For me buying a bike has always been a dream. Right from when I was a kid I always fantasized of having the most expensive bike in the world. Well though not the most expensive by any stretch of imagination, my first bike the YAMAHA SS125 aka Yamaha Gladiator, has been a pure delight.
I am a student hence I was not allowed to go for higher cc bikes, so I started digging around and shortlisted
Honda Shine
Honda Stunner
Honda Twister
Hero Honda Glamour and
Yamaha Gladiator
Like many idiots I had also cut off Yamaha from my list because of its history of poor mileage, poor resale value and all that crap! But one look at the bike and it just swept me off my feet!
The Looks: The looks of the bike is what really sets it apart from the others in its class. With black alloy wheels and the brand new graphics, the bike is a crowd puller!
Performance: Coming from the YAMAHA stable the performance is almost guaranteed and the Gladiator wins that round also hands down. Even on the most gruesome roads the bike goes smoothly without any sounds or vibrations.The braking system is front is disc and rear is drum, this is also really useful.
Seating Comfort: The seating is very comfortable for both the rider and the passenger because of the big seats though continuous riding for a long time can cause a little bit stress to your back
Top Speed: So far I’ve reached speeds of about 100kmph. The bike is unbelievably smooth till speeds of upto 85-90kmph which is awesome for a 125cc bike. Because of its heavier weight the handling of the bike is pretty good too. I always feel in control of my Glady while riding.
Fuel Economy: So the big question comes.the mileage. Surprisingly despite all these features, the bike gives a handy mileage of around 50kmph in city conditions and about 55kmph in highways.Though not the highest in its segment but still these numbers are really good.
Final Verdict: All the things written in this review are just facts, but there are some things that cannot be written down .like the joy that you get when the wind blows in your face while riding you bike, like the fun in having a nice race with your friends.to get those joys you need a bike.
At about 57k this is the bike with the best value for your money.
So go get your Gladiator because you will be glad to have the Gladiator in your life.
Hope the review is useful:)