Yamaha RX100 set a benchmark for low powered performance bikes in India. Latest reports say that Yamaha would not bring the bike back, but might use its characteristics in an upcoming bike.
The time Yamaha entered the Indian bike scenario, it added another segment. The low powered performance bike segment is truly Yamaha’s cup of tea. Back at that time, it had Yamaha RX100 and now it has R15 V3.
RX100 is one of the iconic bikes from the brand, as it was successful in making Indians learn the concept of performance bikes. Its 100cc engine was quick, agile and had a very good pickup.
For a mere Rs 19,000 back then, a fully restored one will easily cost you around Rs 50-60,000. The racing legend has a huge fan base, which is sincerely waiting for the day when Yamaha relaunches the RX100.
Meanwhile, the latest news suggests that Yamaha is considering using the characteristics and traits of RX100 with a new bike. If such is the thing, we might see the RX100 in a new avatar.
Yamaha RX 100’s agility was discovered by drag racers, who were shocked to see such quick acceleration in such a small bike. By the time it became a hit, every Indian was ‘oomphing’ over it, as it was called ‘King of the Indian roads’.
Now, you might see a limited number of RX 100s plying, because of the stricter norms. You might also spot the occasional RX 135 or RX-Z, which had similar chassis but different engines. However. these two bikes did not make it as large as RX 100. The love for this bike is infinite and this one put Yamaha as one of the top bike makers in India in the 1980s. We all pray for its return, but Yamaha has no plans to start the production of RX 100.
The rumors about Yamaha RX 100 coming in a 4-stroke engine started somewhere around 2016. It emerged that a custom Yamaha RX-135 has been exhibited at a motor show in Malaysia. The legendary two-stroke motorcycle has got a purple chrome paint finish and golden highlights. The RX 135 has been known as the RX-K 135 in some markets where the K stands for King.
RX 135 was Yamaha RX 100’s older brother, which was available in the market till 2005. In the late 1990s, the emission norms grew stricter and were directed towards 4-stroke engine bikes. So, RX 100 shut and the RX 135 was launched with a 4-stroke engine. Following which, RX-Z, a typical old-school sports bike was also launched. The RX-Z was a huge hit amongst the youth. However, RX 135 did not have the same chutzpah as the RX 100 and it was not much successful.
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The 1985 RX 135 that was on sale in some international markets got a bikini fairing and a tailpiece. In the custom bike here, things like the handlebar, grab rail, mud-guards, crankcase, front forks and the exhaust have been chrome-plated. The custom RX 135 here sports Showa front fork and Ohlins gas-charged rear shock-absorbers. The modified RX-135 you see here also sports Binter AR125 mag wheels and a disc brake at front with Nissin calipers. The speedo console and the Rear View Mirrors have been carried over from the stock bike.
Highlighting the popularity of the Yamaha RX 135 amongst enthusiasts, in 2016, a news had emerged that a dealer in Bengaluru has auctioned off seven units of the iconic motorcycle for five-figure sums.
Rahul S Dhojanna, who owns Pace Motors, claims that enthusiasts at the auction shelled out around INR 1.5-165 lacs for the RX135 models. The dealer had been trying to sell these units for quite some time now but had to wait in order to obtain necessary permissions from the RTO as registration of two-stroke bikes had been stopped.
Yamaha India currently has no presence in the 100-110 cc segment with their lowest capacity motorcycle being the Saluto. Currently, Yamaha says that it is focused on developing entry level 100-110 CC bikes. It had earlier planned of relaunching the legend, but the production costs and a 4-stroke engine led down the decision.
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