I bought a new 2020 Xmax 300

[kpinvt]

I've spent the last few years reading about scooters as a possible old age (66) replacement for my NC700XD which has been getting heavier. I settled on looking for an Xmax 300, a 90 MPH capable scooter and have spent the last year looking for a used one and reading every post on the now 310+ page "New Xmax 300 !" thread in the Battle Scooters section on the ADV Rider forum. The number one problem with finding a used one here in New England is that most MC dealers won't carry scooters or if they do they only carry the small sub 200cc models. These bikes are available in other parts of the country but with Covid now I refuse to fly or stay in a motel. I just missed a used one last April that was at a dealer in New Hampshire because I didn't move fast enough. The guy that did buy it let me take his for a short test ride, I was very impressed with it. I went after a 2020 because it has some color instead of plain Jane black. I found a 2020 through Yamaha's website at Valley Motorsports in Northampton, MA, 155 miles away. I called them the day before to set up a distanced hand over and did the same with U-Haul in a nearby town. When I got there they handed me a sheaf of papers which I signed sitting in the back seat of my car while they loaded the bike on the trailer. They even let me pee in the parking lot behind one of their trucks because I refused to enter the building to use their bathroom. I'm pretty sure I'll be selling my NC as I've been riding less and less every year, only 3800 miles this year. I can actually stand upright on this bike to help handle some of the awful roads around here. Yamaha calls the color Shadow Grey, the gold wheels are icing on the cake. I plan to sell most of the doodads I've added over the years separate from the bike.

 

[LeeInMpls]

I can actually stand upright on this bike to help handle some of the awful roads around here. Yamaha calls the color Shadow Grey, the gold wheels are icing on the cake. I plan to sell most of the doodads I've added over the years separate from the bike.

I can "flat foot" my Interceptor (see my post above) and get a leg easily over it to get on. With my Silverwings, I have to stand on the peg even though they are an inch shorter at the seat. I think t it is because of the narrow seat and more angle on the side stand. I'll be 68 in December and my inseam is 29".

 

[Red Rider]

Great looking scoot. What others did you consider in that class? I’m in the hunt for another myself.

 

[670cc]

Looks good! It looks somewhat like my wife’s 250 scooter, which I also enjoy riding. Have fun!

 

[Rapturee]

Glad to see you got a good one and are still riding!! :{)

 

[Deleted member 1183]

Best of luck with your purchase. Scoots are brilliant as many would find out if only they gave them a chance. Sadly the image mitigates against them which is a pity. They are particularly good in heavy traffic where they can run rings around other two wheelers regardless of size. In my commuting days on my former Silverwing I used to particularly revel in "GS baiting" on the ride into Dublin. I never figured out why anyone would commute on those things in the first place especially with panniers on.
My first ride on a modern scooter was on the Yamaha Majesty which my Wife owned for a couple of years. It was a first model back in 1996 (I think) and appeared almost like a mini Goldwing with its ample bodywork. One day in the middle of Winter when Shiv wasn't using it I took it into work. I couldn't get over the nimbleness and excellent protection from the weather by comparison with the Fazer 600 that I was riring at the time. I was sold on scoots that day and I took over Her Majesty eventually when She stopped riding after a serious operation.
Since the Majesty I have since owned Aprilia Atlantic, Xmax 250 and eventually settled on the Silverwing for commuting and had that for 10 years. The Majesty and the Silverwing were the best of that bunch. I now have the X-Adv but while that is not as effective for commuting it is still a fun bike with good protection from the elements. I have never ridden the Xmax 300 but a friend has one and loves it.

 

[LeeInMpls]

Great looking scoot. What others did you consider in that class? I’m in the hunt for another myself.

I looked at the Silverwing and the Burgman.

 

[kpinvt]

Great looking scoot. What others did you consider in that class? I’m in the hunt for another myself.

Kymco makes a decent maxi but they can be hard to find, the local dealer does not carry them in stock, only the smaller bikes and ATV's. The Honda Forza 300 was withdrawn from the US market but the new Forza 350 might come to the US, I found the Forza 300 a little cramped. I considered a Vespa 300 for a while but they cost close to $10,000 new and are hard to find used. The discontinued Yamaha Majesty 400 is a decent bike as are the Suzuki Burgman 200 & 400. I didn't consider the Burgman 650 which has been withdrawn from the US market but is still available as NOS as that bike weighs 611 lbs. wet.

I had a 2003 Honda Silver Wing from May of 2006 to July of 2009 and 21,000 miles so I'm no stranger to the concept of riding a scooter full time. The Silver Wing is my one and only Saddle Sore 1000 bike. I only seriously considered bikes that were Interstate capable. What really sold me on the Xmax 300 is that there is a rider on the ADV Rider/Battle Scooters forum that rode his 2018 Xmax from his home in Jacksonville, FL, up the Atlantic seaboard through New Jersey and into Brooklyn, NY to pick up his 22 year old daughter and they then continued through New England to Augusta, ME where she took a plane back to NYC and he rode back home. Said rider owns several Vespas which he also rides long distances. So top speed (88 MPH), fuel economy (75 MPG and up), on board luggage space (50+ liters), the 15 inch front and 14 inch rear wheels (larger than the 14"-13" wheels on the Silver Wing) and a wet weight of 396 lbs which is about 145 lbs. lighter than the SWing.

Edit/
I bought the SWing because I had injured my left foot in a MC crash. My GP at the time gleefully exclaimed that I would never ride a MC again as I could not shift with my left foot. Challenge accepted.