First things first:Welcome to xbhp. Hope to see your introduction soon.
Secondly:How many kms have you done on the SS? I,of all the people,know the Gladiator isnt a good bike to live with everyday,but you gotta give this thing a chance.
Can you elaborate why your bike has let you down?

glady isnt for me..

I've bought glady ss 4 months ago. 2 servicing, 2500kms+. I've used HH splendor for 3 yrs then Pulsar 150 dtsi for 3 yrs. N now im on glady from last 4 months.
Good things about glady ss:
looks, handling, comfort, a good 125cc performer n 'Yamaha' brand (which i've started hating now)
Bad things (as per my opinion):
I'm not saying that glady is completely waste. But it doesnt satisfy my biking needs.
1st n most important thing is noise coming from engine: it is annoying. only on speed of around 60kmph she runs calm. otherwise its like a 'grinding-machine'. it might b my personal opinion. (ive used splendor n pulsar150 n i feel both runs with less noise on slower speeds). sometimes i like 2ride slow at night on empty roads, where my glady makes me feel that things r no more quite.
2nd: glady is not good in fuel efficiency. in pune i get around45kmpl (careful riding) n 30-35kmpl (harsh riding) which is juz bad for a 125cc engine. (even my pulsar 150 was giving better figures).
3rd: servicing centres r full of crap. these guys r useless morons.
4th: open chain is a pain to clean.
5th: bike looks really bad from backside.
6th: corrosion on many parts.
7th: riding with pillion is a nightmare, front wheel juz jumps off many times.
...n few more..
im gonna remove this biking 'bhoot' from my head n gonna settle down on activa or access now.. im juz feeling bad for wasting so much money on this crap.

I agree to each and every point.Especially the mileage part.It just isn't what is expected from a 125cc.And you would have been pacified if the performance was ground breaking but it isn't. It leads me to wonder for what it's chewing all that fuel?
And it's not just me being disappointed with the Gladiator in the long run.Go through the Gladiator forums on the famous social networking site and you will see that everyone's in the same boat.
My only advice to you right now is,if you are going for a new bike,make it the Unicorn.It's everything the Gladiator should have been.

I have been having a Gladiator Dlx for more than 2 years now...using it almost daily....
No rusting in silencer, bolts, or anywhere...
No weird engine noises or mileage troubles....infact getting about 55 kmpl consistently in city riding...
The engine is high revving....not for slow speed cruising....rev it and enjoy...
What I fail to understand is that how a well run bike used daily can ever get rusting near the silencer starting point....won't that area be burning hot..it has to be..if your bike is being used...
or else...it seems that the bike is left in the shed to rust off....
It should be the case with any bike...how ever can rust start there...unless bike is sparingly used???

any thoughts guys????

I had to change my battery though....now waiting to change tyres to Zappers, O ring chains from SS/RS.

It's actually the case of 'my other bikes dont rust when kept for a period of time'. I have had,in my possession,5 bikes in the past and not one of them behaved like the Gladiator did. And they were kept in the same condition and place as the Gladiator. And for your information I maintain my bike quite well.
And I certainly wont leave my bike under a shed 'to rust off.....'

Update on the thread: Spend two days working on the Gladi's engine with a mechanic and am happy to report that now it's running like clockwork. Changed the battery so the electricals are now working fine. Got new NGK spark plugs and wire kit.Changed to Motul.Changed clutch plates.
For the first time I am pleased with the Gladiator.

Hmmmm...HH is the winner here....no compromise on quality...but now a days I have seen some new passion+'s and glamours with rust..Maybe this is why most of the manufacturers prefer to have black painted engines and silencers.
No rusting on black paint...
Even I had to change the battery just about after the first year...it was not holding charge...dont know what was wrong...no problems after the change though.
Also Front disc brake pad had to be changed twice..seems like every 10000km.
My gladi too is due for a full service..serious service work needed..

Even Honda has the rusting problem.HH and Bajaj seem to go along fine.Although the exhaust hole in my Discover had started rusting.That's why the new Discovers and Pulsars are coming with that black and silver exhaust to prevent rusting.
My friend's CBF Stunner has started taking rust. But it's only surface rust. Disappears when cleaned properly.
And there's something seriously wrong with the battery charging in the Gladiator.Lot's of people are having this problem.
How many kms has your bike done?My front discs are still strong after 14k.

In a fit of excessive love,I overtightened all the screws on the Gladiator.
The whole day I was bugged by a strange trrrr.... from a source I couldn't locate. Took her to two mechanics but both of them admitted defeat in locating the source.
Got home and just 5 minutes earlier I had a brainwave. Loosened the fuel tank cowl a bit and Tadaaa.....the noise is gone.
Whoops,excessive love is dangerous.

^^^ lol

My bike has done a little over 23 K now. Front disc has had this trouble.
But once repaired those disc brakes are really good.
Battery too, some thing is wrong there, the wiring or the battery quality..whatever..I did not buy the stock battery when I replaced, so maybe thats why no troubles.
Overall I think the Gladi, as a 125CC bike is complete, big and good for long tours.Just wish it was robust as a HH or even a Bajaj.Atleast that feel of confidence, of good service back up..you know what I mean!!!!
SS/RS new models have everything our Gladis dont have, but should have had.
Tacho, Better tyres, better handle bars, grips. I was even contemplating an exchange with a black Gladi SS, but could not (you know, financing troubles)

My Gladiator suffered heavy when it came to Lucknow in a Tata 407 from Noida. I had made sure to fasten her properly and had kept her on the main stand.
But the bloody driver changed vehicles half way through,and kept the Gladi leaning on one side. When it arrived,I had found to my horror that the front visor and the tail panels had been eroded(literally) away to extinction.The fuel tank was saved from scratches.My Gladiator had become two-face. Bwaaaahhhh..........
Swearing ensued.
Anyway,went to the Yamaha SC in Lucknow to get it serviced and asked the guys to replace the panel and the visor.
They said they didn't have it. And if I wanted to get it replaced I had to get the part myself from a dealer which was 17 kms from home.

Today,I finally managed to get the visor from this dealer.
The tail panels are still not available.And it's a sorry site to see my otherwise scratch-less Gladiator with completely eroded panels.
And the visor cost a whooping Rs 595/-.

Yamaha spares always the culprit, can turn up really costly.
Tell me night wing, what lead you to purchase the Gladiator.
My decision was based on a test ride.
After I decided to upgrade to a 125 cc after using a BOXER AT for 3 years, my first choice was the Discover 125.
But a test ride was unsatisfactory.The bike felt strained while accelerating and then the vibes were too much at higher revs.
Then Shine was a No No. Well, too commuterish looking.
And then I walked into a Yamaha showroom, a test ride and I got a real open road to do that and WOOOWWWW!!!!!
Really felt nice, smooth, revving freely, cornering and braking really nice and a light clutch.
That was it. I finalised then and there.

This is not a I-hate-Yamaha post. What I am penning down is my experience with the best of two Indian bikes. If anyone disagrees with me,fine.Stick to your opinion and I will die with mine. I have lived my biking life around these two bikes and I know what I am writing about.
I guess if Sunny bhaiya and Aryan da or any mod read this post they will agree with me that what I write below is true to every word.

Let me tell everyone something, I have grown up around bikes since I was a kid. There was an RD in the house when I was five. Then came the Fiero which rivaled the legendary CBZ quite well but was forgotten with time. I learned to ride on that.
Then there was the Kawasaki Caliber 115 and the Wind 125.
When I was in Class 10th I finally met the Bajaj Discover 125 DTS-i. And this remained with me for 4 years and became a part of my life.
Those of you who have read my article "Discover Love" on the old Xbhp will know that we both literally grew up together. And let me clarify the fact that the Discover wasn't a well thought decision. Dad just went and bought it with my on the scene approval. But that decision,in my opinion,was the best.
The Gladiator was launched 4 months after I got the Discover and was bought by my elder brother who was studying in JSS Noida. And this was on my recommendation. He wanted to buy the Apache(first one) all along. After that, I respected the Gladiator a lot. In fact, I had nothing but praises for it. It was a God among 125cc for me, until I rode it. All this time, while I had the Discover, I considered it inferior to the Gladiator(in some cases it was).

But recently, my Dad secretly sold my Discover because I had a very serious accident. And with her gone, I came face to face with the Gladiator. My brother sent it to Lucknow before he went to England.And let me tell you, the Gladiator has been the most trying bike I have ever ridden. I loved the way it looked. Loved the muscular tanks.Loved the graphics. Loved the big bike feel. Loved that when it moves it doesn't vibrate as the Discover or as a matter of fact the Pulsar 200 did. I loved the way it handled.

God knows how much I want to like it but one thing or the other is always niggling. What most people don't know is that it's not the most practical bike of all. Put a rider and a pillion averaging 60-65 in weight and the bike will cry in doing 60kph even when you rev the balls off the engine. The headlights are so weak that it's suicidal going out at night.
Whereas the Discover,it could pull away with the same pillions just fine. Although it vibrated a lot after 60 it never broke a sweat crossing 80. The Gladiator feels like it will take forever. For some reason crossing 60 on the Gladiator feels special and on the Discover it felt normal. The Discover was that good with only four gears. And I know the jargon about taller gearing. Trust me,in real life the taller gearing went out of the window and never came back.

And it was quite a tagline when Yamaha proclaimed the Gladiator sporty and racier and the magazines praised it for it's on track capabilities.For the love of God,the Yammy cant pull away from the Discover. I know. I tried. On the track and in traffic. Me and my friends. Just to check we swapped bikes several times. Switched riders several times. Even brought another Gladiator to make sure. Sure everyone agreed that the Gladiator felt slightly confident in the corners but the Discover just trounced it every time. Everyone agreed that despite that flaw,the Discover was much more fun to ride. I guess this will bust some myths before the people who are always proclaiming "it all depends on the rider" after they hear that a 'puny' commuter bike beat the Yamaha Gladiator.

I hope Yamaha learns something from Bajaj. If you are making a bike for a particular segment, make it excellent in that,the rest of the bits are secondary.The Gladiator doesn't feels like it belongs to the 125cc segment. It doesn't do what 125cc are made to do(in India) provide good mileage and practicality,neither does it feel fast or fun....It remains a Jack of all trades but a master of none and THAT is it's biggest flaw. If Yamaha were to sell the Gladiator even with 12bhp in the 150cc segment it would all make sense and I wouldn't be ranting about it.

While,the Discover.....it does everything brilliantly. Sure it's not the best looking or the most sporty. Sure it's not come from a company as well endowed as Yamaha but it still manages to come first.........and then some...........

But that doesn't mean I will swap the Gladiator for anything else. It's because the Gladiator feels like it can pound on and on and on............the Discover didn't feel like that........the Gladiator feels like.........a Gladiator who refuses the give up......that's the reason.
After four years of seeing these two bikes grow up with me,I guess the Discover was a better choice in the long run. The Gladiator will never sound as good, not thrill half as much.But I cant go back to the Discover now,because I have now grown accustomed to the comfort and the excellent disc brake of the Gladiator and the way it handles. And people say that the Gladiator suits me well. And the way the Gladiator munches up miles without relenting.And the way it feels like it's pushing boundaries.
And I wouldn't blame you or anyone for buying a Gladiator over a Discover.

I lost my Discover but I wont loose this one because it keeps reminding me of how these two are connected. It's the old story again.......the CBZ and the Fiero..........two outcast Gladiators who fought but none of them lost.
And for that reason the Gladiator will be in my garage forever.


Apologies for being poetic at the end,got a bit sentimental because of the past memories.

nightwing bhai what happeened?
you just suddenly exploded onto the screen!!
it is really true that the Yamaha Gladiator does not do have a 125CC bike in India is supposed to do. Thats very correct.
Well, but thats Yamaha right?
they never do what the mass market wants. Think thats how they have succeeded world wide. Infact thinking of it Yamaha actually tried to be mass market in India and failed miserably.
Poor guys they had to launch somethings like the R15 and FZ to try to sort out the mess they are in.
But really this problem with not pulling well with a pillion, struggling to reach 80 KMPH has never occured to me. Really dont know what is the trouble there, but infact I have felt that it is in those speeds that the Gladiator actually performs well. Definately Bajaj bikes have good initial and mid rage punch, be it Pulsars, Discovers or even my old Boxer, but things like ride, cornering, braking all are better for the Yamaha.
This does not mean one is bad and the other is good. A manufacturer designs a bike with a particular idea or brief in mind and that can differ from manufacturer to manufacturer. Maybe bajaj had an idea how the Discover should be and Yamaha had another idea about how the Gladiator should be.
Well anyways my Gladiator is about to go in now, hopefully today for a much needed service. Hope they do a good job.

Yeah you are right about Yamaha's MO. But I seem to have this pillion pulling problem since I got the bike.Am a college boy and usually someone or the other(male) wants to hitch a ride.Now I am about 60 in weight. And the others are around 60-70.And I once genuinely saw the speedo go down from 60 when I changed to fifth gear. I revved and revved and opened the throttle fully but it wont go up.
Brought this problem to the Yamaha people and they took a test ride and said everything was fine. And sure it is while you are alone without a pillion.
The Yamaha SC guys asked me what I rode earlier.I told them I had a Discover but I didnt tell him that I have very good experience of a Pulsar 200,Yamaha Fz16 and a CBZ extreme.
Then that guy said something which I wont forget the rest of my life. He said,"Dont ride it like the Discover".
I didn't say a thing and took the keys from his hands and left the SC.

You cant imagine how much I am working on making the Gladiator better. I get it serviced at 1500kms as opposed to the Discover which was serviced at every 2000kms. It's turning into some kind of madness. I have replaced almost everything in the hope that it will run better.But it doesn't.
For me it's my last Yamaha. After four years of seeing these two bikes,I guess the Discover was a better choice in the long run.
I cant go back to the Discover now because I have now grown accustomed to the comfort and the excellent disc brakes of the Gladiator. And people say that the Gladiator suits me well. And the way the Gladiator munches up miles is another plus point.

I hope if Yamaha makes a new Gladiator,they don't try to market it as a commuter. I want it to be a badass street-smart hooligan that is midway between the R15 and the FZ-16. A 165cc civilized monster.
Something identical to the concept they first showed in the expo.This:



That's what would make me change my decision.