Yamaha Aerox 155 vs Keeway Vieste 300 Compared In Images

Which of these two maxi-scooters offer the maximum ‘wow’ factor?     

When Yamaha introduced the Aerox 155, a sporty maxi-scooter,  it set in motion a new perspective in the scooter culture of the country. It’s encouraging buyers to look at scooters from beyond the scope of utility and modest performance. Hence, with Keeway’s recent decision to enter India and include the Vieste 300, a maxi-scooter, to its portfolio, the segment just got a bit more flavourful. So, let’s have a quick look at how the Aerox 155 stacks ups against its newest rival:    

Design

Purely from a styling perspective, the Keeway Vieste 300 looks more European in design, whereas the Yamaha looks more Southeast Asian. This is most prominent when you observe the front apron of both scooters. The handlebar on the Keeway reaches over and away from the apron like on the BMW C400 GT. It allows for a roomier GT look. On the other hand, the Aerox demands a more engaged and aggressive body language from the rider, with its bars directly over the apron like a conventional scooter. 

Features

The Aerox 155 comes equipped with split LED headlights with DRLs and an LED tail light as well. You also get a small storage compartment in the front with a USB charging port. The instrument cluster is basic, with a back-lit LCD unit. Yes, with Bluetooth connectivity, it is feature rich, but misses out on turn-by-turn navigation.

The Vieste 300 also features split LED headlights, but gets vertically stacked projector pods. Oddly though, it gets a digi-analogue instrument cluster and not a full LCD or TFT unit, but Keeway says it will be Bluetooth compatible. It does get a USB charging in the front like on the Yamaha, but there is no dedicated compartment for the phone to rest in. That said, Keeway adds a dash of premiumness to the Vieste with a neat keyless access feature.

Fuel tank

The Aerox really takes a hit in this department with its measly 5.5-litre fuel tank; but with the Vieste, you get a big 12-litre capacity.

Suspension, Wheels and Tyres

Both the scooters feature telescopic fork at the front and twin coil spring shocks at the back. While Aerox sits on taller 14-inch alloy rims, the Vieste comes kitted with smaller 13-inch ones. The Aerox gets a 110/80 front tyre and a chunky 140/70 rear, whereas the Vieste gets a 110/70 front and a skinner 130/70 rear.

Engine 

The Aerox 155 gets a 155cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine mated to a CVT gearbox, offering 15PS and 13.9Nm. It also features Yamaha’s variable valve actuation tech like on the Yamaha R15 V4.

The Vieste is powered by a 278.2cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine that makes a generous 18.6Ps and 22Nm.     

Brakes

In the braking department, the Aerox features a single, 230mm front disc brake with ABS and a 130mm drum brake at the rear. The Keeway Vieste, however, gets a 240mm, single disc brake at the front and a 220mm, single disc at the rear. It also features dual channel ABS as standard.

Summary

The maxi-scooter could be the next step in the scooter culture in India. With more power and real estate available, these scooters offer more versatility than their commuter class cousins. Yes, at Rs 1,36,800 the Aerox is a lot more expensive than say a sporty TVS Ntorq 125, which starts at Rs 77,106 (ex-showroom). But in return, the playability with one of these is currently unmatched. We expected the Keeway Vieste to likely be priced around 2.3 - 2.5 lakh (ex-showroom)