Yamaha Saluto vs Honda Shine 100

The Yamaha Saluto is a very perplexing motorcycle. Having established its roots in the more enthusiast-oriented 150cc segment with the FZ-S and the YZF-R15, Yamaha launched the Saluto as a replacement for the ageing SS125 with an eye on the lucrative 125cc commuter segment. On paper, it almost seems like Yamaha has taken a step backwards. The Saluto is more than 2 horsepower down on the motorcycle it replaces and loses out on a lot of features and flair thereby adopting a very civilised and sober design. So what was Yamaha actually thinking when they brought in the Saluto?

Honda has entered the 100cc commuter motorcycle segment in the country with its first offering, the Shine 100. The Japanese bikemaker is using the existing Shine brand for its new product, owing to the success of the Shine 125 so far. To find how much it succeeds, we spent a few hours with the new Honda Shine 100 and put it through the paces as much as we could.