Could Yamaha steal my Honda Heart?

(I know it's not right to have these feelings for another scooter)

If you've been keeping up with the blog, you'd know my personal mode of transportation is an '86 Honda Helix (249cc Scooter). The Helix is a great little scooter... Prolly the most practical scooter I could have bought. Once you get past its "Proto-speeder bike" looks, you'll find it to be comfortable, easy to handle, and capable to leaping tall buildings in a single bound... Um, I'm mean capable of running on the highway at 70 MPH. The retro 80's body style hasn't changed since...the... Eighties, and looks the same even in 2005.

Well, it was only a matter of time before someone saw this design gap and filled it with all their scooter engineering goodness; and that someone is Yamaha. They just introduced the Maxam Yamaha CP250; a low slung, laid-back, slick-lined 24bhp, 249cc Scooter Cruiser. It comes in a variety of colors. Has lot's of storage. It even sounds kinda mean... for a scooter that is.

Sure to be loved by Japanese Kids and envied by some American Kids, it sells for ￥630,000 or roughly US$6100.00. Pricy? Yes... For a 250cc scooter it's up there. Will we ever be able to lay eyes on it in the USA? That's another question completely. When I get word back from Yamaha, I'll let you know.

*** UPDATE March 18, 2005 ***

Called Yamaha US and they are absolutely clueless about anything in Japan. I asked for Yamaha Japan's number and they gave me a fax number (which I discovered after I tried to call them). I had to resort to begging my Japanese friends to hunt some data down for me. If anyone out there has Japanese Yamaha contacts, please ask for me. THANKS!