I brought the Gladiator about 3 weeks back. I have already completed 1300 kms and very happy with the bike’s performance.
Firstly… why I need a bike:
To have fun… Weekend long trips, highway rides… etc.
To go to office (/college) daily.
This being the case… What features I need in a bike?
Mileage… I can’t maintain a 150 cc bike, with all it’s advantages, but with the low mileage it gives… especially in the Bangalore traffic. The extra bucks spent on a low mileage bike can definitely be used for some fun in weekends… may be a long trip.
Power… What fun is the long trip that I just spoke about, if your bike cannot even make a hundred.
So I was doing a lot of r&d from long time to decide upon a bike. Thanks to Yamaha… the Gladiator is just the bike I was looking for.
I’m not a roadie or a bike freak that stays on road 24/7…. So I don’t need a Hayabusa (Actually I can’t afford it, practically speaking). So…. For the reason of mileage, I excluded the great 150ccers from my list.
But I’m not a stupid geek either, who settles for some 100cc with more than 100/liter mileage… but never touches 100kmph. I needed a power bike… one that can at least make a decent 100 with ease. So… For the reason of power, I excluded the 100ccers from my list.
As an ultimate solution for a typical Indian city-zen (city dwller J ) I decided to go for a 125 cc bike.
Which one to buy… Yamaha Gladiator.
Why…. One simple reason: It’s got more power ( in terms of bhp, it is almost 11 bhp ) than its other 125 cc counterparts. The mileage too is among the best in it’s category… 56 kilometers in average conditions. So I brought the gladiator and am very happy with my decision.
Now my review:
Mileage: I’m getting around 55 in city conditions and got 60 in highway.
Performance/Power/Pickup: Completely satisfied.
Looks: And the best bike of the year award goes to… Gladiator (for India of course). Most people on road give it at least a second look.
Handling and comfort: just too good.
Service at showroom: Very satisfactory.
Check out this link for specs: https://dancewithshadows.com/autoindia/yamaha-gladiator.asp