Yamaha Saluto (Disc Brake) Review

Yamaha was to the party but with a bang. It tried to get into the commuter/mileage segment and they launched the Saluto in 2015. Yamaha portrayed this a one of the most efficient 125 cc bikes. Simple efficient and now finally comes with disc brakes since 2016. What the Yamaha Saluto is all about let us see.

Yamaha Saluto Disc Brake Price

A bit over priced for a commuter compared to its competitors from Bajaj and TVS and Honda. But Yamaha always find a way to have something up their sleeve, so let us have a look.

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Yamaha Saluto Disc Brake Top Speed

The Saluto can do a top speed of 100 km/h which is a good 15 kmph more than other commuter bikes that max out at 80-85 km/h. This can be helpful on the rare highway runs. Maybe just maybe you reach office just before your manager calls you for coming late.

Yamaha Saluto Disc Brake Dimensions

I am surprised with the ground clearance of 180mm. That is a good figure and very unlikely to scrape unless you plan to go offroading. Yes the seat height is a bit high at 805 mm but is also comfortable for tall riders. The seat is not very broad so you need to stretch less. Considering the bigger dimensions the bike is light at 113 kgs and that leads to easy maneuvering.

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Yamaha Saluto Design

Yamaha decided to go with the clear headlamp. Flanked by some body work above which is the visor but between the two is a Yamaha Logo. Nice Premium feel. Yamaha has also added alloys and tubeless tyres. This may not be much but is a big step forward considering the chances of a puncture are way more in rural areas. The tank has a nice cut for keeping your knee and the graphics are not too bad either. The cut on the tank is a sporty looking spear head design. Adding a little sporty style is the long slung matte black exhaust in an effort to add some sporty feel for the commuters.

The seat is long, think, and just the right amount of softness. Sometimes I wonder, why do we pay so much more in superbikes and get such hard seats. Feels like in the effort for performance companies forgot seating comfort. The up-raised handlebars make for an upright seating posture and that makes it easy to sit and ride almost whole day. Both the tail lamp and the side indicators are clear and large. Hence visibility at the back is excellent. The grab rails are not very long but are functional.

Yamaha Saluto Disc Brake Colours

The Yamaha Saluto is available in the following colours

• Matte Green
• Sparky Cyan
• Smoky Black
• Glory Green

Both the green’s are actually black with green decals. The Cyan is a very elegant colour.

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Yamaha Saluto Disc Brake Specifications

These are good specs for a 125 cc bike which cost less than marginally more than your 100 cc bikes. The engineers at Yamaha have done a great job. The 4 speed feels less in today’s world but is enough for a commute. Despite the gear deficit the bike manages a 100 km/h mark which is remarkable. The massive 10 Nm torque helps Yamaha Saluto to reduce gear shifts and is helpful in short city / rural overtakes.

Yamaha Saluto Disc Brake Mileage

Yes the tank size is small, but Yamaha tries really hard and kind of succeeds to make up for that lose. The 78 km/l is an outstanding figure for a 125 cc bike. With all this in mind the bike can do an easy 500 km run before feeling thirsty for a fuel stop. That is good for daily commute. 

Yamaha Saluto Disc Brake Ride and Handling

The Yamaha Saluto is an ideal commuter. The long front forks, if any longer would be that of an offroader or a dirt bike. Though there are regular shocks at the back and front. This bike dampens the bumps very well. If you actually take a slow motion video if the suspension working it is a delight to watch. The handle is quite free and makes for effortless riding so is the seating posture. Do not try to go sport as the thin tyres will reach its limit and you would reach the hospital hopefully.

I’m surprised with the handling too. This bike is such a piece of cake to ride. It would be so ideal for a beginner. In today’s age of technology Yamaha finally decided to put disc brakes. It is something that I feel is more needed in rural areas with the lack of road sense. I would like to say #payhiketoengineersagain.