Yamaha Majesty 250

"Can you have the Majesty back by lunchtime? I want to ride to Sydney on it tomorrow night..." Nothing remarkable in that, you would think. After all, people ride motorcycles the 880km from Melbourne to Sydney the whole time. What was different about this little episode was that the person was Graham Laing, Yamaha's manager for south-eastern Australia, and he was seriously suggesting doing the trip on a scooter.

Sure enough, when I finally returned the bike at four (sorry, Graham), Laing came belting down the stairs, riding boots half-on, and dressed in a fascinating cross between business suit and riding gear.

You might be wondering what sort of drugs the man is ingesting to make him contemplate such an obviously mad scheme. Well, take another look at the bike. The term miniaturised GoldWing somehow springs to mind.

Reading through the service guide for Yamaha's Majesty (YP250 in Yam-speak), reveals that the design criteria was to come up with a scooter which could manage relatively long distance commuting, along with the occasional joy-ride into the country. Congrats to all concerned because they succeeded admirably.

There are competitors overseas, such as Honda's Helix and Piaggio's Hexagon. To date, Yamaha is the only brand to offer this class of machine to the local market.

The bike on these pages was the only one on Oz roads at the time of writing ­- it was undergoing Australian design rule testing ahead of the official launch in October.

Wot it is
Essentially what you get for your dough is a long-wheelbase scoot with 12-inch wheels, a fully automatic transmission, and a simple, liquid-cooled, 250 powerplant.

The transmission runs a centrifugal clutch, and V-belt-style gearing system. Based on a device which works like an expanding pulley, the transmission constantly varies the drive ratio to provide seamless power-delivery from standstill to the 120km/h-plus top speed.

As for the engine, it's a single-overhead cam four-stroke running two valves, and putting out a claimed 20ps.

A conventional fork is matched to a single hydraulic disc brake up front, while the rear makes do with twin shocks and a drum stopper.

The initial take-off is very gentle -- many scooters tend to 'jump' a little when the clutch first bites -- making this unit particularly user-friendly. You'd be unwise to try any desperate drags away from the lights though, as the initial stomp is enough to keep up with, rather than lose, city traffic.

Mid-range performance, say from 30km/h to around 90, is exceptionally strong, making it surprisingly easy to find yourself doing way over the 60 speed limit on suburban roads.

Our bike was too young to reliably report on top speed, but better than 120, with a consistent cruising speed of 90 to 110, is nothing to whinge about.

A truly remarkable aspect was the fuel economy, which worked out to 25km/lt with mixed suburban, freeway, solo and two-up use. With an 11-litre fuel tank, you end up with a very respectable range of 275km.

Braking is generally good, though neither end offers a lot of feel. The rear is left-hand operated, a sensible move as it avoids having a somewhat clumsy pedal sitting proud of the footboards.

Steering is relatively slow in scooter terms, but still quick when compared to a motorcycle. Stability is pretty good on smooth roads, though potholes and the wind blast from passing trucks will ruffle its feathers.

Accommodation
Where the Majesty -- that's a heck of a name, isn't it? -- excels is when it comes to looking after the rider and passenger. The King/Queen seat is as comfortable as it looks, with adjustment for the rider's backrest to suit different-sized pilots. There's generous leg-room for both people, and extraordinarily comprehensive coverage from the fairing.

Despite the little wheels and very basic suspension, this happens to be an exceptionally comfortable motorcycle. I have no doubt Mr Laing arrived in Sydney feeling as fresh as anyone could hope for.

Only one criticism: while the pillion grab handle suited adults fine, it's too wide for children to grip comfortably.

There's loads of on-board storage space. The under-seat compartment has room for a full-face helmet, plus wet weather gear. Then there's a large glovebox, and a third bin between the rider's feet. All up, there's ample room to pack overnight gear for one, maybe two if you were travelling light.

The headlight looks substantial, though we didn't get a chance to try it at night away from the street lights.

The future?
Motorcycle manufacturers have so far been reluctant to import this style of scoot to Australia, simply because they fear price will prove to be a major objection.

The projected $7500-ish ask didn't seem to stop one enthusiast, who hauled us up during a photo session. Think about this for a second...we were on an obscure backroad, well away from central Melbourne. Two cars passed in the space of an hour, one of which just happened to contain a former Honda Spacy owner, and all-round scooter freak. What are the chances of finding a fan of Nippon scoots anywhere in this country, let alone on some god-forsaken backtrack? What's going on?

Back to the plot. I was genuinely sorry to hand back the Majesty, and so too was spouse Ms M who stole it for a day. For the money you get a very capable commuter, and a decent short to medium distance tourer. To me, that seems like good value.

Whether the market agrees has yet to be seen, but I hope it does.