The Yamaha RX 100 was a legend in the history of the Indian automotive industry. It was nimble and threw away a sweet purry exhaust note. Also, can we overlook that burnt oil dripping from the exhaust canister? No way! It’s gone but not forgotten as individuals now are happy to shed enormous amounts to pick up a second hand or third hand RX 100. Today, if anyone has an RX 100 in their garage that is well maintained, they can get as much as one lakh rupees or even more in the market. That’s the craze of that small little maniac motorcycle.
People are familiar of the motorcycle’s mechanical aspect and qualities. Hence, we bring to you a plethora of lesser-known facts about the motorcycle that are not known by many.
Power compared to 125cc
If you are purchasing a 125cc motorcycle now, the power production is limited to 11hp or 10hp. Compared to a 125cc motorcycle of the current crop, the 98cc motorcycle from 1985 produced 11hp of peak power. Similar power production but the contrast in the engine's size and the timeframe tells us how robust the RX was in that period.
The RX 100 had a nickname
Since it was a small motorcycle that was quick, it immediately got the moniker of ‘Pocket Rocket.’
A product of failure
The RX 100’s birth took place because of the failure of another motorcycle. In that age, Yamaha was trying to form a sport motorcycle segment in India. They did so with the RD 350, which was one of the best motorcycles we have ever witnessed. However, its steep price-tag led to its failure as the sales figures were not impressive. That’s when Yamaha started producing the RX 100; a cheaper and less powerful successor of the RD.
Confused the officials
The RX 100 was accepted in several local racing competitions and it won them all. This fact confused the administrators as they couldn’t figure out how a young motorcycle had so much potential. The officials even stated that the motorcycle had a bigger motor. To reach a conclusion, they opened the engine block of the motorcycle several times in various events.
Poor chassis
Not a banter here, but the mighty engine of the RX 100 was not bolstered by a strong chassis. The frame was a lightweight one and therefore; it was hard to contain it at excessive speed owing to the inflation in the shakiness. Further, those skinny tyres were not much of a service to the riders.
