Falling like nine pins

It was tempting fate to invite a load of bike journalists to a go-kart track in Kent to ride a scooter that Yamaha said was designed to handle.

Rain, on top of a track laced with oil and rubber, resulted in seven of the new four-stroke scooters being crashed within an hour. Perhaps not everyone there was ” riding to the conditions. ”

Another three went down after lunch. MCN’s Andy Downes was one of the many hacks to take a tumble.

Damage was mostly restricted to scuffs, mirrors and plastics… except for one broken hand.

Downes was unhurt and impressed by how well his Hein Gericke ProSport leathers dealt with the unexpected interface with the Tarmac.

Ten of the £2599 scooters were used in the test, some in black, some in blue. It was the blue ones that took the heaviest hammering… if you’re superstitious.

But the bad luck was no reflection on the scooter, says Downes.

” It actually handles really well and is a lot of fun for a 125cc scooter. The 13in wheels really do help it handle and the four-stroke engine gives it enough to be fun around a twisty track. ”

Yamaha’s Martin Marshall was philosophical about the mounting repair bills, saying he was impressed by how well the scooters had coped with the barrage. All were still rideable and damage was mostly limited to bar-ends and mirrors.

The mayhem happened at Buckmore Park, Kent. There’s a full test of this scooter in MCN, coming soon.