[CrAzY dRiVeR]

One last ride with the Aerox - 13 hour, 770 kms ride to bid farewell

As some of you may have noticed, my Aerox was up for sale in the Team BHP classifieds - the reason being that the primary user has moved on and no matter how good the Aerox is - and how attached I'm to it - it is still a scooter occupying a parking space that could be filled with more fun motorcycles. Decided to let go!

The buyer, Team BHPian himself who shuttles between Bangalore and Trivandrum, asked if he can take delivery in Kerala in case I plan to ride it back. Well, anyways I wanted to do one final ride before the sale - so rode the Aerox down from Bangalore to Trivandrum one last time. Started by 4:46am from Bangalore and reached home in Trivandrum by 5:48pm.

The distance of 770 kms was covered in almost 13 hours with the scooter giving an average FE of 33.4 kmpl.

Got better fuel efficiency this time around as I was maintaining a speed of 85-90 kmph instead of 100, resulting in 33.4kmpl instead of 28.1 km/l I received the last time when I did Trivandrum- Bangalore, while trying to cruise at 100 kmph. This additional FE actually helped me reduce a full two fuel stops as compared to the onward journey early last year.

Still ended up stopping for fuel at all the below towns -

1. Shoolagiri
2. Namakkal
3. Dindigul
4. Kovilpatti
5. Kavalkinaru

As usual - the Aerox handled the highways like it was just business as usual. Except for the frequent fuel and bio stops - I only got off the seat twice for these 770kms - once for lunch and once at CCD. Maintaining 90km/h all day long is easy, the engine unstressed and the ergonomics don't cause issues either. Yes, the rear suspension remains extremely bouncy over anything but good roads though!

Although the new owner is yet to take delivery, this concludes my Aerox ownership as the bike will just be washed and parked for the transfer from now on. Since the most favorite pass-time for the Aerox while touring is to stop at fuel bunks, that's going to the theme of the snippets below from the ride

4:52 AM: Near Bangalore Airport- Just 5 kms in:



6:47 AM: Catching the sunrise near Shoolagiri:

Had a horrible traffic jam before this due to a truck breakdown exactly where the 3 lanes had been diverted to the service lane. Even with the scooter taking the narrowest of gaps - still took 20-25 mins to clear those few kilometers. I feel for the car guys who were caught in that mess!



7:00 AM - Refuelling at Shoolagiri HP COCO bunk - 93 kms done:



9:34 AM - Refuelling at Navani (Near Namakkal) BP COCO bunk - 254 kms done:



11:14 AM - Refuelling at BP bunk Dindigul- 379 kms done:



Had lunch at A2B Madurai.

2:18PM - Refuelling at Kovilpatti- 528 kms done:

Also stopped at Cafe Coffee Day to cool down for 15 minutes since the heat was really getting to me. Thankfully had some cloud cover from here on!



3:28PM - Beautiful highways near Tirunelveli towards Kanyakumari:



3:48PM - Refuelling at HP bunk, Kavalkinaru - 670 kms done:



4:58PM - The beautiful new highway by-passing Trivandrum:



5:48PM - Home sweet home, in 13 hours and 2 minutes:



Final Trip Meter Reading -



Average Fuel efficiency for the trip -



Final Odo Reading for this ownership report -

Closing Remarks on ownership:

Likes:

• A game-changer still, with none of the issues of performance EV scooters like the OLA! Hopefully more such machines will enter the Indian market.
• Sporty, unique and attention-grabbing looks.
• Performance unlike most other scooters in the Indian market - 155 cc, liquid-cooled, VVA motor derived from the R15 produces 15ps & 13.9Nm
• Good mile munching ability. Can sit at 90-100 kmph all day long.
• Excellent refinement at high rpms. (8000-8500 rpm feels so natural to hold). VVT does make a difference and is enjoyable to push towards higher rpms.
• Decent CVT with the rubber-band effect not much pronounced under city riding conditions. 0-60 kmph performance is brisk.
• Excellent handling, courtesy stiff suspension and good quality, wide, 14” IRC rubber at both ends. Excellent stability (for a scooter) at highway speeds.
• Effortless in the parking lot. Very light and nimble, thanks to the low CG.
• Good braking performance in the city, disc brakes up front, good tyre grip and single-channel ABS.
• Seats cushioning and ergonomics are good. No fatigue even after a 13 hour day (ignoring the suspension stiffness issues)
• Aerox is still a novelty - lot of questions at petrol bunks and from other motorists even now - especially when on tour.
• The colour! Have since fallen in love with the typical Yamaha paint scheme and quality in-person.
• Features - LED headlamps, digital instrumentation with tachometer, instant and average FE calculators, battery voltmeter, side-stand engine cut-off, phone compartment with 12V charging socket, etc
• 24.5L under-seat storage. Can swallow a full-face helmet + small items extra. Comes very handy even on tours.
• Service and spares availability has been good, much better coverage than sales network.
• After-market modification scene is brilliant and unexpectedly vivid - with easy availability of parts sourced from S.E.Asian markets.

Dislikes:

• Un-necessarily harsh ride quality at the rear is the biggest pain point in the city. Evident cost-cutting just for India with a cheap, ill-suited setup
• Tank range is undoubtedly the biggest pain point on the highways. 100 - 120 kms of useable range means you will be looking to fuel in almost every major town.
• Fuel Efficiency drops drastically once in VVT range. Trying to cruise at a constant 100 km/h - the returned 28.1 km/l on the console over a long ride.
• Runs out of steam quickly above 110 kmph, but then 110+ on a scooter is really pushing luck.
• Braking performance is average from highways speeds, but the initial bite feel could really improve.
• Sporty styling compromises knee room for tall (~ 6') riders
• No footboard storage. If you need it, this scooter is just not for you. Period
• Fit and finish of some elements do not match the premium feel of the rest
• Feature list is lacking by modern electric scooter standards - lacks onboard navigation, reverse assist, rear disc brakes, etc. Smartkey system also skipped for the Indian market, though now present in modern scooters - along with Traction Control.
• Front phone compartment accommodates, but is useless for charging large modern-day mobile phones
• Connected features are made available using Bluetooth. Not useful as SIM-enabled tech in modern electric scooters. Also had to disconnect as it drains battery when idle for a week or two.
• Character-less engine note, especially with the silent SMG start
• Poor sales network had left us with a bad purchase experience. Yamaha still continues to treat the Aerox like a step-child, though sales have steadily picked up.

Throwback to some of my favorite images/memories to sign off from this thread:

[catchjyoti]

Beautiful machine. Just needs to be modded with the bigger fuel tank and rear gas-charged shock absorbers.

[Nilesh5417]

I have always wanted to ride one but don't have it in my circle. This is one scooter that seems to bring a smile on the face and your ownership, ride reports usually are always like happy songs.

But more than the scooter, you seem to be in peak shape (touch wood). Riding 13hrs on a full blown adv can be tiring yet here you are doing it on a 15ps scooter! The wind blast can really put a lot of stress on your back. How did you manage? Are the riding position / ergonomics helping negate some of that possible fatigue?

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by catchjyoti

Beautiful machine. Just needs to be modded with the bigger fuel tank and rear gas-charged shock absorbers.

Thankfully both are easy modifications with the after market parts available nowadays.

Originally Posted by Nilesh5417

The wind blast can really put a lot of stress on your back. How did you manage? Are the riding position / ergonomics helping negate some of that possible fatigue?

Thanks Nilesh

This time since I was riding at a more sedate 85-90 km/h - windblast was not a major issue at all. Usually on naked bikes I struggle with windblast above 110km/h.

[sjain2054]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

The distance of 770 kms was covered in almost 13 hours with the scooter giving an average FE of 33.4 kmpl.

In my Mumbai - Bhopal - Mumbai drives, the Tata Nano figures are the same. 800kms covered in almost 13-14hrs with an average FE of 25kmpl.

I did try hypermiling once and the distance was done in 18hrs with an average FE of 28kmpl.

It was lovely reading your post. You will remember the Aerox and this long ride for a long time. Cheers!

[HummerH]

Can owners from Bangalore please comment on your Service experience of Aerox ?
I see a lot of negative reviews on most of Yamaha's authorised service centers.

[minzanurag]

Originally Posted by HummerH

Can owners from Bangalore please comment on your Service experience of Aerox ?
I see a lot of negative reviews on most of Yamaha's authorised service centers.

I wouldn’t recommend them since it is always hit or a miss, but then we do not have much of a choice. Out of the 7 services done so far I only had issues resolved twice. Service rep changes almost with every service and they are always in a rush to take vehicles rather than listen to your concerns. So here I am getting them to change my throttle cable and they keep doing some jugaad instead of changing it. They do however change the fluid as I open and check the fluids once I am at home. Worst thing is the FNG avoids opening Aerox as they are not sure they will be able to do a good job, so kind of stuck unless you strike a good rapport with the SA it’s like a big task getting your bike done as you want it. Unless you DIY, I, frankly, can’t.

Aerox is a damn good bike, touchwood, I do like to rip it out on the highways and it has never complained. I just wish service and spares were bit better

[travelhead]

The services with most manufacturers are always a hit or a miss, especially in Bangalore. Be it due to the volumes of motorcycles / scooters or lack of knowledge and expertise of the mechanics.

The idea is to find a reliable FNG and get the issues sorted from him rather than depending on service centers. I am doing the same since my Yamaha R3 days. I sold it after using for 6 years and bought Aerox. Done with 3 services now. Yamaha products are fairly reliable and never had any major issues so far.

[Sebring]

On my recent trip to Thailand, I picked up original Yamaha gas filled shocks for Rs 7000.
These are Made in Vietnam and a great improvement over stock.
Pure spring system was Rs 4000.

I'm planning to hand carry the original SRC tyres and brake levers with 'incline stop' knob, next
BTW, They had Ohlins at Rs 32,000.

[Sebring]

Also picked up an Original Yamaha hook. Costs almost nothing, but very important for grocery bags.

[locusjag]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

One last ride with the Aerox - 13 hour, 770 kms ride to bid farewell

.....

Were you ever able to figure out if there are locally manufactured tyres for the Aerox in 2024, versus the OEM-supplied Indonesian ones?

[r_nairtvm]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

One last ride with the Aerox - 13 hour, 770 kms ride to bid farewell

The buyer, Team BHPian himself who shuttles between Bangalore and Trivandrum, asked if he can take delivery in Kerala in case I plan to ride it back. Well, anyways I wanted to do one final ride before the sale - so rode the Aerox down from Bangalore to Trivandrum one last time. Started by 4:46am from Bangalore and reached home in Trivandrum by 5:48pm.

Thanks for the "home delivery" Cd

I will update things here from time to time

Starting with a pic of Aerox in its new stable



Another one alongside its 39-year stable mate



Been putting Aerox through its paces. Liking it so far. Kind of tired of answering the question "if it has the same R15 Engine" and again the famous "What is the milage" - the question that killed RD350 programme in India.

(I have half a mind to tell them that my 2nd bike is a RD350)

Best Regards and Ride Safe

[Sebring]

I picked up a firm seat from Chennai based importers, (via Instagram) for around Rs 5000. This is from Vietnam, and am going to put it through its paces

[mzone]

Just encountered the dreaded battery drain issue over the Christmas season. I last used the Aerox on 23rd Dec for a short 3-4km ride and then it was idle until 30th December when I had planned a long ride and the bike refused to crank. Threw all my plans off for the day with this unexpected fail. Didn't expect this from a bike that is just 2 months old. This was the first downtime it experienced since it is usually in use every day or at least every alternate day, but just a week or so of being idle leading to the bike unable to start is very strange indeed. I had a Duke 390 before this which could go over a month or 45 days without use and would crank on first try.

My Bluetooth module is connected and I do use it on longer rides, is unplugging it a permanent solution? I am a bit concerned about it since it could happen even overnight without warning?

[travelhead]

Originally Posted by mzone

Just encountered the dreaded battery drain issue over the Christmas season. I last used the Aerox on 23rd Dec for a short 3-4km ride and then it was idle until 30th December when I had planned a long ride and the bike refused to crank. Threw all my plans off for the day with this unexpected fail. Didn't expect this from a bike that is just 2 months old. This was the first downtime it experienced since it is usually in use every day or at least every alternate day, but just a week or so of being idle leading to the bike unable to start is very strange indeed. I had a Duke 390 before this which could go over a month or 45 days without use and would crank on first try.

My Bluetooth module is connected and I do use it on longer rides, is unplugging it a permanent solution? I am a bit concerned about it since it could happen even overnight without warning?

The drain must be due to the bluetooth module. I have left my Aerox unused for 2-3 weeks on multiple occasions and the bike has started on first crank for me.

However, as I type, I haven't used it for 40 days now and I didn't disconnect battery while leaving bangalore. I am expecting some starting issue when I go back this month end, as it will be close to 70 days since last crank.