Yamaha SZ (Old Model)

Yamaha SZ is one of the not so popular entry level 150cc bikes in India. People don't know much about this bike and don't even consider it in the list of 150cc bikes. SZ shares this segment with other bikes like Bajaj Discover150. In this article, we try to find out more about this unrecognized player from Yamaha. Dimensions wise, this bike can't stand in the list of 150cc bikes. It looks under developed and has a physique which suits 125cc segment of bikes. At its front, it has an integrated body colored cowl and black colored visor. This visor gives an impression if it's being cut abruptly; it's very short. However, its headlight and orange colored indicators give it a nice appearance.

Front fender is partly black in color which is extended along its front forks similar to other high performance bikes. It has an unmistakably full size body tank with nice cuts on it. Its side cover, alloy wheels, engine, silencer and rear grab rail; all of these are painted in black color. It has a long and wide seat which is similar to commuter bikes. The rear section has been innovatively designed. It has dual taillights of different size which is one of its kinds. Its extended rear fender carrying its number plate and light reflector goes well with its rear tyre.

Instrument panel of Yamaha SZ is very basic and it's not good news for sure. It is completely analogue and lacks basic features like tachometer. The white circular dial of SZ sports an analogue speedometer and odometer. The neutral gear indicator is also inside this dial. Other than this, it has an analogue fuel gauge and other essential indicators in its meter panel. Yamaha has opted for an air-cooled 153cc engine for this bike. This 4-stroke, SOHC engine can produce a peak power of 12.1 bhp at 7500 rpm. The maximum torque output of this mono cylinder engine is 12.8 Nm which is achieved at 4500 rpm. Yamaha SZ is equipped with a five speed manual gearbox with one gear down and four gears up-shift pattern.

This 153cc engine has been specially tuned for city conditions which means high amount of torque at low rpms for better performance in day to day usage. As the specifications suggests, most of the torque of this engine comes at early rpms and that is not limited onto papers only; it's quite evident in city traffic. In fact, its initial gears are a bit longer so that you avoid frequent gear shifting. It may not have an impressive power to weight ratio due to its heavy weight but its torque to weight ratio is far better than any of its competitor's. The instant throttle response sheds the weight for this bike especially at low rpms; it takes of really quick and fast. The problem arises only after 5000rpm when the power starts to taper off. SZ suffocates for power at high rpms and that's a major issue on highways.

Other light weight competitors like Discover150 generate more power than SZ at high rpms and as a result of which it lags behind on highways. The gear ratios feel well matched but this engine is short of power. It does 0-60km/hr within 6 seconds which is possible due to its early availability of torque. The power delivery is very linear and gear transitions are also very smooth. SZ has far better gear transitions than Discover and you will be glad with its refined engine. It can cross the speed of 100km/hr. It's a silent and stress free motor which makes less noise at high speeds.

Yamaha SZ has an extremely comfortable long and broad seat. Its commuter friendly and the riding posture also favour the daily usage. Knee and palm grip is very firm and your feet also find it nice on its front set foot-pegs. Yamaha SZ has under seat storage space. Safety features include rear saree guard, pass button and powerful headlight. Yamaha has equipped SZ with telescopic forks at front and single coil hydraulic shock absorber at the back. For safe braking, SZ has a powerful drum brake of 150mm at its front while a drum brake of 130mm functions at the back.

The handling of this bike is quite satisfactory especially in city. It never feels as heavy as its actual weight. The steer response is quite accurate but its ride quality is a matter of concern. The suspension of this bike is on the softer side and that bothers you on our Indian roads. With a pillion rider, this bike can't match the comfort quality offered by the gas filled shock absorbers of Discover. However its high speed stability is better than Discover thanks to its high ground clearance (165mm) and it feels quite confident around sharp corners. Its wide tyres along with a wheelbase of 1320mm provide extra stability to this bike.

This bike has been priced very competitively. In fact, it's even cheaper than many of the 125cc bikes. This bike is certainly less powerful but puts up a great show at slow rpms or in city traffic. The engine is very refined and it has a light handling but these factors are not enough for this bike to prove its worthiness. The bike isn't much stylish, lacks digital and advanced meter panel and has inferior suspension quality than rivals. Moreover, it lacks power and much needed features like front disc brake and self-start. Things become even worse with Yamaha's poor resale value and market reputation which results into high cost of ownership. If it had more features to offer at this price then it could have been a value for money bike.