Yamaha XTZ 125 Spotted Testing In India

The bike is currently sold in countries like South Africa and the Philippines

• The Yamaha XTZ was spotted testing in Chakan, Pune.
• It gets a small 125cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled motor good for 12.5PS and 11.6Nm of torque.
• There is a high possibility that Yamaha is putting the bike through its paces in India, only to sell the bike abroad.

The Yamaha XTZ 125 has been spotted testing in Chakan, Pune. This small capacity dual-purpose bike is already on sale in international markets like the Philippines and South Africa. There it commands a price of around PHP 84,900, which roughly translates to Rs 1.15 lakh - quite a hefty price for a 125cc bike.

On the feature front, the bike gets and beak-like front fender, an underseat exhaust, a top rack, knobby tyres and fork gaiters. The Yamaha XTZ seems to be ideal for novice riders on a budget itching to hop onto the adventure touring bandwagon.

It draws power from a small 125cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled engine with a counterbalancer to reduce vibrations. The bike generates a modest 12.5PS of power at 8000rpm and 11.6Nm of torque at 6500rpm. From the looks of it, the motor seems to be fueled by a carburettor and it's unlikely to adhere to BSIV emission norms or any stringent future regulations.

Its suspension setup consists of 35mm front forks and a monoshock at the rear with 5-step preload adjustability. Both ends get longer travel of 180mm for better off-road capabilities. Braking is handled by a single disc brake up front and a drum at the rear. The Yamaha XTZ 125 also features larger 21-inch front and 18-inch rear spoked wheels rather than the conventional 17-inch ones.

That said, unlike most test bikes, the XTZ spotted testing didn’t wear the usual camouflage, which suggests that the Japanese bikemaker might just be putting the bike through its paces in Indian conditions, only to export it later. Moreover, the price of over Rs 1 lakh of a 125cc motorcycle is a little too steep for a price sensitive market like India. Hence, it’s highly unlikely that Yamaha would launch the XTZ 125 in India, at least not in the near future.

If you disregard the soon-to-be-launched Hero Xpulse 200, the Royal Enfield Himalayan takes the title of the most affordable adventure tourer in the Indian market. While that’s true, it isn’t totally crazy to dream of a small capacity ADV from the Japanese two-wheeler manufacturer considering the growing touring segment in India. 

Image courtesy: Manigandan Rajesh