With the Fascino getting the hybrid treatment recently by Yamaha, it was inevitable that the Ray ZR would get it too. The Ray ZR hybrid was recently revealed by Yamaha which gets a hybrid assist system and Bluetooth. The changes made to the RayZR are similar to its sibling Fascino 125 Fi.
Bluetooth connectivity
It gets Bluetooth connectivity as an option where the rider can connect his/her smartphone to the scooter’s instrument console via the Yamaha Connect X app. The instrument console can then provide information such as incoming calls or text alerts.
The rider can get information such as riding history, vehicle tracking, parking location and hazards through his/her phone. The scooter also gets new apron-mounted LED headlights. Other features are carried over from the previous iteration such as the DRLS and the tinted fly-screen at the front end.
Hybrid assist
The big talking point about the updated scooter is the hybrid assist which has a similar function to the Fascino. It features a Smart Motor Generator (SMG) system which basically acts as a form of power assist to aid the scooter when accelerating from a standstill. This helps in making the initial acceleration and hill climbs vibration-free and increases the confidence in these situations.
The power assist system is cut off three seconds after starting or when the throttle is cut. It also cancels if the engine rpm exceeds a certain prescribed limit where the assist by the electric motor won’t be needed. The power output is similar as before how the mileage has been increased by 16% due to the reduced load on the engine for the initial start-ups.
Other details
The exterior changes are subtle and the appearance of the scooter is more or less the same as before. The changes include new colour options and a pair of knuckle guards on the handlebar. The new paint options include Metallic Black, Racing Blue, Cyan Blue, Matte Red Metallic and Reddish Yellow Cocktail in the standard variant while the top end street rally variant gets Matte green and matte orange colours.
The engine remains the same which is a 125cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled engine that churns out 8.2hp and 10.3 Nm of torque. Yamaha hasn’t revealed the prices yet but we expect them to launch the scooter in the coming weeks with its sibling Fascino.