Introduction
Pros: Has a refined and peppy engine, is lightweight, gets well-built parts
Cons: Stiff suspension setup, limited floorboard space, lack features
The Indian market’s highest selling scooter is a 110cc. Even the second and third positions have been dominated by scooters from the same category for a while now. However, lower down the order, things are changing as the demand for 125cc scooters has been growing steadily for the past couple of years.
While most of the big manufacturers already had an offering in the segment, Yamaha was the last to enter the party with the Fascino 125 in December 2019. Although we are a bit late too, we spent a few days with the Fascino 125 in a bid to find out what this new scooter offering from Yamaha is all about.
Quality
The Fascino 125 is built to appeal to a younger audience and is offered in some flashy colour options like this suitably named ‘Vivid Red’ paint which is guaranteed to turn heads wherever it goes. Now, the quality of paint is good throughout and so is the quality of the black plastics and chrome. The Fascino 125’s bodywork which is mostly fibre (except the grabrail and front fender) is also well-built and has an excellent finish. The switchgear too is of decent quality and is easy to operate.
With that out of the way, lets shift focus on the styling that Yamaha has picked up from the Fascino 110, had it sharpened, and molded it onto the Fascino 125. This makes the scooter look familiar, yet distinctive. The front end is now angular and the headlamp gets a unique, concave shape. While the tail section on the 125 looks bolder thanks to the stretched tail lamp, the midsection has a sloping design.
Comfort
Now, this new sloping design of the midsection has eaten its way into the Fascino’s floorboard space resulting in a very uncomfortable foot positioning. It gets worse in the rains as you’d find your feet slipping towards the front apron. There is very little space to move around and even average-sized riders are sure to feel cramped. Moreover, the suspension setup at both ends on the Fascino 125 feels stiff at low speeds when riding solo even over small bumps.
Although, as the needle touches the 40kmph mark, the setup starts to feel a bit more settled and glides over minor undulations on the road with ease. On the bright side, the Fascino 125’s suspension is the most pliant overall when riding with a pillion. Adding to it is the plush seat that feels comfortable even on long hauls. The pillion section is accommodating as well and comes with adequately sized, fold-able footpegs. As for storage, the Fascino 125 comes with a decently sized 21-litre under-seat capacity and a hook on the front apron.
Performance
Further adding to the scooter’s comfort and refinement levels is the new 125cc, fuel-injected engine that is fortified by Yamaha’s Blue Core technology. The motor, which comes with a silent starter, feels smooth right from the moment it is cranked up. There is a little buzz that emanates on the floorboard but it is not unnerving in the slightest. Now, the engine’s 8bhp and 9.7Nm figures might not be the highest in the class, but the Fascino’s trump card is its weight. Tipping the scale at a mere 99kg, the Fascino 125 is 5kg lighter than the Suzuki Access 125 and a whole 18kg lesser than the TVS Ntorq 125.
Hence, the Fascino 125’s weight, or lack thereof, results in it feeling peppy and raring to go even when twisting the throttle at 50kph. While the straight-line stability and handling is good enough, the Fascino isn’t as agile- it seems somewhat disconnected when turning in.
The Maxxis tyres that it comes fitted with perform decently in the dry but lose considerable grip in wet conditions. In addition to this, the throttle feels choppy at low speeds making the scooter cumbersome to manoeuvre in standstill traffic. Nevertheless, the brakes on the Fascino 125 offer good bite and feedback even after continuous use.
Technology
The Fascino 125 draws styling inspiration from retro scooters. However, this retro factor seems to have crept in on its feature list as well. For a 125cc scooter sold in 2020, the Fascino 125 has nothing much to brag about when it comes to technology apart from an idle start-stop system and side-stand engine cut off feature. It offers an analogue instrument cluster and conventional lighting all around. The scooter even misses out on under-seat lighting and USB charging as standard.
Fuel Efficiency
In our fuel efficiency test route, which involves stopping at a dozen traffic lights, the Yamaha Fascino 125 managed to return 51kmpl. Combine that figure with its 5.2 litre fuel tank capacity and you have a sufficient range of roughly 265kms.
Fitness of Purpose
Being a trendy-looking scooter aimed at a younger crowd, the Fascino hits the right notes. And with a price tag of Rs 71,230 (ex-showroom, Delhi) for the disc brake variant, the Yamaha Fascino 125 is priced on par with its rivals- the Honda Activa 125, Suzuki Access 125, TVS Ntorq 125, and Hero Maestro Edge 125. However, considering that it has nearly half the features that the competition offers, the Fascino 125 seems like an expensive proposition.
Our Take
The Yamaha could have come with much more floorboard space that would make it alluring to a wider audience and a better setup for the suspension. It could also have done better if it offered more features, especially because it aims at catering to a young and tech-friendly crowd.
However, the Fascino 125’s pros outweigh its cons. The best bit about the Fascino 125 is the punchy and refined motor, and undoubtedly its well-cushioned seat. It also looks appealing, is well built all through, and even has good quality components.
Photography by Kapil Angane
Gallery
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Yamaha Fascino 125 Boot Space
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