Yamaha Nouvo

Yamaha Nouvo

Yamaha Nouvo S
Manufacturer	Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.
Also called	Yamaha Nouvo S in Malaysia Yamaha Nouvo MX in Thailand Yamaha Nouvo RC in Vietnam Yamaha Nouvo Z in Indonesia and Philippines Yamaha Neo in Brazil
Production	2002-present
Successor	Yamaha Nouvo Elegance Yamaha Nouvo LX Yamaha Nouvo LC
Class	Moped CVT, Underbone
Transmission	Automatic
Related	Yamaha Mio

The Yamaha Nouvo is a small CVT underbone bodied motorcycle manufactured by Yamaha Motor. It was introduced in April 2002 for Southeast Asia markets and In 2004, Yamaha Motor make a major breakthrough for introduced this model to South America market, which is Brazil and rename it to Yamaha Neo.

Model history

2002

2002 Yamaha Nouvo with top box at the rear

2006 Yamaha Nouvo MX

After several research and extensive studies in Asian region, the Nouvo was developed under the model code "AT115" and in April 2002, Yamaha Motor has successfully marketed Yamaha Nouvo in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and other Asean countries.

Yamaha engineers specially developed the frame with the same or higher level of rigidity as a moped bike in order to achieve a moped-like ride and good handling performance but also have the same level of comfort as a scooter. This vehicle is powered by 4-stroke, SOHC 2-valve single-cylinder engine which is characterized by its strong torque in the mid-to low-speed range.

2004

In 2004, the Nouvo has been given an aggressive fecelift by Yamaha team, this includes the headlight which is similar to Yamaha YZF-R1 sport bike. For safety concern, the taillight also has been design with the addition of a retroreflector device. In order to improve stability, front suspension is also has been set-up with new settings. Other cosmetic changes is the body cover and passenger's footrest.

After a huge success in the markets, Yamaha Motor Company in Vietnam has release a special edition model for their market in 2007, this model known as Yamaha Nouvo Limited. It features newly design V-shape headlight and newly body stripes but the engine specification is still remain the same with all Nouvo series that available except for Nouvo Elegance. This model only comes with two colors design - White Wolf and Black Knight.

As 2008, Nouvo is still the best selling moped-like motorcycles in Southeast Asia region especially in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia because of its unique design style that attract many younger people to buy this motorcycles. Literally the word Nouvo or Nouveau in French word means new or fashionable.

2008

2008 Yamaha Nouvo LX-RC

After the successor to the Nouvo, on February 2008 Yamaha Motor Company in Thailand and Vietnam has launch an all new Yamaha Nouvo Elegance (LX in Vietnam) for their markets under the model code "AT135", the major changes in this motorcycle are the engine, the engine power are now has increased from 115cc to 135cc (11 horsepower). In addition, the engine cylinder and forged piston are now made from DiASil (die-cast aluminum cylinder) which is more lightweight while giving it a theorically power-to-weight ratio, to eliminate engine overheating while long journey, liquid-cooled radiator are now installed at the right side of the engine, as a result it giving more performance and reliability to the engine. Cosmetic changes also has been made, this includes the body cover - more sharp edges were added with large seat for comfortable ride. The Nouvo Elegance was also launched in Malaysia on August 2008 with the name "Yamaha Nouvo LC". The Nouvo Elegance model will be released in Brazil on 2009 according to Yamaha.

Main features

AT135 meter instrumentation

• An easy to use SOHC 115cc or 135cc engine with CVT - 4-Stroke engine with environmental friendly to surpass strict emission standards without even using the catalytic converters, these specs will ensure a comfortable ride and lively performance in stop-and-go urban traffic conditions.
• BS (Butterfly Slide) type carburettor by Mikuni - The Nouvo uses Mikuni BS25/1 type carburettor for AT115 model to ensure good response, performance and combustion efficiency of the engine. While BS26/1 is used for AT135 model combined with Throttle Position Sensor or TPS system to achieve better fuel economy and good starting performance.
• 16-inch wheels front and rear - To provide good running performance even on poor road surfaces, this fact is based on extensive studies of conditions of use in the Asean region by Yamaha R&D team.
• New-design frame with moped-level rigidity - These design will optimizing the balance of the caster, trail and fork offset so that it can give a great straight-line stability and nimble handling.
• Electroluminescence meter panel - The first moped-like motorcycle model (AT135 only) that equip with LCD odometer and LED backlight for more easy reading visibility at night. Its also completed with on-board diagnostics system.

Specifications

Some particular specifications and warranty may vary from other country to another. All specifications are manufacturer claimed.

	2002	2004 with SE	2008
Engine
Type	Air-cooled, 4-stroke, SOHC, 2-valve		Liquid-cooled, 4 stroke, SOHC, 2-valve with DiASil engine block
Displacement	113.7 cm³		132.6 cm³
Cylinder arrangement	Single cylinder
Bore x Stroke	50 mm x 57.9 mm		54.0 mm x 57.9 mm
Carburetion	Mikuni BS25/1 type carburettor		Mikuni BS26/1 type carburettor with TPS system
Compression Ratio	8.8:1		10.8:1
Power	6.54kW (8.9 PS)/8,000rpm		8.4kW (11.2 PS)/8,500rpm
Torque	8.63N-m (0.88kgf-m)/7,000rpm		10.6N-m (1.08kgf-m)/6,500rpm
Final Drive	V-belt drive
Starting system	Electric and Kick duo
Ignition	DC-CDI
Lubrication	Wet sump
Transmission	Stepless CVT (automatic)
Chassis
Frame type	Steel tube / Underbone
Brakes/Front	220 mm single disc with 2 pot caliper disc brake		220 mm single disc with 1 pot caliper disc brake
Brakes/Rear	130 mm diameter drum brake
Suspension/Front	Kayaba telescopic fork
Suspension/Rear	swingarm with Kayaba twin-tube shock absorber
Tires/Front	70/90-16 with 16-inch spoked wheel*	70/90-16 with 16-inch tubeless alloy wheel
Tires/Rear	80/90-16 with 16-inch spoked wheel*	80/90-16 with 16-inch tubeless alloy wheel
Dimensions
Length	1,935 mm		1,950 mm
Width	675 mm		678 mm
Height	1,070 mm		1,080 mm
Seat Height	755 mm		770 mm
Wheelbase	1,280 mm		1,290 mm
Caster	25 °00'		26 °00'
Trail	112 mm		110 mm
Fuel Capacity	4.9 liter		4.8 liter
Engine oil capacity	0.9 liter (dry engine)/0.8 liter (periodic oil change)
Dry weight/Curb weight	96 kg/101 kg	103 kg/116 kg	111 kg/128 kg
Other
Warranty	Fecelift in 2004	1 Year (Limited Factory Warranty) or 10,000 Km

SE - Special Edition
* Spoked wheel still available with the latest model in other country as an optional accessories.

Modifications

Although Nouvos are not designed to be performance motorcycles nor hold any legitimate racing victories, they have been used for racing ever since their introduction. In 2003, several privateer (also sponsored) motorcycles team in Malaysia entered the Nouvo to compete in Malaysian Cub Prix Championship. In Thailand, the Nouvo is also being raced in underbone drag racing.

In recent years, the Nouvo has rapidly gaining its popularity as a platform for modification and customization (e.g: airbrushing or audio system) by an enthusiast community especially in Thailand and Malaysia. With a huge variety of aftermarket performance parts including racing engine block, racing carburettor and a fine tuning suspension kit to make the Nouvo quicker, its popularity in legal or illegal street racing scene has become a subculture phenomenon, particularly in Southeast Asia country.

External links

Official websites

Look up nouveau in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Yamaha Motor Co.,Ltd. (Japanese) and (English)
• Yamaha Motor (Thailand) Website (Thai)
• Yamaha Motor (Malaysia) Website (English)
• Yamaha Motor (Indonesia) Website (Indonesian)
• Yamaha Motor (Philippines) Website (English)
• Yamaha Motor (Vietnam) Website (Vietnamese)
• Yamaha Neo CVT (Brazilian) Hotsite (Portuguese)
• Yamaha Nouvo Elegance Special Site (Thai)
• Yamaha Nouvo LC Special Site (English) and (Malay)

See also

• Yamaha Racing Homepage
• Yamaha Aerox R Race Replica
• Malaysian Cub Prix Championship
• Mopeds
• Underbones
• Scooters

References

References

Notes

• AT115 Owner's Manual, Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd 2nd edition, January 2005
• AT135 Owner's Manual, Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd 1st edition, July 2008