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Photo of a Yamaha X-City

Yamaha X-City

16 inches up front, 15 behind: Yamaha's big-wheel maxi-scooter debut.1

Researched November 2, 2026 from 26 sources

At a glance

0100200
14.43–20.92 hpPower
0100200
105–131 km/hTop speed
0150300
11.7–21.5 N·mTorque
05001,000
167–173 kgWeight

The coral arc spans the family, from its mildest version to its wildest.241314

Engine
125: 124.6 cc; 250: 249 cc; injected, liquid-cooled Euro 3 Minarelli engines2
Layout
Central-tunnel scooter; 16-inch front, 15-inch rear24
Gearbox
V-belt CVT automatic on both VP125 and VP2502
Built at
Yamaha manufacture and assembly, Italy2

The story

Yamaha's Italian-built, Minarelli-powered X-City filled a big-wheel gap beside the X-Max. Made in 2007–2016 as VP125 and VP250, it took the lavish route: even the 125 came with a full equipment list.234

2007: 250 launches at EUR4,395 · 125 arrives with a forged piston20072008: Rome's she-wolf takes the handlebars20082009: Four screen heights and a rear rack20092011: New nose, controls and lower seat · Master Scooter 250: last in slalom20112012: Registrations fall to 2,38120122013: 125 and 250 listed in Topcase trim20132016: Production ends after a 2007–2016 run2016 Yamaha Majesty 250: Introduced 1995Yamaha Majesty 250Yamaha X-City 125/250 (VP125 / VP250): 2007–2016VP125 / VP250 1995200020052010201520202025
GenerationsBefore and afterMilestones2619
Show the numbers
YearWhat happened
Introduced 1995Yamaha Majesty 250
2007–2016Yamaha X-City 125/250 (VP125 / VP250)
2007250 launches at EUR4,395
2007125 arrives with a forged piston
2008Rome's she-wolf takes the handlebars
2009Four screen heights and a rear rack
2011New nose, controls and lower seat
2011Master Scooter 250: last in slalom
2012Registrations fall to 2,381
2013125 and 250 listed in Topcase trim
2016Production ends after a 2007–2016 run
  1. 2007

    250 launches at EUR4,395

    Dealers receive the 250 in late February; a rack, top box and tall-screen kit is offered for EUR280 instead of EUR415 through May.56

  2. 2007

    125 arrives with a forged piston

    At EUR3,795, the 125 pairs a four-valve head and forged piston with fuel injection, twin catalysts and 11.7 Nm.47

  3. 2008

    Rome's she-wolf takes the handlebars

    An Italian campaign puts Rome's she-wolf, Naples's donkey and Catania's elephant on the X-City, borrowing each city's animal emblem.8

  4. 2009

    Four screen heights and a rear rack

    The 250 adds a four-position windscreen and rear rack, with red-lit instruments in an aluminum surround.29

  5. 2011

    New nose, controls and lower seat

    Both the 125 and 250 get a new front panel, headlamp and handlebar switches, plus a reshaped, lower seat for easier footing.10

  6. 2011

    Master Scooter 250: last in slalom

    The 250 earns praise for stability, comfort and finish, but its bulk leaves it last among the 250s in the slalom.11

  7. 2012

    Registrations fall to 2,381

    The X-City 250 records 2,381 registrations, roughly half its 2011 total.12

  8. 2013

    125 and 250 listed in Topcase trim

    Italy's price list pairs the 125 Topcase at EUR3,690 with the 250 Topcase at EUR3,990; standard versions cost EUR3,590 and EUR3,890.13

  9. 2016

    Production ends after a 2007–2016 run

    The X-City family finishes production after a run spanning 2007–2016.2

Every generation

  • Yamaha Majesty 250
    Yamaha Majesty 250Introduced 1995
  • Yamaha Versity 300
    XC300
  • Yamaha X-City 125/250
    VP125 / VP2502007–2016
  • Yamaha X-MAX
    Yamaha X-MAX

Versions

2 versions worth knowing, with their power.

  • Standard

    X-City 250

    2007–2016

    21 hp

  • Standard

    X-City 125 Pack

    2007–2009

How to spot one

Look for

  • 2008 125: a bulging nose, kidney-shaped twin headlamps and blue-looking lenses when unlit.16
  • An L-shaped body line runs from the front shield through the center tunnel to the side panel.4
  • Tall-wheel stance: a 16-inch front wheel paired with a 15-inch rear.2
  • Widely spaced rear lamps give the tail an X-Max-like appearance.418
  • The 125 and 250 look almost identical; use the side capacity decal to separate them.7

Year by year

  1. 2009

    A four-position height-adjustable windshield and a rear carrier base arrived.2

  2. 2009

    The 250 had red-backlit instruments with an aluminum surround, plus white, gray, black and silver paint choices.9

  3. 2011

    Both sizes gained a new front panel, headlamp unit and handlebar switchgear, plus a reshaped, lower seat.10

  4. 2014

    The 250's monochrome white, gray or black paint was paired with aluminum-colored trim.12

Don’t confuse it with

  • Yamaha X-Max 250

    X-City 250 uses 16-inch front/15-inch rear wheels; the sportier X-Max 250 has much more underseat storage.14

  • Photo of a Yamaha X-City
    X-City
    Photo of a Honda SH300i
    Honda SH300i

    Honda SH300i

    The Honda has a flat floor and a slimmer body; the X-City has a raised center tunnel.6

Against its rivals

  • X-City vs Yamaha X-Max 250

    List price (2013) lower is better

    X-City3,890 €
    Yamaha X-Max 2504,890 €
    1314

Prices

Value today $1.1K–$2.1K2224

Price when newValue today
$0$2K$4K$6K$8K 2010201520202025 Value today: $1,068–$2,054 2007 · $6,021 · Italy 250; EUR approx $1.372008 · $6,012 · Belgium 125; EUR approx $1.472013 · $4,775 · Italy 125; EUR approx $1.332013 · $4,908 · Italy 125 Topcase; EUR approx $1.332013 · $5,174 · Italy 250; EUR approx $1.332013 · $5,307 · Italy 250 Topcase; EUR approx $1.33 2007 · 4.395 euro f.c. · Italy 250 base, 2007 MY; EUR approx $1.37
151326
Show the numbers
YearPriceAmountDetail
2007Launch price$6,021Italy 250 base, 2007 MY; EUR approx $1.37
2007Price when new$6,021Italy 250; EUR approx $1.37
2008Price when new$6,012Belgium 125; EUR approx $1.47
2013Price when new$4,775Italy 125; EUR approx $1.33
2013Price when new$4,908Italy 125 Topcase; EUR approx $1.33
2013Price when new$5,174Italy 250; EUR approx $1.33
2013Price when new$5,307Italy 250 Topcase; EUR approx $1.33
2026Value today$1,068–$2,054

The rest of the story is in the app

The full file tells why each version matters, the legend behind the car and what to check before buying one.

  • Versions

    • Why each of the 2 versions matters

  • Legend

    • 8 stories from its legend
    • “The 264 cc ancestor called a flying carpet”
    • “One Minarelli engine, two Yamaha 250s”

  • Generations

    • The story of each of the 4 generations

  • Market

    • 6 things to check before buying one
Read the full file in SPOT

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Sources

Every fact on this page links to the source it rests on.

See all 26 sources
  1. Yamaha X-City motociclismo.es
  2. Yamaha X-City - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
  3. Yamaha X-City 125/250 motociclismo.es
  4. Prova | Yamaha X-City 125 motorbox.com
  5. Yamaha X-City a prezzo di lancio - News - Moto.it moto.it
  6. Prova | Yamaha X-City 250 motorbox.com
  7. Yamaha X-City 125 motociclismo.es
  8. Photo du jour : Yamaha X-City, la ménagerie s'évade en scooter caradisiac.com
  9. Yamaha X-City 250 2009 - Motoblog motoblog.it
  10. Novedades en la gama de Scooters Yamaha 2011 - Canariasenmoto.com canariasenmoto.com
  11. Yamaha X City 250 motociclismo.es
  12. Yamaha X-City 250, lo scooter a ruote alte che sfida Piaggio Beverly e Honda SH - Infomotori infomotori.com
  13. Yamaha aggiorna i listini moto, scooter e off-road 2013 - Motoblog motoblog.it
  14. Test: Yamaha VP250 X-City (MBK Cityliner) motorscooter A2-rijbewijs startersmotor.nl
  15. Yamaha X-City, modello fuori listino, prezzo, scheda tecnica, foto - inSella insella.it
  16. Prueba de la Yamaha X-City 125 (1/4) motorpasionmoto.com
  17. Fiche technique Yamaha X-City X-City 125 Pack - L'argus largus.fr
  18. Prueba de la Yamaha X-City 125 (2/4) motorpasionmoto.com
  19. Our Stories：29 Bestsellers Revitalize the Domestic Market - Yamaha Motor History | Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. global.yamaha-motor.com
  20. 2004 Yamaha Versity 300 specifications and pictures bikez.com
  21. Yamaha X-City 125 - spokojnie, po miejsku scigacz.pl
  22. Quotazione Yamaha X-City 125 usato - Moto.it moto.it
  23. Yamaha Versity 300 motorcyclespecs.co.za
  24. Quotazione Yamaha X-City 250 usato - Moto.it moto.it
  25. Yamaha X CITY: Common Problems, Mileage & MOT Pass Rate | MotoDealer motodealer.co.uk
  26. Yamaha X-City | MBK Cityliner 125 2008 | Motoren en Toerisme motoren-toerisme.be
  • motociclismo.es
  • en.wikipedia.org
  • motorbox.com
  • moto.it
  • caradisiac.com
  • motoblog.it
  • canariasenmoto.com
  • infomotori.com
  • startersmotor.nl
  • insella.it
  • motorpasionmoto.com
  • largus.fr
  • global.yamaha-motor.com
  • bikez.com

Photo credits

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