Before I start, I would like to say that this review is dedicated to Ashish Mathur ( my dear spooks). The reason is his love for Yamaha. I sincerely tried to review up the Yamaha RX-100 but am ending up somewhere else. Undoubtedly the RX-100 achieved the cult status here. But the irredentists of Indian economy brought it down. So Yamaha, choosing a different game plan introduced Yamaha Crux, a no frills machine intended to impress the masses and while doing so also bolster the reputation of the maker with the triple tuning fork logo. So “Here I am”( the Bryan Adams way) to review this hybrid from Yamaha.
The Yamaha Crux, highly evocative of the RX-100, the bike brings back fond memories of RX-100. Though akin to the RX, the Crux is definitely good looking and lures a few cursory glances. The point quality is top notch and kills you with that Coral Red colour. Remove the fuel tank and replace it with RX-100 and Voila!! It’s the RX fiesta again. Not much of a styling on doom, the seats and silencer, Yamaha has stuck with its policy of no nonsense attitude. With a side on view, you can see one too many empty space.
Contemporary and very user friendly, it houses the indicator and the headlight, the horn and the choke, all-in-one unit placed on the left handlebar. The build quality is always Yamaha’s strength and a very high order is maintained. Believe me. Yamaha is quite low on maintenance. The Crux is designed to take the rough with the smooth. Definitely, there is no rattles or squeaks, nor a flutter of any sort and all credit goes to the styling by Yamaha.
Personally I love Yamaha, just as much as Spookaay does, for the simple fact that this bike is a long timer. Those strong chassis perform wonders on the bike. Putting it to those collegiate levels never make it loose its confidence. The more you ride it, the more you enjoy. And the more it performs. Indian roads are personified with bumps, potholes, ditches and (cows!). The Crux provides all those necessary suspension and more so stability. The brakes are the best. A thousand stars really.
Imagine me riding at a rather normal collegiate speed of 70 kmph and have to suddenly stop to give my girlfriend a lift. Now this is where the Crux works wonders. Take my word; the Crux is really worthy in this aspect. Once she is on, definitely she looks for warmth and comfort. Certainly, the Crux doesn’t disappoint. Don’t expect that mind boggling and gravity defying performance from this baby like the RX-100 of yore. But riding comfort is rest assured and ask my girlfriend for proof.
A 110 cc, 8 bhp engine has enough stuff in it to push this proudly forward. Though a lot of modifications are incorporated to improve fuel efficiency, the Crux goes hand in glove with RX on the power count. Handling is a show of genius on the part of Yamaha. Whatever the bike there has never been a depreciation in ride quality or in handling. This has been their greatest strength and as such it has been displayed to full effect in Crux as well. When you are pushing it real hard through a corner or while weaving through traffic, this Yamaha needs no real effort on the part of the rider. I can sit back on the expansive seat and ride a long. The comfortable position makes a long journey tireless and quite uneventful.
For a bike giving us such a balance and performance, the mileage stands with lesser credentials. But the Crux doesn’t disappoint. With an average of 50 kmpl, the Crux emerges a winner. What more, the spare parts and maintenance are the cheapest of all and that’s good. Say great!
Living up to a legend is always tuff. Especially, succeeding the RX-100 is no mean job. But the Crux has done it with aplomb. With awesome memories of RX-100 on your minds, you would like the Crux, the more you ride it. So I believe the happiest person would be the rider and after reading this, definitely Ashish. Another thing is that, I love Yamaha and agree that I am really fanatic about it. So this would seem like a one-sided opinion. But on the basis of my personal experience, I am proud to say that the Crux is unquestionably a winner. Go for it. I bet, it is a worthy successor of that amazing legend in RX-100.