Lifestyle
Rev up
Volume 11, No. 60, February 22, 2007
 
Frisky: Yamaha’s NXC125 Cygnus has plenty of pounce for around town commuting.
Are you tired of filling your car with fuel every week and emptying your wallet just to drive to work? If your answer is yes, then you could consider cutting your running costs by riding a fuel- efficient scooter.

The Australian scooter market is huge, with 18 brands supplying potential buyers with more than 113 new models, ranging in engine size from 50 to 650cc.

Last year, Yamaha expanded its Australian scooter range by introducing the NXC125 Cygnus.
For a four-stroke single cylinder 125cc scooter, it accelerates quite quickly from a standstill and has power left to overtake traffic in 60 and 80 km/h zones.

This acceleration, coupled with responsive and nimble handling, make it a great scooter for city riding and urban commuting in speed zones up to 100 km/h.

The 7.1-litre fuel tank situated under the floor and will take you about 220km without having to refill. A front disc and rear drum brake perform well if used together for heavy or emergency stopping and the rear brake alone is more than adequate when riding in stop start traffic.

Dual rear and front shock absorbers coupled with 12-inch wheels with wide tyres, support the rider and passenger well.

This combination works well to absorb pothole shock, keeping the scooter on course and gives very few kidney jarring experiences.

Analogue instruments are clear and easy to read. They feature a fuel gauge, speedometer, odometer and handy oil change indicator.

The only missing item is a clock.

Fit, finish and build quality are quite surprising for a scooter in this price bracket.

This particular example was built in Spain, with panels fitting together well and features impressive metallic paint.

Large under-seat storage will fit most full-face helmets with room to spare, enabling the stowage of a rolled-up raincoat and hat.

One clever feature of the scooter’s design is the location of the fuel filler hole behind a door, just in front of the rider’s left knee. This makes for easy mess-free filling of the tank, as a large number scooters on the market, the location of the fuel tank nozzle is under the seat.

This can often be frustrating for riders trying to avoid fuel spillage in the under seat luggage compartment and can result in a lingering fuel smell and potential damage to stored items.
The seat is well padded, comfortable and steps up toward the rear giving the pillion passenger an elevated view.

Riders over 179cm in height might find the seating position a little cramped, but it is easy to adjust your riding style to be comfortable.

The only extras you could wish for is a digital clock and the purchase of a top box to allow for storage of that second helmet or backpack.

The Cygnus 125 is a very easy to live with scooter, with plenty of power to zip around town or to commute between suburbs in varying speed zones – providing the rider nimble manoeuvrability and running costs that put the expense of running a car to shame.