The Yamaha RX Z was one of the last of its kind when it came to the legendary 2-stroke engines. It was the last bike with a 2-stroke engine to be sold ever in India. Today we are bringing you an example that was “the best of the best” as it was imported from Indonesia and has a rare 6-speed Transmission!
Yamaha had a lot of success with their 2 Stroke Engines from the beginning. The RD350 became an icon, the smaller and more popular RX100 became the bike every hero was riding in the 1990s, as well as the Yamaha RX135 improved a few of the aspects of the RX100. The RX Z was a replacement to the RX135 with some significant improvements and there were many variations to appeal to a wider audience. Sadly, as good as the RX Z was, the emission norms in 2008 made the 2-stroke unfeasible for Yamaha and they stopped making them in India. But, what they left was a legacy of remarkable improvement and something that could legitimately rival some of the sporty commuters even today.
The styling of the Yamaha RX Z marks the beginning of a new era for the Japanese outfit in the Indian Market. The front light became angular and that was one of the first integrations of modern light design language into Yamahas. The RX100s, and RX135s all had circular headlights. The same thing is true about the rear taillight. It was angular whereas previous integrations were easily noticeable to have separate bulb housing for Turn signals as well as Rear Brake lights. The silhouette is also not stuck in the 90s but incorporating the modern commuter which makes it an understated bike to ride.
The gauges also displayed crucial information and were keeping well with the times as it showed the Tachometer and Speedometer with the Odometer all at the same time. It had separate indicators which is something you don’t get even today thanks to cost-cutting done by manufacturers. In terms of indicators, it showed an Oil Level Indicator as well which should be appreciated as I do not recall many bikes having this at that point. It also had the fuel level (revolutionary for Yamaha) and the brake oil level meter which isn’t something that you would rave about but coming from an era where this information was found manually, it is a delight to see all of it from the comfort of the rider seat!
The Yamaha RX Z is powered by the same 135cc engine as the RX135 and produced 18hp which was quite respectable for the time. The unique thing about this iteration of the 2-stroke is that in the top end, the burbles stop adding to a smoother riding experience.
The RX135, in my opinion, wasn’t the smoothest bike, but the RX Z was able to iron out all of the imperfections making it one of the best bikes to buy with an old-school motor. The engine retained the burbles at low RPMs but they never felt annoying and the RX Z could genuinely be considered as a better commuter, if you neatly forget the absence of Anti-Lock Brakes. It should be noted that the RX Z was also a bike that came with a chamber attached to the exhaust. The mechanical explanation of it is that the chamber improves the volumetric efficiency and power delivery. Perhaps the good top end is a result of the addition of the chamber to the exhaust system.
The 6-speed transmission alleviated the riding experience as it removed the already low amount of vibrations of the 5th Gear. The riding position of the RX Z is quite compact and committed which would be a surprise for someone who is acquainted with the comfortable position of the RX100 and RX135 or even the RD350. It was a pleasant experience and after riding the Yamaha RX Z I was genuinely questioning whether people should be considering this as opposed to the 100cc bikes we get in the market today for a more dramatic low-end sound and more “pizzaz” in the low end.
It was a shame the RX Z had to go as it provided an experience, not many bikes could deliver. Most RX Zs you may encounter in India will come with a 4-speed transmission pre-2005 and a 5-speeder post-it. The RX Z can be considered a modern commuter and would’ve stood the test of time if not for stringent Indian emission standards forcing manufacturers out of the 2 Stroke. The maintenance for these bikes can be a bit of a headache especially if you have an Indonesian or Malaysian Import but you will forget about all of that the moment you are riding it. The best part, it retains all of the modern bike characteristics whilst offering the 2-stroke drama!
