The rebellious spirit of the YAMAHA RX series
In this blog, I’m sharing my experience with my trusted and performance-driven companions—the dare machines, Yamaha RX100. My passion and curiosity for Yamaha bikes began during my school days. In my hometown, the roads occasionally roared with the presence of a few iconic Yamaha RX bikes, including one owned by my neighbor. What truly made me fall in love with them was their distinctive sound and their sleek, elegant design, which captured my imagination and left a lasting impression. I decided then and there that if I ever bought a two-wheeler, it would be the legendary Yamaha RX Series.
From scrap to dream come tue: The daring ride of the Yamaha RX100
After completing college, I got a job in a city that was a hotspot for Yamaha RX bikes. With numerous colleges around, the RX was a popular choice among students. After I got my license, I started searching for my dream bike – the Yamaha RX. The demand for these bikes was high, and people weren’t willing to sell, or if they did, the prices were too steep for me. I spent nearly two years looking for one. I even asked my mechanic from my hometown. Finally, one day, he called me and said he had found an RX for sale, asking if I was interested. I immediately said yes, regardless of the bike’s condition, as long as the bike’s documents was clear.
That Sunday, he brought the bike to my house. It looked like a scrap bike—covered in lemon yellow paint, with mismatched mudguards, no speedometer, and shock absorbers from other bikes. It was a 1994 Yamaha RX100. The asking price was 7,000 rupees, but I didn’t hesitate. That same evening, I finalized the deal and bought it for INR 6.5K. After six months, I decided to restore it and gave it to a mechanic who specialized in RX bikes. I used only the engine, tank, and chassis; everything else was replaced with new parts. The restoration cost around 25K INR in 2007, and the bike was brought back to stock condition, with a black color, blue 5-speed graphics, and metallic silver paint on the engine and front shocks.
Weekend escapades with my RX 100
Initial sundays were all about adventure. My friend and I would pool money, fill the tank, and start our rides early in the morning, only to return by evening. We explored countless remote areas around our hometown, enjoying the thrill of risky rides, wheelies, and high-speed adventures. Those rides were pure fun, and the bike never let us down. It never had major breakdowns—just minor issues like fuel overflow, blockages, or occasional overheating.
My RX faced a bigger challenge during the rainy season—water would sometimes get into the carburetor, causing the bike to stop. Cleaning out the carburetor would quickly fix the issue, but later, I found a permanent solution to fix it. Despite these occasional hiccups, my RX never let me down. It was so reliable that even if I left it parked for a year, it would still start with a single kick.
Living the YAMAHA RX100 experience
I’ve always been passionate about performance vehicles, and that’s what interests me the most when buying one. Second comes the design, and I don’t worry much about other factors like mileage. Friends often comment on how good my Yamaha RX is but complain about its low mileage. That’s never bothered me, riding the RX is never about economy for me—it’s all about the joy of the ride.
I had a routine of visiting the beach early in the morning a couple of times a week. I enjoyed sitting there, soaking in the calm and the fresh energy of the sea. On my way back, I would sometimes buy fresh fish directly from the fishermen who had just arrived. The beach was about 15 km away, making it a 30 km round trip.
Thrilling escapes and lessons
One night, while riding back to my hometown, I had a close call. I was nearing my house, riding at speed, when I suddenly spotted a black cow resting on the road. Due to the low power of my headlight, I didn’t see it until I was almost upon it. Somehow, I managed to swerve just in time, narrowly avoiding what could have been a serious accident.
A similar incident occurred on another night ride. While navigating a turn, I assumed was a two-wheeler approaching from the opposite direction, judging by its single headlight, I calculated a safe line to pass. But as I got closer, I realized it wasn’t a two-wheeler—it was a jeep with a malfunctioning left headlight! In that split second, I managed to react and avoid a collision. Thanks to the Yamaha RX’s responsive controls and precise handling, I managed to escape both situations safely. The bike’s agility and quick reaction time were lifesavers,
A midnight ride and an unforgettable experience
One day, my friend called and asked if I was free to help him. He explained that he had returned to his hometown from Goa, but his train was delayed, and he needed a lift to his home. His hometown was in the rural area. A while back, I had asked him to experience the jungle nightlife at his near by jungle, and he brought that up during the call too. Excited by the idea, I immediately said, “I’ll come pick you up and drop you off at your home.”
The train arrived around 11:00 PM, and I set off to pick him up. I started the ride at 11:30 PM. While the main road was fine, after the diversion toward his home, the journey turned into an off-road ride on a muddy trail full of ups and downs. At times, we had to navigate rocky stretches and narrow lanes. The ride was both adventurous and risky, but my RX 100 handled it all with ease. Despite the stock headlights, which barely illuminated the road ahead, My bike navigated the challenging terrain safely, and we finally reached his home around 12:30 AM. It was, without a doubt, one of the toughest rides I’ve ever had, especially in the night.
After we arrived, my friend gathered his two cousins, and together we ventured into the jungle with head torches to light our way. The darkness of the jungle was overwhelming, and every step I took felt like we were entering a different world. The sounds of creatures echoed all around us—some familiar, others strange and unsettling. The chirping of insects, the rustling of leaves. The deeper we went, the darker and more foreboding the jungle became. It was a mix of fear and fascination—the kind of experience that fills both dread and curiosity.
Restoring My YAMAHA RX100
The RX is a perfect mix of simplicity and performance, which is why I’m so passionate about it. I took the bike to the mechanic only for major engine work, like head re-boring, bearing changes, or piston replacements; everything else I repaired myself. I’m deeply familiar with its system of working, parts, wiring, and mechanism, and having a service manual made me more confident in my ability to fix it.
I’ve always preferred to keep my Yamaha RX in stock condition, and whenever something goes wrong with its appearance or performance, I used to restoring it. In 2012, for the first time, I decided to take on the challenge of a full restoration myself. I gathered all the tools I would need and began disassembling the bike. Some parts, Tank, Engine etc I sent for painting; the rest, from changing the piston to re-wiring, I did on my own with the help of the service manual. Fortunately, that time Yamaha still had all the original parts available in their spare parts store, so I bought everything I needed and completed the restoration at home. It’s a simple bike with a mechanism that’s easy to understand.
Second time I restored my bike while living in a company apartment on the 3rd floor of a 2BHK. During that time the bike’s look and performance were unsatisfactory, so I decided to restore it inside the apartment due to an unsuitable parking area. I removed the parts in the parking lot and carried them upstairs one by one (since there was no lift). The painting jobs were done outside. this time I replaced the stock silencer with a catalytic silencer. After a month of work, the bike was ready, but moving it down the narrow staircase was much harder than I anticipated. With help from a colleague, we managed to shift the bike early in the morning. Making it a crazy yet memorable experience.
Unyielding Reliability
When I moved to another place for a new job, I parked my Yamaha RX at home and left it unused, as there was no one to start or run the bike regularly. I would visit every 2-3 months, and each time, the bike would start with a single kick, even without the choke—such is the reliability of the RX.
The unforgettable journey of my YAMAHA RX100
After three year I shifter to another city, and I decided to bring my Yamaha RX to save time in traffic. The RC renewal and inspection were also due, so I decided to restore it myself. Gave tank and other parts for painting, and chose metallic silver for the tank and side panels and I completed restoration within two months.
The distance from my hometown to new place was 360 km. One morning at 7 am, I set off, my first long ride on the RX. I planned to reach by evening, and the ride was nothing short of interesting. Despite the fatigue, I enjoyed the solo trip, passing through the way, I witnessed rural life, farmlands, and had several unforgettable moments.
The RX was perfect for navigating through the narrow streets of cities. Its agility in tight spaces reminded me of the saying, “For a cockroach, just its antenna needs to pass, and the whole body follows.” That’s how the RX moved through narrow gaps. Its pickup was so powerful, riding Yamaha RX in traffic feels like the bike was designed to sync perfectly with my move. Its quick response, braking, acceleration, turning, and incredible pickup make it feel like an extension of my own control. With its sleek design and lightweight frame, the RX delivers outstanding comfort, performance, and handling, even in busy traffic.
The heart-breaking end
However, a few years later, I experienced a devastating incident—I lost my bike. It happened because of my carelessness. I usually parked my RX inside the gated compound of my rented house, but one night, some other reason I parked it outside for the first time. The next morning, the bike was gone.I searched the area and even filed a police complaint, but the police showed little interest, as it was a two-stroke vehicle. They were least bothered because youngsters often alter the silencers, creating noise pollution across the city. I visited the station several times, but after one discouraging response, I lost all hope. Emotionally, I told the officer, “Sir, my bike was like my best friend—kept in stock condition, always well-maintained.” The officer replied, “If you dress up an old man like a young man, does he become younger and stronger? No, right? An old man remains old.” After that, I gave up on the search, accepting that my bike was gone.
The incident left me deeply disappointed, with a sense of something vital missing. Losing the bike wasn’t just about the vehicle—it took away countless memories and experiences. It was a part of my life for 12 years, and with it, a chapter filled with adventures and stories ended, leaving a void that couldn’t be filled.
Bringing Yamaha back into my life
During the COVID-19 pandemic (2019-20), I moved back to my hometown and began working there. That time I missed my RX so much—it was the perfect commuter, low-maintenance, and an adventure companion. I started searching for another RX, but the prices had risen, with good-condition models now costing over 1 lakh INR. Despite looking online and through friends, I couldn’t find the right one at the right price.
A year later, during a casual conversation at work, I learned that a colleague had a Yamaha RX, but it was in poor condition, almost decayed. He was an avid traveler and blogger, and the RX had been his go-to bike for adventures before he switched to other fuel-efficient bikes. Despite its condition, I asked to see the bike.
I visited his house to check, the was 1996 RXG, which was in bad condition with a dented fuel tank and rusted chassis due parked for around two years, exposed to rain and dust. Despite this, I bought it and transported it the next day by tempo due to jammed wheels.
Planning to restore it myself, due to more work commitments I handed it to the mechanic who restored my first RX. After two months and spending 40K INR on restoring and 10K INR on paperwork, the RXG was fully restored and back in my life.
