Yamaha Alpha: The latest competition to Honda Activa?

The Yamaha Alpha is priced at Rs 57,185 in Mumbai (on-road) and at this price, it offers a good blend of performance, handling and ride quality, says Faisal Ali Khan of MotorBeam.com

Scooters are gaining popularity in India and now Yamaha has brought another scooter to the market, the Alpha.

The Yamaha Alpha is aimed at unisex buyers as the Ray was targeted at the fairer sex while the Ray Z was positioned towards young boys.

The Yamaha Alpha is conventional looking scooter which is positioned as a practical offering for most people in the market.

The Yamaha Alpha is a fresh looking scooter but isn't very striking in appearance. It gets swooping panels and looks relatively long.

The headlight is mounted on the handlebar for better illumination at night and the unit resembles that of the Suzuki Swish.

The indicators have a tear drop design while the front has a grille which resembles a bit to what we see on cars.

The rear sports neatly laid out lights and a nice thick aluminum grab rail.

The cluster of the Alpha has everything in analogue with a large speedometer taking centre stage.

The console is big and is surrounded by a body coloured panel which makes it look a bit funky. The needles come from the Ray and while the switchgear is basic, it's quality is good.

To re-emphasise, unlike the Ray, the Alpha is a very practical scooter.

It gets a large 21-litre under-seat storage which is huge in comparison to the Ray's 15.5-litres.

The mirrors offer a good view of what's behind and the floorboard has good space for carrying luggage (there is one hook).

The Alpha is suited to both short and tall riders alike.

The Alpha uses the same engine which does duty on the Ray, which is a 113cc, single-cylinder motor producing 7.1 PS and 8.1 Nm.

This powertrain offers slick performance to the 104 kg Alpha. The scooter gets off the line very quickly and has a good mid-range punch, adequate for swift movement in the city.

Power delivery is linear and throttle response in instant but top-end is lacking.

The Alpha returns 47 km/l in the city and 52 km/l on the highway which is among the best in the segment.

The Alpha also shares its platform with the Ray and thus it has a sporty setup.

The balance between ride and handling is excellent and the scooter turns-in quickly.

The tyres offer very good grip and the suspension absorbs bumps comfortably. The brakes are strong, they provide ample feedback and excellent stopping power.

The Yamaha Alpha is a very practical scooter, and is a product which has good quality.

The Alpha is priced at Rs 57,185 in Mumbai (on-road) and at this price, it offers a good blend of performance, handling and ride quality.

While it isn't the most feature rich scooter out there, it certainly checks most boxes for majority of scooter buyers in India.