YAMAHA XMAX 400 (2018 - on) Review

The brakes are great, much better than in most of my bikes (last three - Blackbird, VStrom, Bandit). Ride quality - ok when the road is in good nick, but if it's bumpy, the rear suspension isn't doing a great job carrying my 250 pounds... Great wind protection when the windscreen is in the top position - I'm 6'3 so handlebars also need to be moved forward.

This is a bloody gem. Vibey and heavy but solid as a rock. Old technology used in boats, snowmobiles, and quads change the oil every 5k kilometers and it will run forever (70k miles are normal in some Majesty 400, Xmax predecessor ). In the 2018 model, Yamaha for some reason used 19 grams weights in variator and that's ok if most of the time you are spent on national roads. If it's a 50/50 town/ open road, do yourself a favor and use lighter weights - you will unleash the beast. With 17 grams Xmax 400 accelerates almost like TMax up to 100 km/h. The economy is almost the same, roughly 60 mpg (4l /100km) In my case best results were achieved by mixing 4 x 16 grams sliders with the original 4x19 grams rollers .

Quality is there but not quite there if you know what I mean. It is most certainly not an old Japanese school of building things - apparently, it's French and you can see it. Overall build quality is good but small details like fasteners and screws are made of bizarre material that deteriorates quite fast - if you are removing something, do it slowly and with patience (pay attention when removing plactic variator cover - screws with rubber on them are crazy hard to undo). Or get yourself a set of new screws and plastic fasteners from Yamaha. After 5000 kilometers steering head bearing was gone (warranty cover), the rear suspension is ridiculously weak and plastics are prone to scratches. The paint on the swingarm is peeling off at 20k kilometers. The handbrake caliper was rebuilt. The rear disc was warped and the pads were almost gone. Luckily enough most of the things were covered by warranty and small things are very easily repairable if you want to do it yourself. On the plus side variator, rollers after 20k km look almost brand new. So were front rotors and pads.

Parts are not that expensive. Running costs - I'm getting roughly 300 km from one tank of petrol (13l). Not too bad. Oil change would cost around 25 quid.

All bells and whistles from Yamaha - heated grips, ABS, TCS, LED lights.

Despite weight and size, nippy. I haven't been on any long runs yet, but I've found the seat comfy enough so far. I had the factory option tall screen fitted, and it makes for a very calm riding experience. Epic touring would not be a problem for this bike or its rider(s) given its comfort, range and carrying capacity. Brakes are superb, powerful and easily modulated.

Engine could be a bit smoother, but the vibration is noticeable rather than annoying. Otherwise, all pretty good. Easy to pull away and pootle along in slow traffic, and when required equally easy to get up to speed. Relaxed at motorway speeds with power in reserve. Overtaking is not a problem.

Some light corrosion on exhaust and certain fastenings, but cosmetic stuff only, and it's not had any ACF-50 or similar treatments- I'm planning to get that done professionally, when that's practical. Otherwise, no problems so far, only just passed 2,000 miles.

Bit early to tell, yet to hit first major service, but not anticipating any issues. At least for the time being, fuel consumption better than expected thanks to speed restrictions.

Don't mind the keyless system, soon got the hang of it, though the main switch is hard to use in the dark until you've got used to which position does what. The two glove boxes are a decent size. Michelin City Grip tyres excellent. Screen choice seems highly dependent on rider size and seating position. Happy I went for the big screen, though looking through it (and I'm 5 ft 11) rather than over it is somewhat disconcerting. Will go for heated grips at some point. Front lights could be better, high beam doesn't really do much, my Honda PCX is better in this respect. Rear lights are excellent though.

We (the girlfriend and I) did an 800km two-day tour in Northern Spain through hills, mountains, back roads and motorways. Flawless performance and extremely comfortable. Feels like a larger touring bike even with two bags on board spending 5 hours a day riding. City riding is good at great visibility with a high seat.

Great highway performance and passing power with passenger and bags uphill.

Great Mileage for a 400cc.

Adjustable handlebars and adjustable windshield made a huge difference.

Strong engine, good brakes, good handling, manoeuvrable, fits rider with added pillion without compromising rider control. Seat is wide but hard, and uncomfortable after one hour.

Strong engine. Power delivery is good for overtaking and motorway driving. Throttle response is good making the scooter easy to ride around town.

Bike failed at point of delivery as ABS unit was faulty and it took two weeks to fix. Issues with rear suspension fixed under warranty.

Only 1,000 mile service at present which is not sufficient to comment on longer term running costs. However, the initial service cost experience indicates that it will not be any cheaper than a standard motorcycle to run.

Bike as standard is adequate, with good under seat storage, but needs the addition of heated grips and the battery charger connector in the non lockable glove box as the battery is behind the windscreen and not easily accessible for charging. Standard windscreen size is fine for people up to 5ft 11. The comfort seat is an option to be considered as standard seat gets uncomfortable after one hour. Optional leg cover is expensive and can only be fitted and removed by a dealer. Top box with backrest is recommended as it adds additional storage that is welcome on a longer trip.