Yamaha RX 100

Detailed Review by Maxabout Team

Overview

The Japanese Corporation initially released the Yamaha RX 100 in November 1985 and it made a mark in the hearts of the Indian bike enthusiasts. Setting a benchmark for two-stroke motorcycles and single-handedly changed the perspective toward motorcycling ever since. It gained a huge following and even today there are people interested in the little beast even after the company stopped manufacturing it in March 1996 because of the changes in the emission norms.

RX 100 resulted from a set of experiments that took place after the failure of RD 350, which was a faster bike but also burnt through fuel like it was no one's business. And then came along the Yamaha RX 100, which saved the Japanese manufacturer from all the losses from the RD 350 but who would have guessed that one experiment would end up becoming such an icon for generations to come and change how the country would travel in upcoming years.

Yamaha RX 100 Design and Style

RX 100 came with the basic set of looks, not very fancy to look at, but was a simple and elegant bike. With plain ring-shaped headlights, a single unit flat seat, an analogue instrument cluster, chrome fenders, exhaust and a headlight casing. It was available in 3 colours Red, Blue and Silver and came with accessories such as a crash bar, saree guard and luggage carrier.

Yamaha RX 100 Engine and Gearbox

They installed a 98cc 2-stroke, reed valve, air-cooled, single-cylinder, gasoline 7 port torque induction engine which generated a max power of 11 BHP @ 7500 rpm and a max torque of 10.39 Nm @ 6500 rpm with 4-speed manual transmission and a wet multi-disc type clutch. Yamaha RX 100 rivaled 125cc bikes in terms of output and, because of its 103 kg kerb weight, it would match 150cc bikes in terms of performance on the road.

Yamaha RX 100 Suspension, Brakes and Tyres

RX 100 came with telescopic forks (Japanese Kayaba) front suspension and a 5-adjustable swing arm at the rear. With a kerb weight of 103 kg, dry weight of 95 kg, fuel tank capacity of 10.5 litres, engine oil capacity of 1.3 litres and a ground clearance of 145 mm. Yamaha gave it 130 mm drum brakes at both ends and it had a front tyre of 2.50-inch*18-inch (6 ply rating) and a rear tyre of 2.75-inch*18-inch (4 ply rating) and wheels were wire-spoked and were not alloyed.

Instrument Console of Yamaha RX 100

They installed Yamaha RX 100 with a three-piece instrument console with a left section for the neutral and high beam light, the centre was for the speedometer and the right one for the key section. They placed the indicator lights at the far left and right ends. It displayed the gear speed within the speedometer and at 4th gear, it would reach the top speed of 100 kmph. The red section was unachievable on the speedometer, but maybe a downslope could help the needle wander into the forbidden zone and maybe your soul as well.

Key Features of Yamaha RX 100

Some of the key features include lightweight, best in class (Power and torque), low seat height, and Kayaba suspension.

Top Speed and Mileage of Yamaha RX 100

The mileage of the RX 100 is 45 kmpl and it could reach the top speed of 100 kmph (claimed). In terms of performance, the RX 100 can reach 0 to 60 kmph in around 7.5 seconds.

Yamaha RX 100 Colour Options

All the available colours before the discontinuation of the bike were Silver, Blue and Red.

Yamaha RX 100 Price

Yamaha RX 100 was sold at 16,000 just before they stopped manufacturing it. It can still be bought at many used bike markets or from online portals such as OLX and Quikr.

Yamaha RX 100 Competitors/Successors

TVS Suzuki Shogun 110 could be considered a direct rival to the RX 100. After the discontinuation of RX 100, Yamaha introduced RX 135, and it was received quite well. It came with a 132cc engine with 4 and 5-speed gearbox options. The overall output improved to 14 BHP and 12.25 Nm.

Yamaha RX 100 Update

There are some rumours going around that Yamaha might relaunch the RX 100 and RX 135 with a 4-stroke engine and, as exciting as it would seem, the Japanese Corporation has made no official announcement.