2022 Yamaha NMAX 155 Scooter (bike review)

With commuters currently battling soaring fuel prices, it’s good to know there’s an affordable solution in the form of the stylish 2022 Yamaha NMAX 155 scooter. It offers a fun way to navigate the city commute, and ease the pain at the petrol bowser.

Featuring a lightweight rigid frame, an aggressive and sporty design with dual LED headlights, smart technology, rider focused ergonomics and safety features like ABS and traction control, the NMAX 155 is packed full of goodness.

Powered by a blue core 155cc 4-stoke engine which delivers plenty of power to quickly get you up to speed, the spritely Yamaha allows you to easily beat the traffic. The V-belt automatic transmission is smooth too, and will happily cruise at 80km/h.

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It can handle freeway speeds as well, which is great for longer distance commutes. The powertrain is very fuel efficient and combined with Yamaha’s new stop/start system, ensures you won’t have to worry about stopping for juice too often.

We averaged 3.0-litres/100km, which would easily see around 250km in potential distance from the 7.1-litre fuel capacity. Suspension is comprised of a telescopic fork with 100mm of travel on the front and a unit swing arm with 85mm of travel and twin shocks on the rear.

The combination provides a nice ride overall and does a decent job of soaking up bumps. The rear also has sports adjustable preload that is really easy to use when you need to carry a pillion passenger.

Braking performance is very good too, with 230mm front discs up front and a 230mm rear disc paired with the safety of ABS. Using the left-hand brake lever applies both front and rear brakes as well, which we liked.

There’s a but here though, as using this feature under heavy braking will tend to lock the rear wheel. In wet weather we would suggest staying away from the dual braking altogether, as a result.

Fitted as standard is Yamaha’s smart key system, which allows you to start the NMAX as long as you have the key fob in your pocket or bag. The scooter detects when the key is present and allows the main switch knob to be used without needing to insert a key.

We appreciated this feature, as it also allows you to turn power on/off, lock the steering, and release the seat and fuel flap lock. It’s super convenient to simply turn the knob to the power off and simply walk away knowing your ride it safely secured until you return.

Build quality is great too, and nothing feels cheap. Every detail is well thought out, right down to the stylish fold away pillion foot pegs, and grab handles that are smartly worked into the design of the subframe.

The inner front fairing features two deep storage compartments too, including one with a 12-volt socket large enough for phone charging. The other one has a door, which is great, but we’d liked to have seen the one with the socket have the same.

That would ensure our electronic devices can be secured and protected from the elements while charging. A large 23.3-litre under seat storage compartment is advertised as holding an XL full face helmet but in reality, it doesn’t.

Despite multiple attempts, we couldn’t get a medium sized full face helmet in there, and get the seat locked in. That aside, when you do have the seat open, spring-loaded hinges hold it up, making it easy to access the storage.

Likewise, the handlebar mounted switches are well positioned and easy to use on the fly. There is a nice shaped cover which makes the setup look neat and tidy, but could make mounting a phone for navigation difficult.

The seating position is comfortable, and we especially liked how the foot boards extend forward up on a 45-degree angle, allowing you to stretch your legs out in a very comfortable and supportive position.

The seat height of 765mm allowed us to easily stop, with our feet flat on the ground. The LCD screen is a nice size and the speed display is large, making it easy to see with the quickest of glances.

It also has a decent number of features, including two trip meters, fuel and temperature gauges, average fuel, instant fuel, oil mileage and battery volts. Connectivity is also possible with your Bluetooth enabled smart phone, via the Yamaha MyRide app.

This lets you use features such as a maintenance service schedule, trip details, and for those forgetful people, it saves the location of where you last parked. With a weight of 127kg, it’s fairly easy to get up on the centre stand as well.

There’s rear grab handles which make it easy to lift and pull back onto the stand, as well as a convenient side stand, which is easy to use, but could potentially fall if you’re parked on a grade.

For us, the 2022 Yamaha NMAX 155 is the perfect package for a new or inexperienced rider, with excellent manoeuvrability and light weight, making it a breeze to negotiate traffic, and a tonne of fun to ride.

The LED headlights do a great job of lighting up the road ahead and the windscreen keeps wind off the rider. It’s priced at $5899 ride away and is available available in Icon Blue (as tested) and Matt Grey.

Our test bike was provided by Yamaha Australia. To find out more about the 2022 Yamaha NMAX 155, contact your local Yamaha dealer.