The Suzuki Hayate 125 Step-Thru scooter comes with fuel injection and is a popular offering in the South East Asian markets.
The scooter market is the most promising segment in the auto market that is set to grow exponentially in the years to come. With more and more manufacturers readying up their products ranging from 100cc entry-level models to 150cc power scooters, Suzuki India is mulling to launch its third 125cc scooter in the country to further capitalise on the growing demand. The Japanese manufacturer has imported the Hayate 125 FI Step-Thru scooter in the country and is evaluating if the same has a market in India.
A popular offering in Indonesia and other South East Asian markets, the Suzuki Hayate scooter comes with a 124.3cc air-cooled, single-cylinder engine with fuel injection that is tuned to produce 9.6 PS of power and 9.8 Nm of torque, paired to a CVT automatic transmission. The scooter gets telescopic forks at the front and a swingarm type suspension set-up at the rear. Stopping power comes from a front disc and rear drum brake set-up. The scooter weighs 114 kgs with a fuel tank of 5 kgs and rides on large 16-inch alloy wheels.
Albeit more practical in tackling rough roads, a Step-Thru is not a very popular scooter type in India. Customers tend to prefer the more conservative and regular body style on scooters already seen on the Access and Swish. Moreover, the company retails the Hayate 113cc motorcycle in the country and hence will have to opt for a different name for the scooter. If the Hayate scooter does make it to India, we are likely to see fuel injection being ditched for a competitive pricing along with a few other changes.
Source – Gaadiwaadi on Twitter
