The NMAX started out as an attempt to follow the success of Honda’s PCX in the Malaysian market. Its growing popularity however very soon established it as a very good scooter in its own right. Yamaha has also kept up with the demand and given the NMAX a mid-season refresh only last year. Here is a look at what this enticing scooter brings to the table.

Before looking at what is underneath the modern looks, we need to address the modern looks themselves. Yamaha’s other bigger maxi scooter is the TMAX and the NMAX obviously gets more than a few design cues from it. Like any modern scooter, the NMAX now comes with LED headlights and taillights. The segment, because of its expensive nature aims at a more mature customer and comes with the styling that would appeal to them. The design is clean with nothing unnecessary on it. There are no shouty graphics or funky colors to be found here. Just clean panels, sleek lines and muted colors. Still, the scooter looks sophisticated and will easily stand out in a busy parking lot. If you really do want to stand out though you can get your hands on the black color option that comes with Gold wheels.

The maxi scooter concept is best suited for urban transport and the NMAX’s suspension is very well set up for just that. There are telescopic front forks and a dual shock absorbers on the rear, ensuring a comfortable ride. The rear suspension is even adjustable for preload. Both ends also get wide 13” alloy wheels with fat 110/70 and 130/70 tires respectively.

 

That sit inside the scooter seating position brings a new element of comfort into city riding. The stepped seat gives some much needed back support while there is ample space on the footboard for your feet. The handlebars are high and allow an upright seating position. The 765 mm seat height means that people of all heights can easily use it. With a comfortable ride and relaxed seating, the NMAX is ideal for city driving.

Underneath the scooter, there is a single cylinder, liquid cooled, SOHC, 4-valve engine producing 11.1 kW and 14.4 Nm of torque. This might not seem like a lot but it is still more than the PCX which is its closest rival. Thanks to this the scooter can easily reach speeds of more than 120 km/H.

The engine is also fuel injected and enhanced with features under Yamaha’s Blu Core technology. This gives the NMAX mileage of up to 30 km/L. The 6.6 L fuel tank therefore gives it a decent range of up to 200 km. The NMAX is also equipped with variable valve actuation that ensures the best mix of power and torque for every position of the throttle.

Great performance needs the backing of good braking. The NMAX has that well sorted out with disc brakes both front and rear. While there is talk of equipping the scooter with ABS, the same has not been employed till now in the Malaysian market. It can, however, be found in other Asian markets.

Above all, an urban commuter scooter needs to be modern and convenient to use. The NMAX has many modern features that will make the life of its rider very convenient. Under the seat is a huge storage area that can also store a full face helmet. The fuel tank is under the floorboard and is accessed through a filler cap in the spine. No more getting off the seat and opening it to uncover the fuel filler at petrol pumps. The instrument display is a fully digital LCD screen with dark lettering on a white screen.

With so many modern features and maxi scooter design, the Yamaha NMAX can be yours for just RM 8314. This pricing makes it extremely good value for money as its biggest rival the Honda PCX is much more expensive at RM 10999.

The Yamaha NMAX then is not just a novelty scooter. The stylish body holds a lot of substance within it. It is not perfect with its missing ABS and slightly ungainly looks, but for a small capacity maxi scooter, it does come very close.