Yamaha Ray Z Road Test Review- 'The New Boy in Town'

The pros: Eye catching looks, comfortable, provides right posture, responsive engine, can touch 70 kmph mark easily, nice braking and handling.

The cons: The under seat storage capacity is lesser than the competitors.

The crux: Going by looks and performance, this scooter is definitely a worth buying.

Rating

Yamaha, the Japanese manufacturer is better known for its range of 150cc performance bikes, and is one of the most celebrated brands in this particular segment. However, last year Yamaha stepped out of its comfort zone and launched its first scooter Yamaha Ray, which brought never before success to Yamaha.

The Ray is a great product itself, but as it was targeted towards fairer sex, it was limited to that specific group. And to make things better, Yamaha recently launched a new variant of the Ray called Ray Z for boys. The Ray Z gets minor updates mechanically, but the highlight about the Z is its aggressive styling and new dual-tone paint schemes.

To perceive its true characteristics, we recently test rode Ray Z to distinguish what's new in this avatar from actual Ray.

Styling

At first glance, the Ray Z has not undergone a drastic change, however there a couple of subtle changes that sets it apart from the earlier model. First of all its new two-tone paint job in the case of our test ride looked very eye catching along with body graphic that bring out its sportiness form within.

To specifically point out, the new upgrades include features like a black visor in the front, carbon finished instrument cluster and seats, naked red coiled monoshock spring visible towards the rear along with a unique wing shape solid aluminium grab rail.

Its black finished rims further enhance this particular varaint's appeal. We also liked the graphics, specially the checkered flag at the rear panels.

Switch Gear and Ergonomics:

Yamaha Ray Z comes with very basic switch gear including a start button, turn indicator, light, high beam- low beam and horn.

The parted instrument cluster features speedometer, odometer and fuel gauge with high beam and turn indicator lights. The wide carbon finished instrument cluster is easy to read.

Yamaha Ray Z is quite comfortable to ride, courtesy upright riding posture, which is good for commuters. We also liked the light steering and the palm grips. The scooter has a wide and relaxed knee room, I'm around 5'11 and there was enough space for my legs.

The seat is also low and wide, with better cushioning, all these things make it comfortable to ride. There are two small storage areas at front, however the under seat storage capacity is lesser than the competitors.

Engine and Performance:

The Ray Z comes with same 2-valve, 113 cc, air-cooled, 4-stroke engine that of the Ray, which generates a maximum power output of 7bhp @ 7500rpm and maximum torque of 8.1Nm @ 5000rpm. However, there are some minor changes, which make this engine even better and responsive.

Yamaha has fitted roller type rocker arms and low friction oil seals , which reduce frictional losses and improve its efficiency. The other big change is that Ray Z also gets a throttle position sensor to optimise ignition timing and better throttle response.

We liked the way the engine responded, it revs happily and reaches 70kmph without any husstle. One just has to move the throttle and the active engine starts to respond. The peppy engine is always ready to touch the top speed of 85kmph and you need not to put much efforts for that.

Its V-belt automatic transmission is smooth and at par with its closest competitor Honda Dio. Ray Z has a good ride quality which comes in handy specifically in city riding conditions. Yamaha claims a fuel economy around 53kmpl, however in our test we got a mileage around 45kmpl in city traffic.

Ride and Handling:

The Ray Z uses the same under-bone chassis which features a front telescopic fork suspension along with Monoshock stressed engine coil at the rear. However, there are minor tweaks to chassis and suspension as well. Yamaha claims that the changes have made it more comfortable and easy to manoeuvre, though we didn't feel any big change.

Ray was always a good scooter and we always liked the way it rides, it is highly stable and confident around corners. Even on high speeds, it feels stable and maintains its composure while cornering. Yamaha Ray Z's stiff under-bone chassis and suspension unit stands tall on the original scooters handling characteristics.

The 10-inch pressed steel wheels with 90/100-10 53J tyres in both front and rear provide better grip on wet as well as dry road conditions. The Ray Z comes with 130mm drum brakes at both front an rear, which are adequate, however an option disk brake would have been welcomed. The scooter weighs 104kg only and its light handle makes things even better, hence the riding in a traffic is easy with the Ray Z.

Verdict:

Yamaha Ray has always impressed us, as it comes with a peppy engine, offers a good ride and handling. But, earlier it was marketed as a girl's scooter, which limited its approach. Now with the Z, the Japanese two wheel manufacturer is trying too the other sex too. Going by looks and performance, this scooter is definitely a worth buying.