Yamaha announced a new scooter model called the Janus. Available in three different trim levels, the Janus uses the 125cc Blue Core engine that also powers Yamaha’s Nozza Grande and Acruzo models but with one important addition: an idling stop.
A first for the company, the Yamaha Stop & Start System will debut on the Janus Deluxe and Janus Premium trim levels (the Premium also adds a smart key system). The Stop & Start system shuts off the Janus’ Single when it comes to a rest for longer than a few seconds, like at a red light. The result is a reduction in emissions and improved fuel efficiency as the engine spends less time running while at a complete stop.
Yamaha isn’t the first motorcycle manufacturer to offer the technology. Honda introduced the technology to its PCV Scooter in 2011, though the technology was not used on U.S. versions of the scooter as U.S. Regulators see it as unnecessary on scooters compared to their European and Asian counterparts.
Not that matters much for Yamaha, as the Janus is produced in and for Vietnam where the motorcycle market reported a demand for 2.85 million motorcycles in 2015 with scooters accounting for about 1 million units. The Janus will be a “volume-priced” model, with an MSRP starting at about $1,233 for the standard Janus, slotting in beneath the $1,883 Nozza Grande and the $1,570 Acruzo.
Marketed for female riders in their twenties, the Janus sports a (claimed) 214 pound weight, 14-inch wheels and 14L of underseat storage.
