Yamaha XMax 250

The Yamaha XMax blends the large and authoritative stance of a maxi-scooter and the aggressiveness of a sports bike in one fine-looking package. Suiting its name, the XMax has a few X-themed elements, including the layout of the apron-mounted headlamp setup and the wide tail lamps.

At the front, the dynamic-looking Yamaha XMax has an X-shaped fascia with blacked-out surrounds, with all-LED headlamps and LED DRLs forming an X-shaped design at the bottom of the front apron. Above this fascia, the XMax has a tall and transparent windscreen, with angular LED turn indicators placed at its lower edges. 

The sides of this fascia and lower parts of the front telescopic fork have body-coloured panels over them, with the sides of the front apron continuing to the floorboard. With a central tunnel, the floorboard offers decent space, though taller riders might complain of limited room for their knees. The Yamaha XMax also has a keyless ignition mechanism on one side and a small cubbyhole with a 12V charger on the other side.

Moving towards the rear, the Yamaha XMax looks and feels wide, thanks to the wide tail section and the large and roomy seat, which has decent room even for the pillion seat. Coming to the tail section, the scooter here gets an X-themed all-LED taillamp setup, which also has integrated LED turn indicators. The scooter also has a large under-seat storage compartment and split pillion grab rails for added practicality.

The instrument console of the Yamaha XMax deserves a special mention here. Featuring a layered layout, this console has a small rectangular LCD at the top for a speedometer, fuel gauge, and odometer. The main full-TFT panel below this LCD screen serves as the primary console, which has a speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge, temperature gauge, odometer, trip meters, clock, average and instantaneous fuel efficiency readings, and clock. It also features Bluetooth connectivity and a segment-first Garmin navigation system, the latter of which makes the entire TFT screen a navigation display with maps and turn-by-turn navigation. 

The Yamaha XMax sits on an underbone frame and gets a suspension combination of the telescopic fork at the front and a unit swingarm with dual-sided coil springs at the rear. The suspension tuning setup feels a bit stiff, which makes the ride quality slightly harsher over unpaved surfaces. However, this very setup, along with wide 120/70-15 front and 140/70-14 rear tyres, enhances the agility of the XMax, especially over corners. The XMax is equipped with single-disc brakes at both ends and has a ground clearance of 135mm. 

The Yamaha XMax is powered by a four-stroke, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled, 249.8cc engine, which is one of the very few 250cc scooter engines in the Malaysian market. Paired with a conventional CVT unit, this engine produces a maximum power output of 22.8 PS and a maximum torque output of 24.3 Nm, making it one of the most powerful 250cc scooters in the country today. As it is with any other engine from Yamaha, this 249.8cc engine is massively impressive in terms of refinement and power delivery, with ample performance across the entire rev range.  

Equipped with a dual-channel ABS, the Yamaha XMax also gets Bluetooth connectivity and keyless ignition, which makes the overall ownership experience safe and secure. 

The Yamaha XMax is a perfect upgrade for those who wish to switch from their current 150-160cc scooters and want something more powerful and substantial in size and features. The large dimensions, X-themed design and new-age features make the XMax look and feel very trendy and urban, and in typical Yamaha fashion, the performance and handling are of high standards.