Here at RideApart, we love scooters and other charming small-displacement machines. Unfortunately, a lot of these pint-sized two-wheelers aren’t available in the US, so our US-based readers will either have to travel abroad, or just live vicariously through either me or Earl (as we’re based in Southeast Asia) who have quick and easy access to these little bikes.
Over in Japan, Yamaha has released a refresh of one of its most popular scooters, the Vino. The Yamaha Vino started life in 2004 and since then, the little scooter hasn’t really changed much, with Yamaha mostly retaining its simplistic, charming styling, all while updating it to conform to modern-day performance and emissions standards. For the 2024 model-year, the Vino is making a comeback with Yamaha throwing on a fresh coat of paint.
For 2024, the Vino is being sold in three additional colors exclusive to Japan – Fighting Red, Matte Jeans Blue Metallic, and Puco Blue. Yamaha says that each of these colors is meant to highlight the Vino’s playful and charming nature. The new Fighting Red colorway is said to embody the scooter’s retro inspirations, and comes with black accents on the saddle and footrests. Meanwhile, the Matte Jeans Blue Metallic colorway puts a sporty spin on the scooter, with gray accents that add a touch of contrast. Lastly, the Puco Blue colorway accentuates the scooter’s casual styling, making it equal parts commuter and lifestyle vehicle.
Apart from the three new colorways, the Yamaha Vino will continue to be offered in Japan in Beige, Brown, and Black motifs, with a total of six color choices for buyers to choose from.
Colors aside, the Yamaha Vino’s design is meant to embody both lifestyle and practicality. Its retro styling instantly sets it apart from regular scooters. However, in the amenities department, it impresses with its practicality and luggage-carrying capabilities. For starters, there’s a large storage compartment and a hook for hanging your bag on the front apron. Up front, the glove box has a charging port for you to power up your devices on the go. The Vino also gets a rear wheel lock and key cylinder shutter for theft deterrence. Last but not least, its instrument cluster is minimalist, displaying the time, fuel level, speed, and service interval.
On the performance side of things, the Vino is powered by a compact workhorse of an engine – a 50, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, SOHC, single-cylinder engine. Yamaha claims an impressive fuel economy of 58.4 kilometers per liter (about 137 miles to the gallon), which means that you’ll get quite a lot of range from its 4.5-liter (1.2-gallon) fuel tank. When it comes to pricing, the Vino carries an affordable price tag of 214,500 yen, or about $1,434 USD.
