When I first saw this bike I thought it was one of those minibikes from a
well-known Italian stable, something that Colin Edwards would ride
around in the paddock. The owner had removed all the badges so it
made for an interesting guessing game. It came as a real surprise to
find that it is a Naza bike, sourced from Taiwan – CPI. It is really funky-
looking, especially when it has the red-coloured frame.
The GTR150 is a scooter, or a cross between one and an underbone,
or a kapcai. Instead of the familiar hollow space between the legshield
and the leading edge of the seat, there is a twin-tubular frame, filled
with a snug-fitting fuel tank with a carbonfibre-like finish. The tank has
a superbike-like filler lid in plain sight. The legshield itself has been
rendered to look like a fairing, complete with air intake with wire mesh.
There is no headlight as such, instead the front of the ‘fairing’ has
been sculpted to hold a set of very aggressive-looking lights. All
surfaces have that pseudo-carbonfibre touch set in black, or whatever
else colour you choose.
The seats are also made to look like they came from a sportbike. They
are slim, separated and stepped. There is a lot of sunlight showing
beneath the seats, with a pair of red coilover dampers with ‘piggyback’
reservoirs grabbing your attention. These are matched by the shiny
telescopic fork up front.
The exhaust pipe is upswept, with a shield that matches the design and
colour of the rest of the bike. The innards of the bike – the engine,
gearbox and their ancillaries - which are usually hidden away in scooter
and kapcais, are in plain sight, made to look purposeful.
The wheel-tyre combo is large for this class of bikes – 110/70H17 in
front and 120/80H16 at the back. The wheels are black anodised units
with a 5-spoke star design. Both wheels are complemented by a
ventilated disc brake each. On one side of the bike is the fully-encased
CVT unit, and on the other an aluminium swingarm.
The ancillaries, like footpegs and mounting brackets, signal lamps,
grab handle, and stands, are in a similar vein – superbike-like. The
instrument panel, too, has surprising features – a digital speedo, a
white-faced tacho, an array of warning lights, a trip computer
(MAX/AV/LAP/OD/TOD/TIME), as well as a diagnostic programme.
And the rear lights are in a stylish pod, and they are LED units, which
is hard to beat, even among cars.
The sum of all these parts is a scooter that looks like nothing before it.
Modenas’ Elegan, which is of the same engine size, and also a scooter,
is like an MPV compared to a sportscar that is the GTR150.
However, all that Style is at the expense of the sort of practicality which
scooters and kapcais are known for. The seats, for one, have more
style than substance. They are thin and flat, and the covering is
‘grabby’, which means that they make your pants scrounge up around
your crotch.
There is no legshield to speak of, so there is no protection from dirt
and splashes, and also no space to add a basket or keep things. You
could add a sort of tank bag that sits on the sloping fuel tank. There is
no helmet bin; the space under the rear seat is just large enough for a
big rag or a ‘take-away’ polystyrene box. There is also no proper
helmet hook; there is a pair of studs under the front seat which could
act as hooks but they are very frustrating to use as the helmet strap
gets pushed out when you snap the seat back in place.
The fairing and head cowling are very stylish but as there is no
windscreen, you get the full impact of air resistance at any speed
above 100kph. You will find that it is not a wise thing to ride with loose
clothing as there will be a lot of flapping. This is an indication of just
how dirty you and the bike will get when riding in the wet.
The pillion rides high, easily a full head above the rider, if they are of
the same height. This affects the balance of the bike. The riding
stance, itself, needs getting used to as the seat height is greater than
usual. You get the feeling that you are sitting on the bike rather than
astride it. It’s like sitting on a chair and whizzing along. Or what I
imagine riding a unicycle is like. It takes familiarity to lean the bike. It
did not help that the tyres, which were Taiwan-made ones, felt
‘squishy’, which is hardly the sort of message to inspire confidence. So
you can imagine what it would be like with a large-sized and nervous
pillion on board.
The engine is a single-cylinder watercooled 4stroke, 149cc, capable of
9.5bhp and 11.1Nm. The bike itself weighs in a 128kg. Acceleration is
quite impressive but for the sensation from the engine and the exhaust;
it is not an inspiring note. It sounds like it is coming from some
powertool, a grasscutter, for example. And it is a constant drone – the
tacho needle is constantly near or in the redzone, such is the nature of
a CVT-equipped small engine. This sonic sensation does not quite
synch with the looks of the bike. It is no wonder that many owners get
the exhaust modified. However, you would tend to forget the sound
when you go into the triple-digit speed zone. This scooter does that
easily, romping to 140kph without much of an effort. I found out later
that the speedo of this bike is wildly optimistic. At one long stretch I saw
157kph; a bit more throttle and the figure was 165! The bike is actually
only capable of about 123kph.
This test unit had more than 12K kilometers on the tacho. It still looked
and felt good, in spite of what would understandably have been very
hard riding for most of that mileage clocked. The signs of age and
abuse were in the slight slippage of the CVT belt at acceleration, the
rather clunky rear suspension, and also the squishiness of the rear
tyre. The spring of the centre stand has also loosened to the point that
the stand flops and bangs against the underbelly each time the bike
went over a bump.
I got the chance to ride another unit, with the same mileage but better
maintained, and the difference was significant. On the whole, it shows
that Naza have maintained the integrity of the bike in the
transformation from Taiwanese to Malaysian. The entire range of Naza
bikes is built at their factory in Shah Alam.
One nice feature is the size of the fuel tank. At 9L, it has to be the
largest in this class of bikes. It is good for about 230km, with mixed
riding styles. This works out to about 4.L/100km (70.5mpg). I bet that
popped your eyes wide open, even if nothing else about the bike
interested you. This sort of fuel consumption figure is average for
scooters, and can be even better with the smaller-capacity models.
Furthermore with this model, there is no need to get off and open the
seat to get to the fuel filler. That, and the snazzy filler lid, is yet another
triumph of one-upmanship at the pumps.
The Naza GTR150 is an interesting offering; its looks definitely appeals
to the young while its character is skewed to the more matured. At
about RM8K to put on the road it is too much of a reach for most
bikers, but to those who can afford it, and actually buy it, it can add a
dash of pizzazz and a dollop of fun to their lives, and the street scene,
too. Mel
well-known Italian stable, something that Colin Edwards would ride
around in the paddock. The owner had removed all the badges so it
made for an interesting guessing game. It came as a real surprise to
find that it is a Naza bike, sourced from Taiwan – CPI. It is really funky-
looking, especially when it has the red-coloured frame.
The GTR150 is a scooter, or a cross between one and an underbone,
or a kapcai. Instead of the familiar hollow space between the legshield
and the leading edge of the seat, there is a twin-tubular frame, filled
with a snug-fitting fuel tank with a carbonfibre-like finish. The tank has
a superbike-like filler lid in plain sight. The legshield itself has been
rendered to look like a fairing, complete with air intake with wire mesh.
There is no headlight as such, instead the front of the ‘fairing’ has
been sculpted to hold a set of very aggressive-looking lights. All
surfaces have that pseudo-carbonfibre touch set in black, or whatever
else colour you choose.
The seats are also made to look like they came from a sportbike. They
are slim, separated and stepped. There is a lot of sunlight showing
beneath the seats, with a pair of red coilover dampers with ‘piggyback’
reservoirs grabbing your attention. These are matched by the shiny
telescopic fork up front.
The exhaust pipe is upswept, with a shield that matches the design and
colour of the rest of the bike. The innards of the bike – the engine,
gearbox and their ancillaries - which are usually hidden away in scooter
and kapcais, are in plain sight, made to look purposeful.
The wheel-tyre combo is large for this class of bikes – 110/70H17 in
front and 120/80H16 at the back. The wheels are black anodised units
with a 5-spoke star design. Both wheels are complemented by a
ventilated disc brake each. On one side of the bike is the fully-encased
CVT unit, and on the other an aluminium swingarm.
The ancillaries, like footpegs and mounting brackets, signal lamps,
grab handle, and stands, are in a similar vein – superbike-like. The
instrument panel, too, has surprising features – a digital speedo, a
white-faced tacho, an array of warning lights, a trip computer
(MAX/AV/LAP/OD/TOD/TIME), as well as a diagnostic programme.
And the rear lights are in a stylish pod, and they are LED units, which
is hard to beat, even among cars.
The sum of all these parts is a scooter that looks like nothing before it.
Modenas’ Elegan, which is of the same engine size, and also a scooter,
is like an MPV compared to a sportscar that is the GTR150.
However, all that Style is at the expense of the sort of practicality which
scooters and kapcais are known for. The seats, for one, have more
style than substance. They are thin and flat, and the covering is
‘grabby’, which means that they make your pants scrounge up around
your crotch.
There is no legshield to speak of, so there is no protection from dirt
and splashes, and also no space to add a basket or keep things. You
could add a sort of tank bag that sits on the sloping fuel tank. There is
no helmet bin; the space under the rear seat is just large enough for a
big rag or a ‘take-away’ polystyrene box. There is also no proper
helmet hook; there is a pair of studs under the front seat which could
act as hooks but they are very frustrating to use as the helmet strap
gets pushed out when you snap the seat back in place.
The fairing and head cowling are very stylish but as there is no
windscreen, you get the full impact of air resistance at any speed
above 100kph. You will find that it is not a wise thing to ride with loose
clothing as there will be a lot of flapping. This is an indication of just
how dirty you and the bike will get when riding in the wet.
The pillion rides high, easily a full head above the rider, if they are of
the same height. This affects the balance of the bike. The riding
stance, itself, needs getting used to as the seat height is greater than
usual. You get the feeling that you are sitting on the bike rather than
astride it. It’s like sitting on a chair and whizzing along. Or what I
imagine riding a unicycle is like. It takes familiarity to lean the bike. It
did not help that the tyres, which were Taiwan-made ones, felt
‘squishy’, which is hardly the sort of message to inspire confidence. So
you can imagine what it would be like with a large-sized and nervous
pillion on board.
The engine is a single-cylinder watercooled 4stroke, 149cc, capable of
9.5bhp and 11.1Nm. The bike itself weighs in a 128kg. Acceleration is
quite impressive but for the sensation from the engine and the exhaust;
it is not an inspiring note. It sounds like it is coming from some
powertool, a grasscutter, for example. And it is a constant drone – the
tacho needle is constantly near or in the redzone, such is the nature of
a CVT-equipped small engine. This sonic sensation does not quite
synch with the looks of the bike. It is no wonder that many owners get
the exhaust modified. However, you would tend to forget the sound
when you go into the triple-digit speed zone. This scooter does that
easily, romping to 140kph without much of an effort. I found out later
that the speedo of this bike is wildly optimistic. At one long stretch I saw
157kph; a bit more throttle and the figure was 165! The bike is actually
only capable of about 123kph.
This test unit had more than 12K kilometers on the tacho. It still looked
and felt good, in spite of what would understandably have been very
hard riding for most of that mileage clocked. The signs of age and
abuse were in the slight slippage of the CVT belt at acceleration, the
rather clunky rear suspension, and also the squishiness of the rear
tyre. The spring of the centre stand has also loosened to the point that
the stand flops and bangs against the underbelly each time the bike
went over a bump.
I got the chance to ride another unit, with the same mileage but better
maintained, and the difference was significant. On the whole, it shows
that Naza have maintained the integrity of the bike in the
transformation from Taiwanese to Malaysian. The entire range of Naza
bikes is built at their factory in Shah Alam.
One nice feature is the size of the fuel tank. At 9L, it has to be the
largest in this class of bikes. It is good for about 230km, with mixed
riding styles. This works out to about 4.L/100km (70.5mpg). I bet that
popped your eyes wide open, even if nothing else about the bike
interested you. This sort of fuel consumption figure is average for
scooters, and can be even better with the smaller-capacity models.
Furthermore with this model, there is no need to get off and open the
seat to get to the fuel filler. That, and the snazzy filler lid, is yet another
triumph of one-upmanship at the pumps.
The Naza GTR150 is an interesting offering; its looks definitely appeals
to the young while its character is skewed to the more matured. At
about RM8K to put on the road it is too much of a reach for most
bikers, but to those who can afford it, and actually buy it, it can add a
dash of pizzazz and a dollop of fun to their lives, and the street scene,
too. Mel
NAZA GTR150
LOOKS LIKE A SUPERBIKE, RIDES LIKE A SCOOTER
LOOKS LIKE A SUPERBIKE, RIDES LIKE A SCOOTER
| GAYA MESTI ADA |
QUIK SPECS
Scooter. 149cc single 4-stroke. 9.5bhp. 11.1Nm.
128kg. Price: About RM7800. Made in Malaysia.
Scooter. 149cc single 4-stroke. 9.5bhp. 11.1Nm.
128kg. Price: About RM7800. Made in Malaysia.