Yamaha Majesty (YP400)

Summary
If you’re in the market for a highway capable maxi-scoot, the Majesty makes a lot of sense as you can often find good deals on lightly used examples.
Pros
Easily copes with highway speeds
50-60mpg
Underseat storage
Twin halogen headlights
Cons
Generic styling
Air filters are inaccessible and need frequent replacement
Windscreen functions poorly
3.5

YAMAHA MAJESTY (YP400)

Yamaha’s Majesty was a good performing midsized maxiscoot with a highway capable top speed. First introduced in mid 2004 as a 2005 model, the Majesty was sold in the USA through 2014 except for a one year hiatus in 2011. In Canada it lasted a bit longer with a continuous 2004-2015 run before being dropped from the lineup.

Internationally Yamaha uses the Majesty name for an entire line of maxiscooters from 125 to 400c, but just a single model (YP400) has been offered in North America.

Motor

In the engine compartment, the Majesty uses a fuel injected 395cc liquid-cooled 4-stroke, 4-valve, DOHC single cylinder engine. This engine cranks 33.5 HP which is good for about 90mph and a respectable 50-55mpg. That’s impressive considering some 250cc scoots achieve similar milage out of their less powerful engines. 300-500cc is a great size for a maxi-scooter engine as it delivers ample power for highway travel while still retaining great fuel milage. For comparison, Honda’s 580cc Silverwing only attains 40mpg, which is a pretty significant on long trips. Given the 90mph top speed of the Majesty, it might not make sense to shell out thousands more for a 600cc scooter unless you’re particularly power hungry.

One notable downside with the Majesty engine is the difficult to access dual airfilters. These filters require frequent inspection and replacement, particularly if ride in dusty conditions. Neglecting this can lead to engine damage, which is a common occurrence with the Majesty because the difficulty of access leading to owner neglect.

Design and Amenities

The Majesty can swallow up to 16 gallons in its underseat storage area. You can fit your helmet, knapsack and more in this area all at once. The Majesty can also store a nice amount of smaller items in its two (one large and one small) dash compartments. The Majesty has great instrumentation including a fuel gauge, coolant temp gauge, ambient temp gauge and indicator lights for the V-belt and oil.

The Majesty uses disc brakes front and rear, which are widely regarded to be excellent, even with two on board. The combination of strong brakes and a low center of gravity makes it easy to achieve quick stops. The Majesty also handles quite well for its size (467 lbs wet). As a heavy machine, it’s slow to initiate turns but it holds its line well in the corner and the suspension smooths out bumps effectively.

Discussion

Back in 2005 the Majesty went on sale for around six grand with the MSRP rising gradually to $6850 by the end. At this price, the Majesty was priced well for its size, but did cost the same as some larger scooters from Kymco and Piaggio – namely the Xciting 500 and X9 500 respectively. For its part, the Majesty offered an impressive level of refinement that out shined some of its displacement endowed peers.

If you’re in the market for a highway capable maxi-scoot, the Majesty makes a lot of sense as you can often find good deals on lightly used examples. The Majesty can easily cruise at highway speeds unlike most 250cc maxi-scoots and the Majesty boasts better milage than the bigger 500-650cc maxi-scoots. The most direct competitors over the years have been Kymco’s Xciting 500 and Downtown 300i, Suzuki’s Burgman 400, Yamaha’s 530cc TMAX, Honda’s Forza 300 and Piaggio’s 460cc X9.

Pros:

  • Easily copes with highway speeds
  • 50-60mpg
  • Underseat storage
  • Twin halogen headlights

Cons:

  • Generic styling
  • Air filters are inaccessible and need frequent replacement
  • Windscreen functions poorly

Links:

Majesty Service Manual – Very helpful for anyone who works on their own scooter.
MotorscooterGuide Forums – Visit the forum on this site to chat about this scoot.
MajestyUSA – Nice site and forums by the same folks as Burgman USA
Majesty Video Review – Nice review done by the folks behind the Scooter Scoop

Key Specs:

  • Engine: 395cc liquid-cooled 4-stroke single; DOHC, 4 valves
  • Bore x Stroke: 83.0mm x 73.0mm
  • Power: 33.5hp @ 7000 RPM, 26.8 lbs-ft torque @ 6000 RPM
  • Compression Ratio: 10.6:1
  • Fuel: Electronic fuel injection, 38mm throttle body
  • Ignition: Digital TCI
  • Transmission: Centrifugal clutch; double-cog V-belt auto
  • Final Drive: V-belt
  • Front Suspension: Telescopic fork; 4.7-in travel
  • Rear Suspension: Twin shock; 4.0-in travel
  • Brakes: 267mm disc (front and rear)
  • Front Tire: 120/80-14
  • Rear Tire: 150/70-13
  • Length: 87.8 in
  • Width: 30.7 in
  • Height: 54.3 in
  • Seat Height: 30.0 in
  • Wheelbase: 61.6 in
  • Ground Clearance: 4.7 in
  • Fuel Capacity: 3.7 gal / 14 literscon
  • Fuel Economy: 60 mpg
  • Wet Weight: 467 lbs
  • Max Load: 432 lbs
  • Fuel Tank: 3.7 Gal / 13L

Colors:

  • 2005: Dark Bluish Gray Metallic, Dark Purplish Blue Metallic
  • 2006: Deep Red Metallic, Silver 3
  • 2007: Deep Purplish Blue Metallic, Silver 3
  • 2008: Vivid Red Cocktail, Black Metallic X
  • 2009: Metallic Titanium
  • 2010: Stealth Grey, Pearl White
  • 2011: Dark Metallic Gray (Canada Only)
  • 2012: Dark Metallic Gray (Canada) aka Charcoal (USA)
  • 2013: Dark Metallic Bluish Gray (Canada), Charcoal Silver (USA)
  • 2014: Candy Red (USA) aka Deep Metallic Red (Canada)
  • 2015: Metallic Silver (Canada)