Yamaha Saluto RX First Look Review

Yamaha Saluto RX First Look Review

The Saluto RX represents Yamaha’s latest offensive in the lucrative but highly competitive 110cc commuter motorcycle segment. The Saluto RX is a successor to the now discontinued Yamaha Crux, and apart from an all-new moniker, the motorcycle also gets completely revised underpinnings and a brand new engine. Yamaha aims to attract the semi-urban and the metropolitan youth audience by hoping that the iconic RX moniker’s magic will rub off on the Saluto RX.

The conservative yet elegant design of the Yamaha Saluto RX draws inspiration from its bigger 125cc sibling, the Saluto. The sculpted fuel tank, new 10-spoke alloy wheels and the curvy headlamp with bikini fairing add flair to the understated design. The blacked out wheels, exhaust system and the frame contrast beautifully with the Saluto RX’s bright paint schemes. The instrument console gets a simplistic design, with an analogue speedometer, fuel gauge and odometer. The elongated single-piece seat coupled with neutral-set footpegs offer a very comfortable seating position.

Under the skin, the Yamaha Saluto RX is based on a new platform, which has been developed keeping weight-saving in mind. As such, the Saluto RX tips the scales at 98 kilograms (wet), which is a phenomenal 22 kilograms lesser than its predecessor, the Crux. The fuel tank can gulp down 7.2 litres, which taking into account the company’s claimed efficiency figure of 82kmpl, gives the Saluto RX a real world range of over 500 kilometres.

Powering the Yamaha Saluto RX is an 110cc single-cylinder air-cooled engine, which comes with BlueCore technology. This engine delivers 7.4bhp and 8.5Nm of torque, which is mated to a four-speed gearbox. BlueCore technology is all about minimising power loss in the engine through smart engineering, which eventually improves the efficiency without compromising on the performance. The Saluto RX can also boast of being one among the handful motorcycles that are BS IV compliant in the country.

The Yamaha Saluto RX rides on conventional telescopic forks up front and dual springs in the rear. While the Saluto RX only gets a drum brake for the front wheel as of now, the company might offer a disc setup at a later date as an optional extra. In typical commuter motorcycle fashion, the switchgear is quite basic and feels like it was built to a cost. The Saluto comes with an electric starter as standard.

The Yamaha Saluto RX is available in four paint schemes - blue, black, matte black and red. While the Saluto RX is currently offered in a single variant, we can expect Yamaha to introduce other variants over the next few months. It competes with other commuter motorcycles like the Hero Passion Pro, Honda CD 110 Dream, Mahindra Centuro and the TVS Victor.