Yamaha’s RayZR is a new model to the UK and gives the company something different in its already comprehensive scooter line-up, although it’s been on sale in other countries for the past few years.
That’s because Japanese manufacturers are true multinationals, creating products for some countries which we wouldn’t normally see here in Europe. The RayZR is much like the Suzuki Avenis we reviewed last year, in that it’s an Indian market scooter which is now being added retrospectively to the UK range. It reflects a change in the marketplace, giving Yamaha and its dealers a less expensive model with which to take on the increasing number of Chinese scooter manufacturers which have started to emerge.
So the RayZR is very much an entry to the Yamaha range here in the UK, and despite being new to us has been on sale in India for almost five years now. At £2300 it’s £900 cheaper than the previous entry model (the oddly named D’elight) and is priced to sell, being a good bit cheaper than Suzuki’s Address 125 (£2799) and only a little more expensive than the offerings of Lexmoto and other Chinese brands. When you consider the benefits of the Yamaha brand, including reputation and dealer network, it looks like a proper bargain.
Like all of the aforementioned machines, the RayZR (or Cygnus RayZR as it sometimes known) is learner legal. You can ride it from the age of 17 after doing a day’s compulsory basic training, making it a no nonsense and very easy to access form of transport. Considering all the other expenses a new motorcyclist has to make, including training and the cost of riding gear, the price is a very important factor when it comes to making a purchasing decision.
And it is basic. The RayZR is powered by a 125cc air-cooled, two-valve single cylinder engine making 8bhp. That’s just over half the amount of power allowed by law for learner legal scooters, so it’s fair to say the performance is modest, but with just 99kg to haul around it’s lively enough for city riding. Around town it is brisk enough, while top speed is over 50mph, making it capable of short trips down dual carriageways. As with all small capacity machines, the performance is at the mercy of the conditions. We saw an absolute top speed of 60mph down a long, slightly downhill, section of bypass but going the other way we crept up to 50mph. Normally an indicated 54-55mph should be expected, but wind and inclines will change that.
An unusual feature on the RayZR, and a big surprise to see on such a cheap scooter, is something Yamaha call Power Assist, which is an electrical boost which helps improve acceleration from a standstill. In its home market of India the model is dubbed a hybrid and while that’s pushing things a bit when compared to the part-battery, part-ICE cars we’ve come to know in recent years, it does seem to work. Power Assist is a unique proposition and is linked to the stop/start system, which kills the motor at a standstill to save fuel and reduce emissions. Yamaha’s blurb doesn’t really explain what the technology is or how it works but, regardless, the RayZR is much sharper off the line than you’d expect a machine with such a modest power output to be. Normally twist and go scooters can be a little ‘laggy’ on the first touch of the throttle but this felt more direct and stronger than I expected. Whether that’s down to Power Assist I don’t know, but it doesn’t really matter. What does matter is that it’s a very responsive little scoot and that’s what you want around town.
The chassis is even more simple. Like Suzuki’s 125 scoots, it’s got diddy little wheels – 12” at the front and 10” at the rear – which makes it low to the ground and creates a very agile bike around town, albeit at the expense of some stability on those rare occasions when the RayZR is ridden flat out on open roads. That said, we took in some dual carriageways on our test ride and although we’d prefer a more powerful (albeit expensive) scoot like Yamaha’s own NMAX if we were doing regular open road work, the little RayZR coped well enough but did leave us feeling a little exposed as we struggled to keep up with trucks and buses.
Still on the riding experience, the linked brakes are adequate. Like pretty much every aspect of the entry level Yamaha, they are competent without being outstanding. As mentioned before, it only weighs 99kg. To put that into perspective, the Suzuki Address is 105kg and the best-selling NMAX, Yamaha’s mainstream 125cc scooter, is 131kg. That makes it easy to ride and goes some way to compensating for the low specification engine and brakes.
Fuel consumption is another buying consideration for many and our experience is that you should be able to see over 100mpg, even when ridden at its hardest, and significantly more in its more natural urban environment. With a 5.2 litre fuel tank, you should be able to cover between 100-150 miles between refills.
The all-round specification is just about as simple as it gets, meaning there’s not much to write about. There are two colour options, red or black, which look classy enough and the funky Y shaped daytime running light looks cool. Touchpoints like the handlebars, seat and footpegs could all be forgiven for being a bit cheap and nasty at this price but, while you wouldn’t describe them as premium, they belie the truly budget nature of the machine. The dashboard is easy to read, with a big LCD speed read out and a smaller part of the display where the rider can scroll between secondary readouts including a clock, odometer, trip meter, instant fuel consumption and average fuel consumption.
Sure, the massive exhaust is a bit unsightly and the large front mudguard is a nod to its Indian origins (where the roads are rough and dusty) but they don’t impact on the riding experience in any way. Practicality is decent too. The underseat storage area has a 21 litre capacity, which is big enough for most full faced helmets, or a bag of shopping. The positioning of the fuel tank means the underseat area is not as big as that found on more premium 125s, but the upside is that the footboards are nice and flat, making the RayZR easy to climb on board and giving another area where a bag can be transported (using the standard bag hook).
Conclusion
The Yamaha RayZR isn’t the most exciting PTW (powered two-wheeler) on the market. Its specification isn’t going to knock your socks off, but as an inexpensive form of transport it certainly has an important place in today’s motorcycling landscape.
‘Better than you’d expect’ sounds like damning praise but I can’t think of a better way of describing my time with this little 125. Actually, I can… the RayZR is MUCH better than I expected it to be. Sure, it’s not as refined, or as quick, as more premium scoots like the Honda PCX125 and Yamaha’s own NMAX, but then neither is it anything like as expensive - with those models costing just under four grand. It doesn’t pretend to be anything it’s not, and that’s probably the most admirable thing about it.
Inexpensive scoots provide an excellent solution for commuters, getting the population moving with more flexibility and (often) less cost than public transport. The Yamaha RayZR may have flown under the radar, and may be overlooked by many, but vehicles like these have an awful lot to offer and are unsung heroes which deserve to be feted.
Yamaha RayZR specification
Price: £2,301
Engine: 125cc, air-cooled, single cylinder, two-valve
Power: 8bhp @ 6,500rpm
Torque: 9.7Nm @ 5,000rpm
Suspension: Telescopic front forks with twin rear shock absorbers
Wheels: Cast aluminium, 12” front and 10” rear
Tyres: Front 190/90-12, rear 110/90-10
Weight: 99kg wet
Seat height: 785mm
Fuel tank: 5.2 litres
Contact: www.yamaha-motor.eu
