St Louis commuting (7100 mile update)
Written: Oct 04 '05 (Updated Sep 21 '07)
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Pros: Great mpg, no 2-stroke buzz, looks good, handles great
Cons: Too tall for wife, passenger seating needs backrest for confidence.
The Bottom Line: My second Yamaha, first scooter. Great to be back on two wheels. A breeze to operate and no scooter stigma once folks see the size and looks of it.
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| stlmajesty's Full Review: 2005 Yamaha Majesty |
I bought the Majesty to save gas since my daily driver is a full sized pickup that gets 15mpg. I had not owned a motorcycle since before getting married (13 years, Virago 920) and didn't even try to convince my wife until gas hit $3.19 I reasoned that this would allow me to keep a full sized truck for towing/hauling yet help reduce our need for the oil teat so much. During the test ride, I found my feet moving for imaginary brake and shifter pedals even after 13 years.
Took my wife for a ride the day we picked it up and her only complaint is the sense of stability for a shorter passenger. She is 5'3" and the wide rear body work allows her to only catch the edge of her heels on the passenger foot pads. She cannot brace much against this foot hold and with the hand holds and her seat so close together, she feels "tippy". A backrest from GIVI is on order. $73 with shipping but you must call rather than ordering online. They will give you a link to the Italian site to see a picture.
Over 400 miles at this point with one evening ride home in a steady rain (cut through 1" water in a straight line with no drifting) and one morning wearing a Columbia coat. If I would have had high top boots, there would not have been a wet spot on me. Gore-tex pants from Bass Pro and a Stearns breathable hooded jacket from Wal-Mart kept things dry.
First full tank of gas I put in netted 63mpg and the second gave 56+mpg. My commute is 14 miles each way on city streets with 3-12 stops depending on traffic and lights. It is slow during initial acceleration (compared to motorcycle with clutch) but I am never holding up traffic. The roll-on from 30-50mph or higher is great though. We take at least one ride per weekend with two-up on city streets. I just have to be more generous with the throttle to get moving at a good clip.
I have gotten used to the centrifugal clutch for startup and slow down. It disengages at about 1800-2000 rpm and you can then coast with the engine at 700-800rpm. Until then, the engine acts as a brake which probably doesn't help the mpg.
I am about 5'8" and 185. Sitting comfortably in the seat, I cannot stand flat footed on the ground at a stop sign. No problem standing on the balls of both feet, but it would be a problem for my wife or other shorter person. Plenty of suspension even with my wife and good storage. Still trying to figure out how to fit two trays of chinese take-out into the underseat area designed for a helmut.
Just changed the oil for the second time (600 and 3000 miles). Rode the cycle all winter when it was dry. Columbia coat with the hood under the helmet and gore-tek pants allowed riding when the temps were 25F or warmer. Good windbreaking thinsulate gloves are the most important thing. Added some footpegs and with the backrest, my wife requests a ride at least once a week. With the warmer weather, I am riding 3-5 days a week saving gas and miles on the new truck. Mileage is always above 55mpg and had two tank in a row that were a shade over 60mpg. I think 60 would be possible all the time with more conservative riding. My goal is to get to vacation with more miles on the scoot than on the truck. At that time the scoot will ride the 400 miles to Lake Erie in the truck and we plan to use it as our island hopping vehicle.
3950 mile update: Friday September-01-2006
Haven't ridden scoot regularly for over four weeks. Had an issue with a squeak/vibration when slowing down intermittently. Took machine in for 4000 mile check up before vacation and mentioned at what speeds and circumstances the noise occurred. Was told that the noise was most liely a belt that had developed some glaze that would need worn off to make the noise quit. Sounded reasonable since the noise was becoming less frequent. Got scoot back and was riding home trying to figure out where the new, constant, noise was coming from. Had a noise that sounded like valve clatter or tranny vibration. Died at a stoplight on the way home. Died at a light on the way to work the following morning. Died after slowing down for a light (actually died before coming to a stop) on the way back to the shop. They said to take it on vaca and bring back since they would not be able to finish any tranny work before my vaca. Should have left it as I just wasn't comfortable with it after that. It has been at the shop three full days and hasn't been worked on yet. This is more a problem with busy summer motorcycle shops than Yamaha, but is a fact of life. Stay tuned.
7100 miles
After warranty repair due to plugged oil line, many more satisfactory miles added. Belt squeak continues to be intermittent nuisance. Economy has settled in slightly over 60 mpg every tank.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 5700
Condition: New
Model Year: 2005
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Epinions.com ID:
stlmajesty
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Reviews written: 2
Trusted by: 0 members
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