I was passing by a Yamaha showroom and happened to see the new Gladiator, which took me by surprise although I had heard of its launch just early that week but didn’t expect it’s launch to be so silent & swift.
I couldn’t resist the temptation to get a closer look and test ride this new Yam. The bike is basically the same as Fazer 125 which failed to take off due to the alien headlamp and the damned four speed gearbox. On enquiring I got to know that the Fazer has been reworked to give the front telescopic shocks 140mm travel, a 5 speed gearbox (which is prominently displayed on the side panels), a much better looking headlamp and a better looking instrument console. The snazzy graphics also
gives it a refreshing look although some might resent it.
Hop on the saddle and what impresses you is the better looking instrument console and the nice comfy seating if offers (commuter style of course cause this is a bike for the executive class). Hit the starter button, and the engine fires off instantly settling to a soft roar (or is it). The sound of the engine is on the softer side though.
Pickup is good for a bike in its class and the smooth and refined engine coupled with smooth precise gear shifts and an equally good clutch make a overall good package. The read end is a bit disappointing though. This is one good package from Yamaha in ages and is said to be their kick off to a new generation of bikes to come from Yam.
So to sum up this is one good bike from Yam which is worth considering although performance bikers will tend to ignore this baby. But on the brighter side it shows Yam India is finally waking up to reality and are gonna feed us with some good performance machines in the months and years to come.
Thanks guys for reading through. Any comments good or bad are most welcome.