Scooter – The new Xmax arrive: test of the 250 cc – A real little Tmax!

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The new Xmax arrive: test of the 250 cc

Scooter - The new Xmax arrive: test of the 250 cc - A real little Tmax!

Yamaha had announced it: in 2010, its Xmax will be sharper than ever thanks to some aesthetic but also mechanical alterations. This is what we were able to verify yesterday by taking the controls of the 250, twin brother of the 125. Test !

A real little Tmax !

In the aesthetic department, there is a definite evolution of the features: more supported, the lines give the new Xmax an increased sportiness.

The family resemblance remains, but the presence of a one-piece casing of the central tunnel or the fixing of the screen directly on the chassis – and not on the handlebars – bring the Xmax 2010 closer to its glorious elder, the Tmax !

The Xmax takes care of its look

And the kinship with the famous 500 does not stop there: "more precise plastics assemblies and the best general finish raise the relationship with Tmax up a notch", ensures Yamaha Motor France. And indeed, the Xmax is progressing well in this area..

The most remarkable is undoubtedly the "cockpit": the dashboard, incredibly sad on the previous models, becomes terribly attractive and complete, to such an extent that one would swear to be on the handlebars of a Tmax! The commodos also gain in standing: they are the same as on a motorcycle.

It is also in its gray "Storm Silver" color that the Xmax 250 most resembles the Tmax 500: dark gray dress, false frame (the tunnel between the feet) painted in aluminum gray and mauve saddle … East !

We note that in addition to this color, the 250 will be available in white "White Competition", black "Midnight Black" and light gray "Aluminum Slate". As for the future Xmax 125, it will be available in three colors: blue "Magnetic Blue", white or black .

"On the handlebars, you can notice that the cover can be removed in order to install a GPS system", adds the Yamaha communications director: GPS support is available in the accessories catalog at a price of 55 €.

The officials of the tuning forks brand also point out that the trunk (47 liters), still without coating and which accommodates two small full-face helmets, is ready to receive a 12 V socket … for 29 €.

The glove box now occupies the entire width of the apron: "it gains in volume but we do not have the exact "liter"", admits the staff of Yamaha Motor France.

More important: the driving position is changed and the new design of the front apron allows – finally! – to wedge his feet in semi-flexion. The driver, previously desperately straight (read our), can now land more comfortably to line up the kilometers on the expressway. And it’s not over !

A cooler position

Warned by his clients and by the press of the discomfort – relative, otherwise he would not have sold so much? – of its GT-sportive scooter, Yamaha has also decided to review the suspensions and saddle of its best seller. And during our test, the new Xmax brilliantly passed the test of the cobblestone streets of the capital. !

With its slightly relaxed suspensions and its slightly softer saddle, the Yamaha scooter gains in driving pleasure. There is little more than the backs of donkeys or potholes that attack the lower back.

This does not mean that the proven efficiency of the cycle part is diminished. Better, the 2010 model Xmax progresses in dynamic behavior: the new weight distribution (48% on the front axle and 52% on the rear) improves the agility of the scooter at low speed and its liveliness at higher speed.

Fortunately, on the highway, the Xmax 2010 – which benefits from a reinforced frame in places – remains stable: only large gusts of autumn, combined with its great catch in the wind and the impossibility of squeezing it between the knees – two disadvantages common to all scooters – have damaged the precision of the trajectories.

We will take the opportunity to observe that the protection on the Xmax is incomplete: the shoulders and the upper half of the helmet are exposed to the wind and bad weather … Similarly, the hands are deprived of protections on the 2010 model: the deflectors of the ‘old model have disappeared on the altar of the "Sport Touch", but appear in the list of accessories (79 €).

Soon ABS ?!

The legs, on the other hand, are completely isolated from the eddies and projections: "this is due to the new shape of the cover", tells us the Yamaha Motor France team before informing us that"the width of the vehicle nevertheless remains comparable", which makes it possible to slip easily between the uninterrupted lines of cars.

Finally, common to the 125 and 250 models – but also 2009 and 2010 -, the brakes are still as effective: bikers will appreciate being able to dose, as they see fit, the front brake and the rear brake.

Customers of the new Xmax 125, meanwhile, may be less convinced as more and more users appreciate the combined front and rear braking … "Certainly, but our leitmotif is "the right product at the right price at the right time" and in order not to exceed 5,000 € on the Xmax 250, we ignore ABS and all kinds of braking assistance.", explains Alexandre Kowalski.

Nonetheless, Yamaha stands ready: "if the market pushes very hard in favor of ABS, we will equip our Xmax … so eventually, it should happen", finally admits the communications director. After all, the Majesty 400 and Tmax benefit well !

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