The Philippine motorcycle market is, and always has been flooded with “mopeds” – underbone motorcycles and scooters with engine displacements less than 200cc. They’re cheap, reliable, frugal, and can carry loads much greater than themselves (the picture that comes to mind is still one of a Honda C100 Dreambox carrying a lathe machine from one machining shop to another).

But there’s a classification of motorcycle that can not only work day to day, but also excel in the lifestyle scenarios modern motorcycles have found their way into. This class of motorcycle is the maxi scooter – an automatic scooter with a wider body and oftentimes a longer wheelbase. This results in a smoother, more pliant ride on the slighty cushier suspension, and with the option of both a mid- and forward foot position, riders are more ready to go long distances and not feel battered at the end of the day.

But what if the current crop of 155 and 160cc maxi scoots aren’t enough? What if you need more power and torque? Then you need more engine, like a 300cc maxi scoot, and that’s where the Yamaha X-Max comes in.

Playtime for the big boys

The Yamaha X-Max is the company’s foray into the world of European maxi scoots, dominated by rivals like Piaggio. On sale since 2012, Yamaha’s X-Max proved a winning formula for the maxi scoot market, dabbling in the 125, 250, 300, and 400cc categories in Europe.

The one we have in the Philippines, however, is the Yamaha X-Max 300, powered by a 292 cc single cylinder, four stroke engine. As with other maxi scoots in the segment, the X-Max uses a Belt driven transmission for ease of use. The 292cc engine gives the X-Max 27.6 horsepower and 29 Newton-meters of torque – enough to get up to and maintain highway cruising speed.

Currently on sale for 274,000 Philippine Pesos, the X-Max is on the higher side of the market, with rivals costing anywhere from 20 to 50,000 Philippine Pesos less. Still, not a bad tradeoff for quite a striking bike.

The Eye of the Beholder

A carryover design from 2021, the 2022 X-Max features a rather distinctive, dual headlight design, thanks in no small part to it’s angular, almost raptor-like front end. It emulates the design aesthetic of Yamaha’s sport bikes, something it does very well. The headlights, while small, are powerful LEDs, and they do a very good job of illuminating the road ahead. 

Out back, the X-Max sports large, dual LED tail lights which include both brake lights and turn signals within the red housing. Again, inspiration from Yamaha’s sport bikes is clearly evident, with the X-Max’s muscular side profile lending it a feeling of raw power.

The bit in the middle is all maxi scoot, though, as the X-Max is not a step-through. Unlike it’s smaller brother, the N-Max, riding the X-Max requires one to step over the middle hump, which is actually where the fuel goes. No more opening the underseat cargo to spill gas over your valuables. The X-Max is also equipped with quite a sizeable fuel tank, with 13 liters on tap.

Practical and Economical

Speaking of valuables, the X-Max has quite a capacious storage compartment, measuring in at 45 liters all in. It’s so spacious, in fact, that two full-face helmets will fit with room for your gloves, and maybe even a rain jacket too.

The seats of the X-Max are typical Maxi scoot fashion – lots of pliant foam for those long journeys, and contoured to fit all manner of posteriors, both big and small. Designed to suit every kind of rider and pillion, the X-Max’s single-piece seat gets wider at the rear, giving the pillion a more comfortable seating position.

This comfort is helped by the X-Max’s telescopic front fork, and monoshock swing arm in the rear, tuned to iron out bumps and dips in the road.

The instrument cluster, in contrast to most others on the market is easy to read thanks to its simple layout. The X-Max also has cubby holes in the front fairing, with USB sockets to charge any gadget one may bring along.

Thanks to Yamaha’s Bluecore technology, the X-Max can achieve a typical fuel consumption of 34 kilometers per liter, which is quite a feat considering the weight of the bike and the size of the engine.

Verdict

Is the Yamaha X-Max a good motorcycle, then? That largely depends on what you want to use it for. The X-Max does many things with a decent amount of proficiency - it can do the daily commute, albeit with a little more weight to lug around than, say, an N-Max. It can do the long distance travelling, but being down 100cc from the Expressway minimum, it’s relegated to service roads and provincial highways only. It can also do the here-and-there grocery getter duty, but its price puts it leagues away from other scoots that can do that job.

The best way to describe it, then, is the X-Max can do the job of three motorcycles – it can commute, it can do errands, and it can go long distances. It’s not perfect at those jobs, but that’s what a compromise is. It can’t fully satisfy every want and desire, but it can satisfy every need and requirement.