Yamaha RX 100

Overview

Yamaha's RX 100 was the first choice of those who loved performance in the mid-'80s, but side by side cared for their pocket also. Yamaha came up with this lightweight and classic offering, which revolutionised the Indian motorcycle industry. The Yamaha RX100 was known for its straight design, which had the fuel tank and seat aligned on the same level. The seat was kept straight in order to provide the most comfortable ride possible at the time of its launch. Use of chrome was in fashion at that time and both the front and rear mudguards were fully chromed. The Yamaha and RX100 badge was also chrome plated. The instrument console seems to be the worst part of the bike, designed oddly and divided into three portions.

On the extreme left, the high beam indication and a neutral indication is available. Also, it had the left turn light whereas the right turn light was in the portion available at extreme right. The centre had a speedometer with an odometer placed inside it. The biggest plus point for the RX100 was its performance. It had a 98 cc, 2 stroke engine. Being air cooled, it produced 11 BHP @ 7500 rpm and 10.39 NM @ 6500 rpm. The power production of the bike was massive and it was tagged as the best performer in the 100 cc segment at its time. Touching the 100 kmph mark was an achievement for the little blaster.

The braking was in the hands of 130 mm drum brakes, both for the front and the rear. The front suspension was telescopic forks whereas the rear used swing arm type for the suspension work. It used a set of 18-inch tyres and the lightweight body design helped in more acceleration and higher fuel efficiency. It returned nearly 40 kmpl. It was available in 3 shades namely Red, Blue and Silver. The performance was the only motive behind its built. It may be for higher speeds or quick accelerations; a weight of the bike favoured everything and made it one of the most successful bikes in India.