YAMAHA XMAX 250 (2004 - 2017) Review
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At a glance
Owners' reliability rating: | |
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Power: | 21 bhp |
Seat height: | Low (29.7 in / 755 mm) |
Weight: | Low (388 lbs / 176 kg) |
Prices
Overall rating
Next up: Ride & brakesYamaha’s YP 250R X-Max is a middleweight twist-and-go ‘maxi-scooter’.
- Related: 2017 Yamaha XMax 300 review
It has all the practicalities of a conventional scooter with a bit more oomph for longer journeys and decent-sized wheels and tyres for cornering confidence.
Ride quality & brakes
Next up: EngineThe X-Max 250 is simplicity itself to jump on and ride. It’s comfy, easy to get on and off and handles the twist and turns of the urban sprawl with ease. It’s practical and capable, but uninspiring.
Engine
Next up: ReliabilityMaking a claimed 21bhp, the Yamaha is powered by a liquid-cooled, single-cylinder, fuel-injected four-stroke motor producing a claimed 21bhp and 16ftlb of torque. It has an electric start and a CVT gearbox.
Reliability & build quality
Next up: ValueBuild quality is very good and we haven’t encountered any horror stories with reliability.
Value vs rivals
Next up: EquipmentCosting £4387 new, the X-Max isn’t exactly the bargain of the century, but if the midrange maxi scooter is your thing, the Yamaha is a very good bike. Find a Yamaha X-Max 250 for sale
Equipment
You get lots of underseat storage space, enough for two crash helmets, and a cubby hole in the leg-shield area, which can carry a light rain suit. Yamaha accessories include a backrest, top box, rain cover and taller screen. Compare and buy parts for the Yamaha X-Max 250 in the MCN Shop.
Specs |
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Engine size | 250cc |
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Engine type | Single-cylinder four-stroke |
Frame type | Tubular steel cradle |
Fuel capacity | 12.5 litres |
Seat height | 755mm |
Bike weight | 176kg |
Front suspension | None |
Rear suspension | None |
Front brake | 267mm disc |
Rear brake | 240mm disc |
Front tyre size | 120/70 15in |
Rear tyre size | 140/70 14in |
Mpg, costs & insurance |
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Average fuel consumption | 65 mpg |
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Annual road tax | £55 |
Annual service cost | - |
New price | - |
Used price | £2,100 - £2,600 |
Insurance group |
7 of 17 How much to insure? |
Warranty term | Two year unlimited mileage |
Top speed & performance |
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Max power | 21 bhp |
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Max torque | 16 ft-lb |
Top speed | 70 mph |
1/4 mile acceleration | - |
Tank range | 215 miles |
Model history & versions
Model history
Brought into the UK in 2005
2011: "Sport Edition" released (styling, screen, backrest and seat updated) [£4549]
Other versions
X-Max 250 Special Edition
Owners' reviews for the YAMAHA XMAX 250 (2004 - 2017)
5 owners have reviewed their YAMAHA XMAX 250 (2004 - 2017) and rated it in a number of areas. Read what they have to say and what they like and dislike about the bike below.
Review your YAMAHA XMAX 250 (2004 - 2017)
Summary of owners' reviews |
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Overall rating: | |
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Ride quality & brakes: | |
Engine: | |
Reliability & build quality: | |
Value vs rivals: | |
Equipment: |
Year: 2006
Very good practical transport that can be thrown about like a bike if you want or tour if you prefer. I've had it for 5 years now and can find nothing better for everyday or touring (apart from my Guzzi V7, which is great but far less practical)
Very harsh front end - or it may be local roads. Excellent on motorways
Great. It will cruise all day up to 70+ without feeling stressed and tops out at 90 - allegedly. Overtakes above 50 require planning, but, hey, its a 250, not a sportsbike.
The only downside is the need for an oil change every 1,500 miles. I've fitted a magnetic sump plug to aid reliability On running costs I routinely get 80+mpg whether commuting or on long runs, and a tank range of comfortably over 200 miles. Last fill up at 200 miles showed 2 litres in reserve. Bike has done around 15K miles. I do live in a rural area. It has the big wide Givi screen. 2 years ago I did a 3K mile trip to Romania on my old GS1200. I'm confident the X-Max could have done it almost as well.
Magnetic sump plug (see above)
Buying experience: Bought used showing 9K miles, datatagged and looking carefully used
Version: Sport
Year: 2010
Good bits: Fast (for a scooter), loads of storage, 75mpg, indicated 90-95mph, build quality & reliability great, looks good, handles and brakes well, good 2 up. Bad bits: Exhaust gets ridiculously hot and rusts quickly, I have tried everything to get it looking better, over the counter ultra high temp paint to having it powder coated, everything burnt off. Have now fitted Delkevik race can, problem solved, looks better, obviously louder, and a smidge quicker. I have also fitted a tinted Yamaha short screen, much better than the original thing
Handles well for a scooter, obviously not as good as a proper bike. Brakes are sufficient, there is only a single disc up front, mine occasionally gets up to 90mph (indicated, with the Delkevik now fitted) and it stops OK. I'm running the Michelin City Grips and am very happy with them
Quick for what it is, with the standard pipe it topped out at 85mph (indicated), with the Delkevik its been reading 90mph (indicated) but I backed off as well into the redline. Original exhaust is about 5kg and has catalytic in, Delkevic one is under 2kg and is straight through. Original exhaust did seem to get very hot (but not engine temperature, assume it was a highly restrictive exhaust with the catalytic)
Now had 2 years, was around 11000 miles when I got it, now up to over 16000 miles, no issues. Needs an oil change every 1800 miles (there is no oil filter, and it only holds 1 litre) Front brake light switch intermittent, a genuine one was £27!
I service myself, there is only 1 spark plug, and an oil change is only 1 litre (they dont use an oil filter). Brake pads are under £10. Easily returns 75mpg
Clocks look cool at night, has ambient temperature,clock & 2 trips. Biggest improvement in my opinion was changing to Michelin City Grip tyres
Buying experience: Bought private from Gumtree 2 years ago from a man in his 80's. Realistically if I sold it I would sell for about the same price I bought it for
Year: 2010
Having been a biker for years on a traditional bike, for some strange reason I'd though I'd have a go at a super scooter instead. I saw in my local dealer the Yamaha Xmax and thought it looked quite a nice bike. I wanted it mainly for commuting to work which is only a 6 mile trip so it would be ideal. I loved it from the moment I got on it, however after years of conventional bikes it took a while to get used to the clutch being a brake! I had a couple of whoops moments on the way home! The bike is incredibly comfortable and surprisingly nippy around town. The transmission pick up is almost instant and once out on dual carriage ways it keeps with the flow. There is tons of space in the underseat storage and I had a top box fitted for more storage should I need it. I've only had the bike a few day's so I can't give a full unbiased report on it as yet. If any one who was looking for a commuter bike was to ask if I'd recommend,then so far yes! go for it.
Ride quality is fantastic. Ok, so it's not an R1 or GSXR but it can be chucked around the bendy bits with a degree of trust and confidence you wouldn't expect from a scooter. The brakes are brilliant even though it doesn't have ABS you get quite a bit of feedback as to what's going on down there.
The only reason I've put a 4 instead of a 5 is the fact it's a 250 in a big ol' lump of a scooter. The engine in fact is a peach and with less weight on it she would go like a rocket I'm sure, but that's not the purpose of this machine is it? The pick up from cold can be a little notchy but as soon as the engine's warmed up a bit the it's smooooth all the way.
The bike I purchased was 5 years old and apart from a"dink" in the air filter cover the bike is perfect. The fasteners and fixings are still corrosion free, the plastics still look like they've just come out of the factory, The engine is a Yamaha so I can only assume it's going to be super reliable as have all the Yamaha's I've had over the years.
Cannot say just yet. But I filled the bike up when I got it and the fuel gauge still hasn't moved. It's either incredibly economical or the fuel gauge is broke! I suspect the former.
The bikes dash is brilliant, it's got everything you need to know on it. The tyres are the original Pirellis and do a great job of sticking to the tarmac. I love all the storage bins and cubby holes. The pillion seat looks amazingly comfortable. The bike came with a non standard screen. It's quite a tall Givi one and even though I'm 6'1" I struggle to see over the top when it's all fogged up due to the bad weather. However it does a brilliant job of keeping the said weather off me!
Buying experience: I bought the bike from Stephen Bilau's in Darlington. I cannot praise this dealer enough. The bike was advertised for £2595 and I paid the full price as the bike had extras like datatool alarm, after market screen, wet weather leg covers. He also fully serviced the bike for me and stamped the log book and put a years road fund licence and a years MOT. The bike has only 6150 miles on it so it's not even run in yet. Not a bad deal as far as I'm concerned.
Bought as a commuter (have an FZ1 and an R32 Golf and needed something less thirsty...). This thing is great fun and, door to desk, is faster than both of my other transport options over a 5 mile journey through traffic. Superb balance and handling, great finish, plenty of storage space and importantly for people who also ride 'real' bikes, this 2010 version actually looks cool. Still running-in but, for a 250, I was expecting a bit more power. I expect that once I can 'pin-it', I'll replace the standard can (Devil do a pretty good one) with something that'll at least make it sound less like a sewing machine and may add a tad more ooomph. Buy one - they're hilarious!
I bought a 1 year old 250 X max for a good price on Ebay. My plan is to use it for a 7 mile each way daily commute and then up to another 20 miles a day in an around Cambridge. I had a 60 mile trip to bring it home on a cold day with rain that wouldn't stop. My other bike is a BMW R1100R with big screen and heated grips and I wasn't looking forward to plodding up the A1(M) in freezing spray for hours (my last scootering experience was a Vespa SS180 I sold about 40 years ago). When I first got going it felt like I was sitting on a kitchen chair with handlebars after only riding conventional bikes for decades. It turned out there was nothing at all to worry about, the Xmax easily keeps up with motorway traffic, 70 is a practical cruising speed with a useful reserve for safe overtaking. I had initially got lost in London for about 45 minutes so I really appreciated the benefits of twist and go automatics and quickly forgot about my unfamiliar posture. Once I got onto main roads I seemed to get home very quickly. For for my day to day riding it's ideal, the underseat storage means I can transport my workgear (construction site PPE) then, when I get to site securely stow my riding gear. It's simple to ride, light enough to drag around the garage when I want to get the BM out etc. The Yamaha is very impressive, but the list price new looks a bit chunky. My reliability score shouldn't be taken too seriously, I haven't had the bike long enough to comment with any authority.