Nov 16, 2016 01:16 AM
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Firstly one needs to look at the market scenario and customer preferences at that point of time. The earlier bikes were the RE350, yezdi and the rajdoot175(my grandfather owned one), From 80's desi consumers started demanding more fuel effecient options.The japanese investment in automotive sector had just started with suzuki(maruti) and honda(hero moto), yamaha soon followed.
now coming to popularity, the only comparable bike in that engine size(100 cc) was the HERO honda CD 100 deluxe(my father owned 2 in succesion, 1985-1997). although it was sturdy and effecient, the pick up was lame(it was first out and out commuter segment bike). In comparison, the yamaha RX100 was a great uplift in terms of acceleration, pickup and power( if a layman can differentiate between them). Although hero honda launched the CD100 SS with a higher handle bar and better pick up, RX100 was a notch above.
thus the RX100 was a good mix in terms of sleek look power, less weight, pickup, low maintainance, rigidness and all terrain accesability. other major factor was its great sound(somewhere between thump of RE and mildness of commuter bikes).
It soon became a rage and fan following could be similar to pulsar of early 2000's(not sure, i was born in 1992). It had its own presence in movies( usually the hero rode a dirt bike and the sidekick rode the RX100),
shahrukh's friend rode it in the song "koi na koi chahiye " in deewana.
ajay devgan's accomplices had it in phool aur kaante.
even sardar khan used it in an assasination operation in gangs of wasseypur.
ultimately it is one hell of a bike to own and deserves the cult following it has.
