Yamaha RX-100

The Yamaha RX100 is the most amazingly powerful bike. The bike has a 98cc two-stroke single cylinder aircooled. It was M/s Escorts Limited's model for close to 12 years between 1985 and 1996. The only changes in its 11 year production history were the pinstriping and an upgrade to a 12 volt electrical system.

History: Escorts Limited partnered with Yamaha Motor Corporation in 1983 to launch the Rajdoot 350 giving Yamaha a license to produce the Yamaha RD350B which is another dream bike (Please check updates of the RD350B in later posts). Taking a page out of TVS-Suzuki's book, Escorts soon realized that sales success lay in smaller displacement bikes that are more economically priced and cheaper to run. Thus the company launched the YAMAHA RX100 in late 1985 (Workshop Manual is dated May 1985).

Colors: The bike was originally available in cherry-Red, Flamboyant-Blue(Peacock blue-green) Black and Silver. Two other colors (Wine red and Metallic blue) were introduced later, but the bikes other features stayed the way it was for its 11 year history.

The first lot bikes (1985-1987) were CKDs and were simply assembled in India. The gearbox covering just above the gear shift lever had the words "MADE IN JAPAN" embossed on it & the engines were 110CC & weren't 98CC. Incidentally, the speedometer casing in the early bikes had the lettering "RAJDOOT" on them as did the speedometer dial. These older meters were manufactured by Yenkay. As opposed to later ones made by Pricol which had ESCORTS and later YAMAHA casings and dials. Few parts like the two-stroke oil pump cover which is circular, had "Rajdoot" embossed instead of the expected YAMAHA or ESCORTS. This gives the idea that maybe, Escorts wanted to launch the bike as the "Rajdoot 100" in the same league with the Rajdoot 350. The only major change that the bike underwent was that it was upgraded from a 6V electrical system to a 12V system. Apart from that, the pinstriping was changed two times. So there are three different decal types in all.

Performance specifications are as follows (per owner's manual and workshop manual): Acceleration: 0–60 km/h in 5 seconds, Top speed: 115 km/hr, Chamber: 120Km/hr, stock+keninfilter: 120Km/hr.

The gear ratios and torque curve are such that a well tuned bike with rider and pillion can do as low as 10 km/h in 4th gear without engine knocking.