The Yamaha RX100. A legend from the immediate past that needs no introduction. This beast became a sensation when it came to India in the 90s for it’s insane performance, lightweight, practicality and fuel economy. It still has millions of followers and people are still looking for one in the used market. Also, Yamaha still supports the platform by providing spare parts. It’s that iconic. People are still modifying it and extracting performance that might put modern bikes to shame. However, there is some good news from Yamaha, as they have announced that they will bring a new RX100 to India, a blast from the past indeed!
Yamaha India Chairman, Eishin Chihana had revealed before that RX100 is making a comeback. According to him, the RX100 name was kept as is and was not used on any other motorcycle till now. This was done deliberately as the company has plans to revive this icon back to its former glory. It is pretty obvious that Yamaha won’t be bringing back OG RX100’s 2-stroke engine owing to stringent BS6 Phase II emission norms. Also, it is pretty evident that Yamaha is taking its sweet time to bring RX100 back as they can’t just slap that iconic name on just any other product and call it a day.
It has to look right, it has to feel right, it has to perform right as well. A recent report reveals that Yamaha is considering a larger engine for RX100 revival. That is because they can’t recreate OG RX100 levels of performance from a modern 100cc engine without breaking the bank. Yamaha India Chairman said that RX100 holds a strong sentiment among Indians due to its design, sound and performance. A combination of which caused the excitement. To maintain the OG RX100 image, it has to offer adequate performance. He revealed that a larger displacement engine will create that original impact.
Yes. You read that right. The upcoming Yamaha RX100 won’t be a 100cc machine. It is not yet known which engine might make it to the upcoming RX motorcycle. Yamaha currently has 125cc engines in their scooters and might take TVS’ approach while making Raider 125. Yamaha has 150cc and 250cc engines which are less tech-savvy and a 150cc engine with a lot of tech. Any of those engines might make it onto the upcoming Yamaha RX100. But, there is a possibility that Yamaha is aiming at Royal Enfields with its iconic RX moniker. Imagine Yamaha’s 250cc engine being bored out to displace 300cc or 350cc. With OG RX100’s looks and a modern 300cc to 350cc engine, it would be an absolute weapon against Royal Enfield motorcycles. We say this because RX100s have touched more lives in the past than Royal Enfield motorcycles have. An RX300 or an RX350 might evoke even more nostalgia. If Hero MotoCorp made a CD300 or CD350 based on the upcoming XPulse 300+ engine with square headlights, I would buy one in a heartbeat. Whatever Yamaha is cooking, will be ready by 2026 or beyond.