With the trend of resurrecting legendary brands, Yamaha RX seems eligible for a second life
Yamaha RX series motorcycles were in production in India from 1985 to 2005. Most loved among them was RX100 that was produced from 1985 to 1996. The bike was hugely popular largely due to its unmatched speed, acceleration and agile handling. However, due to stricter emission norms, the bike was discontinued. It was followed by other RX motorcycles such as RXG, RX-Z and RX135. However, none of them could match the popularity of RX100.
Yamaha RX 155 rendered
With legendary bikes like Jawa getting successfully re-launched, there could be scope for Yamaha RX as well. Enthusiasts would surely want to try their hands on an all-new Yamaha RX. Following up on these possibilities, automotive artist Pratyush Rout has come up with a 155cc version of Yamaha RX. While the design is inspired by RX models, the bike borrows its engine from Yamaha R15.
In this render, the bike gets an all-black colour theme. Most parts such as the engine, fenders, suspension, fuel tank, side panels, and spoke wheels have been blacked out. This ensures a dominating road presence, something that would be hard to miss on the streets.
RX 155 borrows most of the styling bits from original RX bikes. It gets features such as circular headlamps and turn indicators, twin-pod instrument console, and wide handlebar. Design of the fuel tank, seat, fenders and tail section is largely the same as that of original RX.
However, based on its updated powertrain, RX 155 gets a range of enhancements. These include wider front and rear tyres, fork gaiters and disc brakes. The basic suspension system remains unchanged – telescopic forks at front and dual rear suspension. Assuming that RX 155 reaches production stage, it is likely to be equipped with at least single-channel ABS. It is to note that Yamaha R15 is equipped with dual-channel ABS as standard.
Yamaha RX 155 engine
RX 155 will borrow its engine from R15. As may be recalled, Yamaha recently launched the new R15 V4. Although the engine is the same 155cc unit as earlier, it comes with updates such as Quick Shifter and Traction Control System. Quick shifter allows clutch-free gear shifting whereas traction control reduces the risk of wheelspin.
The engine is capable of generating 18.4 ps of max power at 10,000 rpm and 14.2 Nm of peak torque at 7,500 rpm. It is mated to a 6-speed constant mesh transmission.
The engine packs in other performance-oriented features such as assist and slipper clutch. This offers a range of benefits including reduced rider fatigue and avoidance of excessive engine braking. Another useful feature is variable valves actuation (VVA) that ensures ample torque delivery even at low RPM.
RX155 could also be equipped with Y-Connect connectivity platform. This can be used to access a range of features such as last parking location, fuel consumption tracker, malfunction notification and maintenance recommendations.