Introduction
The wife isn’t exactly passionate about vehicles. She isn’t against owning one, of course, but she also isn’t the one to dig deep into what makes it tick. For her, looks are paramount. But, she is also quite particular about how a vehicle needs to feel when driven or ridden. She might not say it in as many words, but she likes her vehicles torquey, easy to pilot, comfortable, and practical.
So, it wasn’t surprising that the Yamaha Aerox 155 won her approval the moment it rolled into our garage. It is a good-looking scooter, after all. Different, yes, but good-looking nonetheless. But, the wife didn’t get on it immediately and take it for a spin. The central spine instead of a flat floorboard made her think twice given she was wearing a long skirt. It also made her wonder about the scooter’s all-round usability. But why just her, many of you have also asked us if the Aerox is in fact a practical scooter to own and ride, for the family.
Here then, is our answer.
The family scooter
Over time, I have realised there are a few crucial ingredients that make a family scooter. It needs to be light but not small. It needs to be accessible but not boring in terms of performance. It needs to be easy to park, easy to drop kids to school on, and easy on the pocket in terms of fuel efficiency. It should also be able to hold a helmet or a handbag under its seat. And, it should be able to carry a decently sized shopping bag, if not a 50kg gunny bag. After all, everyone from your 18-year-old rebel to your ‘nothing-is-right-with-the-world’ retiree at home should be able to ride it.
The shopping run
Let’s get the obvious bit out the way first. Since the Aerox doesn’t have a flat floorboard, one has to plan the run to the grocery store a little better than one would on a ‘regular’ scooter. Picking an appropriate set of clothes - like you do on a motorcycle - is only the beginning. One must also know what one is buying, and if it will, in fact, fit under the seat. Yes, the underseat storage is huge, but it isn’t accepting of odd-shaped objects. That means, one might have to carry a large backpack as backup to support the shopping run. It also doesn’t have any luggage hooks, so shopping bags etc. will always need to go under the seat. In terms of practicality then, no, the Aerox just doesn’t cut it as a no-brainer family scooter.
The school run
It is better at the school run, however. You can have your five-year-old belted upfront if you like. Or in the pillion seat as well. However, the latter might be slightly challenging for the kid given the high pillion-seat height. If you have a teenager to ferry, though, the Aerox is as good, simple, and convenient for the job, as any other scooter. Plus, it has the added benefit of throwing the school bag under the seat so that the children don’t have to lug the unnecessary weight around. And even though the Aerox is heavier than most scooters, it’s not difficult or cumbersome to roll into or out of parking slots; even for the wife. So when it comes to school runs, yes, the Aerox works.
The fuel run
With a 155cc engine that makes 15 horsepower at a relatively heady 8,000rpm, not to mention 125kg of weight - with a full tank of fuel and oil in place - the engine has to move around, we weren’t expecting the Aerox to return sensational fuel efficiency figures. But, it still managed to surprise us. It has been returning between 41-43kmpl over short school and shopping runs. And when used on the office commute, this figure climbs to between 47-49kmpl. In fact, we have recorded over 50kmpl on two occasions as well. But then, the traffic on those runs was scarce. So, is it fuel efficient? Yes. Maybe not as much as smaller capacity, lighter scooters, but mid-forties on a regular basis is still commendable.
The office run
This is where the Aerox shines in my opinion. It’s effortlessly quick. It stops well. And, though it doesn’t feel the lightest when it comes to changing lanes in a hurry, it’s quick and sure-footed enough to lend plenty of confidence. One can rely on the scooter to filter through traffic in a hurry, and not worry about landing in a pickle. You see the vehicle moving into your lane, just gas it, and then it’s history. It really is that easy. Plus, I can throw in my laptop bag, my coffee tumbler, my tiffin, my water bottle, my spare shirt, my world, under the seat, and I honestly don’t miss a flat floorboard. The only thing I would like different is slightly softer springs and slower damping for the rear suspension.
By the way, the wife doesn’t wonder about the Aerox’s usability anymore. In fact, she rides it everywhere. And, all the time. So much so that I have to put in a request with her, in advance, to be able to ride it!
Product Details
Make: Yamaha
Model: Aerox 155
Kilometres this month: 463km
Fuel Efficiency: 46.7kmpl
Price: Rs 1.6 lakh, OTR, Mumbai (when tested)
Photos by Kaustubh Gandhi
Gallery
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Yamaha Aerox 155 Left Front Three Quarter
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