Yamaha YP250 Majesty Maxi

I went from a 650 transalp to yp 250 scooter for various reasons mostly running costs didnt care what I looked like on it the scooter was running great for few months used it to commute couple days a week 85 mile round trip got near my house cut out on me lucky stopped outside my garage least got me home tryed starting seemed dead i hope its the battery all in all i really like the scooter very enjoyable to ride and quite comfortable as well hoping to sort the problem get back on road

I have owned GT550 / yam tenere / honda africa twin / Honda c90 / MZ250

This is simply the best bike I have ever owned.

Simple, light, stable, reliable, weather proof behind the wheel (virtually) and bullet proof mechanically (engine has never missed a beat)

A gem of a bike

I picked up my yp250 on Ebay for a bargain at $1000 with 2 weeks rego left. It had 2200kms on the clock and is the 1998 model. I had to re-register and transfer it.

I flew from Sydney to Melbourne to pick it up and rode it 870km in one day on the freeway cruising between 100 and max downhill of 130km/h. It cost me $45 to ride 870kms,ha ha ha.

It does get blown around a bit by the wind at speed, during bad weather, but normally its pretty good. And for the city and inner urban scene its bloody perfect, pretty zippy and easy to park.

I get 250kms a tank of fuel and a tank costs me anywhere between $11 and $15. Its super reliable. Always starts, the boot is good for 2 or 3 groceries shopping bags and ive even put a loaf of bread in the left hand side of the glovebox. oh and the other glove box is great for keeping the gloves. Its bloody good bike. Ive done 5000kms in 5 months.

I have just bought the givi d115st extra large windshield which i heard stops the buffering of wind. Yeah the windscreen is a bit too short unless you are short yourself, so unless you tuck down you get wind blasts, like most scooters that dont have any windshield at all.

I personally think its better than the famous vespar gts 250 because of Japanese quality Yamaha styling and engine manufacture. Its a 250 so essentially its a scooter with pretty big balls for a scooter and small enough to cut through traffic congestion and not weigh a tonne.

These bikes were 7500 brand new and still sell for 3000 second hand. Its not noisy like the small Chinese scoots. This bike has changed my life. Stoked for sure. Get one if its clean.

Bought my Yamaha Majesty 250 at the end of 2009, it had done 22'000 miles and I payed a whopping £800 for it. It's a 1999(T reg), I use it every day in almost any weather(except ice) and it has never let me down. I have a commute of about a 30 mile round trip a day, which includes a bit of dual carriageway, 5 miles of windy A-Road and then about 7-8 miles of city riding.

For the combination of all 3 types of riding it's superb, mine will sit at 70-75mph, and tops out at about 83mph, acceleration from very low down isn't great but once it gets up to about 20-25mph it flies up to 50-60mph in no time. Cost is very low too only about £12 to fill tank and I spend about £6 a month on oil. It will easily do 60mpg, the best I've done is 81mpg.

Handling is good on all types of road, but can be scary in the wet, like other reviews I've read I too have felt the back wheel skid slightly if you turn at speed and with a fair amount of lean angle, this doesn't really matter in the dry but in the wet it has caught me out once or twice and given me a bit of a shock.

On the comfort side it's great for around the town for hours but take it out on the motorway for too long and it can get quite unpleasant. Being a single it does vibrate a fair bit and being a scooter it does get blown about in the wind too, mine has the after market Givi screen which improves things from standard but it's still noticeable. Weather protection is excellent however with just the top of my helmet and my shoulders getting wet.

Reliability wise I've had 1 new rear tyre, a set of front brake pads and a regulator/rectifier this is all in about 9k miles. Service cost's are OK, about £150 for normal service and £260 for full service, back tyre wear is quite rapid (6/7k) obviously depends how you ride it. Storage is good, glove box and under seat storage is enough for me to store helmet, jacket, gloves, lock and sunglasses etc..

I also own a 2006 Yamaha XTX660 which I love and is superb for the weekend but for the daily commute the Majesty is far, far better.

Good Points - Great reliability, weather protection, MPG, storage, comfort, just a great commuter.

Bad points - twitchy in the wet, gets blown around a bit, not the quickest, that's about it.

This is an excellent scooter that has stood the test of time. I was given a 2002 model that had 25,000km on it, and now it has 34,000km. It has been very reliable, has plenty of power, is quite low and light. There really isn't anything I can say negatively about it as it really is the sort of scooter you just can't wait to get back on and ride around. I ride mainly in heavy traffic on the Italian Riviera, and it's good at starting and stopping. It handles very well with a passenger on the back, and the brakes are more than adequate. Plenty of space under the seat for a couple of large helmets. It doesn't look particularly sexy, but that could be a plus if you want it to blend in. The only criticism I can make is that it's very fiddly to change the windscreen, and something you are unlikely to want to do twice a year as the seasons change.

Actually, it is an Italjet Jupiter 250, but nobody else seems to own one and as it is exactly the same as the Majesty I have reviewed it here!

I originally bought this Yamaha YP250 Majesty Maxi off a friend to help her out and have found I really quite like it, but don't tell my biking mates! And that is really the only down side. I own a Honda Varadero 1000 which, like all large capacity machines is fab. However, I very rarely use all the power and speed available and if I do I always seem to arrive home looking over my shoulder!

That's my quandry; the YP250 does exactly what it says on the tin - and some. In a world high on tight leather and speed, we have been conditioned to think these maxi scoots are'nt really proper bikes! Sorry guys, but this one can cut it.

The times I have used it I have found it is actually nicer to use than the Varadero (but don't say it too loudly).

It's comfy, economical and plenty fast enough in most road riding situations. Of course, it is no sports bike or even a large trailie. But in the real world, it does everything you want of a two wheeler. It has plenty of storage for your wet weather kit and put a top box on and you would have loads of space when touring (solo) with good weather protections to boot.

It handles surprisingly well, but it can be thrown of course by deep ruts and pot holes, Proper compound tyres will help.

I am 6'3" and I have no comfort problems, it copes reasonably well with a pillion although two up touring would stretch it a bit. That said, keep off the motorway and keep the speed down (car speed) and it should be okay.

So, should I keep it and chop in the Varadero, or will it be an also ran in the garage? Well, lets just say, I want to keep my licence, and with the weather as it is i don't need an expensive unused play thing sulking in the garage.

The YP250, curiously has won my vote. Be interesting to see what my mates say at the next ride out!

Having examined its competitors prior to purchase, I have found over the last 10,000 klm that i made the right choice with the Yamaha YP250. Sadly Yamaha Australia is all about maximunm profits and is no longer importing the 250cc scooter so I will have to just look after it till I can no longer ride. Due to my disability im unable to ride the heavier scooters.

I'm 76 this year and last owned a bike 20 years ago. I've had bikes up to 1000 cc in the past. I drive fast cars and even taken an Aston Martin Vantage out for a run. I'm a Jazz Drummer so have very developed fairly fast reactions. I got the Yamaha YP250 on E bay. It's a 1999 and only done 12,000 miles. Very carefully and gingerley I rode it home up the M1 with a pal following me driving my car back. It was blowing a gale and occasional snow flurrys and Hail as well. Fortunately a 50 mph speed limit due to road works allowed me to gently cruise it home. After 50 miles the roads dried and the snow and rain stopped and I was able to creep it up to 70 mph as I got used to it. 2 weeks on and I am flying around on it all over the place and I love it. I wish it was a twin cylinder engine and there fore a little smoother. About 60 mph is about right for the engine smoothness. Slower speeds are a bit lumpy with a single. It gets away at the lights nicely and before long I shall be taking it to France when the top box arrives.

I own the Yamaha YP250 for a few monts now, its a 2001 model.

I havent noticed any problems at all during this period, except the power loss I mentioned above: this model doesnt equipped with a tachometer so I cant tell for sure at what amount of revs. it accure, but I can tell that this only happens when you take off; about 4-21 km\h and when you ride at these speeds(parking lots, crowded places), the engine seems to be unwilling to rev. up.

This is the only problem i've noticed and possibly it's true only about the specific scooter I own, anyhow, it is barely noticed after a couple of weeks and if you're not used to a powerful bike you won't really notice it.

Overall, it is a great scooter, easy to handle and fun to ride, I sincerely recommend it to anyone who would like to save money but still get a comfortable and relatively powerful scooter.

I owned my Yamaha Majesty for a few months by now and haven't noticed any problems at all except the power loss I mentioned above; at low speeds, 4-21 km\h (parking lots, crowded places, traffic jams) the engine seems to be unwilling to rev. up.

This can be true only about the specific scooter I own. Anyhow, if you're not used to a powerful bike you'll barely notice it at all.

Overall, i am very satisfied with it and i sincerely recommend it to anyone who would like to save money but still get a relatively powerful scooter.