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Although the production of Yamaha two strokes has been phased out for over a decade (in India) you can still hear the ‘crunchy’ whine of an RX 135 blarring down city streets. The legendary pick-up of the RX 135 and its light body (116kg) made it the pocket rocket to jump on in the late 1990s, and honestly its value has held up beautifully - both in terms of quality of ride and maintenence of selling price. For such a small bike to be able to top 100 kmp and offer a stable yet exhilarating ride is a feat of its own.
One reason the RX 135s are coveted is due to the Indian government’s banning of their production due to strict emission regulations, which meant the discontinuation of the bike in the early 2000s. However, we doubt the bike would have so many fans if it wasn’t such a fun ride. The RX 135 will always be a simple yet fun bike for beginner and veteran riders. It also has been featured as a canvas for cafe racers for many custom bike shops in India. Not only do these customised RXs look phenomenal, but they also make a lot of sense as urban racers.
The cafe racer style is not for everyone, and custom scramblers probably make more sense for Indian roads; however, cafe racers are a fun way to get a racing experience on public roads, and of course are aesthetically gorgeous. Also, if Steve McQueen rode one there is no way one can say this ride is for wussies.
The intelligent riders out there are probably thinking two things. As a city bike the cafe racer style is going to kill your back as a commuter and makes far more sense for a Sunday afternoon toodle. We agree, and if anyone is determined to use a cafe racer as a daily commuter they better be young and have no back issues, otherwise immense pain and stiffness are inevitable. Secondly, most riders that have a cafe racer already have one or two other bikes they use regularly. Again the smart rider is right.
However, the legacy of cafe racers isn’t necessarily a smart one. It’s about young men wanting to go fast in stripped down style. So if you want to do a ‘ton up’ from cafe to cafe this is your ride.
III. Bombay Custom Works
V. Dochaki Design (this is a Yamaha RXZ 4)
VI. Crossover Kustom
VII. Bull City Customs
VIII. IRONic Engineering (This is not a Yamaha RX135, it’s a 100, but it’s too damn pretty to keep out)
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