[Prathiiik]

1987, Bengaluru

It was a cold rainy night in Bangalore, sometime in 1987. Just a few weeks before this, a decision was made at home to get my dad a bike and here they were, waiting to take delivery somewhere close to Palace Grounds, Bangalore. A shiny red Yamaha rides out of a long driveway past the huge gate onto the road, the sound reaching earlier than the bike. My dad and grandad shake hands with the seller, complete all formalities and ride straight to our trusted mechanic, who had been maintaining my grandfather's 1969 Rajdoot 175. The rain gods showed no mercy, but the little Yamaha, which was then about a year old, made its way to its new owner's place.

The bike in question is a 1986 Yamaha RX100, from the first lot of Japanese versions. This particular bike was with an escorts employee, who sold it within a few months of purchase, for reasons unknown. My grandfather, who was looking to buy a bike for my dad, as mentioned above, came across this advertisement on the newspaper and went to check the bike out the same day. The seller quoted a price higher than what my grandfather was comfortable paying, so he walked away and continued the search, looking at multiple other RX100s on the classifieds. One thing was for sure, it had to be an RX100 or nothing else.



One fine day, the seller who had first quoted a higher price called my grandfather up and struck a deal that was too good to ignore. The deal was made then and there and the bike was picked up a few days later and brought home after attending to some work that was needed.[/b]

The above was narrated to me by my father when I was a kid, and that's when the bike bug bit me, I knew I had to have this bike at some point.

The bike goes straight to the Bull Temple in Bangalore, where all our cars/bikes are taken immediately after delivery. Puja done, and the bike comes home to an excited teenager who couldn't contain his excitement to ride the bike.

Under dads ownership, the bike did a fairly good amount of running, anywhere between 30-60kms a day for 9 years straight. He says the bike has seen everything with him and been ridden to almost every nook and corner of Bangalore.



A few years pass by, and my fathers younger brother, who started working, needed a bike too. The family drives straight to the Kawasaki Bajaj dealership in grandads Fiat 1100 and books a KB100 in wine red shade. The Fiat is then driven straight to the usual mechanics place to let him know about the booking. Immediately, he points to a 1988 Peacock Blue RX100 that is standing outside his garage, and by the next evening, another RX was home.

A few years pass by, the early 2000's set in and the requirement for two bikes reduced. A decision was made to sell the blue RX, and a lot of parts from it were swapped over to the red bike, the hero of this story.

Being born in the early 2000's, I have a lot of memories as a kid riding pillion on the RX. I remember it always used to be parked under the porch in our parking to one side, but neat and gleaming whenever I would see it. Around the same time, a Kinetic Honda scooter entered the family and the convenience of a fearless vehicle made everyone forget the RX, which required a 100 gearshifts if you needed to ride even somewhere close by. The bike then took its place on one corner of the garage next to the Rajdoot 175, and was used occasionally from the mid 2000's upto 2018, during which it went through one rebore and a couple of other major jobs like a conversion from 6V - 12V.

2018 - Bangalore

The bike continued to stay in the garage, used maybe once in 6 months but serviced regularly. I had just turned 15, and the bike bug bit me then. I used to run down to the garage when nobody was home and try to start it up and maybe just give it a few revs to hear that beautiful exhaust. This kept going on for a few months until I decided I wanted to learn how to ride. My dad, who's strictly against underage riding, straight up refused to teach me to ride and that was it, now I was all the more eager to start riding. Walked to the nearest petrol pump, got half a litre of petrol in a bottle and started to ride within the limits of my home parking lot, going from the garage entrance upto the gate. A few months of doing this and I had pretty much learnt the skill of moving off from standstill. The next few months went by learning to ride, shifting gears and so on. I wasn't let to ride on public roads until I turned 18 and got my license, so I limited myself to just the empty ground in my neighbourhood, I was obsessed. Around this time, the Rajdoot was sold to a collector as it was taking up space in the garage and hadn't been started at-least for the past 10 years. Discussions came up about selling the RX too, and my mechanic was assigned to find a buyer for the bike. A buyer came, checked the bike out and offered exactly half of what the asking price was. Dad refused and decided he'd keep the bike for me to start riding once I was of the legal age.

At the same time. my grandfather fell ill and was admitted to the hospital. The last time I got to speak to him, the one thing he'd told me was to never sell the RX. That was that, and the discussion about selling the bike never came up again and it went back to its usual place in the garage.

2021 - June

Forward to 2021, I had just turned 18, and the first thing I did after getting my license was to ask my dad for the bike. Now, my parents are the kind who were scared to give me a 2 wheeler, because it was unsafe and they wanted me to use public transport. A few months later, I joined college and the need for independent transport arose, and it was decided I would get to keep the RX, albeit ride only to college and nearby areas, which I agreed to.



Here on, I'd like to continue the thread as a timeline, as it would be easier for readers to understand and also skip the stories this amateur story teller tells you.

December - 2021

The bike needed a service, the last one being done in end 2017. The Fitness had also expired long back, so a fresh FC needed to be obtained. After another round of discussions on whether a teenager who freshly joined university deserves a bike, the bike was sent to our trusted mechanic (yes, the one you read about in the start of this thread).

December 17th, I walk back home from college and I see dad ready with the bike, waiting to ride to the mechanic. I hop on, and we cover half the distance with no issues. Right after that, the bike started to splutter and came to a halt. Attempted to start it up, but was of no result. Pushed it the rest of the way to the mechanic and left the bike there, letting him know that this bike needed to get ready for the FC inspection and to bring it to shape. Now, as you may have seen in pictures above, the bike looked nearly perfect cosmetically but needed quite some work mechanically. One thing I forgot to mention earlier - a painter who had come home decided to leave a bottle of some sort of acid on the loft above the bike, which then leaked onto the bike and caused every part on it to rust, in a closed garage. Luckily, this was found out in due time and the bike was moved out to our neighbours garage. Along with work in the engine, the bike also needed a few new chrome parts to replace the ones that had been rusted.



All this was taken care of, and in 2 days the bike was ready for delivery from the mechanics, and came straight home with a new handlebar, a set of rims and spokes, fresh oil, brake pads, switcher, a set of mirrors (the bike didn't have one earlier) and a few other minor stuff. Right the next week, the bike was taken for the fitness inspection, and on 31st December, the new RC arrived and the bike was now road legal. With everything done, the only thing left was for me to start riding, and I started taking the bike to college and literally everywhere I went to. I felt a sense of freedom, and the joy of riding a 2 stroke, accompanied by the sweet exhaust note kept me grinning throughout the rides. The odometer when the bike came to my ownership was 57,150 kms, and the bike was on its third set of speedo. Nobody remembers the odo reading on the previous two meters, but dad's sure the total reading should be somewhere around 1.5 lakh.



January - 2022

The bike saw some good running this month, with an excited me finding every reason to go out and ride. Around the same time, I met BHPian Boniver, resident 2 stroke enthusiast and close friend, who had recently purchased a Suzuki Max 100. The following week, we got a chance to meet and do a small photoshoot of both our bikes together, pictures of which are attached below.











February - 2022

The bike performed well, but issues kept popping up here and there. It was then that I started talking to BHPian Mr.Boss, who since then has continuously guided me through 2 stroke issues and ownership. BHPian Boniver, whose lovely Suzuki Max 100 thread you would have come across, had come home and we decided we'd start working on the bike ourselves to gain some experience, so we started with simple jobs like cleaning the carburettor. Took the carb apart, cleaned it and put it back. During this time, we realised there was a leak from the carb which we diagnosed to be the carburettor seal/packing itself. A new one was procured and changed, that put and end to the leak.



March - 2022

Speaking of issues, here's when the first major issue came up, an oil leak. I noticed drops of oil on the ground where I used to park. Spoke about it to Boniver, who then advised me to take it to a mechanic he knew, who the bike now goes to for anything that goes wrong. The issue was diagnosed to be a faulty pushrod oil seal after opening the left magnet side cover. The part was duly sourced and replaced, and the bike ran trouble free for the next few months.





April - 2022

Filled my first full tank (have to save up a lot as a student) and rode around freely through the city, I was loving it. The agile nature of the bike, the power on tap, the exhaust note. I have no words to describe all these, you'll need to ride a 2 stroke yourself to find out what an experience it is.



May - 2022

Regular commute continued, but one day I observed the bike was struggling to pull up inclines and felt like it had lost compression. I also had starting trouble almost everday. Boniver who came over the next day felt the same and the following week, the bike was taken to the mechanic and the issue was pointed out to a faulty reed valve. On his suggestion, a shogun reed valve was sourced and fitted. A few other minor jobs were carried out too. The ride back home after the reed valve change was elating to say the least, the bike was performing so much better and felt like it was breathing a lot easier.



June - 2022

Started riding to places around Bangalore, and the first destination chosen was Muninagara dam, about 30-35 kms from where I stay in South Bangalore. Got onto Bangalore's famous NICE road and rode all the way, along with a group that had bikes ranging from a humble Honda Dio to a Benelli TRK 502. Had a lot of fun on this ride, and put the bike through its paces and it didn't let me down one bit. Around this time, the bike had a fall onto the right side which demanded a change of levers and yokes which I immediately sourced and changed.





July - 2022

If you own a 2 stroke, the mechanic becomes your best friend and on one such casual visit to his place, I told him about the ringing noise coming from the engine which even he noticed. This was pointed out to be worn out bearings that needed changing, which I'm planning to do this month. Along with this, the crank needs a reset and the clutch and pressure plates need to be changed.

August - 2022

As you read this, the bike is performing excellent and the current odo is about 58,500 kms. I've done only about 1400 kms since December, but I'm confident it'll go up in the next few months.



Costs incurred/ List of Parts changed since December 2021

1) Handlebar - 300/-
2) Rims and spokes, front and rear - 2500/-
3) New battery - 900/-
4) 2T oil + gear oil - 400/-
5) Air filter - 140/-
6) Set of mirrors - 240
7) New chain guard, aftermarket - 790/-
8) Oil seal - 80/-
9) Side panel monograms + front number plate = 200/-
10) Coneset bearings, RMP brand - 280/-
11) ACS HTA Shogun reed valve - 480/-
12) Exhaust gasket - 80/-
13) Front fork overhaul - 220/-
14) Neutral switch cap - 20/-
15) Carburettor packing + new pipes - 70/-
16) 2 new indicators - 250/-
17) Crash guard - 400/-

Including labour, I've spent a total of close to 10k on the bike until now, which will only go up further once I spend on bearings and clutch plates.

What needs to be done

1) New bearings + crank reset
2) Both engine covers need painting
3) Clutch plates + some additional work in the clutch assembly
4) At some point, front disc brakes

Now, coming to the likes and dislikes

What I like :

1) Smooth, free revving engine with loads of power on tap. Can cruise when you want it to or open the throttle and it flies. The rush of power on this bike is something that needs to be experienced. It is very tractable too, can do speeds as low as 15-20 kph in 3rd gear.

2) Sweeet sounding exhaust - not annoyingly loud, nor too soft. Just perfect and melodious. As the revs go up, the sound just keeps getting better.

3) Lightweight - the bike weighs just around 100 kgs. Easy for a beginner to learn and also, good power to weight ratio.

4) Riding position - I find it just perfect. The position of the handlebar, the footpads, the height of the seat, the ergonomics, everything's just so in place

5) Head turner - everywhere I go, I have at least 2-3 people asking me what year the bike is from and if I'd sell it anytime. Gets a lot of appreciation too.

6) Simple engine, easy to work on - makes it a good bike for those looking to DIY or learn working on bikes.

7)Fuel economy - with pure city riding, I get about 35kmpl which I feel is not bad for a bike of this age.

8) Gearing - gearing is just spot on. Very short first gear, a short second gear and a super tall 3rd gear that can do speeds as low as 15 kmh all the way to 80 kmh.

What I do not like :

1) Spares - most parts that you get these days are aftermarket and of very crappy quality. Moreover, parts have become extremely expensive over the years. I don't mind paying, but the quality of parts is unacceptable for the price.

2) Rust - now I can't call this an issue with the bike as such, but for the amount of chrome the bike has, it becomes a pain to maintain and protect the chrome from rust.

3) Brakes : The bike accelerates fast, but brakes much slower than you want it to. A disc upgrade is a must do.

About the Bike

Engine/Gearbox :

Pull the kick lever out, give it a gentle kick and the tiny 98cc motor comes to life. It idles smoothly at about 1000-1200 rpm if I'm not wrong. The sound of the exhaust will get you excited even before you slot into gear. Hold in the light clutch and slot the not so smooth gearbox into first and accelerate. First thing you'll notice is how light and flickable the bike is, and by then it's time for you to shift up gears because the first gear is very, very short. Move into second and then third and you realise how versatile the 3rd gear is. 20 kmh? no problem, 80 kmh? no problem. Just shift into third and ride it like an activa in the city.
As the revs go up, you'll notice the exhaust is gradually getting louder and at this point you just want to open the throttle wide. Max out the 3rd gear and you're into 4th and the bike is still pulling. Goes upto 80 without breaking a sweat and reaches the ton pretty easily too, but that's where the fun stops. At about 100-110 kmh is where the top speed lies and here you start feeling the vibrations. Ideal speed for this motorcycle would be 80-90 kmh. With a pillion on board though, you do feel like the engine bogs down a bit, but still manageable. I think the RX - 135 does much better in this regard.

Brakes :

Just about okay, brings the motorcycle to a stop in a straight line but is a little bit spongy and not so strong. As mentioned before, disc upgrade is a must.

Suspension and tyres:

Telescopic forks in the front and Gabriel adjustable suspension at the rear. Not too soft, a bit on the stiffer side. With a pillion, the front end easily lifts up if you give it a bit of more throttle

Tyres are 2.75*18 inch in the front and 3.00 * 18 at the rear. I'm currently running age old cat and mfr tyres so won't comment until I get new Michelin Sirac Streets.

Ergonomics, weight

The bike barely weighs about anything, just about a 100 kilos so lighter than even an activa. The bike is also very narrow so filtering in traffic is made that much easier.

Ergonomically the bike is just perfect. Everything is placed just where you want it to and it'll take you maybe a second to get comfortable.

Seat :

On the harder side, hurts your butt on longer rides. I have the seat with the metal base, you also get ones with a fibre base which misses the seat strap.

Tank capacity and fuel economy :

The tank capacity, including reserve is about 11.5 litres. I regularly get labour 33-35 kmpl in the city with spirited riding.

Features :

Sorry what? The bike is from 36 years ago, so it's as basic as it can get. No fuel gauge no tacho. The fanciest thing on the bike is probably the oil level gauge.

NVH

Yes it is very very very noisy, and my neighbours hate me already. The exhaust note itself is very sweet and something that no other 2 stroke can probably match. Speaking of vibrations, there are none, unless you revv to the redline in neutral or are riding at a 100 kmh on the highway.

I think I've spoken enough, here's a bunch of pictures of the bike from the many I have in my gallery:









With Boniver's 2001 Suzuki Max 100:

Also.

here's a YouTube link

to a cinematic video that BHPian Boniver shot:











Thank you for reading, I will keep updating this thread as the odo increases

Prathik

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[ajayc123]

The charming RX100 has been a part of my life too when I had purchased it in 1995 as my first motor vehicle in the New Black colour.

At that time, this was considered a go to bike among our peer group, and it behaved quite well. I can relate to many of the experiences and peculiarities called out by you.

The engine had started siezing after 40k, after a few years, and we had moved over to cars by then. Ultimately, it was sold to a milkman, after being parked idle for many years.

Good to see your passion about maintaining this bike and enjoying it's rides. All the best.

[GTO]

Truly an icon, and a motorcycle that is still unmatched by any 100cc on the market in terms of sheer riding pleasure. I had an RX100 for a year, until it got flicked from outside a movie cinema. That acceleration & exhaust note were truly something else, especially for the 80s & 90s. Wondering how come the subsequent variations (RX135? Or RXG something?) never became as popular as this bad boy?

Awesome review, will be going to our homepage tomorrow . Thanks for sharing!

[boniver]

Been waiting too long for this thread! CAP2348 is indeed very special to me as well, as it introduced me to the Yamahas and what I was missing out on, eventually leading me to buy my own RX100 one month after first riding yours.

Posting some photos:

[TheHelix0202]

Originally Posted by Prathiiik

Yes it is very very very noisy, and my neighbours hate me already. The exhaust note itself is very sweet and something that no other 2 stroke can probably match. Speaking of vibrations, there are none, unless you revv to the redline in neutral or are riding at a 100 kmh on the highway.

Neighbourhood’s envy, owner’s (and his friends’) pride, eh?

I can attest to the lovely, creamy, refined (compared to the other two strokes) power delivery of the Yammie. Truly an icon. That exhaust was a joy for me, coming from 4 stroke motors.

Leaving the only picture of my Gixxer and your RX together; had to crop us out of the image :



Picture courtesy - Boniver

[Gypsian]

Originally Posted by GTO

Wondering how come the subsequent variations (RX135? Or RXG something?) never became as popular as this bad boy?
Attachment 2343781

The technical reason behind this is the step motherly treatment shown by Yamaha after late 1980s. Yamaha RX 100 came with Y1 bore (cylinder). Subsequently those cylinders were swapped with G series ones and the same followed with RX 135's which never came with high performance Y series cylinders unlike other Asian countries.
The Y series alone made so much difference in performance and exhaust note and all the Yamaha two strokes launched in India were detuned for reasons best known to them. IMHO this is the technical reason beyond lack of feel in the motorcyles that succeeded Yamaha RX 100 post 1989.

[GreasyCarb55]

A great review of a truly legendary bike. Tourist Trophy (A PS2 motorcycle racing game by Polyphony Digital, the brilliant minds behind the Gran Turismo games) introduced 4 year old me to motorcycles but it was the Yamaha RX and subsequently the RD350 that made me fall in love with bikes.

For about 3 years (late 2000's) there was a college student who lived on our road and had this beautiful Maroon RX135 5 speed, every time he passed by our house I'd go to the balcony or a nearby window to see the bike pass by and that 2 Stroke symphony never failed to make me smile. The dream owning an RX100/135 or perhaps even an RD350 is still with me and hopefully I can achieve that in the next few years.

[PratikPatel]

Actually the RX100 was itself is a de-tuned version of the RXS100. The RXS100 was sold in south east Asia and Europe. The main difference being that the Rx100 had a claimed output of 11bhp whereas the RXS100 had 12bhp. A few significant things were removed from the RX100 vis-a-vis the RXS100. The RXS100 had a 5 speed gearbox, a energy resonator box (called Yamaha Energy Induction System) & a 20mm Mikuni carb (RX100 had a 18mm).

However, all said and done, even in this de-tuned state it was well ahead of its competitors. It was the first all aluminium 2 stroke engine in India.

[TaurusAl]

So good to see the legendary bike and the music it makes while in motion. Such threads do create nostaligia of era goneby. I was a Kawasaki Bajaj RTZ rider back then and there always used to be competition on which bike is faster and better.

The only thing I dislike about this bike and probably the most important point in current days is the amount of smoke it emits. I have a friend who owns one and I absolutely dislike riding behind him because of the exhaust smoke and smell.

Happy Riding...

[NiInJa]

"Never sell the RX100"
Words of wisdom by our elders

Loved reading the story and looking at the meticulously maintained bike. Do keep updating the thread and keep this legend alive and kicking!

My dad had the Yezdi 350 (The one whose kick lever was the same as gear shifter) back in 1986 before I was born. He had to sell it after he had a stomach surgery and was advised not to lift any heavy objects for a year or so. He had to sell the bike then a year before I was born. Till date, I and my brother remind our dad that it was his biggest mistake ever

[sharan_si]

Very well maintained bike, RX100 had the signature exhaust note, also surprisingly well sold 2-stroke bike of that time.

[Mahesh Babu]

A great bike, pampered as it deserves to be and a proud owner Couldn't resist the temptation to repost the image of my priced possession for more than past 3 decades and another pic with his latest pal to share the stable, only to share the joy on seeing yet another well maintained '86 Rx 100

[Roadistan]

This is me back in the 90’s with my priced possession.Bought this bike in second sale from JC road and built it grounds up.It was quite an interesting phase sitting at the workshop and seeing her coming to life(Bunked few classes as well to ensure I don’t miss anything while my bike was being overhauled).

[knightfurry]

Amazing read! Refreshed some of my memories when I used to ride with my Dad on the Suzuki AX100. AX100 was handed over to me in somewhat similar circumstances. I was the only two stroke owner in my college.
It was my dad’s primary commute until he handed over the bike to me in 2007 & I did 30K in 4 years till my Pulsar 180 arrived & it was neglected there after.

Originally Posted by boniver

Been waiting too long for this thread! CAP2348 is indeed very special to me as well, as it introduced me to the Yamahas and what I was missing out on, eventually leading me to buy my own RX100 one month after first riding yours.

Hi Boniver,
I read you own a Suzuki max 100. I’m in the process of restoring by dad’s 1986 Ind Suzuki. I’m in need of some parts and finding it difficult to source it in Pune. Can you please help me source it? I’m in Bangalore currently on a business trip & plan to leave on coming Saturday.