yamaha – Mileage Reviews

Yamaha Ray Z Vs Honda Activa

With the launch of the Ray Z, Yamaha has created a variant of the Ray 110cc scooter targeted at men. This scooter is extremely similar to the original Ray and comes with more ‘masculine’ features that includes new exterior shades. One of the biggest competitors to Yamaha in this segment is the evergreen Activa from Honda. This is a scooter that has been in the market since 2000 and has seen consistent new upgrades and improvements made over time. In this article, we will review the features and mileage of the Yamaha Ray Z and the Honda Activa to see which has a better deal. Read on.

Technical Specifications Comparison

Both the scooters we are studying today fall in the 110cc segment. The Honda Activa has a 109cc single cylinder 4-stroke engine that is capable of delivering close to 8.1 PS power and a torque of close to 9 Nm. In comparison, the Ray Z comes with a larger 113 cc single cylinder engine that delivers a power of just about 7.1 PS at 7500 RPM and a torque that is close to 8.1 Nm. So as you can see, there is a very visible difference in the power that these two scooters can generate. The price of the Ray Z too is slightly on the higher side – the ex-showroom price at Delhi is around Rs. 49105 whereas the corresponding price of the Activa is Rs. 47254.

Spec	Ray Z	Activa
Displacement	113cc	109cc
Max Power	7.1 PS	8.1 PS
Max Torque	8.1 Nm	9 Nm
Price (ex-Delhi)	Rs. 49105	Rs. 47254

Mileage Comparison

With the launch of the new Activa, Honda claims that they can deliver 15% more mileage as compared to what the Activa traditionally delivered. In absolute terms, this means a figure of around 66.7 kmpl. Do note that this is under standard testing conditions where the roads are all hunky dory unlike the real world road and traffic that you as the customer would be riding on. The Ray Z doesn’t seem like a great deal even from the perspective of the company’s mileage claim. According to Yamaha, the Ray Z should deliver around 53 kmpl under similar test conditions.

What about the fuel efficiency in the real world? Let us start with the reviews on MouthShut; the user reviews website. There has been no new review since the last time I checked. According to the one customer who has reviewed the bike, the Ray Z should be delivering around 41-42 kmpl mileage. Do note that this report was made just after 300 kilometers of ride before the first servicing. So there must have been a visible improvement after this. In comparison to Ray Z, there are more than 350 reviews of the Activa – admittedly most of them are of the earlier models. But checking for the reviews from recent buyers, the generally reported figure lies in the range 45-55 kmpl. This is slightly better than Ray Z but not good enough.

Let us next look at MaxAbout. On the Ray Z review page, the website notes that the bike does look appealing to the male audience with their “sharp and aggressive” body lines. On city roads, the reviewer was able to see just about 40 kmpl whereas on the highways, the FE shot up to around 62 kmpl. However, Activa despite a better claim on fuel consumption fares no better according to the MaxAbout review. The website reports a city mileage of 40 kmpl again on the Activa. The difference is stark on the highways where the reviewer says he was only able to see around 45 kmpl.

The Yamaha Ray Z has also been reviewed by a couple of other websites like the BikeWale and IamaBiker. Both the websites report a number close to 43 kmpl on city roads. This is not very different to the reports from other sources. In comparison, the reports on Activa are pretty varied (and mostly better). Reviews on websites like BikeSpace, MyIndiaGuide, IndiaMart and BharathAutos are all mostly positive and they all report a city mileage of over 50+ kmpl on Activa. ZigWheels in their review though report a lower, yet respectable figure of 46.8 kmpl on the new Activa.

There are a few outlying reports though. An example is the report on the IndiaGarage forums where the reported mileage is only about 35 kmpl. Most other reviews conform to the range defined by sellers on Olx where the reported FE is between 40-50 kmpl.

The comparison between the two scooters is tabulated below.

Source	Ray Z	Activa
Official	53	66.7
BharathAutos	–	53.5
BikeSpace	–	54
BikeWale	43	—
IamaBiker	43	—
IndiaGarage	–	35
IndiaMart	–	55
MaxAbout	40	40
MouthShut	41-42	45-55
MyIndiaGuide	–	52.2
Olx	–	40-50
ZigWheels	–	46.8

The verdict is clear. The Ray Z performs only as good, if not worse than the Activa on all common points of reference. From sources that do not have reviews of both the scooters, the Activa seems to perform better. Also, given the fact that Activa has a marked higher power compared to the Ray Z, I would pick the scooter from Honda over the one from Yamaha in this comparison.

Yamaha SZ-R Vs. Honda CB Shine

Yamaha SZ-R and the Honda CB Shine are bikes in two entirely different engine ranges. However, I decided to put this comparison up here because I noticed a lot of people looking for this specific comparison. The Yamaha SZ-R is just slightly different from the Yamaha SZX – except for a few changes in the way the bikes look and the accessories made available, both bikes come with a 153cc four stroke air-cooled engine, a power of around 12.1 PS at 7500 RPM and a max torque of 12.8 Nm at 4500 RPM. In comparison to these specs, the Honda CB Shine comes with a 124.7cc engine that delivers 10.3 PS power and a torque of 10.54 Nm.

Specs	Yamaha SZ-R	Honda Shine
Engine displacement	153cc	124.7cc
Max Power	12.1 PS	10.3 PS
Max Torque	12.8 Nm	10.54 Nm
Price (Ex-Delhi)	Rs. 57500	Rs. 54782

Mileage Comparison

The manufacturer claim on mileage is always to be taken on an optimistic note. That’s evident because these claims are tested under “standard test road conditions” which are very different from the regular city roads and traffic we actually ride the bike on. According to Yamaha, the SZ-R is capable of delivering 62.4 kmpl FE. In comparison, the Honda CB Shine with a lower engine displacement is claimed to deliver 65 kmpl. It doesn’t seem like a big difference considering that the power offered by the Shine is noticeably different from SZ-R.

To see what the bikes actually deliver on city roads, let us look at the various test-ride and customer feedback reports. On the IndiaGarage forum, the SZ-R customers report a decent fuel consumption of between 43-55 kmpl. In comparison, the Shine customers on the same forum report 50-55 kmpl on city roads and 58-62 kmpl on highways. So as we can see, the city road performance of both the bikes is not very different.

Let us take a look at the MaxAbout reviews. The website claims that the SZ-R has a pretty good performance on city roads. They claim a figure of between 55-60 kmpl on the Yamaha bike. The report on CB Shine is not too different either and they report 58 kmpl on city roads.

The similarity in mileage delivered on the two bikes is also noticeable on the BikeAdvice reports. A report from one of the SZ-R customers on the website reports a city FE of around 45-49 kmpl. Another reader, who owns a CB Shine reports 50 kmpl – marginally better but not enough difference to make a 125cc value for money compared to the 150cc alternative.

MouthShut has always been a popular place to check out user reviews of bikes. For the SZR, the customers posting on the site report a city fuel consumption of anywhere between 40-52 kmpl. This is a huge range and is not sufficient to draw a conclusion on the bike performance. In comparison, the reviews for the Honda CB Shine are at a more consistent range of 50-55 kmpl. I guess this is the only comparison that makes the CB Shine look like a better bike from a mileage perspective compared to the SZR.

There are several other reports for both the bikes. For the SZR, MotorBeam reports a city figure of 55 kmpl while for the CB Shine, the Yahoo user reviews, the reported number is between 55-60 kmpl. All the reported figures from various sources are tabulated below.

Source	Yamaha SZ-R (kmpl)	Honda CB Shine (kmpl)
Official	62.4	65
IndiaGarage	43-55	50-55
MaxAbout	55-60	58
BikeAdvice	45-49	50
MotorBeam	55	—
MouthShut	40-52	50-55
Yahoo	–	55-60

Overall, I think the mileage delivered by both the bikes is more or less comparable. Honda CB Shine is slightly better. But given that at a price of around Rs. 3000 more, you can get a higher cc engine with much better power and torque, the SZ-R seems to be a better choice. What do you think?

Yamaha Ray Z Vs. Honda Dio

Both the scooters compared in this article are newer variants of scooter models that have been sold in the Indian market for a while now. While Ray Z is an improvement upon the 110cc Yamaha Ray, the new Honda Dio comes with a slightly larger engine and improved fuel efficiency compared to the older 102cc Dio that has been available for years. Let us take a look at the tech specs of these two scooters first.

First the engine. The Ray Z comes with a 113cc single cylinder 4-stroke engine that delivers a power of 7.1 PS at 7500 RPM. In terms of torque, this engine offers 8.1 Nm at 5000 RPM. In comparison, the Dio is a 109cc engine that cranks up 8.1 PS at 7500 RPM and 8.74 Nm torque at 5500 RPM. Clearly, the Dio is the more powerful of the two scooters. In terms of dimensions, the Ray Z is slightly longer (1835mm vs. 1788mm) whereas the Dio is a little wider (707mm vs 675mm) which I think will give Dio riders a much better balance and control over their scooters compared to the Ray Z. The Dio, at 110 kg, is also heavier than Ray Z by 6 kgs. The bikes are priced in the same bracket. While the Delhi ex-showroom price of Ray Z is Rs. 49105, the Dio is available at Rs. 47928.

Mileage Comparison

The new Ray Z is a model that is targeted at the male audience and given that Dio is a heavier bike, this is popular among men as well. According to Honda, the new Dio not only comes with a larger engine compared to the earlier model, but also offers 15% better FE. They claim that under standard conditions, one should be able to see 55 kmpl. The Ray Z on the other hand has a slightly lower manufacturer claim. Unlike the 62.1 kmpl claimed on the original Yamaha Ray, the male-targeted variant is expected to deliver 53 kmpl under standard road conditions.

As any one following this blog will know, the standard condition mileage reports are mostly for bragging rights and the fuel consumption on actual roads are starkly different in many cases. So let us take a look at what various test rides and customer feedback reports have got to say. We do not have too many common points of reference but MaxAbout has reviewed both these scooters and notes that the Dio 110cc can provide its customers an FE of between 40-43 kmpl on city roads. In comparison, the Ray Z will give 40 kmpl. There doesn’t seem much to choose from here.

Next up, the user reviews site, MouthShut. The customer who reviewed Ray Z on this website rated the bike 3/5 in terms of FE. He reports 41-42 kmpl pre-servicing. There are not too many reviews of mileage for the new Dio either but the user who did report this on MouthShut says he was able to see just around 30-35 kmpl. That is very likely an outlier and do not base your purchasing decision based on this number.

The Yamaha Ray Z has also been reviewed by a couple of other websites like BikeWale and IamaBiker. Both these bikes unanimously report a figure of around 43 kmpl on city roads for this scooter from Yamaha. The Dio on the other hand has received fuel reports from websites like ZigWheels, Top Gear and BikeDekho. ZigWheels reports a number close to what MaxAbout had quoted: around 40-43 kmpl. BikeDekho on the other hand reports the highest figure of over 50 kmpl under city conditions which I think is extremely optimistic. Top Gear reports a lower, still positive rating of 48.5 kmpl on city roads. It is not a good idea to trust customer reports on websites like Olx and Quikr since the sellers here have an incentive to crank up the actual mileage offered. Surprisingly, Dio owners here quote a number between 40-45 kmpl on city roads.

The bottomline is that except for a couple of websites like ZigWheels, most reports of mileage hover between 40-45 kmpl for both the scooters. I have tabulated all the reported figures below.

Source	Honda Dio 110 (kmpl)	Yamaha Ray Z (kmpl)
Official	55	53
BikeDekho	50+	—
BikeWale	–	43
IamaBiker	–	43
MaxAbout	40-43	40
MouthShut	30-35	41-42
Olx/Quikr	40-45	—
Top Gear	48.5	—
ZigWheels	40-43	—

Overall, all other factors like after-sales and personal preferences being the same, I think Dio is a slightly better scooter than Ray Z. It is priced a little lower, has a much more balanced framework and offers a mileage that seems slightly better than the Ray Z. What do you think?

Yamaha Ray Z

Yamaha launched a new variant of its popular Ray 110cc scooter earlier this year in May. You might remember that in our comparison of the best scooters for women in India, the Yamaha Ray came third in terms of the median city mileage at 46.5 kmpl. The Japanese company has now used that positioning to build a similar scooter for the male audience.

In terms of the underlying engine, the new Ray Z is very similar to the Ray. However, the exterior is more masculine with exterior shades that will appeal to men. Like the older variant for women, the Ray Z too comes with a 113 cc single cylinder 4 stroke engine that delivers a power of 7.1 PS at 7500 RPM and a torque that goes up to 8.1 Nm at 5000 RPM. The Ray Z measures 1835mm x 675mm x 1090mm and has a wheelbase of 1270mm with a ground clearance of 128mm. Weighing just around 104 kg, this is not a very heavy scooter for men. The Ray Z can hold around 5 liter of petrol at any time. According to the company website, the Ray Z is now available at a price of Rs. 49,105 (ex-showroom, Delhi).

Manufacturer Mileage Claim

Given that the underlying technology behind the Ray Z is not too different from the older Yamaha Ray scooter, one would assume that there would not be a great variance in the fuel efficiency – at least under standard test conditions. However, according to the company, the Ray Z can deliver a fuel efficiency of 53 kmpl (compared to 62.1 kmpl claimed on the original Ray). I am really not sure why there is this big variation but there you go. In any case, the real world mileage of the original Ray was only around 46.5 kmpl and it is to be seen if Ray Z matches this figure.

Customer Feedback & Test Drive Report

Let us start with the review of the Ray Z on MaxAbout. According to this website, the ‘sharp and aggressive lines’ on the body of the Ray Z can distinctly appeal to the male audience. However, the absence of disc brakes on the front and the price point are some things that can go against this scooter. The website reports a fuel consumption figure of 40 kmpl on city roads and 62 kmpl on highways.

IamaBiker offers a pretty comprehensive review of the bike. They note that the Ray Z is a compact bike that feels super light. Despite this, the scooter has sufficient leg space to accomodate a tall rider with a pillion which is an extremely important criteria for a scooter targeted at the men. In their test ride, the reviewer was able to report 43 kmpl under mixed riding conditions (city and highway) which they say is slightly better than what they could find on the Ray.

Most of the popular automobile websites that you would seek out to while checking on a bike review have merely parroted the company claim on the mileage. Given that this is a new bike in the market, there have not been too many reviews on MouthShut either. There has been just one review of the Ray Z and this customer has rated the scooter 3/5 in terms of FE. According to him, Yamaha could do better on the pick-up. However, after riding 300 kilometers and with the first service pending, the scooter offered 41-42 kmpl. This is likely to go up after servicing.

Bikewale does not have a review of the bike yet. However, in their specification sheet, they have also mentioned the mileage offered by the Ray Z. According to this, the fuel consumption of the scooter is likely to be around 43 kmpl. But I am not sure if this is a figure they obtained by test-riding it, or if it’s sourced from elsewhere. Anyway, just note that this is not a customer report and so you may not rely on this.

So here we go. With a number of popular bike review sources yet to report a mileage, this is what we have got till now. I have summarized them in a table below. The average seems to be around 40-45 kmpl which is not entirely bad at all. What do you think?

Source	City (kmpl)	Highway (kmpl)
Official	–	53
Bikewale	43	—
IamaBiker	43	—
MaxAbout	40	62
MouthShut	41-42	—

Yamaha SZ R

There is not much of a difference between the Yamaha SZ R that we will be discussing today and the SZ-X that we had discussed a while back; except for a few variations in the looks and accessories. Anyway, we will discuss the SZ R independently to see what customers have got to say about it.

In terms of specs, the SZ-R is very much like the SZ-X. It comes with a 153cc air-cooled 4 stroke engine delivering a max power of around 12.1 PS at 7500 RPM. This effectively gets you a max torque of 12.8 Nm at 4500 RPM. Unlike the SZ X that has drum brakes on both the front and the rear wheels, the SZ R has a disc on the front and a drum on the rear. The bike measures 2050 x 730 x 1100 mm and weighs 134 kg. Equipped with a wheelbase of 1320mm, ground clearance of 165mm and seat height of 802mm, the other specs are mostly the same. The SZ-R can hold 14 liters of fuel at any point. You can purchase the motorcycle at a price of Rs. 57,500 ex-showroom Delhi.

Manufacturer’s Mileage Claim

Given that there is not much to choose between the SZX and the SZR, the manufacturer’s claim has stayed unchanged. As a matter of fact, Yamaha has one standard fuel economy claim for all their SZ variants – 62.4 kmpl. Do note that this is under test conditions and the real world FE would definitely be lower than this. Only a few other bikes like the Pulsar, Xtreme and Achiever have a higher mileage at the 150cc level.

User Reviews & Test Ride Reports

On Indiagarage, a customer reports that his SZR gives an unsatisfactory 43 kmpl on city roads. However there are more than a couple of other users who think the SZR is probably the best in class and they note a much higher FE of between 50-55 kmpl on city roads.

MaxAbout in their review say the SZR is “virtually identical to its younger sibling SZ-X” without any element of surprise when it comes to engine that they say lacks power. In terms of mileage, the SZR is reported to offer 55-60 kmpl on city roads and 65 kmpl on the highways. I feel the author has been too generous in this case. Anyway, let’s go through what the others have to say before jumping in on a conclusion.

In a customer review report back from 2011, BikeAdvice writer Naren calls the bike Sporty and ‘one of the hottest chicks’ in the Indian bike market. The review, which is overall very positive, does not specify the mileage. However, the readers reporting their FE claim it to be somewhere in the 45-49 kmpl mark.

On Motorbeam once again, the reviewer points out that the power delivered by the bike may not be up to the mark. However, there is a lot of thrust at low rev which is good in the city traffic conditions. On the mileage front, the reviewer notes 55+ kmpl overall which is extremely good which makes me rethink what I said about MaxAbout’s review.

Anyway, the final word needs to come from the customers themselves. On MouthShut, there are over 133 reviews for the SZR. The reviewers have together rated the bike 3/5 in fuel consumption which is not really a good figure. However, reading through the latest reviews, it seems like customers are happy with the mileage offered. The reported figure has hovered between 40-52 kmpl which is a pretty wide, yet good number to go with.

The summary of reports from various sources is tabulated below. Overall, the SZR looks like a decent bike to go with. Do you agree? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Source	City (kmpl)	Highways (kmpl)
Official	–	62.4
IndiaGarage	43-55	—
MaxAbout	55-60	65
BikeAdvice	45-49	—
MotorBeam	55	—
MouthShut	40-52	—

Yamaha FZ-S Vs. Yamaha FZ-16

The Yamaha FZ-16 was introduced way back in 2008 and has been around for a good 5-6 years now. The FZ-S model on the other hand was introduced less than a year back. This 150cc model is an improvisation upon the older FZ-16 model in that it comes with minor changes like an aerodynamic windshield, a longer pillion seat which is also relatively wider, a chain protector and a wider rear fender. You should know that none of these improvements would impact the mileage of the bike by a great deal since the engine has been kept practically unchanged. In any case, let us first compare the specifications of the two bikes.

Tech Specs Comparison

Both the bikes come with a 153cc displacement engine that offers a max power of around 14PS at 7500RPM that translates to 13.6 Nm torque at 6000 RPM. Everything – right from the seat height to the wheelbase and the kerb weight are the same on both the bikes. It goes without saying that both the FZ-S and the FZ-16 are bikes with the exact same interiors and just minor changes on the exterior. Let me just put down the major specifications side-by-side for your reference.

Specification	Yamaha FZ16	Yamaha FZS
Displacement	153cc	153cc
Max Power	14PS @ 7000	14PS @ 7000
Max Torque	13.6Nm @ 6500	13.6Nm @ 6500
Dimensions	1973mm x 770mm x 1045mm	1973 mm × 770 mm × 1090 mm
Wheelbase	1334mm	1334mm
Kerb Weight	135kg	135kg
Fuel Tank	12L	12L
Price (ex-Delhi)	Rs. 69500	Rs. 71500

So there you go – except for a few millimeters difference in the height of the bike, there is not much change as far as the specs go. The Yamaha FZS is also priced slightly higher at Rs. 71500 (ex-showroom Delhi).

Mileage Comparison

The manufacturer’s claim on fuel efficiency is done via ARAI certified tests that are conducted in standard test conditions. These are usually much different from the riding conditions you experience within the city. Therefore you need to take these numbers with a pinch of salt since the numbers that you will be seeing could be much lower. In any case, according to Yamaha, both the FZS and the FZ16 are expected to deliver 50.81 kmpl under standard test conditions. For a better understanding of how the bikes would perform on city roads, let us take a look at what the various test rides and customer reviews have got to say.

BikeAdvice has official reports as well as usage reviews to put forth their claim. In their review of the FZ16, they report a figure of 40 kmpl on city roads that goes as high as 54 kmpl on highways. The corresponding FE for the newer Yamaha FZ-S is between 35-40. The latter figure has been derived from reports from a couple of real customers, one of whom though commends the bike saying the FZ-S feels like a 180cc bike although it belongs to the 150cc category.

The reports on MouthShut have been pretty positive for both the bikes. According to these reviewers, the FZ-16 can be expected to deliver anywhere between 38-47 kmpl on city roads. This is an extremely good figure considering that this is very close to the official manufacturer claim. The FZ-S does a notch better on MouthShut. Aggregating the reports from various customers, the FZ-S is expected to deliver somewhere between 38-53 kmpl. I doubt all this testing was done on city roads though.

Various other reviewers report the mileage on Yamaha FZ-16 to hover around 40. According to MotorBeam, you should count yourself lucky if you get 40 kmpl on the bike. BikeDekho says the figure on city roads should be around 35 kmpl while on the highways, this can go up to 46 kmpl.

Things are not looking very different for the FZ-S either. Users on xBHP note that the average fuel consumption should be in the range of 35-40 kmpl on city roads. On IndiaMart, customers have reported around 38 kmpl on city roads and 48 kmpl on highways. While MaxAbout is in love with the bike exteriors and the silent engine, the reported fuel consumption is not very different from other reviewers. They report 35-40 kmpl inside the city and 45 kmpl on highways.

Here is a summary of mileage reports from various sources. If you are someone who would love a more judicious use of fuel, neither of these bikes are for you. Check out our report on the best 150cc bikes – there are over half a dozen bikes that offer over 50 kmpl. Maybe you could take a pick from there.

Source, Yamaha FZ16, Yamaha FZS
Manufacturer, 50.81, 50.81
BikeAdvice, 40, 35-40
BikeDekho, 35, —
IndiaMart, –, 38
MaxAbout, –, 35-40
MotorBeam, <40, -- MouthShut, 38-47, 38-53 xBHP, --, 35-40 [/table]

Yamaha FZ-S

The Yamaha FZ-16 was one of the earliest bikes reviewed on MileageInfo. The FZ-S that we are discussing today is an improvisation upon the same bike and comes with distinct features like a front visor. I was not too impressed with the FZ-16 when I first reviewed it. The bike offers a city mileage of just around 38-42 kmpl on most counts. We have had 180cc bikes that offer a better economy. While the FZ-S is not too different from the FZ-16 on many aspects relating to the engine, let us look at it independently and see if it is worth the buck.

First, the tech specs. The Yamaha FZ-S is built with a 153cc single cylinder 4 stroke engine that delivers a maximum power output of 14PS @7500 RPM. The torque delivered can go up to 13.6Nm at 6000RPM. There are both electric and kick start options The wheelbase measures a standard 1334mm and the bike has a ground clearance of 160mm. This 135kg bike has a total fuel capacity of 12 liters. The bike is priced at around Rs. 67,000 ex-showroom at Delhi.

Manufacturer’s Claim

The official claim on the fuel front is not too different on the FZS when you compare it with the FZ-16. If you remember, the claim from Yamaha was 50.81kmpl on the FZ16. This has not changed and Yamaha maintains the same figure for the Yamaha FZS as well.

Test Ride & Customer Feedback

MaxAbout calls the bike exteriors “strikingly different” from the FZ-16 despite both the bikes built over the same platform. The review commends the bike on its ease of navigation without any turbo lag and also for the nearly silent engine. The fuel consumption reported on city roads is around 35-40kmpl with the number jumping up to 45kmpl on the highways.

Although there are quite a few proud customers of the FZS on IndiaMart, there aren’t too many reports on the fuel consumption. One user though notes the mileage to be around 38kmpl on busy city roads which rises to 48kmpl on highway roads.

On xBHP, there was a discussion initiated by a customer who reports a pretty low mileage of 25kmpl on the FZS. However, as reported by various other forum members who happen to own the bike, this appears to be a one-off case since the average fuel consumption seems to be in the range of 35-40 kmpl on city roads. So in case you are experiencing bad economy, do take it to the service station and get the bike checked.

A reader on BikeAdvice has reviewed his FZS after owning it for around six months. While he commends the bike on the style and ‘eye catching features’, the reviewer does note that the mileage is on the wrong side of 40. It just delivers around 35kmpl on city roads. Another reader who in his review says the FZS gives a feel of a 180cc despite being a 150cc bike says the fuel consumption on his bike was just between 38-40 kmpl.

There are close to 107 reviews for the Yamaha FZS on MouthShut and these reviewers have rated the bike 3/5 for fuel. Do note that most bikes, including those in the higher power range have got 4/5 if they seem to be on par with the industry standard. A 3 rating probably means there are more users who are not happy with the fuel economy than those who do.

Surprisingly though, the mileages reported on MouthShut seems to be actually higher than what a lot of reviewers from other sources have put. Except for one reviewer who says he gets 25kmpl, almost every other review has noted a fuel economy on city roads to be between 38-53kmpl which is extremely good. Even here, the average reported mileage appears to be around 45kmpl which is not bad at all.

I’ve put all these figures from various sources in the table below. The report from MouthShut appears to be some sort of an anti-climax since this user-reviews site is the only place where the fuel economy appears to be good. And I would personally believe in these numbers than those that were reported on test rides simply because these are from real customers. Overall, truth be told, I’m confused. Have a look at these numbers – does this make you want the bike or not want it? Tell me in the comments.

Source	City Roads (kmpl)	Highways (kmpl)
Source	–	50.81
MaxAbout	35-40	45
IndiaMart	38	48
xBHP	35-40	—
BikeAdvice	35-40	—
MouthShut	38-53	—

Bajaj Avenger Vs. Yamaha R15

Today we will compare two very powerful bikes available in India today. The Bajaj Avenger is a 220cc monster that is technically much powerful than the 150cc R15. However, in terms of power, the variation is not as much as you would expect. The Avenger delivers a power of 19.03 PS whereas the R15 can deliver up to 17 PS of power. Again, the Avenger is not for the mileage conscious, but the R15 is even more of that. The Bajaj Avenger 220 comes at an ex-showroom price of Rs. 76,835 at Delhi whereas the corresponding price for the Yamaha YZF R15 is a whopping Rs. 1,07,500.

Let us first compare the major tech specs of both these bikes side-by-side.

Specification	Bajaj Avenger 220	Yamaha RZF R15
Displacement	219.89cc	149.8cc
Peak Power	19.03PS @8400	17PS @8500
Max Torque	17.5Nm @7000	15Nm @7500
Fuel Tank	14 liters	12 liters
Kerb Weight	168kg	136kg
Fuel Claim	49.8 kmpl	46.93 kmpl

If you are someone who is contemplating purchasing either an Avenger or an R15, the mileage should be the last of your concerns. Both these are power bikes that are built keeping the requirements of the power and style conscious customers. When a motorbike is built with power as the priority, fuel economy is something that has to be compromised and it shows. Remember the comparison of 150cc bikes we made earlier this year? The R15 is at the bottom of the fuel claims chart that is topped by Bajaj Discover that claims to offer close to 72.3 kmpl.

Also, the 46.93 kmpl that we are talking here is the fuel consumption reported under standard test conditions. In the real world, where you have city traffic and pot-hole laden roads, this number is expected to come down much more drastically. Let us compare how the Avenger and the R15 compare against each other in the real world as reviewed by various sources including real world customers.

Bajaj Avenger 220 Review

The Avenger is a cruiser mode motorcycle that is not known for its mileage by any chance. PriceDekho in their official review report having seen around 32-35 kmpl on city roads. On the other hand, BikeDekho as well as ZigWheels, the Times group auto-review magazine in their reports claim a much better city mileage – they both report a consumption 1 liter for every 40 kilometers of city commute on the Avenger. While customers who had put up their Avenger for sale on Olx reported an average of 38 kmpl from their bikes, a few unhappy people on the customer complaints forum noted their mileage to be around 35 kmpl.

Yamaha YZF R15 Review

We reviewed the R15 from four different sources. According to a comment posted by a customer on MotorBeam, the R15 could deliver 40 kmpl with proper care. In a similar vein, an Ibibo user reports around 40-42 under city conditions. There are not too many reviews of the R15 from the point of view of fuel economy. According to one small blog called KannanKing, the R15 can extract around 32-35 kmpl on city roads.

Bottomline

It’s evident that the R15 can return slightly better economy compared to the Avenger – maybe an additional 3-4 kilometers for every liter. However, the decision to purchase one over the other should not be based on these numbers. Avenger is for cruisers while the R15 is a powerful machine for a 150cc bike. Test ride both the bikes and see where you fit better and go for that one.

Yamaha YZF R15

If you are looking at a bike for the pure joy of riding a power machine, the YZF R15 is for you. Yamaha’s “Humachine Techonology” is built with a purpose of creating a “harmony between the rider and the bike”. The front cowls of the bike not only protect the engine but also serve for effective aerodynamic design of the bike. The tail of the bike comes with a similar aerodynamic design as well. The frontal space is significant to offer better protection to the user and along with the easy seating area that offers effective steering, this is a bike that you do not want to miss.

The Yamaha R15 is a 149.8cc single cylinder 4 stroke engine that can deliver 17 PS of maximum power and this combined with a 15 Nm max torque makes for a bike that is pretty powerful for a bike of this segment. Compare this to the power delivered by other bikes in the 150cc segment :

Bike	Max Power
Suzuki GS150R	14 PS
Apache RTR 160	15.2 PS
Honda CBR 150R	17.81 PS
Yamaha SZ-x	12.1 PS
Honda CB Unicorn Dazzler	14.2 PS
Yamaha FZ16	14 PS

So as you see it, only the CBR 150R can compare at an equal if not better power. The Yamaha R15 does not come cheap though and can be purchased at an ex-showroom price of Rs. 1,07,500 in Delhi.

Mileage Claim

According to Yamaha, the YZF R15 is expected to deliver a fuel economy of around 46.93 kilometers per liter of petrol. This is under standard conditions. Anyway, if you were looking to buy an R15, you wouldn’t be imagining yourself to be riding them all day over the pot-hole ridden pockets of the city roads, would you?

Customer Reviews on Fuel

Let’s start off with the review from MotorBeam. The website review itself does not mention anything about the mileage but according to one commenter who claims to be an owner of the bike, the R15 can derive 40 kmpl provided you take care good care of the bike. Another user on Ibibo is even more optimistic. He says that the bike can give 45-47 kmpl on ideal conditions and this can go down to around 40-42 kmpl under city roads. That’s not bad at all given the sporty nature of this vehicle.

Not all reviews are so optimistic. According to a little known blog, Kannanking, the R15 can offer 32-35 kmpl on city roads and 38-42 on the highways. But given that the R15 is not built for the daily office commuter, there are not too many reviews talking about the fuel efficiency part of the bike. Even MouthShut has only three reviews who have rated the bike 4/5 on fuel consumption. No info on the exact mileage derived.

So here is a short snapshot of what people are talking about with respect to mileage. You do not have too many reviews regarding the mileage but from what we see, you do get a decent return despite the massive power and torque delivery from the R15. Got the money? Go for it.

Source	Mileage (kmpl)
Official	46.93
MotorBeam	40
Ibibo	40-42
Kannanking	32-35
MouthShut	4/5 rating

Yamaha Ray

One of the latest entrants to the Indian scooter market space is the Yamaha Ray. The scooter is a 113cc 4 stroke single cylinder engine powered vehicle that can derive 7.1 PS of BHP and 8.1 Nm maximum torque. In terms of engine cylinder capacity, the Ray is neither the lowest or the highest powered scooter. We have already seen models like the Scooty Streak that are equipped with an 87.8cc engine while those like the Vespa LX and Suzuki Access are made of a 125cc engine. The Yamaha Ray is available at a starting price of around Rs. 46,000.

Official Fuel Economy Claim

Equipped with a 113cc engine, this 104kg weighing machine should deliver a mileage better than what vehicles with a higher engine capacity and kerb weight could provide. According to Yamaha, the Ray can offer up to 62.1 kmpl of fuel efficiency under standard test conditions. These conditions are much different than what you can experience on the everyday roads and so expect a mileage lower than this on your daily commutes.

Customer Mileage Reviews

MaxAbout does not have its own test drive review. But they note that the Yamaha Ray can deliver close to 45 kmpl on city road conditions – and this is apparently a word from the company officials. BikeDekho in their review point out that although the 62.1 kmpl claim from the company is under the most optimal situations, “there is no chance” of this falling under 50 kmpl mark ever. According to their test, the fuel economy you can expect from the bike is 52 kmpl.

Given that this scooter has not been in the market for more than 3-4 months, the number of reliable test drives that talk about the mileage are few and far between. One review from FivePoint5 reveal that the fuel consumed by the Ray is one liter for every 45-48 kilometers. This is also agreed upon by another small blog, Sevyam, that guarantees a mileage of around 45 kmpl.

OnDrive is extremely positive about the Ray calling it the best in class for acceleration, ease of handling and fuel efficiency. The fuel economy experienced in their test drive was 53 kmpl. SeePrice is not so positive however. According to the blog, the expected mileage from the Ray is just between 35-45 kmpl which is nothing to brag about.

There are a handful of Yamaha Ray scooters put for sale on Olx. From the description provided by the sellers, the claimed fuel consumption seems to be anywhere between 45-55 kmpl. That is pretty good although you have to be wary of classifieds postings since people always post the most optimistic figure while they are looking to sell.

So there you have it. The Yamaha Ray does have an almost consistently reported mileage of over 45 kmpl which makes it a not-so-bad scooter after all. Should you go for it? I think you absolutely should.

Just test table
Source	Mileage (kmpl)
Official	62.1
MaxAbout	45
BikeDekho	52
FivePoint5	45-48
Sevyam	45
OnDrive	53
SeePrice	35-45
Olx	45-55