Yamaha has just launched three new variants of its existing products. The Japanese automaker has big plans for India. The Ray has been given cosmetic changes like stylish and sporty graphics to appeal to the young male audience, badged as the Ray Z (the Z here is pronounced as Zee). Mechanically the scooter remains the same. The SZ will now be available in two variants only – SZ-S and SZ-RR. The bike continues to be powered by the same 153cc engine, which produces a power output of 12.1 BHP and a peak torque of 12.8 Nm.
The Z family has always been targeted at the young boys. It was FZ, then the SZ and now the Ray Z from the Yamaha house. Yamaha’s strategy with the FZ is to refresh it with new colors. Based on the customer demand, the black and green on the FZ will be brought back into the market. However, comparatively, the SZ would be a more conventional motorcycle. The SZ-S is available in red and black colours, while the SZ-RR is available in red, black and blue colours. The Ray Z will be available in three different colors – red, white and black.
The Yamaha Ray Z gets a smoked-finish visor, aluminium rear wing-shaped tandem rider grab-bars, instrument panel with a carbon fiber patterned background and carbon fiber patterned seat cover material. This scooter offers a mileage of 53 km/l and can do 0-60 km/hr in 10.84 seconds. The Ray Z is powered by the same air-cooled 4-stroke SOHC, 2-valve single-cylinder engine which produces 7.1 PS of power at 7500 RPM and 8.1 Nm of torque at 5000 RPM. It has been targeted towards an age group of 16-24 years. Yamaha will also be offering loads of accessories which includes helmets, gloves, shirts, etc.
Yamaha has toned down the SZ-X to come up with the SZ-S, targeting it towards those who want a more conventional motorcycle. The company has further tweaked the SZ-R to come up with the SZ-RR, which features more aggressive styling. Mechanically both bikes are the same as before, with no alternations to the suspension or the engine. The SZ-S gets a simpler fuel tank design while the SZ-RR gets a smoked windscreen, 3D SZ emblem and aluminium grab rails. The instrument cluster also gets minor revisions.
In order to position their products in the hearts of customers, Yamaha also announced its new global brand slogan – ‘Revs Your Heart’ which means revving engine through the RPM range, thereby creating excitement. India is one of the most important markets for Yamaha. Last year, Yamaha made its first step into the scooter segment. This helped them grow by 22 percent at the same time when the overall industry went down by 0.2 percent. The launch of the Ray Z and the new SZ series will help them to continue with that growth.
Yamaha has made a new TV commercial to highlight its new tagline which features dominoes. As India is a big country, the Yamaha Motor Sales was established recently, which helps the company in improving area marketing. To increase its production capacity, the company has also set up a new plant in Chennai which is expected to be functional by 2014. In the future, it should not come as a surprise if Yamaha announces new products. Last year, Yamaha focused mainly on deluxe customers and with Ray, they will be able to cater to a larger market.
Prices (ex-showroom, Delhi) –
* Yamaha SZ-S – Rs. 59,500/-
* Yamaha SZ-RR – Rs. 62,500/-
* Yamaha Ray Z – Rs. 48,555/-
