India Yamaha Motor has launched an all-new 125cc commuter motorcycle, the Saluto. Aggressively priced at Rs 52,000, the Saluto develops 8.2bhp and 10.1 Nm of torque and comes with a four-speed gearbox. 

Yamaha’s latest set of wheels for India is aimed at buyers who are keen to stretch every litre of petrol to the maximum. The 112kg motorcycle, the lightest in its class, is claimed to deliver 78 kilometres per litre. This fuel economy is facilitated by Yamaha’s Blue Core engine technology (which also powers the FZ Version 2.0 and FZ-S Version 2.0 bikes and the trio of the Ray, Ray Z and Alpha scooters).

The company says the new engine in the Saluto has a more compact combustion chamber than the company’s previous 125cc models and helps deliver more fuel economy, as well as performance.

The Saluto has a resin tank cover that will help keep heat at bay. The Saluto is also equipped with features such as an electric starter, a fuel tank capacity of 7.6 litres and a four-speed gearbox. On the suspension front, it has telescopic forks in front and dual shock absorbers at the rear, while drum brakes handle braking duties on both wheels.

Speaking at the launch in Chennai today, Masaki Asano, managing director, Yamaha Motor India Sales, said: “The two-wheeler market in India reached 16 million units in 2014, thereby becoming the world’s largest two-wheeler market. The motorcycle market, at 11 million units, constitutes about 68 percent of the total two-wheeler market. Of this, the 100cc-125cc class is the largest category at 9 million units and comprising almost 83 percent of the market. The new Saluto aims to expand sales in this largest demand category in India by offering one of the best fuel economy performances in the 125cc class.”

It is also learnt that Yamaha plans to phase out the SS125 and YBR 125 motorcycles from the India market. The 105.6cc Crux will be the entry level bike till new low-cost model hits the market by 2017.

India Yamaha Motor, which sold a total of 565,273 two-wheelers in 2014-15 and saw 16.67% YoY growth, has an ambitious growth strategy: 800,000 units this year, 10 lakh units in 2017 and 12 lakh units in 2017. The just-launched Saluto is expected to contribute to a major portion of the new sales. 

It needs to be noted that overall motorcycle market in India had muted growth in FY2014-15, growing 2.50% over 2013-14 sales. The commuter bike market saw a slowdown in sales, mainly due to sharply falling demand from rural India.