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Yamaha Aerox S purchase; Looking forward to a fuss-free ownership

8th January 2025, 17:32 by Rahul Nagaraj

I’m planning a 250-300 km trip this weekend since I’ve been bitten by the riding bug again!

BHPian mzone recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

I recently took delivery of my Aerox S last weekend, and this has been my experience so far.

The scoot is a hoot! It’s such a fun bike (yes, I think of it more as a bike than a scooter, ).

Delivery Process:
The process went smoothly, although there was a long wait on the day of delivery. I was given a specific time, but about 4-5 Fascinos were handed over before I got mine. I collected my vehicle from Pratik Motors, Mapusa, Goa who have a huge stockpile of Fascinos both inside and outside the showroom —definitely their bread-and-butter product here in Goa, especially popular with rent-a-bike operators. Nothing special about the delivery — just a standard photo with the big key, and that’s it. No freebies or anything, though I managed to coerce a free helmet from them, for what it’s worth.

Looks:
The bike is a stunner in person and has a strong presence. It still turns heads, especially in the Silver Gold combo. I’m happy with my color choice, even though there were only two options available in the S variant (Blue & Silver)

Features:
The smart key is a novelty that doesn’t really add too much in the way of convenience, but it’s a cool feature to have. Even with the key fob in your pocket, you still need to physically turn a knob to turn on the ignition and then thumb the starter. Speaking of which, the silent start is quite nice. I received two regular keys and one smart key, for a total of three. However, according to the Yamaha showroom staff, the regular keys are only for opening the seat and cannot be used to start the bike. This means that if something happens to the smart key, I won’t be able to start the vehicle at all. A replacement costs about 4k. Im am not really sure why they give two regular keys, though.

The Bluetooth wasn’t working when I tried setting it up the next day. After going through the manual, I realized that the Bluetooth module hadn’t been plugged in at the dealer’s before delivery—quite an oversight on their part. Works fine after connecting it.
One issue I noticed with the seat opening is that it doesn’t pop up. I need to lift the seat with my fingers while pressing the seat release button, which I don’t think is normal. It’s a hassle when you have something in one hand and can’t prop the seat open easily.

Riding Feel:
I recently sold my 2017 Duke 390 because I wasn’t riding it much and considered the Aerox for the convenience of a daily commuter that’s also fun to ride and capable of touring if needed. So far, I’m happy to report no complaints on the fun-to-ride front. Even though I’ve only covered 150 km so far, it feels peppy and smooth. I can’t wait to finish the run-in period and open up this lovely engine. The exhaust note is a bit muted compared to, say, an N Torq, but that could also be a good thing.

Suspension:
Now, onto the suspension. Starting with the front, it’s way too soft and keeps bottoming out, even on minor ruts. On roads where I wouldn’t normally think twice about ruts and potholes, I have to be cautious because the front end bottoms out far too often with a loud thud. I read about this issue on forums, and increasing the fork oil seems to be the solution. I’ll ask the service center to rectify it during the first service.
The rear suspension is stiff, no doubt about it—you can feel every bump on the road. I’ll probably try lowering the tire pressure and see if it helps. However, with a pillion, the ride is much better; the rear suspension feels more sorted and less bouncy.

I’m planning a 250-300 km trip this weekend since I’ve been bitten by the riding bug again! I’m planning a 2-up ride from Goa to Belgaum and was thinking about luggage options. There’s no dedicated front spine bag for the Aerox available in India (from what I’ve seen), so I’m wondering what others use for touring. This would of course complement the massive 24.5L underseat storage. Tail bags are definitely a good option but more suited for solo trips. The Viaterra Claw Mini seems viable, but I’m concerned about restricted foot placement and movement, though it seems like the best bet. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Looking forward to a pleasant ownership experience with my Yamaha Aerox S and excited to put loads of kilometers on it! I’ve never had a single issue with my other Yamaha (2016 Ray ZR), so I’m hoping this one will be a fuss-free experience too.