Suzuki has been around since 2004 in India, playing hard ball in the 125cc segment ever since. It is after 10 years of a presence here that the company has made a move towards the 110cc segment, with its Let's scooter, showcasing petite dimensions, plastic body panels and Suzuki typical styling. Meanwhile, Yamaha has been gobbling up sales in the scooter segment with the sharp looking Ray, right since the time it made its debut in India back in 2012. Both rival scooters target the same customers, trend young guys and gals, and come with similar displacement powerhouses. We find out which one of the two can side-line the other?
Both, the Let's and Ray are built keeping the fairer sex foremost in mind, and look modern, smart and trendy. Styling on the Let’s is fresh but relatively sober, easily recognizable though as a Suzuki with conservative body lines. The Ray is clearly sportier and youthful, with a nice flair thanks to sharp lines that give it a distinct look.
The Let's gets a halogen powered headlight with a useful pilot lamp placed on the handlebar, while the Ray has a smarter looking headlight cluster with indicators that sit flush in the front apron, providing bright visibility at night. Vertically set indicators on the Let's get deeply cut silhouettes finished in black on the front apron. Both scooters come with neatly arranged instruments that are legible on the go, including a speedometer, odometer and fuel-gauge, wherein the Ray's cluster looks a bit more stylish.
Switchgear on both these Japanese scooters feels built to last, similar to the rear view mirrors that are well placed to offer clear visibility behind. Yamaha offers slightly better palm grips in comparison to the ones found on the Suzuki. The Let's gets a solid feeling brake lock clamp that operates perfectly, whereas Yamaha has failed to provide the Ray with this much needed safety feature.
The flat floorboard on the Let's is broad and wide enough for even riders with large feet, whereas the Ray gets a relatively slimmer floorboard. There is no front storage space on the Let's, and this is a setback, as the underseat storage bay is big enough to only fit a small size full face helmet.
The Ray on the other hand gets a thoughtful provision of storage cubbies in the front, along with better underseat storage capacity. Additional convenience includes a solitary bag hook placed under the handlebar on both the scooters.
Both the Let's and the Ray run on pressed-steel rims. Fit-finish and build quality on both scooters is as expected from these top Japanese manufacturers – scoring well.
Both scooters are powered by four-stroke, single-cylinder, air-cooled and carburetted engines, and come with a button-starter, a choke knob under the handlebar for cold starts and kick starters in place for emergencies.
The Let's derives power from an all new four-stroke, 112.8cc engine, with Suzuki Eco Performance (SEP) by its side, designed to increase overall fuel efficiency without compromising on power. Maximum power generated is 8.7bhp delivered at 7500 revs, while peak torque is 0.91kgm at 6500rpm. The Ray runs a 113cc engine that pumps out 7bhp at 7500rpm with a peak torque figure of 0.82kgm at 5000rpm.
Both reply on CVT gearboxes that work seamlessly. Acceleration is vibe-free throughout their respective powerbands and the duo are well tuned for city commuting, with quick throttle response, the Suzuki delighting with a peppy edge here, thanks to really responsive power delivery offered low down in its power range. Power feeds in smoothly with a refined feel on both scooters.
The Let's is a featherweight scooter, weighing 98kg, while the Ray is likewise light at 104kg. Both scooters come with a set of telescopic forks, while at the rear there are monoshocks. Saddles on both the Lets and Ray are well padded, with slightly more room for two on the Yamaha. Ride quality on the Let's is easier on the back, with the Ray feeling a tad firmer, with potholes and undulations feeling more pronounced. Both the Let's and Ray handle as good as any other scooter in this class, steering with a neutral feel at all times. In a major shortcoming though, the handlebar on the Let's often fouls with a tall rider’s knees while turning, whereas the Ray's handlebars never intervene with the rider's knees, even when negotiating slower sharp corners, thanks to the low-set floorboard.
Both scooters ride on 10-inch pressed steel wheels. Braking, is taken care of by 120mm drum brakes on the Suzuki, while Yamaha deploys 130mm drum brakes on the Ray, both front and rear. Both scooter brakes work well, with a prompt feel at all times.
The Let's managed to return a healthy 47.4kpl in city and 48.5kpl on relatively open highways. Meanwhile, the Ray achieved 44kpl within city limits, which went up to 45.6kpl on the highway.
The Let's is a competitively priced and well thought out scooter, offering good build quality and a peppy feel. It also offers fair refinement with good fuel economy, with light, sure footed handling that makes this a really good scooter for women. However, on the downside, Suzuki hasn't offered enough storage space, apart from the handlebar flawing with the rider's knees around corners. The Ray is likewise a top quality scooter with well thought out storage space and sharper styling. The engine feels zippy enough in city traffic conditions, with a refinement edge and fair enough efficiency as well. Ergonomics are slightly better on the Yamaha, with even taller riders kept comfortable. Targeted at the youth, both scooters deliver well in their own ways.
In the end though, despite being slightly pricier, we pick the Ray from this pair, for pertaining to a wider audience and offering a better balance of utility and riding pleasure.
KARAN NARSU
Detect my Current Location
By Staff Writer
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