Yamaha Fascino is fun to ride scooter with peppy engine and very good riding dynamics as the strong underpinnings of Ray, Alpha support it
Yamaha has been known for giving us iconic sporty motorcycles such as the RD350, RX100 And RX135. However, times change when company came into India again and yet again gave us benchmark motorcycles such as Fazer,FZ and YZF-R15. After that Fuel injected models of the FZ and Fazer came along with the new scooters. The Yamaha Ray and Alpha helped Yamaha make their debut in the scooter segment something which has almost 20% market share in the country today. Most of the market share is owned by Honda as it introduced the Honda Activa and still is segment leading even after 8 years.
Yamaha wants to snatch some of that market share and it has captured around 3-5% as expected and does not want to stop as competition from companies like Suzuki, TVS and Honda themselves is getting higher and higher as they keep introducing new fresher variants of the same scooter. Hero is all set to come with a bang with three scooters and given largest 2-wheeler maker in the world, it will give tough time to the existing manufacturers out there. Yamaha Fascino is a new attempt by Yamaha to offer a seriously stylish scooter to the market at VFM price, something the Vespa, which started the trend still can’t do. What’s happening? We find out to take it out and test it to see what’s what.
Yamaha Fascino Price:
Rs. 52,500/-
Ex-Showroom (New Delhi)
Styling
The Yamaha Fascino is a stylish looking scooter with oval-shaped headlights, flowing side panels and retro front end. Front Grill is car-like and has flowing, long side indicator to give it huge presence when seen coming from the front. Rear seems a bit confusing as same side indicators are carried from the front (cost cutting perhaps) along with the stubby tail-light. Mirrors have chrome caps on them and they sharp on the edge which lend the scooter the much-loved character it posses.
Exhaust continues to the be same as other Yamaha scooters and we expected something funky here as well. Fit-finish levels are good and quality of plastics and other bits is fair enough at the price. Overall a good-looking scooter, but could have been better at the rear it has a very confused look at first glance.
Ergonomics
Seating position is upright and handlebars are in Yamaha scooter fashion are mounted slightly lower to give you the feel and feedback. Seats are comfortable for two persons and cushioning is on the softer side. Long journeys could be a bit issue for a big rider, but average person should be just fine while long or short commutes. Mirrors are big and do the job well of telling you what’s behind. You will have the get all around metal accessory which gets you extra footrest for female passengers to sit comfortable and other passengers without stretching their legs out.
Instrument Cluster and Switchgear
The speedometer has been given the classic touch with age-old fonts which resemble to old wall clock which are perfectly in sync with the scooter here.
However, there aren’t many features to boast about. There is the fuel gauge with turn indicators along which isn’t solidarity and a high beam button is what you get like the rest of stable mates. Switchgear to is identical as other scooters which Yamaha has. The clicks are precise and switches are made of good quality materials.
Performance
It’s a fun little scooter with a torquey / peppy motor that is very fun to ride.
7.1 BHP of power and 8 Nm of torque comes from the same 113cc engine that is already found in the Yamaha Ray and Alpha. The motor is smooth and refined all the way till the very limit. The engine power delivery is very linear and there are no sudden bursts anywhere. Blue Core tech has been added to the 113cc engine and that has made it over the normal engine a little more responsive, but not characterless like we saw Suzuki doing with its SEP models. There is still that digital sound track that the scooters of Yamaha always had the moment you start it.
Engine focuses as always on low and mid-end torque and from stand still and in mid range it does not feel like a puny engine. Thanks to low kerb weight and CVT tuning for bottom end power it is a very sprightly scooter till 70 km/hr after which the power tampers off and it gets stuck at 80 km/hr and that speed also takes some time reaching. The Engine has been proven quite reliable over the years and has seen no major recalls or issues from the customer end. It’s a Japanese engine, of course. Expect it to deliver around 50 km/l in the city and 54-55 km/l on the highway.
Ride and Handling
Yamaha Fascino rides on the same platform of the Ray and Alpha. The underbone chassis, wheels and tyres remain the same and so does the suspension at front and back. Technically, the damping and spring rates are also pretty much unaltered. The ride is stiff and ride quality is just about ok.
Tyres are of good compound and they lend good grip on wet or dry tarmac. Mechanical grip is also more than enough for this size of the scooter.
Scooter turns in very well and is extremely agile in the corners. The scooter is stylish and fun to ride at the same time. The engine limits its capability as the superior chassis shows its magic. Typical Yamaha DNA is seen on any motorcycle or scooter till date continues to come in the Fascino as well. Overall, a great package, but the same chassis definitely needs more power and torque and 125cc this time has been sorely missed.
Verdict
Yamaha Fascino makes a good case for itself. It’s fun to ride scooter with peppy engine and very good riding dynamics. Fuel economy too is very good and should easy on the pocket to run. Yamaha service is cheap and cheerful and Fascino with same underpinning should not cause any troubles. Best part for the Fascino it does not come at the overly expensive price tag which makes it immensely practical and approachable for mass markets.
This was suppose to be 125cc scooter but it turned out to be the 113cc scooter. However, the style and pricing surely make up for all the downsides it has. Fascino should fascinate a lot of buyers male and female, as Yamaha despite continuing focus on the commuter segment despite known best for sporty motorcycles has hit the nail bang on target again.
Technical Specifications of Yamaha Fascino
Engine: 113cc, air-cooled, carburetor engine
Power: 7 BHP @ 7500 RPM
Torque: 8.1 Nm @ 5000 RPM
Gearbox: CVT
Top Speed: 80 km/hr
Mileage: 50 km/l
Chassis: Underbone
Fuel Tank: 5.2-litres
Suspension: Telescopic Forks (Front), Monoshock (Rear)
Brakes: 130 Drum (Front), 130 mm Drum (Rear)
Tyres: 90/100/10 (Front) 90/100/10 (Rear)
Yamaha Fascino Dimensions
Length: 1815 mm
Width: 678 mm
Height: 1120 mm
Wheelbase: 1270 mm
Ground Clearance: 128 mm
Kerb weight: 103 kgs
Pros
- Engine and dynamics
- Value for money
- Stylish design
Cons
- No 125cc yet
- Under seat storage not deep
Picture Gallery from Yamaha Fascino Test Ride Review
Pictures – Swapnil Jadhav