[yikes6633]

The last 90 minutes with the Ray, was an experience that I must share with you. Saturday is a day off for me. After lunch wifey said that she wanted to go to Mamulpet and Nagrathpet (highly congested areas in Bangalore).

I told her sure, but lets take the Ray instead of the age old Activa in our garage. She blurted out okay, but you ride. I agreed.

So off we went. The first few kms were fine and we flowed with the traffic. As soon as we entered the road adjacent to the old Central Jail we were caught in a traffic jam. Looking at it, my wife said, lets go back and come later or on Monday. I told her stay chill, lets get done with the work.

We continued. The traffic moved a few meters at slow pace and came to a grinding halt. This went on for the next 2.5 kms, after about 40mins we entered mamulpet. The slush, the dirty stinking uncleared garbage and the huge potholes was some gruesome tarmac to ride a 3 day new scooter on.

Wifey stepped off and ran into a couple of shops from where she bought diwali decorations, fancy boxes and disposable cups, plates and glasses. She hoped back on and we continued through rest of the journey home with constant stopping and starting/moving after a few meters. The scooter was very responsive with the slightest twist of the throttle to go a few meters ahead and again brake to stop conditions.

I have been to these congested roads several times, however today was exceptional as the streets were heavily crowded (may be due to the festive season).

The Ray responded with ease. I could get my feet off the ground very quickly and I could also keep my feet up on the footboard at very low speeds of 7-10kms/hr with ease/comfort. The one thing that irritated me tremendously was that the rear footrests kept touching my calves at the slightest forward motion/backward stretch of my legs as a result of the scooter moving forward in the heavy congested area.

To worsen the situation, it started to drizzle and it was chaotic with pedestrians with huge bags nudging the rear view mirrors time and again or brushing past the scooter.

I had to start and stop the engine atleast 40 times in about 90 mins covering 7kms. The scooter did well and I really liked the way it handled. The handle feels light in comparison to the Activa.

I felt nice that I could ground both my feet fully and push the scooter forward with ease on several occasions (without having to start it for covering a distance of few steps).

With the rain gods letting loose (heavy down pour followed) I still haven't been able to dry out the tank (my first fill of 3lts, tank capacity is 5.2lts). Will wait until tomorrow to check on its mileage.

Over the past few days, I've had my scooter ridden on busy roads, in normal traffic conditions, heavy traffic conditions on broader roads and very very congested roads with very heavy traffic. As we had rains, I started my scooter and left it on idle a couple of times on Wednesday and Thursday (under such conditions I have got a fuel efficiency of 35-36Kms/ltr on my Activa).

The roads are in pretty bad shape with huge potholes, small potholes and rough patches. There was not a single stretch that had good tarmac. I couldn't avoid the small potholes or rough patches, however the big potholes were really huge and I wouldn't go into them even if I was on a motorbike.

Also, if any of the experts know of any kind of damage that stop and go would cause on a new peppy engine under the traffic conditions that I just went through or anything that I can add to the fuel to ensure that the engine sets in well, please advise.

[TheARUN]

Congrats on the Scooter. Very adventerous of you to go for the RAY, wish you many happy miles on it and really hope this one clicks for YAMAHA

The pricing is spot-on, I think its cheaper than the DIO and is definitely cheaper thatn the ACTIVA, good one from YAMAHA considering that they always price their offerings high

My Uncle fell in love with it at first sight, we might soon have a RAY in the Family :-)

[yikes6633]

After the gruesome conditions that I have ridden my Ray through in the first week, the tank went dry and I refueled it last night. The scooter has returned a mileage of 38.3 kms/ltr.

I am very sure this will improve post the running in period, its service schedule that will follow and on better roads with some free flowing traffic.

My usage was mainly, stop go, stop go, stop go in heavy traffic conditions and over short distances. As its a new engine, I did start it and idle it for 4 to 6 mins every single day.

Honestly, I was expecting nothing more than 34 - 35 kms/ltr, the Ray has surprised me again. In the past so many years and decades of using gearless scooters starting off with the Kinetic Honda, I have never ever till date got a mileage of more than 38kms/ltr even though I have tried to implement many a fuel saving tactics.

The only time I got a mileage of more than 64kms/ltr was on my hero honda cd100.

Also, all the scooter heads who have been successfully claiming a mileage of 50kms/ltr on the Activa/Access/Dio and 45 to 47 kms/ltr on the Wego please share with me your riding style, it may help me improvise fuel efficiency.

I will again be checking the mileage of the Ray, this time I will use the scooter in more free flowing traffic conditions.

[shadows123]

How's the cold starting in Ray? Honda's have a notorious difficulty of starting up in cold mornings in Bangalore! Is the same problem there in Ray also where you have to kick start so many times before it actually starts!

[yikes6633]

Originally Posted by shadows123

How's the cold starting in Ray? Honda's have a notorious difficulty of starting up in cold mornings in Bangalore! Is the same problem there in Ray also where you have to kick start so many times before it actually starts!

Last week was a very cold week in Bangalore with temperatures dipping to 16 degrees Celsius (min) and 22 (max).

The engine is brought to life, in the mornings, by engaging the choke and then one firm push (kick) on the start lever. It fires up in the very first kick and after idling it for a few mins, I turn it off, shut my house gates, wear my helmet and fire it up using the electric start.

I so far haven't had any issues with cold/warm starts.

[Le Roi est mort]

Hello Yikes,

First off thanks for providing heaps of information on the Ray. Sure did help me make my mind when I was looking at making a purchase for a handy scooter. However I was in a shock when I called up the showroom at Navi Mumbai and the rate quoted to me was 65,675 INR ( grand total ) and the lady did specifically mention there are no accessories provided. Now, I am really perplexed as the price you'd mentioned earlier and the one that the showroom folks gave me are poles apart. Any how I am going to go to the showroom and get a proper paper quote from them. Will touch base tomorrow again.
Thanks

[shadows123]

Originally Posted by Le Roi est mort

Hello Yikes,

First off thanks for providing heaps of information on the Ray. Sure did help me make my mind when I was looking at making a purchase for a handy scooter. However I was in a shock when I called up the showroom at Navi Mumbai and the rate quoted to me was 65,675 INR ( grand total ) and the lady did specifically mention there are no accessories provided. Now, I am really perplexed as the price you'd mentioned earlier and the one that the showroom folks gave me are poles apart. Any how I am going to go to the showroom and get a proper paper quote from them. Will touch base tomorrow again.
Thanks

The price quoted by the writer of this thread is same as the price quoted to me. I have kept the purchase on hold though till i complete TD of the other vehicles.

[yikes6633]

The Scooter has costed me INR 55,168/- on road and I have taken the delivery of it. I also have the bill copies, Insurance policy and the Road Tax paid receipt.

Infact I got a seat cover, a beeper and the ladies foot rest/step fitted. The foot board mat will be available in the next day or two as confirmed by the dealership and they would call me as soon as its received.

I am not sure why the price quoted by the Mumbai dealer is INR 65,000/- +, I think they may be including all kinds of accessories (which you may not need) in the price quoted.

Just a suggestion, please take delivery of the scooter (whichever you choose to buy) with the standard fitment that it comes with and then after a day or two of taking the delivery think and buy only the accessories that you would actually need.

The basic seat cover costed me INR 210/-, the ladies foot rest/step costed me INR 560/-, the beeper was provided free to me.

[yikes6633]

Today I took the Ray on Mysore road to one of my clients place. The distance covered was 24kms in all.

I left my office at 5.00pm and rode through heavy traffic and very very bad roads. The road is being widened and it has large stretches without tarmac, huge pot holes and many a rough patches.

I rode cautiously and avoided as many potholes as I could. After completing my meeting/work I stepped out to ride back home. It was about 7.30pm and the traffic had increased three fold. I started riding back with the headlights on and I was thrilled, the spread of the headlights is really wide and this was the first time I rode through some really dark Bangalore roads on the Ray. I did use the high beam to check out its throw and the light from the headlight is bright and spreads well.

Once I got onto the main Mysore road, I was pretty much flowing with the heavy traffic with on and off, stop and go conditions. Just before Gopalan mall, i got the opportunity to increase my speed and flow with the moving traffic when all of sudden I came across a very huge pot hole. At this moment I just could not brake suddenly because of the traffic behind me, I could not steer to the left or right due to the short distance to the pothole, so finally the bike dipped into the huge pothole and then bounced back on the tarmac. It did not wobble, it did not bottom out, it was firmly balanced, planted on the road and perfectly continued to vrooomm on like nothing had happened.

If I were in my Activa, it sure would have made a huge and hard thud sound transmitting the shock through its handle.

I am personally very confident now that the Ray is sure a very bright ray of hope for Yamaha because the Ray is well built, smartly designed and is surely solid thought it looks smaller built and is positioned for the fairer sex (gender biased and I shall not accept it!).

Also, just wanted to share with you all that yesterday I rode a friends Aviator from the Silk Board Junction to Museum Road. In comparison to the Ray, the Aviator feels a lot more heavy, the handle is harder to steer suddenly and you may have to turn it hard to make it go in the direction that you want to though the Aviator is a lot more softer in its ride quality when compared to the Ray.

Through the entire stretch on the Aviator, I kept missing the Ray and was thinking about how very peppy the Ray feels and how its light handle set up makes you want to push it hard through corners and zip through the gaps between many a vehicles in the daily traffic congestion that we are exposed to.

The Ray definitely is not for the very tall (over 5'8") or the very well built, however all of you who are contemplating on which scooter to choose, do surely test ride the Yamaha Ray and then make your final choice.

[yikes6633]

Today I refueled after using the Ray through a good mix of free flowing traffic, stop and go over short distances as well as distances ranging 5 to 7 Kms at a stretch, unlike the usage that I put the Ray through last week.

This time enough, it has returned a fuel efficiency of 41kms/ltr. I believe this will improve after the 1st service and the overall running in period.

[yikes6633]

Today another tank of gasoline dried out and with a mixed use of stop and go, free flowing traffic and my wife using it, the Ray has again returned a fuel efficiency of 41kms/ltr.

On one tank full of 5 ltrs one can travel exactly 207kms.

[AltoLXI]

I went to Pacer motors in Hebbal, Bangalore yesterday to book Ray. I had earlier brought the pamphlet from them. My wife liked the Burgundy color and wanted to book it. But the vehicle in showroom was not Burgundy color rather dark Brown. The showroom staff insisted it was Burgundy and because of lighting the color was not apparent. I do not agree with that. We then wanted to book White but were told we had to pay 5000/- extra. Is this the case with all dealers?

The guard and saree guard are still not available and the staff have no idea when they will be available. These are important as the Ray's body is fiber and will easily get scratches in crowded parking lots.

I have already taken two test rides and took another again yesterday. The handling of speed breakers is good compared to Access where the shock can be felt on the elbows.

The indicator does not indicate which indicator (left / right) is on. The under seat storage does not have space for full face helmet. There is no brake lock.

I have to make up my mind by Saturday. This vehicle will be used by my wife alone. She also took a test ride and felt handling was much easier than Access.

[yikes6633]

Originally Posted by AltoLXI

I went to Pacer motors in Hebbal, Bangalore yesterday to book Ray. I had earlier brought the pamphlet from them. My wife liked the Burgundy color and wanted to book it. But the vehicle in showroom was not Burgundy color rather dark Brown. The showroom staff insisted it was Burgundy and because of lighting the color was not apparent. I do not agree with that. We then wanted to book White but were told we had to pay 5000/- extra. Is this the case with all dealers?

The guard and saree guard are still not available and the staff have no idea when they will be available. These are important as the Ray's body is fiber and will easily get scratches in crowded parking lots.

I have already taken two test rides and took another again yesterday. The handling of speed breakers is good compared to Access where the shock can be felt on the elbows.

The indicator does not indicate which indicator (left / right) is on. The under seat storage does not have space for full face helmet. There is no brake lock.

I have to make up my mind by Saturday. This vehicle will be used by my wife alone. She also took a test ride and felt handling was much easier than Access.

@AltoLxi my wife and I are indeed satisfied with the Ray so far and love the way the scooter handles. I was in a similar dilemma about 3 weeks ago and I went ahead with the Ray and have no regrets.

Just so that you are aware, yamaha does not offer white color, however the white available at Pacer is customized by the dealer and thus an additional charge of Rs. 5000/-

All necessary accessories are available, including crash guards/saree guards at Perfect Riders another Yamaha dealership on Kumara Krupa road from where I bought my Ray. Meet Mr. Murali or Yousuf and they will guide you well.

I bought this scooter for my wife to use primarily and besides the points that you have hi-lighted about storage space, missing brake lock and a single indicator led on the meter console, the Ray is an exceptional ride with its amazing well planted maneuverability and ease of riding.

All the best in making a wise choice! Reach out to me if you have any clarifications as I own the Ray and we have been extensively using it over the past 3 weeks

[yikes6633]

Just wanted to share with you all that each morning I wake up and try and get ready before my wife does so that I can take the Ray, before she does.

There have been many instances in the last 4 weeks when I have had my wife pass comments on my buying the Ray for her, when I keep using it.

I just can't keep my hands of it. I find many reasons to take it out for doing some work. If there isn't any work, I create some work so that I can take the Ray out

Today, I refueled and given the different scenarios that I have been riding the Ray through, it again returned a mileage of 41kms/ltr

This scooter is really nice and we are happy to have bought it.

[yikes6633]

We got the Ray serviced today, (1st Free Service) with 992kms on the odo. Reached the service station at 10am this morning and I was requested by the service supervisor to collect the scooter by 1.30pm.

When I picked up the scooter at 1.40pm, I was asked to pay a bill, so I looked at the service manager and asked what bill?, Isn't this the 1st Free Service. He replied yes sir, we have not charged for the service.

I went to the counter window and asked for the bill, I was handed a bill which read:

Engine Oil (800ml) 215.00, 3M Wax Polish - 46.00 and Consumables - 56.00. I just paid up and took my scooter.

Is it common for the dealerships to charge for oil and consumables during the prescribed free service?