Yamaha Introduces Idling Stop Technology on Vietnam-Bound Janus Scooter
Yamaha announced a new scooter model for the Vietnam market called the Janus. Available in three different trim levels, the Janus uses the 125cc Blue Core engine that also powers Yamaha’s Nozza Grande and Acruzo models but with one important addition: an idling stop.
A first for the company, the Yamaha Stop & Start System will debut on the Janus Deluxe and Janus Premium trim levels (the Premium also adds a smart key system). The Stop & Start system shuts off the Janus’ Single when it comes to a rest for longer than a few seconds, like at a red light. The result is a reduction in emissions and improved fuel efficiency as the engine spends less time running while at a complete stop.
Yamaha isn’t the first motorcycle manufacturer to offer the technology. Honda introduced the technology to its PCX scooter in 2011, though the technology was not used on U.S. versions of the scooter as U.S. regulators are slow to make its use on non-hybrid vehicles worthwhile compared to their European and Asian counterparts.
Not that matters much for Yamaha, as the Janus is produced in and for Vietnam where the motorcycle market reported a demand for 2.85 million motorcycles in 2015 with scooters accounting for about 1 million units. The Janus will be a “volume-priced” model, with an MSRP starting at 27.49 million Vietnamese Dong (about US$1,233) for the standard Janus, slotting in beneath the US$1,883 Nozza Grande and the US$1,570 Acruzo.
Marketed for female riders in their twenties, the Janus sports a (claimed) 214 pound weight, 14-inch wheels and 14L of underseat storage.
Dennis has been a part of the Motorcycle.com team since 2008, and through his tenure, has developed a firm grasp of industry trends, and a solid sense of what's to come. A bloodhound when it comes to tracking information on new motorcycles, if there's a new model on the horizon, you'll probably hear about it from him first.
More by Dennis Chung
Comments
Join the conversation