2008 Yamaha Morphous Review

The Yamaha Morphous was short-lived in the United States. Yamaha introduced the Morphous with the 2006 model, and 2008 was its last year of production in the United States. The Morphous was first available in Japan, where it was wildly popular and known as the Maxam. However, the Morphous looks, with its futuristic front end, did not appeal to U.S. riders. The Morphous has an ultra-modern look – think of it as a vehicle George Jetson might ride – while American riders prefer more traditional, classic looks. Even Yamaha notes the Morphous is not your traditional-looking motor scooter. The Morphous, the Japanese manufacturer says of the 2008 model, is a scooter where ""21st century style and engineering combine to produce the most radically styled yet highly functional scooter ever."" The Morphous has a long and low look; its 25.8-inch seat height is as low as seats found on 50 cc scooters, making it easy to get on and off. This scooter is 93 inches long, only an inch shorter than a Harley-Davidson Softail.

Yamaha’s innovation also extends to the paint. The 2008 Morphous is a dark violet that looks purple in the sunlight and black in the shade. The 250 cc engine is capable of speeds of more than 70 mph, though the speed increases more slowly than with other scooters and motorcycles with the same size engine; riders also note it takes almost 19 seconds to reach 60 mph from a standing start. The Morphous has two under-seat storage compartments, one under the driver and the other under the passenger; riders comment in Morphous forums the space really isn‘t big enough for helmets. Additional storage is available in the glove box. The Morphous has a push button electric start. Riders note the digital instrument panel can be difficult to see during the day, but really stands out at night.