Yamaha Fascino Quick Ride Review | Stylish & Smooth

The Fascino is the new stylish scooter launched by Yamaha in India to cater to a niche segment. Yamaha now offers 4 scooters in the market with the same 113cc engine. What's been missing from Yamaha in the scooter market is a powerful 125cc engine. Let's just keep that hope aside and concentrate on the retro-modern Fascino.

Sytle, Design & Looks - 4.5/5

The Fascino is stylish, elegant and in the class of its own. The design is an absolute blend of modern curves and retro sytling, something that the Indian market has never seen before. The Piaggio Vespa was the first retro-modern styled scooter to be launched in India in 2012, but the Vespa's design is more heavy on the classic-retro style whereas the Fascino's design is more tilted towards modern curvaceous style.

There is chrome everywhere on this scooter - on the mirrors, side panels, front grille, the 3D Fascino logo - but it suits the design well and does not feel like an abuse of chrome. The oval shaped headlight looks classic yet modern. The curvaceous arc at the rear feels as if an artist has sketched a free hand art. Its just looks fabulous!

The reason Fascino gets loses 0.5 rating is the mediocre instrument cluster. Although the cluster gets a good finishing, the orange coloured speed and fuel pointers just spoil the overall look of the scooter. The cluster feels out of place or under-designed on this elegantly styled scooter. Another part is the cranky ignition switch and a decade old key design - both feel compromised and out of place.

Engine & Performance - 3.5/5

Like I have said before, the Fascino sports the same engine as the Alpha, Ray and Ray Z. The 113cc air-cooled 2-valve 4-stroke engine produces a maximum of 7.1 PS of power and 8.1 Nm maximum torque. The engine is lazy and takes it own sweet time to deliver power to the rear wheel. It has a flat torque throughout the rpm range. 

You can easily cruise on 80 kmph on this machine but going 80 is a struggle and we could manage a top speed of 90 kmph on this short ride. Yamaha's engine - although well damped - has a typical exhaust note which many may not find it to their liking. The engine ain't that noisy and vibrations are very low. Infact I was really impressed by the lack of vibrations - especially on the handle bar - even when the engine was maxed out at 90 kmph. The refinement levels are truly high and the engine is super smooth.

Ride Quality & Comfort - 4/5

The telescopic suspension at the front and unit swing at the rear are good enough to tackle the poor roads. The bike feels well planted on the ground and the steering adequately stiff. The Fascino has a wide and comfortable seat for both the rider and pillion. We are yet to test the comfort on a long ride, although the results on a 50 kms short ride we satisfactory.

Verdict - 4.5/5

At just Rs 52,500 (ex-showroom Delhi) the Fascino is an absolute steal! The next stylish scooter - Piaggio Vespa - retails at Rs. 68,272. We rate the Fascino so high predominantly due to its exquisite design, refinement and ride quality. The only thing that we felt could have made the Fascino a better package would be a more powerful 125cc engine.