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Old 30th March 2016, 15:29   #1
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My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!

Presenting my humble Blue Swan to the keen eyes of BHPians.

My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-outlook_sv1.jpg

What I like:
- Stylish body language, good looking and a head turner
- Smooth and strong 4-stroke, 113cc engine (especially below 60 kmph)
- Superb clear lens halogen headlamps, bright enough for most situations
- Big under-seat storage, 21-liters - best among the competition
- Beautiful touches with chrome bits, makes it more beautiful
- Nice "wooorrr" sound and smooth acceleration
- Throttle response and low speed acceleration is good

What I don't:
- Engine sounds strained on hard acceleration, even with one passenger
- Like other new models, petrol inlet could have been located outside
- Another version with alloy wheels and disc brake will help people looking for those
- Fit-and-finish could have been better, few panel gaps really annoying in new ride
- Missing usable hooks, dashboard box, digital display, which are nice to have features
- Annoying loud "TUDD" sounding side stand, gentle and nice clicking under seat lock is designed by two engineers from two different planets

Life-time ambition bucket list:
As my blue Discover 135 and green Fiat Palio are already fighting hard to find a parking space at my rented house, a new search has been initiated by the home minister's bucket list of ambitions and again confirmed by the referral bonus given by my company (thanks a lot to the friend who joined through my reference).

The home minister's background story, which will explain how the scooter of her own become an ambition in her life, will surely make you lock the computer and walk out of the home / office and take a smoke / tea. So, I will safely ignore that part.

Up to the time we decided about ruining my little kid's intelligence via the world-class "super-computer" powered educational institutes in our country, there was no need for another motor to arrive in our family. As usual, the Discover served the purpose from and to office and the Palio carried us on occasional weekend trips. We rarely looked at any scooter while one of the ambition list items kept beeping in one of the unattended corner of the brain.

After finding the world-class institute close to our home, I thought of gifting her the bucket list item even though the school was located at a walk-able distance. Also, from that day, the home-shifting idea emerged in my mind. So, removing all kinds of obstacles from the home to school commute was inevitable. We finalized on the scooter plan as it is ticking more than one need such as home to school daily commute, long pending lifetime ambition of the home minister, taking away the dependence on me for the local errands, and also the backup for the occasional breakdown.

Search for the bird:
Initially, I thought of including all the available scooters in my shortlist. But later, ended-up with few popular ones for the sake of reliability, known issues and support.

The conditions for the new member:
- Should be light-weight and easy-handling: my wife's POV
- Smooth and powerful engine and known brand: my POV
- Good looking, stylish and should be new to the road: exclusivity
- Good to have features like disc brake, alloy wheels and telescopic suspension
- Nice to have, but not mandatory features like mobile charger, outside petrol filler and other creature comforts

Test rides:

Hero Duet: Sturdy build, good features and competitive price. Mobile charger, click lock for the pillion foot peg, increased ground clearance and digital console are cool. While taking the old looking duet for test ride, the SA pointed towards the road which ends in a Tech-Park entrance within 100 meters. I gave a puzzled look and asked what's the point of taking a test ride this short. Immediately, he checked with one of his seniors for a longer test ride, and he came to me with "Saar, that long we can't allow for test ride saar. This is enough for test ride saar". After that I couldn't find any reason to argue further. I decided to do it my way. I took the duet and headed towards the IT park gate, showed my company ID card and went inside. A good 200 meter stretch with less traffic is enough to know the vehicle's capabilities. It was pulling like I was with a 200 kg+ load on an incline - no power coming from under the seat. I told the same to SA and he said "Saar, this model scooter is tuned for mileage saar, after 40 kmph pick-up will be good saar". I left the showroom thinking how long will we be cruising above 40 kmph on the small scooter and in city traffic? Out of the list.

Hero Maestro: I liked the features and build. But it looked like big and heavy and my wife would have a hard time handling it. Also, there was no test ride vehicle. So, I couldn't get an idea about how it rode. Not sure how they think that someone should just look at it and pay Rs. 60,000. Out of the list.

Honda Activa: Even though this model was out of the list due to the number of Activas in every nook and corner, I just tried it to get a feel of the scooter. As pointed out by other members, the bone-jarring ride quality and weight took its toll on the decision process. It stayed out of the list.

Honda Aviator: From day one, I had one eye on this. I loved the design, features, sturdy build and reliable Honda engine. As none of my friends and relatives have the aviator, I couldn't get a pre-test ride before going for the actual one. The telescopic suspension, disc brake, good looks and strong engine pulled me towards it. I even went on to convince my wife regarding the weight as she would get used to it over time.

The SA told us that there was no test ride vehicle available. I pointed towards the unloading bay where new ones were getting unloaded from the truck. The SA, immediately asked one of the engineers to prepare it and gave it to us. I took the rest ride and it was all fine for me and asked my wife to try. She sat on the scooter and was trying hard to touch the ground with toes. Then I realized the height of the scooter made it impossible for her to manage. Along with the weight of aviator, it was really hard to manage in corners and at slow speeds for the beginners like her. Sadly, it was out of the list.

Honda Dio: We both didn't like the graphics and the looks. The previous gen model would have made it to the final list. That model had a clean design, which I liked.

Honda Activa-i: Too light and fancy, felt flimsily built. Reminded me of the Scooty. Out of the list.

TVS Jupiter: Good reviews from everywhere, but still the weight aspect made it difficult for her to handle. Out of the list

The Mahindra Rodeo and Gusto were considered initially, but later removed from the list as the issues and niggles, support and service are unknown territory. Car-like features were appearing to me as colourful bells and whistles. But,I was sure about the long term reliability.

Yamaha Ray / Ray Z: One of my friends had a Ray-Z and whenever we visited his home, my wife used to take a ride on it. She told me that was comfortable compared to the Activa and other rivals. I thought it was due to the reduced weight because of the plastic panels and the ergonomics. Once all of the above are out of the list, we went to take a test ride of the Ray-Z, even though we had had enough test rides on my friend's Ray-Z. The showroom guy was not ready with the test ride vehicle and asked us to come later. We were thinking of choosing the maroon or green color and leaving the place.

This is where we laid our hands on the humble Fascino.

Yamaha Fascino: I liked the stylish design, which will suit female riders well. This was the only scooter that ticked the box next to exclusivity. Unlike the others, I could see a feminine touch in this scooter and it immediately found a place in our minds and hearts. She took a test ride and confirmed that the scooter handled well and was easy to maneuver due to the plastic panels and less weight. The slim and sleek design also worked well for the home minister to finalize it for the grand finale.

Fascino vs Ray-Z: Even though the home minister liked the stylish design of the Fascino, she took her usual weapon of savings and economy and started arguing with me for the Rs. 6,000 price difference between the two scooters. I agreed as both of them were equipped with the same engine and just the body panels made the difference. But still the beauty of the Fascino pulled me towards it and this would be a beautiful gift compared to the functional gift.

I borrowed all of the available weapons from the arsenal and started fighting.

Finally, the winner was.... the Fascino!!!

My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-outlook_sv3.jpg

Booking and Delivery Experience:
Once we finalized the Fascino, I started searching for all Yamaha dealers close by - Panache Yamaha in Indira Nagar, I-Yamaha in KR Puram and another one on Outer Ring Road towards Marathahalli (don't remember the dealer name). A friend of my friend is working in the Outer Ring Road dealership. He came to my help. We went to see the Fascino where the shiny blue colour was on display. The SA was not much interested in advertising the Fascino and answered all the questions raised by me with short answers. I asked him for a test-ride, he walked towards the service center, which is next to the dealership, pulled a shiny black Fascino out of it and pointed his finger towards the dead-end road, which is ending within 100 meters. Sigh! When will the dealers understand what is test-ride?! When I asked him for the longer test-ride pointing at the Outer Ring Road, he immediately declined. Just for the sake of taking a test-ride, I took it and came back. According to me, something should impress me for me to buy a vehicle from them. I knew about the vehicle through internet, friends and family. When a customer waiting in front of you, something has to be done to attract him and sell a product to him. At least attend to him with a polite and kind nature. Buying from this dealership was a big no.

My second stop was Panache Yamaha in Indira Nagar. The SA approached us immediately and asked us about the purchase decisions. We told our dilemma about Ray-Z and Fascino. He guided us towards the first floor, where both of the scooters were displayed and explained all the differences, features and all - very helpful for us to finalize the Fascino. While asking about the price, he gave a quotation paper with all details on break up of on-road price. He readily agreed to give a foot board rubber mat, hand grip, indicator buzzer and wax polish for free and steel scratch guard for Rs, 1,500. We accepted all the freebies and denied all paid accessories. Also enquired about the financing options and how soon they can deliver. He confirmed that delivery could be done within 2 days for cash and 5 days for loan option. I told him that we will check with other dealers as well and come back later, he smiled and said "OK sir". Positive marks for this dealer.

The third stop was at I-Yamaha, Krishnarajapuram. A few young ladies rush towards whoever looks like a customer entering the showroom. One lady finally approached us and asked what we are looking for. I said Fascino. Immediately a paper was given to me with OTR price details of all the bikes and scooters sold in that showroom. No information, no talking, no features explanation - it’s like I have nothing to impress you with. Buy it or walk out attitude. I asked about their price, which was a little above the Panache Yamaha price. She said "no saar, this is the price everywhere in Bangalore saar" and also denied to give any freebies. The dealership got negative marks.

Based on the impression and price factor, Panache Yamaha won the deal and we booked with them by paying all cash. As the home minister’s auspicious day was on the coming Saturday, I confirmed with them for delivery on the same date after registration. I gave all the required documents to register the scooter on wife name. I told them that I have to verify the vehicle before sending to RTO and after some discussion they agreed. They asked me to check the service center cum go-down, located at another 2-3 km distance for the vehicle. I went there and the service engineers pointed towards the top floor where all the new vehicles were kept in immaculate condition with dust layered everywhere and partially tore the safety packaging, screws, nuts and tools. I found a few matte blue Fascinos and checked one of them and satisfied myself. I informed the SA about the engine number and took a picture of the same in my mobile for verification during delivery.

First look at her in the go-down.
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-at_the_godown.jpg

The SA called me on Saturday and said that the vehicle is ready. I reached the dealer shop around 4 pm and got all the documents. Upon checking in the insurance copy, my FIL's name was printed in the nominee's name and the relationship was mentioned as wife. The SA asked me to check with insurance agent on the first floor. So I rushed there to fix the problem, but that person had already left. Then I realized that I it was almost close to the office closing time. The SA was almost pushing us towards the scooter to send us off. The screwdriver was also missing under the seat in the tools section and there was no first-aid kit. The SA said I could pick it up on Monday. He also told us that I have to check with the other SA as he will be on leave. I promptly visited the dealer on Monday only to know that SA was not on leave, but had permanently left the dealership. The insurance issue was supposed to be taken care with online customer care and for the screwdriver, it was like you have to spend a few days with some liters of petrol to get it from them. So, I thought it would be better to buy it from outside. They took the first-aid kit from some other scooter and gave it to me. In total, I will rate this dealership 7/10. If the insurance issue was not counted, it would get 8/10.

On-Road Price:
Finally, we got the Fascino home. Pricing details given below
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-bill_invoice.jpg

Extended warranties & service packages:
Yamaha provides a 2 years / 24000 km warranty, whichever comes first. Free and Paid service schedules given below:

1st Service [1000km / 30 days from purchase] - Free
2nd Service [3000km / 100 days from purchase] - Free
3rd Service [6000km / 170 days from purchase] - Free
4th Service [9000km / 240 days from purchase] - Free
5th Service [12000km / 310 days from purchase] - Free
6th Service [15000km / 380 days from purchase] - Paid
7th Service [18000km / 70 days from previous service] - Bonus
8th Service [21000km / 30 days from previous service] - Paid
9th Service [24000km / 30 days from previous service] - Bonus
10th Service [27000km / 30 days from previous service] - Paid
11th Service [500km / 30 days from previous service] - Bonus

I'm writing this review with 700+ km on the odo and post the 1st service. My daily usage is less than 30 km if I take the Fascino to office, else the usage is less than 5 km per day.

My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-outlook_humble.jpg

Exterior: Look at Fascino in a long shot, close-up, portrait whatever - she looks at me with humble, gentle and polite eyes. One look at her is enough to get an assured second look and she is proving it at each and every stop at a signal. I've lost the number of times I gave the OTR and kitna deti hai details to strangers waiting next to me at signals. In terms of colour, in the available options, matte finish appeared suitable for me and I chose the matte blue colour. Even on the display scooters, this color simply attracted everyone towards it.

The headlight is a clear lens unit, with enough power (covered later). Indicators are also clear lens units and blend well with the front design. They are fitted with orange bulbs to serve the purpose. Overall, the appearance is polite, but look at the indicators alone -they have a subtle evil look with the bulbs acting as eyes.

Clear lens headlight with halogen bulb
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-outlook_face.jpg

She has got a black nose with 3 stripes topped with a prominent chrome plate with a small Yamaha logo in the center. That chrome plate looks like wings with a logo like the one found in marine / naval areas - I like it. The matte paint job merges well with the nose, which is a black plastic element. It’s not a shiny object. I like the form, not the function. This is a dust bucket, difficult to reach out to and clean the deep cut beneath each stripe - dust accumulates over time.

Evil look of the indicator eyes. Notice the black nose with chrome wing
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-outlook_eyesandnose.jpg

The body panels have less curves and bends, which is neat. I like it that way. Nice chrome touches on the side panels go well with the character of the scooter. There is a nice design where the front and side body panels meet below the foot board, well thought out and looks good. Initially, I had a thought that the back side was left half open, I mean viewed from rear, a lot of open areas seem to be spoiling the look. But, after looking at her in the flesh, it is not that much prominent and not an issue. The tail lamp is big and bright enough to let others know of your presence.

Body Panels: All of them are plastic, well put together and with no alarming gaps except one. I noticed a small gap between the left side body panel and foot board, where they meet together. I informed the service guy at the first service and no changes were made. I reminded them again while taking the scooter from service. They dismantled the side panel and re-fitted it. But, I can still see the poor fitting. Paint seems to be of good quality, not excellently finished though. I'm not sure if this is the case with all matte finish paint jobs. Small scratches reveal the deepest plastic parts, yes I managed to get some scratches on the side areas, thanks to other guys parked their bikes extremely close to my Fascino. Probably she is trying to make boyfriends by attracting bikes...!

Seat:Ergonomically, the seat is spot on. It's made of soft compound and I have no compliant. It has a prominent elevation to separate the rider and pillion. Due to my height (6'1"), it's a little tricky for me to find a comfortable posture. The scooter has a 775 mm seat height. Everything is spot on for the home minister. I am glad that is that way.

My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-outlook_seat.jpg

Wheels and Brakes:The Fascino runs on 10" MRF Nylogrip Zapper tubeless tyres. The perform the job they are supposed to - no complaints. Along with the stylish body design, nice alloys will make it look cool. I sorely miss them. The telescopic suspension absorbs small pot holes and does its job. Both wheels stop as expected with drum brakes. Still, disc brakes would have made stopping more effective and sharp. However, for the beginner like my wife, it’s better to be with drums. No combi-brake here. This good and effective braking feature missed in Yamaha scooters, Come on Yamaha!

My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-outlook_frontwheel.jpg

Horn: It’s a usual scooter type "peep peep" horn. Loud and strong enough to let others know that you are coming and sufficient for this humble scooter IMO.

Interior: There is a small cubby hole right side next to the key slot, which looks like it is designed for you to rest your key chain in case it's too big. Still, you can keep a small cleaning cloth or other such things there. But, never ever place any tiny items. It’s really hard to put your fingers inside and fetch them due to the deep cut and the mouth of the hole. The plastic finish around the mouth of the hole is not skin-friendly. Place a coin inside and try to take it out, you will know what I mean. Except a dust cloth I don’t think anyone will use it for anything else. I don’t think you need your mobile phone rattling on each undulation on the road. The choke lever is located on the left side. I had seen another small cubby hole in the same place in the Ray-Z. What made you ignore that in Fascino, Yamaha?

The bag hook is located on the foot board below the seat. I would choose the Activa type round-shaped hook with a spring-loaded auto lock. The designer went too far in designing this hook. The result is that you can't use it for bags with thick handles, either the bag should be small or the bag handle should be extremely thin to use this hook effectively. While we enjoy the "too much designing" effect on the overall appeal, we have to bear the side effects of the same. They call it as a convenient hook!? In the picture you can see that the design is clean and neat. But the gap at the entry point is too narrow to let the big bag handles to pass, thanks to the embossed side plastic panel. You will have a tough time taking your carry bags released from this hook without looking at it. The limited capacity of the hook is 1.5 kg.

Convenient hook!?
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-detail_hook.jpg

The under-seat storage is the best in class - 21 liters. Though it appears big, you can't place any big items in it. It's better it to use for lot of small items. You can almost purchase groceries for a week and store them inside. A full size helmet is an exact fit in the deepest part, if the helmet is placed facing the rear. I got into a situation where it raining cats and dogs while coming back from office. As my laptop bag was drenched heavily, I thought of placing the laptop in the under seat storage and tried it. With all the rain drops and water splash disturbances, I somehow managed to place it in a weird posture after detaching the battery. All of my brain was thinking the laptop condition while sitting on the seat and riding all the way to home with bumps and pot holes. Luckily, not even a single scratch appeared on the laptop and it worked fine. In some other rivals, I found that the under-seat storage features small sections in the corners to place documents, first aid pack, mobile, etc. There are no such provisions here, instead they gave some weird section designs inside. For what only god knows. The limited capacity of the storage box is 5 kg.

Under-seat storage
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-detail_usstorage.jpg

Towards the rear portion of the area under the seat is the fuel tank. Path ways are designed around the fuel cap to avoid spillage and direct spilled fuel. Under the seat, slots have been given for the owner’s manual, spanner and a screw driver. Some intelligent mechanic took away the screwdriver and it was not present in the place while taking delivery. Upon asking them, they told me to come back after few days to collect it.

Fuel cap
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-detail_fuelcap.jpg

Under the seat tool section and owner's manual slot
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-detail_ustools.jpg

Instrument Cluster:The Fascino a has pretty basic instrument cluster with a speedo, fuel gauge, high beam and turn indicator warning lights. I don't know how many decades it will take for manufacturers to learn the real world functions of the features they are putting in automobiles. The fuel gauge in the Fascino is one of them. You can pour 2-3 liters of fuel in the tank to keep the needle at the "F" mark and after the needle touches the "E" mark still you can ride it for another 50+ kms. This is really not acceptable in a scooter with a small tank capacity. Once I ended up thinking that the fuel was going to be over as the needle was hovering around the end of "E" mark and went to fill petrol. The attendant started to fill it and within the Rs. 150 mark, I could see the fuel level coming close to the brim. Please Yamaha, understand that you are a big brand in automobiles and we are expected to get at least a properly functioning elements for the money we are pouring on your brand. The kind of fuel gauge given here almost makes it useless and we simply go to fill it every week considering the distance travelled, without looking at the meter. If it was me, I would simply make the fuel gauge with 5 marks numbering 1-5 and calibrate it perfectly with the real fuel level.

Speedo console
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-detail_instrumentconsole.jpg

Mirrors: Even though the design of the RVM is done with style in the mind, it serves the purpose well with good field of view. Form is not overdone to spoil the function. Chrome touches on the RVMs are nice. There extend the visual appeal to the mirrors as well from the face. But looking at the integration with the plastic mirror cover, I couldn't get rid of the doubt that it may become lose over time. Nnot sure it’s a separate part or one single unit. Unlike the Scooty mirrors, which used to be adamant while adjusting, these are adjustable to a large extent. The pointed design on the outer most edge is really helpful to extend the field of vision.

RVM with a chrome touch
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-outlook_rvm.jpg

Rider's view
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-outlook_driverview.jpg

Lights: The Fascino is wired with 12v electricals in all areas. The 12v halogen head lamp is enough to brighten up the way at night. I never had a situation in which I had to switch to high beam. Low and high beams are positioned appropriately and both are pointed towards the road at the proper distance and not in the air. After extensive usage of my Bajaj Discover 135, which has a poor headlight throw, this is more than enough for me. Look at the pictures to see the difference. All of the pictures posted here of the head / tail lights are captured early morning 5 am. Think about the illumination in the dark.

Low Beam
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-lights_lowbeam.jpg

High Beam
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-lights_highbeam.jpg

Riding Experience: Get seated and put the key on, place your hand on left side rear brake lever and press the start button. The first thing you will notice is the quickest start ever experienced in any scooter. No giggle, no struggle, even before you have pressed the start button fully, the machine come to life. The smooth new scooter sound with "wooorrr" music will please your ears. The Fascino is powered by a 113cc engine which makes 7.1 PS and 8.1 Nm of torque. It is the same engine used across all Yamaha scooters. Twist the throttle and its moves ahead with linear acceleration with engine sound turning a little strong. Twist it aggressively and though the engine pulls you to the proportionate speed, the engine note is not pleasant like the one you enjoyed initially. The strained engine sound makes you feel like you are putting more load on it, when actually you are not. I think this sound will become smoother over time. Even with two passengers and one kid, the engine sound behavior is the same. Let’s see the difference post the run-in period. It is easy to handle and feels like a 70 kg scooter when it actually weighs 103 kg.

Mill under the seat
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-outlook_engine.jpg

While riding, I observed that the handle bar and head light unit vibrates more than normal. This is the same issue reported by my friend who owns a Dio after 3 years of usage. When I checked his scooter, it vibrated like anything. You can literally you can place a bottle of milk in the speedo console and within seconds it will turn into a milk shake. However, this is not the case with Fascino and the vibration felt a little more than normal standards. After few days of initial riding, the culprit was identified - the tyre air pressure. As I have read umpteen number of times about the factory air pressure issue in Team-BHP, I forgot to bring it to the normal pressure levels. I headed to local FNG and told them that I need just the air checking device, not the pipe. After a weird look they gave it to me. I checked and found it way beyond normal pressure. I brought the pressure to the normal 26 and 32 (known pressure levels filled at petrol stations). Though things improved a bit, I can observe some shake - like nodding. I checked the manual and found the pressure levels (see image). Fixed it and voila, no vibration at all!

Recommended tyre pressure level:
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-bill_pressure.jpg

I never saw / heard anywhere about the speed limit for the Fascino during the run-in period. As depicted below, in the manual the speed limits are
0-150: Twist only up to the quarter throttle
151-500: Twist only up to the half throttle
500-1000: Twist only up to the 3/4 throttle
1000-Infinite: Do whatever you want

I have doubts regarding how all the riders will realize that they have reached the first quarter / half point marks. Also, while going down a flyover, the first quarter twist itself pulls you above 60 kmph. Is that fine in the run-in period? Any other Yamaha bike / scooter owners, please clarify if is this the same case with other bikes / scooters and how did you managed to run-in properly? Maybe I'm not too familiar with the recent scooter / bike run-in parameters. However, I didn't twist more than 5-10 cm for the first 150 km and that is enough to make the occasional errands, not more than quarter throttle till now.

If you make progress slowly, the smooth engine note keeps changing with a clean progress and no stressed feel at all. I'm yet to play with full throttle which is on the cards once done with the run-in period. However, its surging ahead with enthusiasm and I love to move on this humble scooter in city riding. After a decade's experience on a geared bike, moving on a gearless scooter in the Bangalore traffic is a breeze. Road undulations are well taken care by the unit swing rear suspension. All you feel is a light thud. One thing you have to keep in mind is the ground clearance. It has 128 mm only. Seems to be adequate for a city ride, but make sure to keep this in mind while crossing wall like speed breakers and extremely pot-holed roads with a full load. The Fascino masks the bumps and pot holes with a nice ride, but it will be too jumpy bumpy in case you are carrying a full load and the road is full of pot holes. This is where I would like to have a stiffer suspension. However, that is expecting too much from a humble scooter.

Take it to the open road and progress is clean and smooth. Though the revving sound turns aggressive, there is no lag in building speed. You won’t feel happy at the way the engine sounds during overtaking maneuvers, but it won’t let you down. I can move into the gap post overtaking as planned and expected. After run-in probably, it may sound nice and give me the confidence to twist the throttle. One thing you have to keep in mind is that this humble scooter is not for highway runs. However, recently I tried a to twist it to the halfway mark, and quickly reached 80 kmph. No fuss, no drama, she was flying at 80 kmph like she does at 40 kmph - steady and stable, no vibrations. All the time revving and full throttle runs do not make her happy according to me. Soft and slow riding without worrying about the clutch and gear is what this machine is meant for. And that is where I can hear the soft wooorrr sound which assures me that she is running happily. My friend told me that if you play with throttle properly you can feel the gear shift changes. I tried, but I couldn't.

Another fun factor is the fuel tank. The fuel tank is an annoying issue in scooters. You have to keep standing in the queue for filling every now and then. While checking the scooter in the showroom, the SA kept advertising the all-new features of this scooter. He said the fuel tank is big and best in the segment. I asked the capacity of the tank with a surprised look. He said 5.2 liters. Then I asked, what is the capacity of other scooters? He said 5 liters. Sigh! What an all-new unbelievable capacity of 200 ml, you you Yamahaaaaaaaa...!

Fuel Efficiency:The most important question of the review, "kitna deti hai?" Actually, on the lower side compared to my expectations. I expected around 40, but I'm getting around 30 (don't even ask me anything about the advertised 66 kmpl). Expecting an increase post run-in period, I will update the thread.

While taking the delivery, the SA told me that they filled 1 liter of fuel. I went straight to the Shell petrol pump and filled it to the brim. Next time when the needle hovered around the red coloured E letter, I looked at the instrument cluster. It showed 145. Approximately 145 km for 5 liter of fuel? Let’s see how it drinks in the long run and on the open road post run-in. Considering the accurate fuel gauge, this is not a proper calculation, let me update the thread later.

1st Service Update: I-Yamaha service center is close to my home and I was supposed to reach the service center for the 1st free service before 1 month / 500 km, whichever is earlier. I failed to follow the part "whichever is earlier" and lost Rs. 120 for that. The service center guy told me that I came 4 days later than the service date and this was not acceptable for free service. Even for the free service, I had to pay for all the consumables. Hence, he said just Rs. 120 extra for paid service sir. I said OK to for the paid service to complete the 1st service schedule. They said the oil had been changed and billed me Rs. 541.

While taking it out from the service center, I observed that the panel gap that I had told them about was not fixed. I asked them about it. They took the scooter back to the ramp and asked me to wait in the customer lounge - a good, air-conditioned customer waiting area with a TV and automobile magazines chilled and brought the tension down. They removed the side panel and fixed it again. Meanwhile, a tea tray came inside the waiting area and I was asked, "tea or coffee?" I said, "no thanks." Finally, they finished the job, but it was not up to the factory finish. I could still see some gap there. Anyway it was a good customer waiting area.

1st free (paid) service bill
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-bill_service.jpg

500 km mark
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-500km_mark.jpg

Last edited by Aditya : 2nd April 2016 at 15:08. Reason: Spacing
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Old 30th March 2016, 17:08   #2
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Review: My Blue Swan : Yamaha Fascino...!

Simple yet (sometime not so) significant things:
-There is an unused space between the grab bar moulding points and the seat which is around an inch. This is unnecessarily accumulating dust and a pain to clean. You have to unlock the seat and lift it to access this area. This would have been effectively masked with a wider seat.

-Once you parked Fascino in the available space between vehicles and accidentally try to lock it while the head tilted in right side, couldn't lock, don't worry, you can only lock the scooter when its handle bar turned to left side. You youuuu Yamahaaaaa...!

-Reach the parking location and lock the scooter and take the key out. As it can be locked only like mentioned above, you don't have a choice than leaning towards right side to come out from seating position. Now how to open the under seat lock to take the things you kept inside? either bend down on the seat to access the key hole on left side or walk around the scooter to come to left side. Happy parking in tight areas.

-Recently observed a small plastic vibration sound coming from tail lamp area, have to check.

-Also another annoying and inconvenient side lock issue. Every time you keep the handle bar turned in left most position to lock / unlock, you have to slightly turn the handle bar opposite side to lock / unlock it, say just 5-10 cms. If you don't make the slight opposite side move, you can't lock / unlock it, I mean the key won't let you turn it anti-clockwise towards locking mode.

Modifications:
After all this is a humble scooter and I have no great plans to do mods here. Somehow managed to give some sticker work which enhanced the Swan's beauty. I like eagles a lot, and tried to give a not so aggressive eagle sticker but no luck. My favourite sticker shop is not having any such humble eagles. Finally found one in google and gave it to him to make sticker.

-Small art design sticker above front side number plate
-Custom made eagle sticker on front wheel mud guard
-Planned to add the crash guard to avoid the scratches (but not visually appealing)


Time for some photos...

Front profile
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-outlook_frontprofile.jpg

Right side profile
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-outlook_sideprofiler.jpg

Left side profile
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-outlook_sideprofilel.jpg

Back Profile
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-outlook_backprofile.jpg

Interior front side
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-detail_interior1.jpg

Left hand side controls
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-detail_lhscontrols.jpg

Right hand side controls
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-detail_rhscontrols.jpg

Head lamp throw
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-lights_headlamp.jpg

Tail lamp throw
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-lights_taillamp.jpg

The beautiful curve
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-outlook_curve.jpg

Helmet lock under the seat (wondering how this can be used, locking with helmet strap? how safe is it?)
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-detail_helmetlock.jpg

Foot board with mat like texture (the dots you are seeing are actually sharp and holding the rubber mat in place)
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-detail_footboard.jpg

Right side view of foot board
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-detail_footboard_r.jpg

Left side view of foot board
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-detail_footboard_l.jpg

Engine compartment
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-outlook_mill.jpg

Am I looking kind
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-outlook_face.jpg

A close look at the tail lamp
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-outlook_backlook.jpg

Fascino 3D logo with blue core
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-outlook_fascino.jpg

Ready to Go
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-outlook_ready2go.jpg

With elder brother
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-with_discover.jpg

With big daddy
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-with_palio.jpg

Conclusion
Initially I thought what I can write about a scooter. Once completed, just looked back, how big the review grown in size, impact of Team-Bhp probably . I never imagined that this review will cover this many details while I started composing it. Day by day I was keep thinking about the missing details and started describing and adding photos.

Will I recommend Fascino to anyone?
Yes, in case the primary user is a women and need a easy handling scooter, this is it...! In case of men, if it's ok to move around in a feminine looking scooter, then she will not disappoint you for your throttle twisting abilities.

Am I happy with the choice I made?
Confidently Yes. Now home minister very happy with the purchase and started complaining about all other rivals like this is not there, that is not good looking.

Does it pulling me towards it for riding?
My discover started sleeping in my garage, that says it all. I'm finding reasons to take her out like "Petrol filling day", "Air check to be done", etc.

Thanks for reading my first review on Team-BHP. After numerous proof reads, spell checks and corrections I have posted the content. Sorry for any grammar / wording mistakes if you found any.

Sorry for the low quality picture if any, all the snaps are taken from my Lumia 720 mobile and I have zero knowledge on photography.

Please ask any queries if you have and pour in your comments..! I will be happy to answer those with best possible details requested.

Signing off with a customary picture. (By the way, that is my better half's name)
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-outlook_sv2.jpg

Last edited by EPMV : 31st March 2016 at 23:12.
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Old 1st April 2016, 09:56   #3
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Re: My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the 2-wheeler Section. Thanks for sharing!

Rating 5 stars .
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Old 1st April 2016, 10:38   #4
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Re: My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!

Congrats EPMV on the purchase and thanks for sharing a detailed ownership report. Utility scooter reviews on the forum are very rare (Personally do not recall seeing one since a long time). So thanks for taking the time to put together a very good review.

The utility value of a scooter for those small trips are unmatched. I have a Wego and I prefer it over my bike for all the small trip duties.

The Fascino seems to be a success for Yamaha and its sales volumes seem to raising steadily. With 17,000 units odd being sold in the last couple of months, it is on the way to become Yamaha's Top Seller. That is a big achievement in a segment where the Activa rules and even Hero is struggling to make a mark.

As you mentioned, the instrument cluster looks very basic ( Of course, norm for the segment). Liked the headlight. Seems to be powerful. In my Wego sometimes I need to check if it is actually on.

Wish you all the best.
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Old 1st April 2016, 11:18   #5
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Re: My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!

Nice detailed review! The blue looks good on the Fascino.

I agree with most of your observations/comments. My Fascino has clocked almost 3000 km till date. About the FE bit: I am consistently getting a mileage of 55-61 kmpl. I am surprised to see your low FE. The worst I have got till date has been 45 kmpl.
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Old 1st April 2016, 11:23   #6
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Re: My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!

Thanks for the detailed review ! Its tough to find user reviews of new scooters on the net.

Regarding helmet lock, you are supposed to keep the helmet buckle inside the boot and close the seat keeping the helmet outside (the helmet is to be buckled so no loose ends). That way, nobody can take the helmet unless they cut the strap which any Indian thief will do without much thinking. In a city like Pune, I would not use that, but it shouldn't be a problem in Bengaluru where everyone has a helmet

Also let us know how the handlebar assembly holds up over the period of time. My Activa (this is the second one !) has very bad rattling and loosening at the pivot which has to be tightened every 500 kms after riding in potholed roads. The only reason why we bought an Activa again in 2012 was the lack of competition (and awareness) at that time. I would not recommend it now !
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Old 1st April 2016, 14:16   #7
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Re: My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!

Wow! This is one of THE most comprehensive reviews I have read about a scooter. Congrats on your acquisition. Wishing you many many miles on it. Loved the writing style and the pics too! And you say this is your first review!! Hats off mate
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Old 1st April 2016, 15:00   #8
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Re: My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!

Excellent review !!!

I have also purchased a gearless scooter sometime back, and have become a fan of the practicality they offer.

Regarding the run in - no need to follow any special precautions. Just avoid over speeding and hard acceleration, that's all.

By the way, did you also consider the Yamaha Alpha ? How does it compare to Fascino ?

Rohan
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Old 4th April 2016, 08:27   #9
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Re: My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rajeevraj View Post
Congrats EPMV on the purchase and thanks for sharing a detailed ownership report. Utility scooter reviews on the forum are very rare (Personally do not recall seeing one since a long time). So thanks for taking the time to put together a very good review.
...
Wish you all the best.
Quote:
Originally Posted by amoghchaphalkar View Post
Nice detailed review! The blue looks good on the Fascino.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NiInJa View Post
Thanks for the detailed review ! Its tough to find user reviews of new scooters on the net.

Regarding helmet lock, you are supposed to keep the helmet buckle inside the boot and close the seat keeping the helmet outside (the helmet is to be buckled so no loose ends).!
Quote:
Originally Posted by abhinav.s View Post
Wow! This is one of THE most comprehensive reviews I have read about a scooter. Congrats on your acquisition. Wishing you many many miles on it. Loved the writing style and the pics too! And you say this is your first review!! Hats off mate
Quote:
Originally Posted by rohan_iitr View Post
Excellent review !!!
...
Regarding the run in - no need to follow any special precautions. Just avoid over speeding and hard acceleration, that's all.
Thanks a lot for your wishes and inputs..!

Quote:
Originally Posted by amoghchaphalkar View Post
I am consistently getting a mileage of 55-61 kmpl. I am surprised to see your low FE. The worst I have got till date has been 45 kmpl.
Happy to see a good mileage from your fascino. I'm hoping to get the same from my swan. I will update with proper tank-tank calculation.

Quote:
Originally Posted by NiInJa View Post
let us know how the handlebar assembly holds up over the period of time.
Sure. Even I heard the same kind of handlebar assembly issues in scooters.

Quote:
Originally Posted by rohan_iitr View Post
By the way, did you also consider the Yamaha Alpha ? How does it compare to Fascino ?
Almost all the scooters (ray, ray-z, fascino, alpha) from yamaha stable are powered with the same engine. Alpha also powered with the same things like 113 cc engine, tyres, 12v electrical, basic instrument cluster, 5.2 ltr fuel tank, 21 ltr under seat storage, convenient hook, all same as fascino. Except the body shape, width, height, +1 kg weight, graphics and colours nothing is new in alpha. I checked it and the look is not attracting for me, also no test ride vehicle, hence dropped.

Also I missed to ask about a doubt at engine compartment, rubber flaps as shown below. Any idea about what are these for?
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-detail_rubberflaps.jpg
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Old 4th April 2016, 22:22   #10
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Re: My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!

Quote:
Originally Posted by EPMV View Post
Thanks a lot for your wishes and inputs..!

Also I missed to ask about a doubt at engine compartment, rubber flaps as shown below. Any idea about what are these for?
Attachment 1493821
That rubber flap helps shield the swing-arm and other components from getting muddy as water splashes from rear wheel. Many bikes have it either of plastic or rubber as the swing-arm and mono-shock suspension linkages need to be shielded from muck to protect from loss of lubrication.
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Old 11th April 2016, 13:48   #11
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Re: My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!

Quote:
Originally Posted by NiInJa View Post
That rubber flap helps shield the swing-arm and other components from getting muddy as water splashes from rear wheel. Many bikes have it either of plastic or rubber as the swing-arm and mono-shock suspension linkages need to be shielded from muck to protect from loss of lubrication.
Thanks a lot for the explanation, good to know that.

Mileage update: with the recent tank to tank calculation the mileage achieved is 41.

Milestone crossed by my Blue Swan..!
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-wp_20160406_002.jpg
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Old 3rd February 2019, 23:43   #12
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Re: My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!

Nice write up EMPV of your Fascino, IMHO its the most stylish Scooter on road, as far as curves are concerned, even more than my Vespas and Aprilias !!
I own a 2017 Fascino too.
My Blue Swan - Yamaha Fascino Review!-7.jpg
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