From D'elight to NMAX155 now XMAX 300, Jeff's scooter journey has been a blast. He's just clocked over 1500km on the BikeReview XMAX, here's the latest... Actions: Pesti Pictures
Since the first service, the Yamaha XMAX300 has become my true daily rider and I’ve become quite attached to the little 300. I’ve just clicked over 1500km and will provide another update at the 2000km mark. But the XMAX300 is proving damn near impossible to fault.
It has now taken me on day trips from the Central Coast to Newcastle, covering around 100km each way on the M1 motorway in complete comfort, as well as countless trips from the Central Coast to Sydney for meetings. It has quickly become the transport I jump on without thinking, whether I’m heading into town, commuting or loading it up for a longer ride. I even take the motorcycle crazy kids (one at a time of course) to school on the XMAX as a treat occasionally.
If I’m not in a hurry, I’ll often take the Old Pacific Highway from Kariong to Cowan. For a scooter, the XMAX is an absolute blast through the twisties. It might not have the ground clearance, suspension travel or outright performance of a motorcycle, but it is surprisingly entertaining when you start linking the corners together.
Read our Staff Bikes XMAX 300 Parts 1 and 2 here… and our full 2025/2026 Yamah XMAX 300 review here…
The steering is predictable, the tyres offer plenty of grip and the chassis feels composed, even when you’re pushing along at a decent pace. I also seem to find an excuse to stop at Pie in the Sky, where I’ll stock up on pies before heading home. The generous underseat storage makes that sort of shopping trip easy, with plenty of room for groceries and other essentials.
I have to admit I have lots of fun up the Old Road on the XMAX 300, it’s fun at legal speeds and gives me a laugh!
The storage capacity has also proved useful for more than just pies. I recently flew to the Gold Coast from Sydney and needed to take motorcycle gear, three days’ worth of other clothing, my laptop and various bits and pieces. Taking the XMAX made perfect sense.
The main luggage went on the huge pillion seat, secured using the grab rails, while everything else disappeared beneath the seat. It is one of those practical advantages that becomes more valuable the longer you live with the scooter. There is no need to think about panniers, top boxes or backpacks when the XMAX already has so much carrying capacity built in.
Over winter, the only real addition I found myself wishing for was heated grips. Instead, I settled for a pair of Five heated gloves, which have made a big difference on colder mornings. I’ll have a full review of those coming up, but for now they have been a good solution and mean I haven’t felt the need to modify the XMAX any further.
I am still struggling with the ignition dial, though. There have been plenty of occasions when I’ve pulled into a service station, reached for the fuel cap release and ended up in a minor panic trying to work out why the dial won’t do what I want. It seems to have a mind of its own. After more than 1500km I still find it unnecessarily frustrating, particularly when there is a queue of cars and I’m trying to refuel.
Average fuel consumption over 1500km of city and highway is an impressive 3.2L/100km.
The rest of the scooter continues to impress. The tyres have been brilliant in all sorts of conditions, the brakes are strong and confidence-inspiring, and the suspension, while a little harsh over sharper bumps, does the job well.
I’ve experimented with the rear preload and have settled on the middle setting, which seems to offer the best compromise for my weight and the sort of riding I’m doing. I’m still running the standard tyre pressures, and the XMAX remains stable and predictable whether I’m riding solo, carrying luggage or travelling at motorway speeds.
The XMAX 300 punches well above its capacity, and I still find it hard to believe that it is powered by a 300cc single…
Fuel consumption has remained rock solid at 3.2L/100km. It could probably be a little better if more of my riding was around town, but the XMAX uses a fair bit more fuel when sitting at 110km/h on the motorway, which is where a large portion of my riding has taken place. Considering the amount of freeway work it has been doing, I’m still very happy with that figure.
It punches well above its capacity, and I still find it hard to believe that it is powered by a 300cc single. It feels much quicker than pretty much any 300cc single-cylinder road bike I’ve ridden, particularly when it comes to real-world acceleration and the ability to comfortably maintain motorway speeds.
The XMAX has become more than just a convenient way to get around. It is comfortable, practical, economical and genuinely fun to ride. For something that was originally brought into my life as part of my return to two wheels, it has certainly earned its place in the garage.
2026 YAMAHA XMAX 300 SPECIFICATIONS
Price: $10,499 R/A
Warranty: Two-year, unlimited kilometre
Colours: Icon Blue, Crystal Graphite
Claimed power: 20.6kW@7250rpm
Claimed torque: 29Nm@5750rpm
Wet weight: 187kg
Fuel capacity: 13L
Fuel consumption: (Claimed) 3.1L/100km
Fuel consumption: (Measured) 3.2L/100km
Fuel Range: Approx 390km
Engine: Liquid-cooled, SOHC, single-cylinder, fuel-injected four-valve, four-stroke, 292cc, 70.0 x 75.9mm bore x stroke, 10.9:1 compression, V-Belt Automatic, Blue Core Technology, CVT drive.
Chassis: Underbone steel tube frame
Rake: 26.5º Trail: 94mm
Suspension: 33mm telescopic forks, 110mm travel, twin rear shocks, 79mm travel
Brakes: ABS, single 267mm front rotor, 245mm rear rotor, single-piston calipers
Wheels & Tyres: Alloy wheels, 120/70 – 15 (front), 140/70 – 14 (rear) Dunlop Scoot Smart
Dimensions:
Wheelbase: 1540mm
Seat height: 795mm
Overall height: 1410mm
Overall width: 800mm
Overall length: 2180mm
Ground clearance: 135mm
Instruments & Electronics: 4.2in TFT display, Keyless Fob, Garmin-compatible navigation via Y-Connect App, Traction Control System, ABS, Electric windscreen (95mm range), USB-C port
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