Yamaha Ray ZR vs Aprilia Storm 125
Are you a youngster looking for a sporty gearless scooter that complements your zeal for fun? Then there are two sporty scooters that you should definitely consider buying, one from Japan and the other one from Germany. Hold tight, as we help you decide which one to choose, as we pin the Yamaha Ray ZR Street Rally vs the Aprilia Storm 125 in a spec comparison.
Yamaha Ray ZR vs Aprilia Storm 125 Design
First, let’s talk about the Yamaha. The Ray ZR rounds up as a sporty-looking scooter, largely because of its sleek design and edgy graphics, which we rarely see on scooters. Other things that add to its visual appeal are the handguards, sporty smoked visor accompanied with an LED DRL, black alloys with red pinstripes and the beefy side panels that look like air-intakes from the front. The placement of the indicators really deteriorates the edgy front look, though. Also, the rear-end of the Ray ZR seems flat and doesn’t dwell with the sharp front-end.
Coming to the Aprilia, the Storm 125 shares its styling with the SR 125, which is deemed as one of the sportiest scooters on offer. Appealing aspects of the Aprilia are its integrated indicators, gloss black alloys, sporty headlamp design, and bold black graphics. Also, while the Ray ZR gets a normal paint job, the Aprilia gets a matte finish. To conclude, although the Aprilia misses out on the handguards, the LED DRL and pinstripes, it still looks much sportier than the Ray ZR Street Rally overall, thanks to its tall stance, better graphics and a much better rear-end.
Yamaha Ray ZR vs Aprilia Storm 125 Features
Now if you want a sporty scooter, you would also want it to be up-to-date on the features. Sadly, both scooters miss out on some key modern features like a USB charging port, LED headlamps and an engine start-stop switch. Nevertheless, the Yamaha Ray ZR packs a fully digital speedometer, a visor, LED DRL, side-stand engine cut-off, multi-function key switch, and even handguards as standard. The Aprilia has a lot to catch up here as it misses out on almost all these features. It gets an analogue speedometer that looks dated, no DRLs, and a conventional fuel-lid under the seat. While both scooters share halogen headlamps, a combined braking system and black alloys with dual-purpose tyres, the Yamaha is still very clearly the more feature-rich between the two.
Yamaha Ray ZR vs Aprilia Storm 125 Performance
Let me get the common bits out of the way first. Both scooters get a 125cc engine spec with CVT, fuel injection, and air-cooling. Coming to the differences, the Yamaha Ray ZR’s engine produces 8.2 BHP at 6500 RPM and 9.7 Nm of torque at 5000 RPM whereas the Aprilia Storm’s engine makes 9.52 BHP at 7250 RPM and 9.9 Nm of torque at 6250 RPM. The Storm also gets a 3-valve setup while the Ray ZR gets only two.
On the braking front, both get disc brakes at the front as we’re discussing the top-models in this comparo. The Storm gets a better braking setup, though, as it gets a 200 mm disc at the front and a 150 mm drum brake at the rear, which is bigger than the Ray ZR’s 190 mm front disc and 130 mm rear drum brake. Further, the Storm also has a bigger 6-litre fuel tank as compared to Ray ZR’s 5.2-litre tank.
Yamaha Ray ZR vs Aprilia Storm 125 Ergonomics & Handling
Disclaimer- Both scooters claim to be street and off-road friendly, but none can actually tackle typical off-road conditions with ease. Coming to the point, both have an upright posture and will accommodate a healthy adult with ease. In addition, both scooters also get telescopic front forks but the Ray ZR gets an unimpressive unit swing rear suspension while the Storm 125 gets a much better mono-shock at the rear. The Ray ZR will have an edge in the comfort department, though, because it is wider and hence, it’ll be more accommodating. On the flip-side, the Storm has a lower seat height, thus making it more suitable for shorter riders.
On the handling front, the Storm seems to be the clear winner as it gets a bigger rear wheel, wider tyres, and more ground clearance. But the Ray ZR has a trump card up its sleeves- its weight. The Ray ZR weighs a whopping 23 kgs less than the Storm 125. In addition, the Ray ZR also has a shorter wheelbase which means it will be much easier to ride around in the city. So, if you’re an amateur, we suggest that you should pick the lighter Ray ZR.
Yamaha Ray ZR vs Aprilia Storm 125 Verdict
The Yamaha Ray ZR Street Rally (Disc variant) retails at Rs. 87,729/- (on-road, Mumbai) and the Aprilia Storm 125 (Disc Variant) costs Rs. 1,09,376/- (on-road, Mumbai). This is where the Storm loses it all. The Storm costs about Rs. 20,000/- more than the Ray ZR and let’s not forget that it also stands very short in the feature-list. While the Aprilia looks better, handles better, has better performance and is a more premium product, it doesn’t feel worth the extra money. The Yamaha Ray ZR Street Rally is our pick in this spec comparison.
