2026 Yamaha NMAX 155 Review: Is the Scooter That Shifts Worth the A2?

The NMAX 125 is one of the UK's best-selling scooters, so a bigger version that you can't ride on a CBT has some explaining to do. This 2026 Yamaha NMAX 155 review sets out to find out whether the extra 30cc, and the clever electronic transmission that comes with it, justify the step up to an A2 licence. In the UK the 155 is only sold as the Tech MAX, at £4,152 on the road, and its party piece is a shift button that does something a twist-and-go scooter normally can't: it gives you a downshift.

The bike was tested by Liam Simm, Moto Planet presenter and rider, on a test ride with a scooter loaned by Yamaha M.E.S in Deeside. Liam took it through town, onto the dual carriageway and out on UK B-roads, which is a fair cross-section of what a small-capacity commuter has to cope with.

Summary

• Engine 155cc liquid-cooled, 4-stroke, SOHC, 4-valve single, Euro5+
• Power 11.1kW (15.1PS) @ 8,000rpm
• Torque 14.0Nm @ 6,500rpm
• Weight 135kg (wet)
• Fuel Capacity 7.1 litres
• Price £4,152 OTR (UK)

This review was produced in partnership with Yamaha M.E.S, Deeside.

Buying Advice: Who is this bike for? Who should skip it?

The NMAX 155 suits a rider who already holds an A2 or full licence and wants a light, cheap-to-run scooter for town, with enough in reserve for the occasional dual carriageway stretch. At 11.1kW it sits well under the 35kW A2 limit, so there's nothing to restrict. What it can't do is go on a CBT or an A1 licence, because at 155cc it's over the 125cc line. If you're riding on L-plates, the NMAX 125 is your bike.

It has a 770mm seat and weighs 135kg wet, and Liam found it light, balanced and easy to handle in traffic. It would also make a sensible second bike for someone who lives in a city and already has something bigger in the garage, which is close to how Liam saw it himself: he said he'd probably buy one as a second machine for city living, but that for the rural roads where he lives he'd want something more substantial.

Skip it if your riding is mostly long motorway runs. It'll get to around 70mph, but there's nothing left at that speed, and a 300cc scooter will make those journeys far less effortful.

YECVT and the shift button: what they actually do

Most scooters use a CVT, a belt-and-pulley transmission that keeps the engine in its useful rev range without any gears to change. YECVT, Yamaha Electric Continuously Variable Transmission, does the same job but uses an electric motor to control it. That gives the electronics a say in how the engine and transmission behave, and Yamaha uses it in two ways.

The first is a pair of riding modes, Town and Sport, selected on the left switchgear. Sport holds the engine at higher revs so the bike responds more sharply to the throttle. The second is the shift button. Press it and the transmission drops the ratio to imitate a downshift, so the revs rise for stronger acceleration, and the same trick gives you a bit of engine braking going into a corner or up to a junction. Liam counted three levels on the button.

The point of it becomes clear in traffic. Small engines are always short of low-down punch, and the thing Liam has always valued about bikes is being able to ride out of a tight spot on the throttle rather than reaching for the brakes. Coming up to a red light you expect to change, you can bring the revs up early and pull away cleanly when it goes green, and the same applies at roundabouts. If something's too close behind you, you can drop it down and get clear. On a dual carriageway stretch Liam tried it for the first time and was immediately won over by how much difference it made.

It's still 155cc, though, and the extra pull is noticeable rather than dramatic. Through a corner Liam could feel the downshift working, just not with the shove you'd get from a bigger bike, which is fair enough at this size.

What is the NMAX 155 like through town?

This is where the NMAX 155 makes most sense. Liam reckoned you'd be hard pushed to find a bike that does a better job of getting through a city, and on the ride it showed why: light, balanced, with a torquey little engine that responds well low down. Filtering past queues was so easy that he singled it out as the bike to learn on if filtering makes you nervous.

The extra 30cc over the 125 isn't really felt as more power. What Liam noticed instead was how the power is delivered, which comes down to the transmission rather than the engine size. In town that makes the 155 feel more alert than the capacity alone suggests.

Can a 155cc scooter handle the dual carriageway?

Nobody buys an NMAX 155 for big motorway miles, but most commuters will meet a fast stretch of road sooner or later, so Liam took it onto the dual carriageway to find out. With the throttle pinned he saw 68mph on the dash, and the screen did a good job of keeping the wind off him.

What surprised him was the stability. Small wheels and a short wheelbase can make scooters feel nervous at speed, and the NMAX didn't.

The catch is that around 70mph is all there is. At that speed there's no room left in the rev range for the shift button to help you past anything, so it does nothing useful. Catch up with something doing 40 or 50mph and it comes back into play, giving you enough extra to get round. Liam's honest conclusion was that at true dual carriageway speeds there isn't a great deal between this and a 125.

How does the NMAX 155 handle on UK B-roads?

Out on the B-roads the NMAX was more fun than Liam expected. It's light, the wheelbase is short, the suspension is neither too firm nor too soft, the steering is direct and the brakes give good feedback. Put it in Sport mode and use the shift button into and out of bends, and it's an engaging little thing to ride.

Liam has also ridden Honda's ADV350, and that bike had far more urge coming out of corners. What it didn't have, in his view, was the sense of involvement the NMAX gives you, because there's nothing for you to do except open the throttle. The NMAX won't fire you out of a corner, but it keeps you busy and smiling, and next to the standard NMAX 125 Liam felt it offers plenty more smiles per mile.

Tech, storage and everyday practicality

For the money there's a fair amount of kit. The main display is a 4.2-inch colour TFT, with an LCD panel alongside, and it pairs with your phone through Yamaha's MyRide app. Yamaha's UK spec sheet lists Garmin StreetCross navigation on screen, though Yamaha notes the navigation isn't offered in every country, so confirm it with your dealer if it matters to you.

The NMAX starts with a Smart Key, so the key stays in your pocket, and there are buttons to release the fuel filler and the seat. Under the seat Liam fitted his own helmet, upside down; Yamaha's own wording is that a helmet will go in depending on its size and shape, so it's worth trying yours in the showroom. Up front there are two pockets: the left one is open and has a USB-C charger, the right one has a weather-resistant lid.

Ownership, Running Costs & Reliability

Running costs are where a small scooter earns its keep, and the NMAX is cheap to own. Road tax for a 151 to 400cc bike is £59 a year, which Liam rightly called a bargain.

Yamaha quotes 2.4 litres per 100km, which works out at about 118mpg. Liam's own expectation from the ride was around 100mpg, maybe more, which is a sensible real-world figure for mixed riding. With a 7.1-litre tank, Yamaha's figure gives a theoretical range of around 184 miles; at 100mpg you'd be looking at nearer 156 miles, which is still several days of commuting between fill-ups.

Yamaha UK doesn't publish the NMAX 155's service schedule. UK press reports put the first service, an oil and filter change, at 500 miles, then every 3,500 miles or 12 months, whichever comes first. Check the schedule with your dealer when you buy, because it affects both running costs and the warranty.

Yamaha UK gives its motorcycles and scooters a three-year factory warranty, on condition that the bike is maintained as the owner's manual specifies and that warranty repairs are carried out by an authorised Yamaha dealer. You can add a further 12 months, with 12 months' extra road assistance, for £285 on bikes from 115 to 499cc, bought any time up to the last day of the factory warranty, provided the bike has been serviced to Yamaha's recommendations with genuine parts. New Yamahas also come with 24 months of free road assistance. You can read the details on Yamaha's factory warranty and extended warranty pages.

It's too early to say much about long-term reliability or resale on this version. The YECVT transmission is new to the NMAX, and a dealer loan of a few hours can't tell you how it will wear or what the bike will be worth in three years.

As for practicality, this is a commuter first, and Liam didn't test it two-up or loaded for a trip. He reckoned an aftermarket screen would cut the wind further on faster roads, and if that's on your list, have a look at our motorcycle screens.

How the Yamaha NMAX 155 compares to its rivals?

Yamaha NMAX 125 Tech MAX

The obvious alternative, and the one most buyers will be weighing up. Its regular price is £3,951 OTR, £201 less than the 155, and at the time of writing Yamaha's £250 contribution brings it down to £3,701, which is where the £451 gap Liam quoted comes from. Its 125cc engine makes 9.0kW and 11.2Nm, against the 155's 11.1kW and 14.0Nm, and it weighs 132kg. Yamaha quotes 2.2 litres per 100km, about 128mpg. The big difference is licensing: you can ride the 125 on a CBT and you can't ride the 155. If you have an A2 or full licence, Liam felt the 155 is the more rounded and usable machine for the extra money.

Yamaha XMAX 300

The step up within Yamaha's own range. The XMAX 300 starts at £6,502 OTR, about £2,350 more than the NMAX 155, and the XMAX 300 Tech MAX+ is £7,352 OTR. The Tech MAX+ makes 20.6kW and 29.0Nm from 292cc, so it has far more in reserve for dual carriageways, but it weighs 183kg and Yamaha quotes 3.0 litres per 100km, about 94mpg. Liam's view was that in the city you don't really need the 300, and that the NMAX does the commuting job for less money.

Honda ADV350

Liam has ridden this one too, and you can read our Honda ADV350 review. It's £5,999 OTR for a 330cc single making 21.5kW and 31.5Nm, with a 795mm seat and a 186kg kerb weight, against the NMAX's 135kg wet. It's quicker out of bends and has room for two full-face helmets under the seat, but it's a much heavier bike and Honda quotes 3.4 litres per 100km, about 83mpg. Liam found it had more go but less engagement than the NMAX.

At the other end of Yamaha's range, the TMAX Tech MAX is £14,553 OTR. You could buy three NMAX 155s for one TMAX and still have change, and for a town commute the NMAX loses very little in the trade. Of these rivals, it's the one that makes the most sense for a rider who already holds the licence and spends most of their time in traffic.

Verdict

Liam started the day unsure who the NMAX 155 was for, and finished it with a clear answer: riders with an A2 or full licence who want a small-capacity commuter. Against the 125 you get more tech and a more rounded bike for a small step in price, and against the XMAX 300 you keep a good deal of money in your pocket while giving up very little in town.

The YECVT shift button is the reason to choose it. It turns a capable but ordinary scooter into one that's genuinely engaging in traffic and on a B-road, and it gives a small engine something it has always lacked: a way to find extra drive when you need it. It won't thrill you, and it's no motorway machine, but it's light, frugal and good fun.