Small-displacement scooters are extremely popular in Japan, not only because of their practicality in densely populated cities, but because of their charming appeal, as well. There exists a whole microcosm of scooter-obsessed folks who customize their scooters to the moon and back, in a similar fashion as to how the bosozoku of the big bike world is styled. Most of the time, scooters like these start out life as commuter-focused machines.
Take for example, the Yamaha Cygnus Griffus, a small yet sporty 125cc scooter that's designed to make ripping through city traffic a walk in the park. When it was first debuted in 2021, it already had sporty styling reminiscent to that of older two-stroke scooters. However, Yamaha is launching a special edition Cygnus Griffus scooter with an emphasis on sporty styling. How sporty? Well, come January 30, 2023, the Cygnus Griffus will be offered in a Monster Energy livery inspired by Yamaha's MotoGP race bikes.
Yes, the end result is a cute yet really angry-looking little scooter which will surely make for a novelty in your two-wheeled collection, and an excellent conversation starter while commuting to work or school. A lot of the design elements featured on the Cygnus Griffus Monster Energy Edition are lifted directly off the Yamaha YZR-M1, with the Yamaha emblem and the front brake caliper finished in anodized gold. Unsurprisingly, a scooter this charming will be produced in limited quantities, with only 800 expected to see the light of day.
On the performance side, the Cygnus Griffus is at least faster than walking or taking a pedal bike around town. It's packing a 124cc liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, single-cylinder engine that outputs 12 horsepower. This pint-sized motor features Yamaha's proprietary Blue Core technology which has been known to return up to 120 miles per gallon. Tech features include a multi-function LCD display, a USB charging socket, and ample under-seat storage for your daily essentials.
As for pricing and availability, the Yamaha Cygnus Griffus Monster Energy MotoGP Edition will start trickling into Japanese dealers by January 30, 2023. It'll carry a price tag of 368,500 Yen, or around $2,778 USD.
