Yamaha XMAX 300, Sayonara Silver Wing

This post is included under "Other Scooter Topics" on this forum.

Last Friday, I gave a sad send-off to the Silver Wing. For perhaps two years I have been researching smaller scoots so with an aging body I could continue my insane interest in keeping myself upright on two wheels. Honda, Kimko, Vespa, etc., have some offerings to fill this niche, but far and away, in this time I have researched and found the XMAX 300 to be the winner.

I was looking into visiting a Yamaha dealer to order a '21 xmax when I found a 2020 with 399 miles just traded in at my local Honda/BMW dealer. I had to jump on this one and look into a trade. My trade-in offer was reasonable, so I went with the deal.

Please don't misunderstand, the Silver Wing to me will remain at or near the top of the list of the bikes I have owned and ridden. It offers so much in comfort and fun, and Honda may have continued this model with a few upgrades, but Honda's marketing research probably provided motivation to replace this icon of maxi scoots.

Some initial impressions in comparing the Swing to the Xmax: I first noticed how much lighter (duh) the max feels (real weight difference might be about 150 pounds). It will be easier to move around, and getting the max up on its center stand is so much easier than the agony of lifting the Swing with my osteoarthritis feet. The max 300 engine offers a gas mileage range from a factory claimed 75 mpg to some owners' claims of over 90 mpg. No matter how I rode, the Swing gave me a steady 50 mpg. And though the Swing will overpower the max any day, the smaller engine does not disappoint with its immediate desire to move with the lightest turn of the throttle. There is little room for "wind up" of the belt/clutch, which first gave me a control problem in maneuvering at slow speeds. (maybe because the belt/clutch is fresh at this point). Top reported speed of the xmax ranges from 85-90+ mph, much faster than I ever intend to go.

Kind of amazing on a smaller bike, the Xmax has traction control (that can be turned off). I have been in situations that became very sketchy without the help of traction control.

Some real negatives of the max: the seat is about two inches higher and maybe a little stiffer than the Swing, and the seat cockpit doesn't seem to offer as much room for my 5' 10" frame. I can't flat foot unless moving forward on the seat, but the bike came with a lowering kit from the previous owner which I may install later. I found more luxury on the Swing. And, yes, even though I am blown away at some of the beneficial advantages of the Xmax, I stand a much better chance of being literally blown away by the wind on this lighter scoot. Though the max has abs disc brakes on both wheels, I will miss the Honda combined braking system. When I used the combined left brake on the Swing, I always got a strong response that doesn't seem to be there on the max unless I grab both brakes with the right pressure. I would rather have Honda's technology work immediately for me in a tense second-splitting event.

The xmax keyless ignition system takes some getting used to. I have had to read and re-read the owner's manual section regarding how to use this system. The more I learn and use the system, the better it works for me, and I am beginning to favor the system over having to key/scratch everything.

So far on grocery-getting rides, the max has been great fun. On longer rides, the Swing will probably have more advantages (except for gas mileage), but I am looking forward to similar great long-ride experiences that have been reported by current Xmax owners.

Few bikes are perfect for anyone or everyone. I may need to edit the above with some good/bad impressions later, but as of now, though I am sad to leave the Swing, am looking forward to a few good experiences before this aging corpse is planted up on that hill.

I will still be lurking on this site to read the interesting experiences and fixes, good and bad, because there don't seem to be many forums that compete with this one.

Congratulations on finding your new scooter. We’re sorry to have you ”leave the fold” but you and your expertise are most welcome to hang out here anytime.

Be safe.

Be sure to post your impressions of this new bike as time goes on. There are many of us who will face this issue as age takes its toll on our bike and body.

Thanks,
DerrillW

Congratulations on your newer scooter. I am sure it will serve you well. I went scooter shopping with a friend a couple of years ago and we were VERY impressed with the Xmax. He ended up purchasing a different machine due to height, though. He is 3-4 inches shorter than you and could not flat foot the Yamaha. Seems to me that the manufacturers need to market more shorter scoots for the vertically challenged.

I took an XMax 300 demo scooter out for a brief ride in York almost three years ago, and one of my first impressions was the seat height was just a bit too high. The 2018 model also had a small hump at the rear of the seat which did nothing for rider comfort either. A used 2017 XMax 300model in the showroom had a seat without the hump.

In an ideal world I'd have liked to have ridden the XMax 300 at night to see if the droopy eyed LED headlights were as useless as some owners have reported on maxi forums. The rest of the layout I liked and the advantages of the XMax's excellent and fuel efficient Bluecore engine I already knew about.

I took the XMax back to the dealers rather disappointed thinking this isn’t the scoot for me. At the request of the Yamaha salesman I emailed them a report of the plus and minus points of that ride. I'd have liked to have bought from the Yamaha dealership too, it's just a few miles from my home.

So I headed afield and bought the new 2018 Honda Forza 300 which had just been added to the Honda UK range.

A friend got a new Yamaha XMAX 300. Very nice scooter. His only gripe, its always beeping at him for something because of the weird keyless system. I took it for a quick spin and was really impressed with it as well. It walks all over my Piaggio Liberty 150. My Piaggio dealer just got a clean BV350 in on trade and I'm half tempted to "upgrade" so I have a fighting chance! But Yamaha did good bringing the XMAX 300 to the USA.

I've read a few posts griping about keyless systems. My Forza is the first maxi scooter I've had with a Smart Key and using it is now as normal as using my car keys to unlock and lock the car.

Switch it on when I need it and a LED flashes green, I put the key in my pocket, switch the ignition on and ride away. When I get off the scooter, lock the steering and walk away, within a couple of feet the front and rear indicators/turn signals flash, and that's it.

I can switch the key off by pressing the same the button on the key and the LED flashes from green to red.

There's another button that flashes the indicators so I can find my Forza amongst dozens of others on a busy car park…. as if.

I wonder whether the Smart key will reduce scooter thefts which seems endemic in urban UK.

Cosmic_Jumper wrote:

I wonder whether the Smart key will reduce scooter thefts which seems endemic in urban UK.

I have noticed from other groups that scooter thefts are common in the US as well especially in college/university cities. Been lucky so far...

Another advantage the Silver Wing has over many other bikes is the small driver backrest.  On the Swing, if I pushed myself back against this small backrest, it is just high enough to give some lumbar support that I have really appreciated over other bikes.  Unfortunately, though the Xmax has a small "backrest," it doesn't give the same support as the Swing.

I finally saw my first Xmax in traffic a few weeks ago. Caught the lady rider at a light, and followed her a few more blocks to her destination.She had prior experience on a Burgman 400, and felt the Xmax to be better. She even allowed me to sit on it. I like that fact that the handlebars were higher
than on the Majesty I had. I don't think I would have to splay me knees outward at , or near, steering extremes. I was amazed at the underseat storage. The fairing pockets were about useless, LOL. Gloves, papers, and sunglasses would seem to be about it.

Is the OEM seat any less torture than the stock S'wing?

Unfortunately, the stock Xmax seat seems to me a little stiffer than the stock seat on the Silver Wing.
I also read a rider review that mentions the Xmax rear suspension is a little stiffer, too. I confirmed that today on a short ride on a sloppily laid asphalt road. It's kind of like driving a regular car and then getting into a Miata that I previously owned. But I also noticed the lighter weight makes the bike seem more "flickable."

Yes, you noticed that the Xmax fairing pockets do make the Silver Wing pockets seem voluminous. But something in the Xmax left pocket makes it more attractive to me:a 12 volt wired outlet socket.

GHM-PM mentioned, "Seems to me that the manufacturers need to market more shorter scoots for the vertically challenged." Yes, I know one friend who was a fairly avid MC rider and who in his later years because of safety concerns with riding "higher" bikes, dropped the sport. And look at how many potential women buyers are lost because of the limited low seat offerings out there today. The woman Xmax rider that Victor mentions above must have been either tall or adventurous. Or both.

There's already a whole range of scooters out there that shorter women can ride and are stylish, from the Italian manufacturer Vespa. I've seen plenty of lady riders riding small capacity motorcycles and step through scooters, it's how most of South East Asia gets about.

Being shorter as a lady rider shouldn’t be too much of a problem either, most motorcycle boot manufacturers will have a few pairs in their range with taller heels for the ladies.


If you're a short arsed bloke, you're still likely be taller than most women riders and there's manufacturers like BMW and Yamaha that offer a lower seat option. Or get the stock seat of your motorcycle or maxi scooter sculpted to fit, it's less expensive than buying a custom seat.

I have to kinda laugh-----riders that claim they cannot get both feet down---my world, bikes/scooters are designed to be ridden feet up. Without added junk or luggage SilverWing is fairly well balanced at stop----for those riders unsure of themselves suggest they take bike safety course---in US MSF not very good but it is what we have. Best bike training I have seen in my travels is Japan----there, fun to watch little girls on their scooters smoke Iwajuni Marines on their Harleys in traffic.

Age is one of the main reasons I triked out my 08 SWing. Now I can sit flat footed at any time. Sure, my feet are on the floorboards but it's still flat footed... Right?
Anyway, I really like my SWing and plan on keeping it as long as I can. It still runs great and hasn't given me any trouble so far.