The Yamaha Fino Review

This is done mainly to help those who are google-ing for more info about this bike but have been deeply frustrated by the lack of reviews online (like me, for example). Hence I shall take some time to talk about the Fino. Shall skip the part about its outlook since it’s personal preference & how much of a hit it is in Bangkok…

Intially, I was a little apprehensive about getting a Fino as it was a pretty new bike though it was based on tested/proven technology in other models such as the Nouvo, Mio, Vino. In fact all the models use similar engine/transmission system which is a consolation as it meant that parts would not be an issue.

Also, auto-transmission bikes tend to cost a little more in terms of maintenance due to the belt/roller – which some shops have quoted me at 100-odd, though i believe they may end up charging higher when i have it changed.

Quick glance at the specifications:

Engine	Chassis
Engine type Air-cooled 4-stroke, single cylinder, SOHC	Front suspension system Telescopic
Displacement 113.7cc	Rear suspension system Unit Swing
Max. power 5.8 kW @ 8,000rpm	Front brake Single Disc
Max. torque 7.4 Nm @ 6,500rpm	Rear brake Drum
Transmission system Automatic, V-belt	Front tyre 70/90-14 (34P)
Fuel tank capacity 4.1 litres	Rear tyre 80/90-14 (40P)
Measurements
Length x Width x Height (mm) 1830 X 705 X 1050
Seat height (mm) 745
Wheel base (mm) 1240
Minimum ground clearance (mm) 125
Wet weight (kg) 91

The specs gave a good idea what i was expecting from the scooter.

A 114cc 4-stroke engine & a weight of 91kg meant that fuel consumption should be rather low, and i wasn’t wrong to assume that. Over the past month of riding, I’ve been clocking an average of 42km/ltr mainly a mixture of city & highway riding with 20-30% of the time with pillion. I’m a light throttle person, so if you’re throttle-happy you might just see slightly higher consumption.

Front disc brake keeps your speed in check

The 4.1ltr tank meant that you’ll be visiting the kiosk every now and then, so please make friends with the attendants/cashiers. Might as well take the time to keep your tyre pressure in check. Just one small issue, the air pumps at some of the kiosks have pump-headers that does not allow you to reach for the tyre valve. So you might want to go around a few kiosks and see which one fits yours… or your own foot pump.

The scooter is air-cooled hence lesser maintenance and lower cost. Liquid-cooled engines require coolant, has a elaborate system of tubes running around the engine/radiator to cool the engine, failing which will mean the engine will overheat/seize. In a minimalistic world, less is more. Lesser components means lesser stuff to go wrong. That’s how i like my vehicles to be.

Speed/Power-wise, nothing impressive really. If you’re looking for a fast bike, just get a fast bike and not a Fino and hoping it goes fast. But to assure prospective owners, it gets you to 100km/hr and maintain at that without much efforts (with pillion) but if there’re strong crosswinds, you might want to hang on tight.

However the 100km/hr on the meter seems misleading and i’m thinking its closer to 85-90km/hr. Either way, its a respectable speed in Singapore.

Allows you to dangle plastic bags as well

I’ve read about enquires in many forums on which grade of petrol is suitable/recommended. And the observed trend is pump the best if you can afford, which i beg to differ.

Pump what your bike requires.

The compression ratio of the Fino is 8.8 : 1. RON92 is enough (that’s the lowest Singapore offers). Higher octane level do not improve performance/fuel consumption, except psychologically and a thinner wallet. Though different brand/grade of fuel may have different addictives added to the fuel, the difference should be minimal as every brand has their ‘secret formula’ and you probably can’t feel the difference.

Though i must warn that if you use lower octane than required by your engine, engine knocking will occur.

With regards to the servicing, maintenance & repair costs, I can’t comment much as the bike’s still pretty new to me. Maintenance required are quite normal.

• Engine Oil is 900ml (but you can just dump the whole bottle in), i’d recommend to change every 3000-5000km or 3mths, whichever earlier. Though i know it could last much longer, but no harm changing it more often.
• Gear Oil – 500ml. Every 6000km or every alternate EO change should do, but then again, it’s cheap to change that.
• Spark plug. Every alternate EO change should do though it could last much longer as well.
• Air filter. As much as i’d want to give a time period to change it, it depends on how dirty it is.
• Belt & Rollers. Probably the most expensive of the servicing cycle, but from what i learnt from the mechanics about the lifespan of the belt: 15,000-20,000km.
  Some kiasu people will be screaming “NOOOOO~ you have to change it every 10,000-15,000km.”
  We shall see…
• Tyres/tube. Depends wear & tear. I would actually advise to change to tubeless rims for a hundred-odd for better reliability though i’ve yet to do that.
• Other wear & tear such as brake pads, top-up of brake fluid, cables, bulbs, etc… as and when needed.

Moving on to other aspects of the scoot, shall bring your focus to the storage space. Scooters such as Vespa GT200/LX150/etc or Piaggio X8/X9/etc or SYM GTS200/etc or Honda Silverwing/etc (the list can go on) have respectable and proper storage space, but when it comes to the Fino…

It’s disappointing.

I’ve learnt how to squeeze everything in.

Nope, underseat storage is not enough to put ANY form of helmet unless your head’s as big as a hamster. But i’ve managed to squeeze in my essentials under the seat – 1x raincoat & pants, 1x bike cover, parking coupons, pen, plastic bags, road tax disc, cleaning cloth.

There are 2x small compartments at the front to put something, so far i only put cloth & cargo net in them. The bike also allows user to hang their stuff and rest on the floorboard, but i think it’s taking up space for my feet and comfort. To improve the carrying capacity of the Fino, i’ve added a rack (w/o box) which i feel allows me to load more & odd shaped objects by strapping it with cargo net instead of a rigid box.

During wet weather, the load will be wrapped in my bike cover – my solution.

And a good feature i like in bikes are Kickstarters. Call me primitive, but when your battery fail and you can’t e-start your bike, you’d wish you have an alternate way of starting your bike besides finding a vehicle to do a jumpstart. At least for manual bikes, they can still push-start; an auto bike NEEDS a kickstart, a backup. And it needs a kickstart that’s actually functional unlike the Vespa LX150 – and i’m very glad to announce that the Fino’s kickstart is completely functional/effective even during cold mornings.

Pretty much sums up what i wanted to share with any prospective owners, a very good point A to point B commuter bike, suitable for the everyday use in urban Singapore. If i missed out anything you’d like to know, can always drop a comment below.

=) I’m Fino, and you?