Yamaha RX100 To Make A Comeback, Launch Confirmed

With its iconic performance, the legendary Yamaha RX100 captured the hearts of Indian enthusiasts like no other. Now, the motorcycle is all set to make a comeback, as Yamaha India’s Chairman, Eishin Chihana, has confirmed the development.

Speaking to a publication, Chihana shared the company’s intention of bringing back the RX100 brand. However, he also pointed out the difficulty in making a BS6-compliant engine, and revealed that while the name tag will be given to an upcoming model, reincarnating the original bike with a modern flavour will be challenging.

There’s more bad news: Chihana said that the bike could be launched only after 2026 as Yamaha already has other two-wheelers in the pipeline till 2025. This includes the Yamaha MT-07 and the Yamaha R7, among others. You can read more about when exactly the two bikes could be launched here.

Chihana also added that the company has a plan, and that making a bike of such famed stature “cannot be a quick plan/decision”, and that it should “be an impactful package with powerful engine and design.”

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While a modern avatar of the Yamaha RX100 sounds exciting, launching it after so many years may not be a very good idea as the market would’ve already moved on to electric bikes and scooters by then. That said, the Yamaha RX100 could still shine as a performance-packed 100cc bike (if and only if Yamaha manages to cram in as many horses in an engine reined in with strict emission norms) in the sea of run-of-the-mill commuter motorcycles. Will this strategy work for Yamaha? Only time will tell.

We believe the only sensible way to bring back the RX100 is in an electric avatar. Bajaj has been fairly successful on this front with the Bajaj Chetak electric scooter, and this mantra might just work for Yamaha as well. An electric bike in 2026 makes sense as by then the industry will already have enforced RDE (Real Driving Emissions) norms in 2023. As per this norm, ICE vehicles will have to meet the targeted emission levels even in real world conditions. Not to mention, by 2026 the BS7 norms may have also been implemented. In parallel to stricter emissions, the cost of lithium-ion batteries will also go down in the future due to its widespread usage, all the more helping Yamaha’s case if it had to bring the RX100 in an electric avatar. Let us know what you think in the comments below.

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