Maxi scooters are a bit of an unsung hero in the UK – perhaps considered the Swiss army multitool of the biking world. They do it all; you can often fit loads under the seat, with ultra comfort for rides in town, with the bonus of longer distance power on offer.
Quite the popular choice in Europe (and further afield), but UK riders seem hesitant to take the step into maxi-comfort… Some of the top end options are also packed with technology, and some more recently seen with adventure clothes on.
If you’re here, I’d guess you’re somewhat interested in the maxi life already, so let’s get into it.
Here are 10 examples of versatile maxi-scooters that we think are the best for your money in 2025.
10 BMW CE 04 - Price £12,190
We’ll start with the electric maxi scooter that won’t be beaten off the line by any other on this list, with a huge 62 Nm of torque available. The CE04 is BMW’s premium electric offering with a serious acceleration potential, though it is quite pricey – sitting at £12,190, the second most expensive on the list (but running costs could be cheaper over the years).
I rode this one at the launch in Barcelona whilst at Visordown, and it’s seriously fun. Though the range, from memory, did deplete pretty quick when riding at full tilt. I was purely chasing that torque off the line, with that huge torque on offer, and enjoying a really engaging ride – you could say it’s certainly an electric ride.
Under-seat storage is a little compartment with a door to one side, and I’m not sure I could squeeze my helmet in there. With the seat an unfamiliar bench style, though does add to that futuristic style. It rides well, but your adventures will be confined to short hops due to the range and recharging nature with a maximum 80-mile range.
Would you go electric for your next maxi? Makes sense in towns, cities, and short distances at least!
9 Kymco CV R5 - Price TBA
We saw this one at the EICMA show in Milan at the tail end of 2024, and though it’s early days for the first adventure maxi from Kymco, and we’re yet to see further concrete information on price and availability in the UK, but an early look seems promising.
Great style in my opinion, and the single cylinder has a respectable 34.4 bhp and 40 Nm, with tech including Pivoting Torque Management with inverted fork and monoshock, ABS & traction control, tyre pressure monitoring, keyless ignition, and weighs in at 210 kg.
All in, if the price is right, this could be a great pick from a respected scooter brand. Though, whilst we were having a closer look at EICMA, the scooter was being worked on whilst we were filming – I wonder what they were up to.
8 Peugeot XP 400 GT - Price £7,899
With a UK distribution network now set up, you’ll likely be seeing plenty more of these on UK roads. Potentially, anyway, as the XP400 looks like a top scoot but is veering into expensive territory, particularly for a 400, at £7,899 base price.
But, for your money, you get 36.7 bhp and 38.1 Nm of torque, with Peugeot stating it offers the best performance in its category… plus, smart key, 5-inch TFT connected dash (and turn-by-turn navigation), LED lighting, USB socket… so a lot of the stuff you’d expect, along with semi-knobbly tyres and wire spoked rims.
It looks really nice in person, I love the little beak, but it is more expensive than the BMW C400GT which seems to have more tech features for the money – though this does have ABS and combined braking, and is entirely manufactured in France as opposed to in China (so perhaps more manufacturing cost here).
7 Suzuki Burgman 400 - Price £7,199
The eternal Burgman 400 is proving, to this day, a very popular maxi scooter – though don’t tell that to our resident BikeMatters retired rider Brett, as for some reason he’s not too fond of them… Well, that’s a bit harsh, he doesn’t mind them but he’s often saying how the 400 hasn’t been updated in quite a few years, and is well overdue a refresh with a few more mod cons thrown in.
So why is it at number 7? It’s an honest commuter, rides well, and is as ‘no fuss’ as it gets - if you're after no thrills commuting reliability, this could be the solution.
It doesn’t quite have the raw power and tech, but it has 42 litres of storage under the seat (1 full face will fit plus some other bits), Suzuki’s advanced immobiliser system and easy start system, plus traction control - as of writing, in 2025 you can get a free top box if you buy one new!
6 BMW C 400 X - Price £7,340
Two options from BMW in the 400cc maxi scooter class, the Grand Turismo and the adventure X – both with tweaks for their respective riders.
Updated for 2025, and Euro 5+ homologation, the single cylinders are shared between the two (34 bhp and 35 Nm), and plenty of tech features (Cornering ABS Pro, Dynamic Brake Control, Dynamic Traction Control, Engine Drag Torque Control (MSR), and 6.5 inch TFT display.. there’s a lot there. Plus the potential for more in the accessories catalogue.
I’ll go for the X on the list, with its R1250GS front light and knobbly tyres, though the GT does also look quite decent. Both are largely made by the Bavarian’s production partner Loncin, in China, alongside the F800 and F900, and have been doing so since September 2007.
5 Kymco AK550 Premium - Price £9,999
Premium by name, premo by scooter. Taiwanese marque Kymco has been selling a number of these for years, we’ve reviewed it at BikeMatters, and the power and style on offer here is a big reason it’s worth a look.
Kymco DOES have the new 575 Premium for 2025, but I’m not sure that is coming to the UK unfortunately – if it was coming to the UK, it would be in this place.
Until then, the Premium AK has cruise control, an electronic throttle with 2 rider modes (rain, power), AIBS, electric windshield, a centre console inspired by piano keys (ooo la), and all for just shy of ten grand. Very nice.
If I’m not wrong, Steve Parrish, the famed motorcycle racer, has one of these - and anyone with superbike acumen praising a maxi scooter is about as much praise as you can get, calling it the 'dog's danglies' on Instagram!
4 Honda X-ADV 750 - Price £11,249
Honda’s adventure scooter is a peculiar one – with DCT, an off-road guise, and wildly popular in Italy. One thing is for certain, it's an absolute hoot to ride. We had this in for review (well the 2024 model) and it seriously impressed, styling is spot on and the ride is great – now, whether you’d decide to take this off-road is up to you, but some have said it’s seriously adept. You can even stand up on pegs if you have them fitted, providing surprising control when stood up on the bear trap pegs that were fitted to the review model.
2025 additions include new dual LED headlights, a one-hand adjust screen, updated DCT for smoother low-speed response, and the ever-welcome cruise control.
One possible negative here is that it’s a little bit wide between the legs, and getting your feet to the ground is a tad difficult if you’ve got shorter legs. It was a slight struggle for me, and I’m 6’3” – find more pros and cons in the full review.
This could well be number 1 on another day, but we’ve got 3 very tempting picks for 2025 maxi scooters coming up… really enjoyed reviewing this one.
3 Sym Maxsym TL 508 - Price £7,699 to 9,499
Third spot in Top 3 maxi scooters goes to the Sym Maxsym TL 508, and this looks very good for the money – especially if you can grab it for £7,699 as I've seen it online.
The DOHC twin does well in the performance rankings, with Sym quoting 50/50 weight distribution and ‘powerful braking’ with dual front discs with steel braided hoses, a style influenced by modern superbikes – can you see which ones? An old R1 at the front maybe? – upside-down forks and multi-link suspension with off-sided mono shock, and some solid power figures that handily fit right in at the A2 licence limit.
Simply enough, I think that some of these options are getting a bit pricey, and Sym’s offering could well be a good balance of the tech on offer, a good motor, and impressive performance for a maxi on the road.
If you’ve got one, let me know what it’s like to own - get at us on social media.
2 Yamaha TMAX Tech Max - Price £14,400
Here’s arguably the best on the list, but it’s number two this time round – and for me, that’s because of the price tag. In the UK we only get the Tmax Tech Max, which admittedly is the premium offering with more gadgets than you’d know what to do with, but you do pay a hefty price for the best.
As a brief run down, for 2025 the Tmax Tech Max has Euro 5+ refinements, a new brake control system, cruise control, traction control, 2-position d-mode, a 7 inch dash with Garmin Integration, electric screen, heated seat, adjustable suspension, a motorcycle-style aluminium chassis… it has it all.
It could be the poster child for all maxi scooters out there, and as Michael Neeves of MCN will tell you, it’s an absolute worldie of a machine – it does it all.
But it misses out on the top step to one eternal rival…
1 Honda Forza 750 - Price TBA (2024 was £10,499)
Pure power, I found the Forza 750 to be essentially a sports bike in a scooter shape, a great tourer but perfectly happy to dart around town and do everything a maxi scooter needs to. I genuinely loved it, I’m pretty sure I’ve said that before too!
As of writing the 2025 price is to be officially confirmed, but rumoured to go up a bit - the 2024 model is £10,499, and it is always a bit cheaper than the X-ADV that it shares a motor with, so I’d guess £10,549.
Updates include standard-fit cruise control, and a new style (with DCT tweaks for further improvements to an already great system) – which goes along with the new eco approach with Durabio painted black parts around the body work, added internal light for the under seat compartment plus more leg room in the step floor area, and quoted over 200 miles range per 13.2 L tank.
Yes, the 57.8 ponies wins me over, but it has a very competitive offering for a decent price.
You could also consider the more friendly and A2-sized ADV350 and Forza 350 – they’re great little runners. Jess covered those smaller A2-friendly scooters in a dedicated video here for BikeMatters.
That just about rounds up our 10 best maxi scooters for 2025 – and whilst we did miss a few off the list, the 10 featured here are certainly well worth a look if you’re after the latest and greatest maxi scooter to cruise around on. I don't think any shown here would be disappointing by any means.
It goes without saying, but Lexham Insurance can provide you a quote for your scooter or motorcycle, try them direct!
