it I know It's not the Tmax but at least its close to it and its a yamaha
@@silentinvestor In the city you want small & nimble so one of the 125cc machines, i see a lot of the Nmax scooters in London & a lot of chinese scooters.
It's always a struggle choosing your first bike, without a basis for comparison, but at your height I don't think you'd have any issues. Being a 300 it's a little heavier than if you were considering the smaller capacity options, but the weight is very low to the ground making it easy to handle. Obviously as a learner there's a bit more of a learning curve involved as you get used to everything on almost anything, but I'd definitely still recommend this scooter. I do think the design of the XMax, without having your feet together in the footwell, makes it feel like a larger bike overall but also lends it a bit of a sportier feel, where the more traditional design with the step through area is different again. If you can, see if you can check one out in person and see how you find the seating position, and if you're in a dealer see if they'll give you a hand to get it off the stand and check the balance and how you find the weight.
I think you'd probably be ok, although the feet up position and at the back of the seat is definitely going to be more comfortable. It's fairly compact with feet down, but obviously the further forward you are on the seat, the more you feel that, where there's a fair bit of room to move around.
I've never ridden a Can Am, so hard to say not knowing how the experience compares to a traditional motorcycle. Even three wheelers like the Tricity and Niken are pretty true to the motorcycling style handling. I've heard the Can Ams are very different.
Hi Kris, how u tried riding with a heavier pillion on the Xmax? I am considering between the xmax 300 & xmax 400 as me and my wife would have. A total weight about 180kg. I prefer the xmax 300 but concern if it can cope with the combine weight on pick up and normal riding.
I did a couple of rides with my wife on the back and found it really good at around 160 kg combined, but I've never tested it against the 400 version as we don't get that model here. I also didn't even mess around with the preload setting on the rear shocks, so there should be the ability to play with that when you load up the scooter.
I’m finding that scooter makers need to have a seat that allows riders to slide back more for better leg room. I’m 71” tall, and the handlebars bump my knees.
I think the upper foot position is meant to somewhat deal with this, but it's a more compact seating position regardless, while seat design can really limit your ability to move around as you say.
I'm 6'3" 205 lbs and I have 34" inseam and I HAVE PLENTY OF LEG ROOM !!!! I love my 2023 Xmax 300 ....it is the best in its class by far !!!!! I tried all of them until I tested this superb Maxi scooter !!!! No comparison!!!!
Is it able to fit a second passenger seat on the rear of this bike because I want to know long before I even buy this bike here in Canada because I would absolutely love to get my girlfriend on the back of the bike so I just want to know if I can definitely have a second person on the back of this bike
That's a hard choice, their strengths are in really different areas. The XMax is ideal for bigger distances and more power, but the ADV will definitely be better on dirt and trails.
I'd definitely see if you can sit on one, as the XMax is quite compact in the leg area. With a 32 inch inseam (legs) like me it definitely works, but I'm not sure about much longer-legged riders.
Good question, you'll have to check locally. Here we have prices listed as Ride-Away generally so that's the full price (excluding comprehensive or third party insurance property), where it varies around the world, depending on how they are advertised and what extras get added on for delivery and rego, taxes etc. Always good to ask for an out the door price if you can for comparison.
@@MotoJournoKris as you may or may not know........NSW is the pothole capital of the entire world! and thats coming from myself who has ridden around the entire Philippines 3 times!
Being that is in the maxi category but not as big as the Tmax or Forza, does it still have a good feel on the road in terms of sportiness? I am looking for comfort power, but not sacrificing too much of that zippy road handling of a smaller scooter.
It's way more zippy than something like a TMax in that regard but very planted and stable at speed. It's probably closer overall to the bigger scooters in feel, than the really small 150s, which are a bit more flighty due to being so light and running small wheels.
Yeah, it really seems the only “feature” missing is stop start tech... if you really must have that on a bike, and given the new NMax they’re rolling out has it I doubt it’ll be long before the xmax has it too.... if you really need it? I guess though we have to wait and see what this new Forza is I suppose.
@@podunkman2709 There is room for two helmets, there's barely any difference between the cockpits, unless you're specifically talking the Kymco, while an adjustable screen is nice, you're paying a fair premium for it. Also looks like all three are Euro4 from what I can see, although there's conjecture the Forza 350 will be Euro5 and it seems likely they'll all be Euro5 as required as scooters are popular in Europe.
