Okay so now that we’re all familiar with the Helix, it should be obvious that Yamaha’s Morphous is a clear successor to that cult classic scooter. Honda attempted to replace the Helix in 2001 with the bland Reflex, but that scooter lost the spirit of the Helix and buyers were few. Fans worldwide clamored to have the Helix back, a request Honda granted for 2003 after the Reflex continued to sell slowly.
For 2007, Yamaha stepped in to try to succeed where Honda failed. Yamaha introduced the 250cc Morphous, a obvious modern take on the classic long and low style of the Helix. Like the Helix, Yamaha equipped this scooter with an actual trunk. Yamaha even gave this scooter a similar digital gauge setup. I think Yamaha did one heck of a job with this scooter, which is why it blows me away that this scooter only lasted 2 years on the market. It actually lasted just one year (2007) in Canada. Maybe it was just too futuristic....kinda like the how the Helix was rejected initially and actually cut from the USA lineup twice.
Yamaha didn’t cheap out on the engine and they didn’t cheap out on the other aspects of this scooter either. The Morphous has an awesome Halogen headlight, LED blinkers and taillightis and even a glowing blue ring around the key hole. The braking is top notch too, thanks to disc brakes in the front and rear. Storage is another strong point for the Morphous. As shown, the Helix has both a decent sized trunk and a moderate storage under the seat. Furthermore, there’s also a generous glovebox in the dash. There is plenty of storage for all your stuff....as long as that stuff doesn’t include a full face helmet.
So what’s not to like? Besides the love it or hate it styling....not much. The only knocks against the Morphous that I’ve heard are that it isn’t as comfortable as the legendary Helix and it’s a bit slow for extended highway travel. The seat comfort is fine but not mind blowing like the Helix seat is. Also, the windscreen is more of a decoration piece than a functional one and changing that really affects the looks. Lastly, 250cc’s scooters are borderline for interstate use. The Morphous can hit 75-80mph in perfect conditions but it’s not a great idea to run wide open at the redline for long periods of time and you’re going to drop slower than this up hills or if it’s windy. You can certainly travel on the highway but it might be frustrating at times. It would be nice to have an extra 10mph available to make long distance touring a comfortable proposition. If you’re going to use this occasionally on the freeway it’ll do great but if you’re looking for primarily a touring machine I’d look at some of the nice 400-600cc scooters out there.
Pros:
* Massive storage
* Halogen and LED lighting
* Futuristic Styling
* Disc brake front and rear
* High tech engine
Cons:
* Styling not for everybody
* Less comfortable than the Helix
* Useless windscreen
* A bit underpowered for highway travel.
Links:
Helix vs. Morphous - Neat article with side by side pictures.
MotorscooterGuide Forums - Visit the forum on this site to chat about this scoot.
BikeBandit.com - Good for looking up OEM parts and finding out what’s available
Yamaha’s Morphous Page - Good info, specs and pictures
Morphous Video Review - Nice video review from the fine folks at The Scooter Scoop. This review gives you great looks at the lighting, storage areas and finer details of the Morphous.
Key Specs:
* Engine: 250cc liquid-cooled 4-stroke single; DOHC, 4 valves
* Bore x Stroke: 66.0 x 73.0mm
* Compression Ratio: 10.8:1
* Carburetion: Electronic fuel injection
* Ignition: TCI
* Transmission: V-belt automatic
* Final Drive: Belt
* Front Suspension: Telescopic fork
* Rear Suspension: Unit swing
* Brakes: Hydraulic disc (front and rear)
* Tires (Front): 120/70-13M/C 53P
* Tires (Rear): 130/70-13M/C 63P
* Length: 93.3 in
* Width: 32.5 in
* Height: 41.3 in
* Seat Height: 25.8 in
* Wheelbase: 63.6 in
* Ground Clearance: 4.1 in
* Fuel Capacity: 3.7 gal
* Fuel Economy: 60 mpg
* Dry Weight: 408 lbs
Colors:
2007: Raven, Liquid Silver
2008: Dark Violet