YAMAHA G5 vs NEW BAJAJ CT100
  Introduction
  Design & Engineering
  Engine
  Ride & Handling
  Fuel Economy
  Technical Specifications
  Verdict

Source Autocar India September 2005
 Ride & Handling & Braking
The G5 and CT 100 employ similar chassis skeletons, the difference lying in the G5’s twin downtube frame, while the CT100 uses a single spine. Twin telescopic forks do suspension duty in front, while dual shock absorbers and conventional metal swingarms work at the rear. We however wish both bikes came with rectangle-section swingarms instead of their existing arrangement.
The ergonomics on both bikes are rider-friendly with well-sorted riding postures and handlebar positions, and the seats being of adequate width and firmness.
The G5 has a well-balanced ride quality — neither too firm nor too plush. This Yamaha has exceedingly fine build quality and simply glides silently over the worst of roads. The G5 and CT100 both leave identical footprints with the same contact patches — 2.75-inches front and 3.00 inches at the rear.
The new CT adopts 17-inch wheels instead of its earlier 18-inchers. These make a marked difference — other than a smaller stance, they also contribute to lightness in handling, a welcome addition to this class of motorcycles. Directional changes are now a breeze, a big improvement on the old CT. Front fork travel is up from 110mm to 125mm and the rear uses SIS, a new and innovative feature of two sets of triple-rated springs for each shock absorber. The other modification carried out by Bajaj’s R&D team is smoother changeover points from one rating to the next as forces demand. Wheelbase on this CT is 10mm longer at 1235mm.
Under real-world riding conditions, the CT100 displays better shock damping and ride and handling characteristics than the longer-wheelbase G5. It also corners better but where it really outshines the G5 is under hard braking, the Yamaha showing brat behaviour in being a tough machine to control under emergency stops. Though our test equipment recorded that the G5 takes a tad shorter distance to come to a halt from 60kph than the smaller drum-equipped new CT, it wags its tail in an alarming rodeo style in the process. Yamaha would do well to sort out this safety-hampering aspect.
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