Unlike the Philippines, the folks over in Europe are mandated to start their motorcycling careers aboard what’s known as an A1-compliant machine. While the nomenclatures may vary depending on the country concerned, most European countries require young, beginner riders to start on a motorcycle not exceeding 125cc in displacement, and 14 horsepower.
So what do you do if you want high tech features and premium components, but you just can’t wait until you’re old enough or more experienced enough to graduate into a full-fledged motorcycle license? Well, luckily, a lot of motorcycle manufacturers offer beginner-specific machines loaded with tech and premium features precisely to fulfill this purpose. Yamaha is no exception. With a whole host of premium 125cc-class machines ranging from the sporty YZF-R125 all the way to the laid back and relaxed NMAX 125, there’s a machine for all sorts of beginners under the Yamaha umbrella.
Having said all this, Yamaha has raised the bar in the European beginner segment by launching an updated version of the XMAX 125 Tech Max. While the XMAX in the local market is seen by many as a machine to be upgraded into, the folks over in Europe get it in a 125 variant. Particularly, in a tech-laden Tech Max trim option. As the name suggests, the XMAX Tech Max is, well, full of tech. For starters, it comes with a slew of electronic rider aids such as traction control and ABS. It even gets an illuminated under-seat storage compartment which boasts ample storage space for two helmets.
It’s interesting to note that Yamaha has opted to include a traction control system with the XMAX Tech Max, especially considering the fact that it’s powered by a 125cc liquid-cooled, single-cylinder motor. In what’s basically a smaller version of the engine we find in the NMAX 155, this engine gets Yamaha’s variable valve actuation system (VVA), which adjusts valve timing automatically to optimize efficiency at low RPMs, and performance at higher RPMs.
In the styling department, it’s easy to mistake the XMAX Tech Max as a bigger, more capable maxi-scooter. After all, it bears similar styling cues as its bigger brother, the TMAX. The XMAX 125 Tech Max isn’t cheap, either. In Europe—the UK, in particular, it fetches a price tag of £5,200, or the equivalent of around P350,000–that's even more expensive than the Yamaha XMAX 300 we have in the local market.
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