In part one Iggy spelled out some of the key features from the updated Yamaha X-MAX (you can read part 1 here) 400 before jumping on Le Shuttle for a trip to France. Here he goes over to the other side and gets some mileage on the new machine as he takes it back to the factory where it was born…
Before we’d even had time to make the most of the plush Channel Tunnel seating (the floor) we were riding off the train and out into France, past the 20 feet high razor topped fencing that stop the European people escaping to Great Britain and out into the lovely French countryside. Well actually, we were riding past the countryside on a big grey road.
By this time I’d covered around 260 miles since leaving home, with another 55 to go until we reached the hotel. No real bother on a big comfortable scooter like the X-MAX though. It’s easy to knock 300 miles off on a decent capacity scooter and generally you’ll arrive feeling less stressed and not quite as broken as you would after a similar journey by motorbike.
The video above shows the X-MAX in action
As with any new bike (or scooter) they take a bit of bedding in to get the most out of them and by the following morning the X-MAX was already feeling a bit more willing to play, in fact it lay there with its legs in the air willing me to tickle its tummy. Not much sensory fun when the scooter is made from injected plastic and metal, as we’d find out later in the day. Anyway, let’s get out to play…
Rider comfort
Overnight the Yamaha mechanic had been busy, he’d altered the handlebar position on a couple of scooters and raised the screens to their highest position. Buffeting is a slight annoyance on the lowest setting, (you’ll be able to hear it on the video). On the higher setting it makes things a little quieter but isn’t a complete fix. To be fair, screen height is all subject to rider height and seating position. For me, either the short sports screen (directing the wind to my body) or a taller screen would probably have worked better on this scooter.
It’s just a couple of bolts to adjust the screen and once you’re happy with either the highest, or lowest position you’ll probably never need to touch it again. Same goes for the handlebars really, I preferred mine as they were so didn’t need them altering but the option is there if you want to play around.
The seat is plenty comfortable enough and looks great with its stylish stitching and aluminium detailing. There is a downside though, the rider back support was a little restrictive for me in the position I prefer to ride in, I’d have prefered it to be adjustable, either by undoing a couple of bolts underneath or even better a mechanical solution allowing easy adjustment.
Seat height
At 800mm the seat height may feel slightly tall for some riders, it’s slightly higher and wider than the seat on my GTS but wasn’t an issue for me at 5’10”, try before you buy though if you’re either nervous or a little stumpy. Legroom isn’t overly generous but you have a choice of keeping your legs at either 80º in the feet forward position, or 90º in the usual position. It’s nice to have a choice though and as scoooters go it is comfortable enough.
Heated grips, £134 well spent? They look cool and keep your hands warm. Note also the handbrake lever.
The multi function keyless ignition is quite easy to work.
Factory tour
As I said, the Yamaha felt a little more eager for the second day’s riding, not that it was slow on the first day but it certainly felt looser with a few more miles on the clock.
We rode our scooters back to their birthplace, the Yamaha/MBK factory in St Quentin. It’s a huge facility where we got the chance to watch an X-MAX being built, from injection moulding the plastics to welding the frames, spraying, assembly and testing before they’re packaged up and sent off to the dealerships. We’ll bring more information about that in a separate article.
It was an eye-opening insight into just how much goes into making the machines we’ll later enjoy riding and was great to see European production in full swing…
Practical storage, depending on the size of your head/style of your lid.
More grunt from this black beauty than you’ll get in a Serena Williams Grand Slam.
Back on the road after the factory visit and we had 110miles to ride, a train to catch and a home to get to – so we skipped the scenery and jumped straight on the motorway for a quick blast back to Calais. Fast is something the X-MAX is well capable of, it may ‘only’ be a 400 but it’ll sit comfortably at the legal limit all day long and still have plenty of instant power for when you need it. If pushed, the X-MAX will sit happily at an indicated 90mph… but that would be illegal monsieur and you’d have to be a fast runner to push a scooter at 90mph.
Time travellers
We made it back to the Euro Tunnel in good time and even caught an earlier train, in fact we were so fast that we arrived in Great Britain one hour before we left France. Thanks more to the time difference than Yamaha’s time-travelling credentials.
A full tank of gas
After spending a couple of days riding in France with very courteous car drivers moving out of our way at every opportunity it was back down to Earth with a bump when we rode out of the tunnel and straight onto the M20 in rush hour. Average speed cameras, bumper to bumper traffic and idiotic drivers awaited me on the M25/M1 blast up north. Not to worry, our tanks were filled to brimming at the first services, dark visor swapped over to clear and a warming coffee ingested to keep me alert. It was time to say goodbye to my fellow travellers and head off home.
Turn the heating up
Just 220 miles till bedtime. Head tucked down behind the screen (a slight crouch cuts the wind noise), heated grips set to the medium ‘toasty’ setting and LED headlights illuminating the darkended stretches of monotonous motorway. The miles ticked off quickly enough, with just one quick splash and dash fill up after the first 130 miles. The X-MAX sat patiently whilst I paid for the fuel, to be fair it was hardly likely to start looking at its watch and graoning at me but it didn’t seem at all phased by the thrashing it was getting and was ready for another 80 miles. No bother.
Brake test
I had a chance to test the brakes out in real life on the M1. Whilst riding in the fast lane on a dark stretch of motorway, a car in front suddenly braked to almost a complete stop, then swerved around and hit a large random traffic cone that was trying to commit suicide in the middle of our lane. The Yamaha braked to a stop under control with no drama and the car behind me screeched to a halt (it seemed to get a bit too close for comfort as I looked in my mirrors). As the first car hit the cone it ricocheted into my path and just clipped my left hand. No harm done, although I noticed a couple of small scuffs on the front of the scooter when I checked it over the next day. At least the ABS works well when you need it to.
Single channel ABS
Seeing as the N-MAX is classed as a sports scooter you don’t get linked braking (a good thing in my book) and if you brake hard using the rear lever only, you’ll feel the single ABS kicking in to the rear wheel. You really need to use both levers ‘properly’ to get the full braking control and twin channel ABS performance.
Speak de lingo
Minor drama over I was on my way without touching a foot down and home for 8:30pm, Yamaha ‘tick, ticking’ on the driveway as the metal began to cool. The scooter was soon put away and was busily making friends amongst a few other two wheeled acquantances in its new temporary garage. All of my other scooters speak Italian but the old 1958 Lambretta also knows a few words of French so I left them chatting.
Miles per gallon
Unsurprisingly to me, during this fast solo blast home my average fuel consumption had dropped from the 66 I’d been on whilst riding with the group down to 54mpg. Still not bad for the thrashing it had and getting home quicker was worth a couple of extra quid in fuel.
Off to see the Queen
Two days later the X-MAX had another little run out, this time a trip down to Central London. Now I know Yamaha don’t class their 400 as the right machine for the job (they reckon it’s only for mid distance commuters), but don’t listen to them. The X-MAX 400 is well capable of high mileage jaunts and like all scooters makes the perfect tool for getting into any major city. Free parking, no (or very little) queuing in traffic, no congestion charge, no other people’s dirty armpits in your face in a crammed tube train and you can ride door to door. Plus you’ve got space to store anything you might need for when you get there and you can stick your helmet and riding gear under the seat as well. A decent scooter is much more useful than any motorcycle for trips like this.
Central London is about 145 miles each way from my house which meant a quick blast down the M1 on a cool but not too cold October morning. The motorway was busier than usual so zipping through the traffic was a definite advantage, meaning I still arrived ahead of the sat nav predicted time. In a car I’d have been at least half an hour late.
London £24 return
The engine has certainly impressed me during my time with the new scooter. It sits effortlessly at a fast cruising speed, still has power on tap for when you need it and it’s not too thirsty. I filled up once on the way there, once on the way back at a cost of £24. Not bad at all, I’d looked at train fares for this journey a few days before and it came in at around £168 with a similar journey time, plus having to get to and from the station to home and my destination. Once again choosing the scooter was a no-brainer and if you are a regular commuter the initial cost of the machine (or finance payments) will quickly be recouped.
Self employed or a train user?
It’s also worth remembering, if you’re self-employed you can offset 100% of the purchase price against your tax bill when buying a new bike or scooter. Accountants don’t mind you spending money on them, in fact they’ll positively encourage it.
Need and desire Yamaha use the phrase ‘Need and Desire’ when talking about their premium MAX class scooters. You can settle for something much cheaper if you just ‘Need’ something to get you to work and back, on the other hand you might ‘Desire’ a scooter like the X-MAX 400…
The verdict
With over 800 miles ridden in just three days, in various weathers, in two countries and on all types of road I must say the X-MAX 400 is a great scooter to live with. It looks mean, is powerful enough, not expensive to run and is competitive on price. It’s pitched against the likes of the Suzuki Burgman 400, Beverly 350 and Kymco Xciting 400. On price the Yamaha is £299 cheaper than the Burgman, and £399 more expensive than the Kymco. Piaggio’s Beverly is £699 cheaper. To be honest they’re all very competent machines in their own right but styling, features, a local dealer and brand loyalty are often the biggest deciders. The Yamaha was designed to be the most compact scooter in its class and it feels manageable, isn’t overly expensive and looks fantastic. The subtle styling tweaks are a big improvement over the old model yet aren’t noticeable until you sit them side by side. It’s designed and built in Europe, another positive point in this age of Far Eastern cost cutting. As a large sized step onto the MAX family ladder it’s well worth swinging a leg over. Download the Yamaha My Garage app and start configuring your virtual 3D N-MAX now.
Words/London photos: Iggy
Photos: Chippy Wood
More information: Yamaha
Twin front eye-popping discs
Yamaha X-MAX 400 Specifications
|
Engine |
|
|
Cylinder capacity |
395cc |
|
Bore x Stroke |
83mm x 73mm |
|
Engine type |
Single cylinder, liquid-cooled, four-stroke, DOHC |
|
Cooling |
Liquid |
|
Fuel delivery |
Electronic injection |
|
Max power |
32.8hp at 7000 rpm |
|
Max torque |
36 Nm at 6000 rpm |
|
Dimensions |
|
|
L x W x H (mm) |
2185 x 766 x 1415-1465mm (adjustable screen) |
|
Wheelbase (mm) |
1567mm |
|
Saddle height (mm) |
800 |
|
Net weight (kg) |
210 |
|
Fuel tank (Ltrs) |
13 |
|
Suspension |
Front: telescopic hydraulic fork Rear: swinging arm |
|
Tyres |
Front: 120/70 – 15’’ Rear: 150/70 – 13’’ |
|
Disc brakes |
Front: Ø 267 Rear: Ø 267 |
X-MAX 400 at a glance:
- Phantom Blue, Sonic Grey, Blazing Grey
- Keyless ignition
- Traction control/twin channel ABS
- Parking brake
- Price: £5999
The new X-MAX 400 – images by Chippy Wood
What’s new in the SLUK Shop?
-
SLUK Clip bridge fitting kit for Lambretta S1 S2 & S3
£13.99
-
AVAILABLE NOW!! SCOOTERBOYS – THE LOST TRIBE
Rated 5.00 out of 5 £16.95
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Vespa GTS/GTV SLUK Guard Original
Rated 4.75 out of 5 £33.00 – £35.00
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Vespa GTS/GTV SLUK Guard Ultra
£33.00 – £35.00
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SLUK Support ‘Sprint’ | Lambretta S3/ Scomadi
Rated 5.00 out of 5 £37.00
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Scomadi TL SLUK Sports screen
Rated 5.00 out of 5 £75.00 – £80.00
-
NEW Improved Coast to Coast Lambretta screen – GP/DL type
£75.00 – £80.00
-
Vespa GTS/GTV SLUK Guard + Tail DOUBLE-PACK
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Vespa PX/LML SLUK Sports screen
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ScooterNova – issue 2 | MAGAZINE
£5.00
In part one Iggy spelled out some of the key features from the updated Yamaha X-MAX (you can read part 1 here) 400 before jumping on Le Shuttle for a trip to France. Here he goes over to the other side and gets some mileage on the new machine as he takes it back to the factory where it was born…
Before we’d even had time to make the most of the plush Channel Tunnel seating (the floor) we were riding off the train and out into France, past the 20 feet high razor topped fencing that stop the European people escaping to Great Britain and out into the lovely French countryside. Well actually, we were riding past the countryside on a big grey road.
By this time I’d covered around 260 miles since leaving home, with another 55 to go until we reached the hotel. No real bother on a big comfortable scooter like the X-MAX though. It’s easy to knock 300 miles off on a decent capacity scooter and generally you’ll arrive feeling less stressed and not quite as broken as you would after a similar journey by motorbike.
The video above shows the X-MAX in action
As with any new bike (or scooter) they take a bit of bedding in to get the most out of them and by the following morning the X-MAX was already feeling a bit more willing to play, in fact it lay there with its legs in the air willing me to tickle its tummy. Not much sensory fun when the scooter is made from injected plastic and metal, as we’d find out later in the day. Anyway, let’s get out to play…
Rider comfort
Overnight the Yamaha mechanic had been busy, he’d altered the handlebar position on a couple of scooters and raised the screens to their highest position. Buffeting is a slight annoyance on the lowest setting, (you’ll be able to hear it on the video). On the higher setting it makes things a little quieter but isn’t a complete fix. To be fair, screen height is all subject to rider height and seating position. For me, either the short sports screen (directing the wind to my body) or a taller screen would probably have worked better on this scooter.
It’s just a couple of bolts to adjust the screen and once you’re happy with either the highest, or lowest position you’ll probably never need to touch it again. Same goes for the handlebars really, I preferred mine as they were so didn’t need them altering but the option is there if you want to play around.
The seat is plenty comfortable enough and looks great with its stylish stitching and aluminium detailing. There is a downside though, the rider back support was a little restrictive for me in the position I prefer to ride in, I’d have prefered it to be adjustable, either by undoing a couple of bolts underneath or even better a mechanical solution allowing easy adjustment.
Seat height
At 800mm the seat height may feel slightly tall for some riders, it’s slightly higher and wider than the seat on my GTS but wasn’t an issue for me at 5’10”, try before you buy though if you’re either nervous or a little stumpy. Legroom isn’t overly generous but you have a choice of keeping your legs at either 80º in the feet forward position, or 90º in the usual position. It’s nice to have a choice though and as scoooters go it is comfortable enough.
Factory tour
As I said, the Yamaha felt a little more eager for the second day’s riding, not that it was slow on the first day but it certainly felt looser with a few more miles on the clock.
We rode our scooters back to their birthplace, the Yamaha/MBK factory in St Quentin. It’s a huge facility where we got the chance to watch an X-MAX being built, from injection moulding the plastics to welding the frames, spraying, assembly and testing before they’re packaged up and sent off to the dealerships. We’ll bring more information about that in a separate article.
It was an eye-opening insight into just how much goes into making the machines we’ll later enjoy riding and was great to see European production in full swing…
Back on the road after the factory visit and we had 110miles to ride, a train to catch and a home to get to – so we skipped the scenery and jumped straight on the motorway for a quick blast back to Calais. Fast is something the X-MAX is well capable of, it may ‘only’ be a 400 but it’ll sit comfortably at the legal limit all day long and still have plenty of instant power for when you need it. If pushed, the X-MAX will sit happily at an indicated 90mph… but that would be illegal monsieur and you’d have to be a fast runner to push a scooter at 90mph.
Time travellers
We made it back to the Euro Tunnel in good time and even caught an earlier train, in fact we were so fast that we arrived in Great Britain one hour before we left France. Thanks more to the time difference than Yamaha’s time-travelling credentials.
A full tank of gas
After spending a couple of days riding in France with very courteous car drivers moving out of our way at every opportunity it was back down to Earth with a bump when we rode out of the tunnel and straight onto the M20 in rush hour. Average speed cameras, bumper to bumper traffic and idiotic drivers awaited me on the M25/M1 blast up north. Not to worry, our tanks were filled to brimming at the first services, dark visor swapped over to clear and a warming coffee ingested to keep me alert. It was time to say goodbye to my fellow travellers and head off home.
Turn the heating up
Just 220 miles till bedtime. Head tucked down behind the screen (a slight crouch cuts the wind noise), heated grips set to the medium ‘toasty’ setting and LED headlights illuminating the darkended stretches of monotonous motorway. The miles ticked off quickly enough, with just one quick splash and dash fill up after the first 130 miles. The X-MAX sat patiently whilst I paid for the fuel, to be fair it was hardly likely to start looking at its watch and graoning at me but it didn’t seem at all phased by the thrashing it was getting and was ready for another 80 miles. No bother.
Brake test
I had a chance to test the brakes out in real life on the M1. Whilst riding in the fast lane on a dark stretch of motorway, a car in front suddenly braked to almost a complete stop, then swerved around and hit a large random traffic cone that was trying to commit suicide in the middle of our lane. The Yamaha braked to a stop under control with no drama and the car behind me screeched to a halt (it seemed to get a bit too close for comfort as I looked in my mirrors). As the first car hit the cone it ricocheted into my path and just clipped my left hand. No harm done, although I noticed a couple of small scuffs on the front of the scooter when I checked it over the next day. At least the ABS works well when you need it to.
Single channel ABS
Seeing as the N-MAX is classed as a sports scooter you don’t get linked braking (a good thing in my book) and if you brake hard using the rear lever only, you’ll feel the single ABS kicking in to the rear wheel. You really need to use both levers ‘properly’ to get the full braking control and twin channel ABS performance.
Speak de lingo
Minor drama over I was on my way without touching a foot down and home for 8:30pm, Yamaha ‘tick, ticking’ on the driveway as the metal began to cool. The scooter was soon put away and was busily making friends amongst a few other two wheeled acquantances in its new temporary garage. All of my other scooters speak Italian but the old 1958 Lambretta also knows a few words of French so I left them chatting.
Miles per gallon
Unsurprisingly to me, during this fast solo blast home my average fuel consumption had dropped from the 66 I’d been on whilst riding with the group down to 54mpg. Still not bad for the thrashing it had and getting home quicker was worth a couple of extra quid in fuel.
Off to see the Queen
Two days later the X-MAX had another little run out, this time a trip down to Central London. Now I know Yamaha don’t class their 400 as the right machine for the job (they reckon it’s only for mid distance commuters), but don’t listen to them. The X-MAX 400 is well capable of high mileage jaunts and like all scooters makes the perfect tool for getting into any major city. Free parking, no (or very little) queuing in traffic, no congestion charge, no other people’s dirty armpits in your face in a crammed tube train and you can ride door to door. Plus you’ve got space to store anything you might need for when you get there and you can stick your helmet and riding gear under the seat as well. A decent scooter is much more useful than any motorcycle for trips like this.
Central London is about 145 miles each way from my house which meant a quick blast down the M1 on a cool but not too cold October morning. The motorway was busier than usual so zipping through the traffic was a definite advantage, meaning I still arrived ahead of the sat nav predicted time. In a car I’d have been at least half an hour late.
London £24 return
The engine has certainly impressed me during my time with the new scooter. It sits effortlessly at a fast cruising speed, still has power on tap for when you need it and it’s not too thirsty. I filled up once on the way there, once on the way back at a cost of £24. Not bad at all, I’d looked at train fares for this journey a few days before and it came in at around £168 with a similar journey time, plus having to get to and from the station to home and my destination. Once again choosing the scooter was a no-brainer and if you are a regular commuter the initial cost of the machine (or finance payments) will quickly be recouped.
Self employed or a train user?
It’s also worth remembering, if you’re self-employed you can offset 100% of the purchase price against your tax bill when buying a new bike or scooter. Accountants don’t mind you spending money on them, in fact they’ll positively encourage it.
The verdict
Twin front eye-popping discs
Yamaha X-MAX 400 Specifications
Engine | |
Cylinder capacity | 395cc |
Bore x Stroke | 83mm x 73mm |
Engine type | Single cylinder, liquid-cooled, four-stroke, DOHC |
Cooling | Liquid |
Fuel delivery | Electronic injection |
Max power | 32.8hp at 7000 rpm |
Max torque | 36 Nm at 6000 rpm |
Dimensions | |
L x W x H (mm) | 2185 x 766 x 1415-1465mm (adjustable screen) |
Wheelbase (mm) | 1567mm |
Saddle height (mm) | 800 |
Net weight (kg) | 210 |
Fuel tank (Ltrs) | 13 |
Suspension | Front: telescopic hydraulic fork Rear: swinging arm |
Tyres | Front: 120/70 – 15’’ Rear: 150/70 – 13’’ |
Disc brakes | Front: Ø 267 Rear: Ø 267 |
X-MAX 400 at a glance:
- Phantom Blue, Sonic Grey, Blazing Grey
- Keyless ignition
- Traction control/twin channel ABS
- Parking brake
- Price: £5999
The new X-MAX 400 – images by Chippy Wood
What’s new in the SLUK Shop?
