Yamaha Serow 250

The Yamaha Serow 250 exhibits the modern-day elements combined to form a retro-themed motorcycle, which appeals to both the kinds of buyers – one who prefers modern minimalism and the others who prefer old school appeal in their ride.

The Yamaha Serow 250 looks compact but tall when viewed head-on, with a small round headlamp encased within a compact visor which is rounded from the upper surface. There is a chin like a cowl present just below the headlamp which adds to the uniqueness of the motorcycle. The headlamp is assisted with very small amber coloured round turn indicators which gel well with the overall design. In a traditional manner, the Serow 250 gets a high mounted front fender and rubber paddings for the front suspension forks.

The side profile of the Yamaha Serow 250 too looks old school, but very functional, with the tall mounted but slim fuel tank and sleek side body panels, which do end up in a broad fuel tank cowl with air vents designed in them to add in the aerodynamics of the motorcycle. All these panels as well as fuel tank do come with dual-tone graphics to make it look cool.

The under-seat side-mounted exhaust pipe, high ground clearance, off-road tires with spoke wheels all add to the purpose apart from making it look cool and in your face. At the back, the Yamaha Serow 250 has got a compact design with a symmetrically shaped tail LED tail lamp and a small rear fender, which also gets small round turn indicators. The single-piece seat, which is almost flat, has been fitted at an angle.

The high mounted single piece handlebar is almost flat and does end up with wide palm grips on either side. At the centre of the vision, there is a super compact all-digital instrument console, which has a green backlit theme and has readouts for speedometer, fuel gauge, and odometer. While all of this does look cool, the very small fonts of the digital meters are hard to read while on the go. The silver-finished handlebar levers as well as high-quality switchgear are testimonies to the fact that Yamaha has not compromised on the factor of quality.

Built to tackle all kinds of roads with, the suspension combination of the Yamaha Serow 250, comprising of hydraulic telescopic forks at the front and a linked mono-shock with rectangular swing-arm at the rear, feels sporty and tough on the go. The tall 21-inch front wheel and 18-inch rear wheel are wrapped with off-road tires that look and feel purposeful. The motorcycle is equipped with simple disc brakes at both the ends for braking purposes.

The Yamaha Serow 250 has been equipped with a four-stroke, single-cylinder, air-cooled, fuel-injected, 249cc motor, which has been married to a 5-speed gearbox. With a great focus on low-end torque, the engine is good enough to produce a maximum power output of 19.6 PS and a peak torque output of 20.3 Nm. The engine feels torquey in the lower end of the rev range, and picks up with a good grunt from a standstill.

The Yamaha Serow 250, being a small capacity off-road purpose motorcycle, does not get many sophisticated riding aids to make it feel ultra-modern. However, it is blessed with ABS.

Not only in terms of looks, but the overall mechanical packaging and powertrain of the Yamaha Serow 250 feels purposeful and matches the old school yet appealable off-road-ready design. The motorcycle resorts to minimalism without looking too basic, which does make the motorcycle feel classy and built to a purpose.