Finally, the Yamaha PG-1. It’s about damn time.
You bet. We’ve said this time and again, but it’s true that we had to wait a while for this one. And over the months leading up to the launch, there were already a lot of photos and speculations making the rounds on social media about the PG-1. But nevertheless, we’re finally here, and it’s officially on sale in our market.
Awesome. So what does the PG-1 bring to the table?
This bike is a pretty simple one. It’s powered by a 114cc air-cooled, single-cylinder engine that’s capable of 8.88hp and 9.5Nm of torque and is mated to a four-speed semi-automatic transmission. No electronic bits here—no ABS, no nothing. It gets a single disc brake up front and a drum brake at the rear.
It sits on 16-inch wheels with trail-ready knobby tires. It has a 795mm seat height and a minimum ground clearance of 190mm. It also has a 5.1 liter fuel tank, and overall curb weight is at 107kg.
In terms of looks, though, it’s anything but simple. It doesn’t have a lot of plastic bits and fairings and whatnot, sure, but it does have a very striking design. It’s got that nice retro vibe going for it, and Yamaha has done an excellent job styling this one. What’s not to like about that look?
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How does the ‘simple’ Yamaha PG-1 perform on the road?
If you’re looking for something fast like some of the Yamahas that many pinoys are so fond of, then look away. The PG-1 won’t cure your need for speed. That being said, that engine’s still pretty peppy and the bike is fun to handle when you’re tackling twisties. It’s no demon on the corners, that’s for sure, but it’ll still lean...to a certain extent.
It’s also pretty easy to maneuver through city traffic. It’s incredibly lightweight, and I’m sure even inexperienced riders won’t have any problems with it whatsoever. Sadly, however, we weren’t able to test for fuel economy just yet. But seeing as the PG-1 gets the same engine as the Sight, this should be a pretty fuel-efficient two-wheeler.
What about the PG-1’s off-road prowess? Does it live up to the hype?
It does. I was surprised myself, but it very much does. First of all, one thing we have to point out is the weight. Since this is a small and light bike, it’s not intimidating at all to ride off-road. You won’t worry much about dropping the bike or tipping over, and when you do, there’s a good chance you’d still be able to catch it and keep it from falling.
Next, the suspension. Man, that suspension. I have a personal scooter that when I sometimes accidentally hit a bump on the road at speed, the front fork bottoms out. Yet when we rode the PG-1 all day through big chunks of rocks, not once did we hear the front fork knock. That’s highly impressive. And the rear shocks can hold their own, too—which also says a lot about how those can absorb bumps when riding on paved roads.
The engine’s quite the thing when you’re off-road, too. It’s quite torquey when you’re in first gear, and it’s got more than enough power to get you slowly through a river crossing, power through soft sand, or rev out of a ditch.
Lastly, another special mention here is the exhaust pipe. The tips isn’t positioned that high, but it’s pointing upwards, and I believe it was the only reason we were able to get through the shallow river with ease.
How much is the Yamaha PG-1 again?
That’s P96,400 for you. Some might say it’s too expensive, but frankly, I was half expecting YMPH to price this at the very least at P115,000. So yeah, not too shabby.
Any final thoughts on the new Yamaha PG-1?
While I’ve yet to really test the bike out and see how it holds up as a daily, a full day with it was enough to show me that this thing’s the real deal. In all honesty, I’ve never had as much fun with a small bike before as I have with the PG-1, and that’s something I doubt will change anytime soon.
Yamaha, please, send Top Gear a loaner bike soon.
