Most of us, motorcycle lovers who live in Bangkok have a problem, it can be stressful to go downtown on your larger bike. It seems that, even when I drive a motorcycle I still stick in traffic, with not way to go. It is even more frustrating to see smaller motorcycles zigzagging throw the traffic jams.

The biggest down point is when I walk into my office and some girl ask me how can you be late you even drive motorcycle?

So yesterday it was time that I going to do something about that, so with my wife to the "small" motorcycle dealer and I found out that selecting a smaller bike is not an easy task.

Do I go for the sporty looking Yamaha Nouvo or do I select the cute looking Yamaha Fino, both seem to use the same 115cc engine. After a small test drive, I found even that the Yamaha Fino and Nouvo share the same engine the Fino is a bit slower especially with acceleration. What did make me wonder, as I said they both use the same 115cc engine and the Yamaha Fino is using smaller wheels then the Yamaha Nouvo. So the Yamaha Fino needs to do better on acceleration then the larger wheeled Yamaha Nouvo.

Second possible explanation for this leak of acceleration is that I tested the Yamaha Nouvo before lunch and the Yamaha Fino after lunch (but would a Kai Sai Lek Noodle soup have so much influence).

I would imagine that a bowl of noodles etc will have no effect on the acceleration on the Fino. Although I suspect said in jest.

Seriously though , if your use is riding through the traffic jams of Bangkok & going to & from your local shop then I cannot see that the performance worries will have any bearing on your us of the bike.

Guess it is all about how much noodle you eat...

But I think that it is better to compare the Fino with the Mio

You probably bought it by now. Anyway two years ago I bought the Fino after test driving both before and I had the very same experience both before dinner ;-) The Nuovo indeed accelerates much faster and seems to have a higher top speed. Maybe they use a different variator.

However I bought the Fino because it will be driven mostly by my wife's mother and it was the first of it's kind in our village. Shortly after half the village bought Fino's :-)

Now I happend to find a Honda Zoomer imported from Japan. Althought it's just a 50ccm engine it's great fun to drive and it's looks is priceless. Not to mention there won't be a second one showing up in town any time soon ...

banker

I believe the Nuovo is more stable, especially at higher speeds. Fino cute but i think Nuovo is better bike (scooter...not really a motorbike).

Some advice?
Just moved to BKK and bought a 2008 Fino from a co-worker who was leaving. It sat for a year and only has 64 KM, and the manual is in Thai (no help to me yet).

What fuel should I be running? The alchohal 91 or 95, or is it better to be putting gasoline in the bike? I have a Shell station close to the house.

Where's the best place to get a tune and oil change? I live off of Sukumvitt close to Siam (BTS).

Thanks,

Garvin