Yamaha Sight
In a petroleum-driven economy like ours, pump prices practically dictate the course of the average Juan’s day to day living. A rise in fuel costs makes the transport of goods and services more expensive, as evidenced by the high inflation rate we are now experiencing. Individually, we are unable to do anything keep commodity prices down but still, life must go on. I suppose the only thing we can do is to ensure that we get maximum value in every peso spent.
For most of us, a big chunk of our daily budget goes to transportation expenses commuting to the office and back. Given the present state of mass transport system in this country, riding a motorcycle to work is one of the most cost-effective ways to stretch every peso until the next pay day. Good thing Yamaha has something in their line-up which can offer big bang for the buck.
The Yamaha Sight is an entry-level commuter underbone which has a huge advantage over the competition, an electronic fuel injection system. This enables the Sight to achieve extra ordinary fuel efficiency so that the budget-conscious rider would be able to stretch the distance between fill ups…516 kilometers per full tank, to be exact.
Hailed as the most fuel efficient in the 100-115 cc category in the last Petron Saferun, the Sight was able to achieve 129 kilometers per liter. It could very well be the most fuel efficient gas-powered motorcycle in the local market today. In fact, the top 3 winners in that category were all Yamaha Sights, all achieved more than 100 kilometers per liter.
More photos here
The Sight is fuel efficient, there is no question about that. What came as a revelation, though, was its performance. At the heart of the Sight is a modest 114 cc air-cooled engine which produces a respectable 9.5 Nm. I never thought commuting on an economy bike could offer so much fun. The initial plan was to do my own eco run and try to get best mileage but I ended up doing the exact opposite because I couldn’t resist riding the Sight like a hooligan.
I used the route with the most congested roads each time, absolutely over-revved the engine before every upshift and stayed in higher gear when it was more efficient to be in lower gear. I always took off from stoplights in 2nd gear and still stayed ahead of the pack. I couldn’t believe that I still achieved 50.5 kilometers per liter after all that.
The Sight’s handling is spot on; it rides like a standard motorcycle minus the inconvenience of a manual clutch lever. The 4-speed semi-automatic is a joy to operate. You get a reassuring “click” every time your shift gears. The suspension set up provides excellent cushioning under the weight of a 185-pound rider but the rear dual shocks felt a bit soft when riding with a passenger.
Though positioned as a thrift bike, the Sight doesn’t feel cheap at all. While some underbones in this segment do not even have paint on the inside of the leg shield, Yamaha stepped it up a notch or two by adding inner plastic panels to give the Sight a more premium appeal. The seat offers more than enough space for two and the material is soft to the touch. Under it is a small lockable compartment where you can store small items. The keyhole is conveniently placed below the tail light, making it easier to find even when parked in a dark spot. A pair of black cast wheels completes the entire look that compels others to inquire on what I’m sitting on even while on the move.
Yamaha Sight 115 Video – Motoph.com
Yamaha also did not scrimp on safety, throwing in a hydraulic front disc brake when the competition only offer mechanical drum.
The variant (cast wheels) you see in the photos is priced at P 62,900 while the spoke wheel version has a price tag of P 59,900.
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