Yamaha Ray ZR Review

Yamaha has always made exceptional bikes. They have blessed us with the likes of RD350, RX100 to the recent R15 and FZ. Seeing the success of the scooter market Yamaha decided to launch the Ray-Z and what a journey it has been. Rather late to the party being launched in 2013 but has had an impact. After all it’s better late than never. Seeing the success of the Ray Z Yamaha got excited and launched a much better looking Yamaha Ray ZR with a SWAG quotient in 2016. And the ride has been a smooth sail ever since. Let’s have a look what all this hype is about. 

Yamaha Ray ZR Price

Yamaha has gone a bit higher then it’s very competitive on the price that was there on the Ray Z. This would normally be the price of a 110 cc scooter. Would this price be enough to attract buyers? Would the design be enough to attract buyers? Or would the performance be enough to attract buyers?

Also Read: Yamaha Ray-Z Price and Review

Yamaha Ray ZR Top Speed

This little muscular scooter achieves a top speed of 86 km/h. That is a lot and more than enough for our urban traffic. Anything faster would only get you to office 3 mins faster to punch on time on the biometric.

Yamaha Ray ZR Dimensions

At 1820mm this is one of the smallest scooters on the market. But luckily the 675mm width is broader than the Ray Z. Yes the ground clearance is low at 130 mm and you would hit  speed breaker if too high. But along with smaller dimensions the scooter is also very light at just 105 kgs. That is 39 kgs lighter than my friend. How the dimensions roll in favour of this little gem we shall see later.

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Yamaha Ray ZR Design

Yamaha somehow manages to add a lot of sex appeal to their bikes. And so is the case here. The huge clear head lamp with side indicators attached looks like a big grin and the indicators look like dimples on either side of the cheek. The v-shaped design and graphics surely add to the aerodynamic looks even if the scooter isn’t. Yamaha have added a visor on the handle and this is the first I have seen on any scooter. I love the the way the indicators extend outside from the sides and give the look of one of the higher cc sports scooters.

Some functionality to wind deflection. From the side the scooter isn’t very long but the seats have ample of cushioning. The rear grab rails are more like a spoiler to help in downforce.

The exhaust is matte black to add to the sporty look. This is one thing I love and admire if a brand decides to do this on a scooter. The base of the foot board is curved. A lot of scooters have it flat. A lot of times this tends to brush if you lets say get close to a divider or footpath in heavy traffic.

And for the riding maniacs attach a VR46 sticker and this bike can corner quite a bit. Well this is pure Yamaha DNA. That is thanks to not just the looks but performance with handling. Also I can see the Disc brake in front which is an excellent addition. The Ray ZR won the Good Design award 2017 by India Design Mark. That itself says a lot.

Yamaha Ray ZR colours

The Ray ZR is available in four colours

• Matte Green
• Fizz White
• Maverick Blue
• Rooster Red
• Unfortunately no black. Yamaha has decided to go with colour combinations.

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Yamaha Ray ZR Specifications

For a 113 cc generating 7 bhp is a lot to top it up with 8.1Nm torque. This bike just keeps getting better. And both these factors combined with the extremely light weight. Why would any other scooter even sell. As I mentioned earlier, any better performance would only let you be on time to save you from the biometric.

Something a lot of scooters today miss is a kick start. And the option of not having manual gears a push start incase of an emergency is also not possible. Well that is not the case here. Yamaha know for quality and satisfying its customers gave that added small option.

Yamaha Ray ZR Mileage

Yamaha claims an efficiency of 66 km/l. How is Yamaha able to achieve it all. Good performance and good mileage, what else can a person ask for. Even if we consider 66 km/l with a 5.2 litre tank, that is approx 295 km before you stop for a refill. Consider that a months travelling expense taken care off.

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Yamaha Ray ZR Ride and Handling

With its light weight and smaller dimensions, you will love to ride it. The front suspension is telescopic making it even more agile and flickable. The response to the twist of the accelerator is perfect and there is no lag. The low centre of gravity helps in boosting confidence. Yamaha has made another outstanding machine and the legacy goes on. My request to Yamaha to add disc brake has been answered and the braking has improved drastically.

If I am not asking for too much I would love the have this very bike with a bigger engine, say a 150 cc and the dimensions and rest of the work remaining the say. That would be a scooter to give me sleepless nights till I bought one. Like I always say I love curved sides on the base of the scooter as there are less chances of it brushing on dividers or big stones or footpaths.

Verdict

The Yamaha Ray ZR in nothing more in terms of performance over the Ray Z. But the looks surely are. Would you want to spend more for that slight extra bit of SWAG factor. Well considering it’s a Yamaha seems not a big deal.