Owing to its unique blend of performance, excitement and practicality, Yamaha Aerox 155 Version S is the best mainstream enthusiast scooter in India
In many scenarios, scooters emerge as the more preferred means of transport in the city. They’re unisex in their approach and have a step-through floorboard for added practicality. For folks who are used to underseat storage, scooters are irreplaceable. But scooters lack in performance to satisfy the enthusiast who craves for a little more oomph.
Yamaha is catering to this particular niche with Aerox 155. This scooter has been on sale for some time and recently got an update in April 2024 in the form of a new top-spec variant called Aerox 155 Version S with a Smart Key. Yamaha India provided Rushlane with Aerox 155 Version S for a short review. Here’s what we think about it after riding it for around 500 km.
Yamaha Aerox 155 Version S
For starters, Yamaha Aerox 155 is a performance-oriented sporty scooter with a non-step-through floorboard. Yamaha calls it a “Maxi Scooter”, even though it has less fairing than a typical Maxi Scooter would. India has a fair share of Maxi Scooters like Suzuki Burgman Street 125 and Aprilia SXR 160. But Yamaha Aerox 155 has performance like none of the mainstream scooters on sale in India, including Aprilia SXR 160 and especially, the Suzuki Burgman Street 125.
The new Aerox 155 Version S is offered in two colours only – Racing Blue and Silver. Both colours command a price tag of Rs 1,51,200 (Ex-sh, Delhi). Regular non Version S Aerox 155 without Smart Key starts from Rs 1,47,900 (Ex-sh, Delhi). The price feels slightly high for what is a scooter. But, this is no ordinary scooter. For context, you can buy a Hero Xpulse 200 4V Pro with fully adjustable suspension and turn-by-turn navigation for Rs 1.55 lakh (Ex-sh).
For what it is, Yamaha Aerox 155 is a commendable motorcycle as it is the first ever of its kind for Indian mainstream market. It is a global design with a tunnel in the floorboard where the 5.5L fuel tank is. It is one of the, if not, the best looking scooters on sale in the mainstream market. The twin LED headlights lend a feel of a large scooter and so does the overall design. The central tunnel, sharp stepped seat and overall edgy design completes that unique sporty look.
Practicality and Features
The main highlight of Aerox 155 is that it combines a motorcycle’s performance with a scooter’s underseat storage. Underseat space is enormous and we could fit a XL size full face helmet as well. Yay! There is a small storage behind the front apron where users can keep their smartphone to charge. Sadly, Yamaha still offers a 12V socket as a charging solution. Buyers who are buying a niche premium and pricey product like Aerox 155 Version S would have wanted a USB Type-C socket. Also, it would have been nice if this glovebox was lockable.
With the new Version S, Aerox 155 gets an all new Smart Key with features like Answer Back, Unlock and Immobilizer. There is a significant convenience advantage offered by scooters with Smart Keys and Aerox 155 Version S is no different. Answer Back feature is handy when you are trying to locate the scooter in a parking lot as it beeps and flashes for you when activated. User can just chuck the keys in the pocket or a bag and forget about it and keyless system works flawlessly without a single issue.
There is a fully digital instrument cluster with two tachometers, for some reason. One of them could have been something different like a fuel-efficiency meter like Honda does with their cars. This instrument cluster is negative LCD and is not legible in direct sunlight. If you wear sunglasses like I do, legibility leaves the chat almost completely. It features connectivity with a dedicated smartphone app showing many stats and other info, including last parked location. But there is no turn-by-turn navigation on offer, which is unacceptable at this price point.
Other notable elements include fancy brake levers, fancy footpegs, a side-stand engine cut-off feature, engine start/stop feature, hazard light feature among others. On a vehicle priced at a premium, we sorely missed a few features like LED turn indicators, a parking brake (brake lock), illuminated switchgear, self-canceling turn indicators and turn-by-turn navigation.
Performance and Ride
That said, there are a few aspects about Aerox 155 that blurs the price tag and makes the purchase feel worth it. They are performance and handling. This is where Aerox 155 Version S shines bright. With the same 155cc single-cylinder DOHC 4V liquid-cooled engine with VVA (Variable Valve Actuation) as YZF-R15, it is easily the most performant mainstream scooter ever sold in India. This engine has 14.75 bhp of peak power at 8,000 RPM and 13.9 Nm at 6,500 RPM, mated to a CVT gearbox.
Performance is brisk and you can zip around the traffic easily with enough gust on tap. Acceleration is addictive and maintaining 100 km/h on highways on Aerox 155 feels like second nature. Even though the fairing is not as pronounced as a typical Maxi Scooter, it still does a decent job in deflecting wind. Ride is very sporty too and Aerox has very impressive cornering capabilities for a scooter. Large 14-inch wheels wrapped with fat 110-section front and 140-section rear tyres further aid in handling and straight-line stability.
Rear suspension is on the stiffer side, but we did ride the scooter with slightly less air at the back, to counteract some of the stiffness. Braking at the front was decent with good bite and progression, backed by single-channel ABS. Rear drum brake setup, however, felt inadequate. Riding position is slightly committed, for a sporty feel. I am a 6 ft (182cm) tall individual and I faced some ergonomic issues with Aerox 155. Because of my tall legs, I tend to sit in the middle of a scooter’s seat and I couldn’t do that with Aerox owing to the stepped seat. People of normal height might not face any issues like I did.
Conclusion
All-in-all, we wished Aerox 155 Version S came with a few features that 2W vehicles priced way less, are offering. We also wish Yamaha had offered a rear disc brake with dual-channel ABS system for the price. Upcoming Hero Xoom 160 will be a fitting rival to Aerox and will also achieve significant price advantage. However, Yamaha Aerox 155 Version S is the most performant mainstream scooter on offer today. For enthusiasts who are looking for motorcycle performance with scooter’s practicality, we would easily recommend Yamaha Aerox 155 owing to its sporty ride and zippy performance and to stand out among the sea of conventional scooters.
Source: Bike - rushlane.com
