2027 Yamaha RW350 Preview

Yamaha’s 327cc ADV scooter with a rigid-mount engine

Summary: The 2027 Yamaha RW350 is a new adventure scooter with an all-new 327cc single, a rigid-mounted engine with a swinging CVT that Yamaha calls Dynamic Ride, 16/14-inch wheels on Dunlop D615 block tires, cruise control and a 5-inch TFT. It weighs 423 pounds wet. Price and U.S. availability aren’t announced.

Yamaha’s new RW adventure scooter family has two sizes, and while the twin-cylinder 2027 Yamaha RW700 grabbed most of the headlines, the little brother might be the more clever machine. The 2027 Yamaha RW350 gets an all-new 327cc single and a drivetrain layout Yamaha has never used before, plus big-scooter features like cruise control, traction control, a smart key and a connected 5-inch TFT. We’re here in Milan at EICMA, where the RW350 is on display alongside the RW700 and RW700 Explore, and it’s a scooter that looks like it wants to skip work and take the dirt road home. Yamaha hasn’t announced pricing or a U.S. launch yet. You can follow all our show coverage on our EICMA Motorcycle Show hub.

What’s New at EICMA 2026

• All-new model in Yamaha’s new RW adventure scooter series
• Yamaha’s first 327cc single: liquid-cooled, SOHC, four valves, fuel-injected
• Yamaha Dynamic Ride: engine rigid-mounted to the frame while only the CVT unit swings
• New diamond-type high-tensile steel tube frame with 7.3 inches (185mm) of ground clearance
• 37mm inverted fork and twin rear shocks with seven-step preload adjustment
• First YCC-T electronic throttle on a Yamaha mid-displacement scooter
• Three Yamaha Ride Control modes (Street, Explore, Eco), traction control and cruise control
• 5-inch color TFT with MyRide app and Garmin StreetCross navigation, plus a smart key
• No price or U.S. availability announced

Engine: An All-New 327cc Single

The RW350’s engine is a clean-sheet, liquid-cooled four-stroke single with a single overhead cam, four valves and fuel injection. Yamaha’s spec sheet lists 327cc, although its marketing rounds that up to “330cc.” It has a 2.9 x 3.0-inch (74.0 x 75.9mm) bore and stroke, so it’s slightly long-stroke, and a 10.9:1 compression ratio. Yamaha claims 28.8 hp (21.5 kW / 29.2 PS) at 7,000 rpm and 23.2 lb-ft (31.5 Nm) of torque at 5,750 rpm. That’s comfortably inside Europe’s A2 license limit, and a little more displacement than the 300cc engine in Yamaha’s XMAX.

Power goes through a V-belt automatic CVT, so it’s pure twist-and-go. That’s unlike the RW700, which uses Yamaha’s Y-AMT automated manual. The RW350 is also the first Yamaha mid-displacement scooter with YCC-T (Yamaha Chip Controlled Throttle). Yamaha claims about 67 mpg (3.5 L/100 km). The 3.4-gallon (13-liter) tank should be good for a lot of commuting between fill-ups.

Yamaha Dynamic Ride: The Clever Bit

Here’s where the RW350 gets interesting. On most scooters, the engine and CVT are one big unit that swings up and down with the rear wheel. It’s simple and cheap, but it hangs a lot of unsprung weight off the rear axle, and that’s bad news for bumps and potholes. The RW350 does it differently. Yamaha bolts the engine rigidly to the frame, without rubber isolators, and lets only the CVT unit pivot around the crankshaft axis. Yamaha calls the layout Yamaha Dynamic Ride, and it’s the company’s first semi-rigid arrangement like this.

Yamaha says the payoff is lower unsprung weight, a stiffer chassis and more freedom in rear suspension design, which should mean sharper handling and a calmer ride on rough surfaces. Since a rigid-mounted single would normally shake your fillings loose, Yamaha adds a four-axis balancer system to keep vibration in check. It’s one of the more interesting pieces of scooter engineering we’ve seen at the show this week, and it’s tucked out of sight under the bodywork where most people will never notice it.

Chassis, Suspension and Wheels

The RW350 rides on a new diamond-type high-tensile steel tube frame. Up front is a 37mm inverted fork with 5.5 inches (140mm) of travel. The rear uses twin shocks with 4.1 inches (105mm) of travel and seven-step preload adjustment for passengers or luggage. Ground clearance is 7.3 inches (185mm), rake is 26 degrees 30 minutes, trail is 3.8 inches (96mm) and the wheelbase is 60.6 inches (1,540mm). A skid plate guards the underside, and a tapered steel handlebar finishes the cockpit.

The cast aluminum wheels measure 16 inches up front and 14 inches out back, with a deep dish around the hub that Yamaha says is inspired by rally car wheels. In a Yamaha first, the rear wheel has a damper built into the hub to smooth out vibration on and off the throttle. Tires are tubeless Dunlop D615 block-pattern rubber developed for the RW350, sized 120/70-16 front and 150/70-14 rear. A single 11.1-inch (282mm) disc handles front braking, with a 9.6-inch (245mm) disc at the rear, and ABS is standard.

Ergonomics: Sit, Stand or Stretch

Yamaha wants the RW350 to work both seated and standing. Wide footpegs with heel guards and removable rubber inserts let you stand up on loose surfaces, and foldable footboards up front give you a more relaxed, stretched-out position for longer rides. The seat is tapered at the front to make it easier to reach the ground, with a 31.9-inch (810mm) seat height, the same as the RW700. The RW350 weighs 423 pounds (192kg) wet with a full tank. There’s room under the seat for a full-face helmet, depending on its size and shape, which is Yamaha’s polite way of saying leave the XXL adventure lid at home.

Electronics and Tech

For a mid-size scooter, the RW350 comes loaded. Three Yamaha Ride Control modes adjust power delivery and traction control. Street is the everyday setting. Explore keeps Street’s engine character but allows more rear-wheel slip on loose ground. Eco softens power for rain or poor road surfaces. Cruise control is standard, which is still a rare thing on a scooter this size.

The 5-inch color TFT is a first for a Yamaha mid-displacement scooter. It pairs with the free Yamaha MyRide app for calls, messages and music, and with the Garmin StreetCross app for navigation with real-time traffic. You also get a smart key system, one-push start, a USB-C charging port and full LED lighting with four LED units up front. The turn signals cancel themselves and offer a three-flash lane-change function, and Emergency Stop Signaling flashes the hazards under hard braking.

Style and Colors

Yamaha calls the RW design theme “TEXNATURE,” drawing on natural textures like riverbeds and sand. The RW350 comes in Sage Blue, Arashi Sand and Midnight Black. As part of Yamaha’s carbon neutrality effort, the RW models also use DURABIO plant-derived bio-engineered plastic and recycled polypropylene. Yamaha also announced accessories for the RW family, including aluminum side cases, a top case, soft bags and protective guards. According to motorcycles.news, retrofit heated grips for the RW350 cost €307.95, or about $347 at the November 4, 2026 rate of $1.1267 per euro.

2027 Yamaha RW350 Specs

Price and Availability

Yamaha hasn’t announced RW350 pricing for any market. Yamaha UK says pricing and availability will come later, and motorcycles.news reports that the RW350 is due in Europe in mid-spring 2027. Here in the States, Yamaha Motor USA released its 2027 street lineup today, and the RW350 isn’t in it. The only U.S. scooters listed are the XMAX, which starts at $6,399, and the Zuma 125. That doesn’t rule out a U.S. launch later, but for now it’s a Europe-first scooter. We’ll update this story if Yamaha USA says otherwise.

Our Take From Milan

MCN points out that Honda’s ADV350 was Europe’s best-selling scooter over 300cc in 2024, so the RW350 is clearly aimed straight at it. Yamaha didn’t just slap knobby tires and a skid plate on an XMAX, either. The rigid-mounted engine with a swinging CVT is real engineering, and it goes after the biggest dynamic weakness of the scooter layout. Add cruise control, ride modes, traction control and a connected TFT, and the RW350 looks like one of the best-equipped scooters in its class. The question for American riders is whether Yamaha USA brings it here. With the 2027 Honda ADV125 and Yamaha’s own Ténéré 4 concept also making a case for small adventure machines this week, the timing feels right. Catch up on everything we expected from the show in our 2026 EICMA Preview.

FAQ

How much horsepower does the Yamaha RW350 make?

Yamaha claims 28.8 hp (21.5 kW / 29.2 PS) at 7,000 rpm and 23.2 lb-ft (31.5 Nm) of torque at 5,750 rpm from its new 327cc single.

What is Yamaha Dynamic Ride?

It’s a layout where the engine is rigid-mounted to the frame and only the CVT unit swings with the rear wheel. Yamaha says it cuts unsprung weight and improves handling and ride comfort.

How much does the RW350 weigh?

Yamaha lists a wet weight of 423 pounds (192kg) with a full tank.

How much will the Yamaha RW350 cost?

Yamaha hasn’t announced pricing for the U.S. or any other market.

Is the Yamaha RW350 coming to the U.S.?

Yamaha hasn’t confirmed it. The RW350 isn’t part of Yamaha Motor USA’s 2027 street lineup announced on November 4, 2026.