Thread: Modern Yamaha Gladiator Type SS

Yamaha have launched two new Gladiator variants, the RS and the one in the pics, the SS. In essence, the upgrades are primarily cosmetic. To wit. check out the super neat engine cowL the smart new instrument cluster (includes tacho), the new handlebar on slick risers, new grips and a new exhaust tip. The more serious changes include new wheels claimed to be the lightest in class an open chain and a high-flow air filter.

The engine is the same as before, but that's not my in-saddle impression. I remember the Gladiator having a rev-happy, but ultra-civil motor with a near perfect five-speed gearbox. The SS felt refined, but it has gained a nice rorty edge, is noticeably more crisp and I'm happy to report that a gearbox is still sweet and now shifts with a toe-only lever. The rest was blissful. The handling remains assured and exciting. Ride quality - always a Gladiator strength - still feels sporty, and somehow, plush as well. And the brakes are superb. They offer great bite, immense power and loads and loads of feel -easily the best (disc) brakes in the class.

In the visuals department. I think the bike looks rather good, but the gold bits aren't really my thing. The red/silver SS looks neat enough, but the one that really gets the hormones floWing is the superb RS model, which wears the corporate blue with elan and even sports factory-applied speed blocks. The dark colours also hide the vent in the visor of the fairing, which again isn't to my taste. Yamaha have also lowered the bikini (no, it's not what you think) which has meant a relocation of the number plate to the head of the fairing - eyesore!



But that aside, perhaps the most important reason why the Gladiator is such a favourite is that it feels natural. It has a sense of coherent ease about it that you grasp instantly. You get on, everything falls into place and moments later, you feel like you've been riding it for a long time-cheerfully familiar rather than annoyingly inti¬mate. It is one of the most effortless commuters we have been on.

In the guise of the SS/RS, Yamaha adds some visual pizzazz to a highly sorted package, hopefUlly making it irresistible. The Gladiator, no matter how you slice it. is a damn good motorcycle, no matter how they paint it. All the little aluminum bits and bobs only serve as garnish. If you're looking for a slick 125cc commuter, you should be spending time at the nearest Yamaha dealership.