Good video. Yamaha explaining how the Majesty 250 came about

There were others before the MAJESTY 250, but it did morph into the maxi scooters we ride today.

Well maybe the beginning of the twist and go maxi but the first maxi for me was the 250 Maicoletta from the 1960s which was a four speed foot change with an electric starter capable of 70 to 80 mph. Its only serious weakness was the lack of a disk front brake and possibly the fact that I was running it on the stringiest of shoestrings because as a schoolboy I had practically no money.

Here is a well restored example. Mine was much rattier of course.


It attracted much schoolboy derision often being compared to a boat but when it disappeared into the distance the Lambretta crowd were a bit shocked.

I bought a new Majesty 250 in 1999, used it mainly for leisure and the occasional commute (80mile round trip). Coped very well even two up was comfortable excellent mpg as well.
Unfortunately Yamaha launched the Tmax and after a test ride on one of the first ones in the country, the Majesty had to go

I loved my Ancient Maj 250, even though it tried to kill me twice.....pretty harsh ride at the back - I shudder to think what the original version was like if Yamaha were forced to do a quick suspension upgrade when it first came out!

Back in the late sixties I had a Triumph Tigress scooter which was a four stroke 250 twin with a foot shift. I had little money so it was a much used model. Memories of it are not good. Very difficult to start and generally unreliable.

Way back in 1965 I had a Triumph tina which I think was a T10 which was a nice little scooter if you could start the bloody thing. Once you got it going it was fine, never broke down. I put it in part ex for a Suzuki 80 mototrbike.

I loved the majesty 250

even more when I saw the 400. it was huge. brown seat color on black gloss paint. and the rear brake ligh V design. wow.

shame they didnt continue. not a fan of the xmax design. I like the more, lean back and extend your leg design. less the 90º seating position.

though I was intrigued when I first saw the xmax 400. small body with huge exhuast

roadster wrote: Fri Mar 25, 2022 10:19 am Well maybe the beginning of the twist and go maxi but the first maxi for me was the 250 Maicoletta from the 1960s which was a four speed foot change with an electric starter capable of 70 to 80 mph. Its only serious weakness was the lack of a disk front brake and possibly the fact that I was running it on the stringiest of shoestrings because as a schoolboy I had practically no money.

Here is a well restored example. Mine was much rattier of course.


It attracted much schoolboy derision often being compared to a boat but when it disappeared into the distance the Lambretta crowd were a bit shocked.

One of my earliest bikes was the Maico 277, UXN 885. boy it that go? I has great fun ‘teasing’ guys on Triumph 500s and the like - by screaming down the road after take-off watching the smile in riders faces as they neared the 70’s mark… then I’d drop it into top gear and away….. they were really good days - eventually I had an accident where a Bedford Dormobile came out from a sideroad without stopping and hit the bike in the right middle - right where my leg would have been on a bike, I and the Maico were thrown to th left here i collided with a brick wall
Laying me out for 10 minutes or so and badly damaging the scoot which was previously like new, I did repair it - eventually and rode it for about 12 months thereafter; much later I went on to collect 3 Maicos, 1 x 277cc and 2x 250cc which I shared with my dear old dad who rode them for about 4 years until he died. Yes the Maicos were a good memory, I still have several new Handle bar logos in the garage.

Jim