No news of Yamaha R25 India launch and why we think it might not be worth the wait!

In November last year, Yamaha finally answered the prayers of enthusiasts worldwide when they unveiled the prototype of their much awaited and rumored YZF-R25 at the 43rd Tokyo Motor Show. The bike was first released in a video that featured ‘The Doctor’ himself. This video clip displayed a supersports motorcycle prototype in the early stages, with styling reminiscent of its bigger and sportier siblings like the R6 and the R1, as well as design cues connecting it to everything from the mighty M1 to our very own R15.

For Yamaha, it couldn’t have come at a sooner time, as they’re the only major motorcycle manufacturer missing from the quarter litre game internationally now. Kawasaki threw down the gauntlet with the fourth-gen 250R in 2008, and the market responded, with Suzuki, Honda, KTM, and even Hyosung coming up with their own offerings soon after. Despite many of these new motorcycles never having made their way to India, they saw widespread success abroad, especially Europe. Over there, bikers between the ages of 19 to 24 are restricted to a peak power output of 47bhp and power-to-weight ratio below 0.27bhp/kg under the A2 license regulations.

However, we fear that it may be a case of too little, too late, when the Yamaha R25 finally makes its way onto showroom floors worldwide. About a month ago, they created a teaser website with a countdown timer that many assumed would give us the first peek at the production version of the R25. On the anointed day, what we got instead was a first look into a tricycle concept that very few were interested in the first place.

What’s even a bigger test of our patience is the fact that there’s still no info, not even a hint, of the Yamaha R25 India launch. So far, Yamaha India hasn’t let out a single concrete detail about the Yamaha R25 India launch. There’s no doubt that the YZF-R25 will be a stellar machine that will stay true to Yamaha’s ethos of fun and excitement but will it be worth all the wait?

Below, we outline some of the reasons why we feel that the R25 won’t be worth all the hype and hoopla surrounding it right now.

1. Premium Pricing

There’s no doubt that the R25 will be priced at a premium to its peers, like most Yamaha models are in India. To give credit where due, their pricing strategy is usually backed up by excellent build quality and reliability, but this factor will still become magnified when we are talking about a bike that will retail for around the 3-lakh mark.

2. Crowded Market, Worthy Competition

Okay, the market isn’t exactly crowded right now although the R25 will most definitely have to contend with more competition that the Ninja 250R had to when it was first launched here. Triumph is hard at work with their 250cc offering, which will be made in India and have a competitive price tag, not to mention the allure of a true-blue English brand. Suzuki’s Inazuma/GW250 is already here, although we fear it’s not in the same league as the rest of the super-sporty machines here, and has priced itself out of the reckoning. The biggest thorn in the R25’s paw will undoubtedly be the fully-faired Pulsar
400SS that is coming sometime late this year, and the KTM 390 Duke. The former will retail at a price point that we doubt Yamaha will even try to beat. It also boasts of a much larger and powerful engine. Also, the upcoming Hero HX250R will have at least some effect on the Yammie’s upcoming quarter litre motorcycle. Then there’s the Kawasaki Ninja 300, which is also overpriced, but hey, the Ninja 250 Mono might very well have been developed to counter that exact problem. Honda is also following in Kawasaki’s footsteps with the recently unveiled CBR 300R while closing the other end with the trio of 500cc engines, although it is unclear if and when they will be launched here. Wait and watch.

3. No Upside-down Forks

Yamaha recently fitted 41mm USDs to the European R125, but we have no indication that the production model R25 will be getting those. USDs are superior to conventional telescopic forks, both visually and technically, so it’s a wonder why Yamaha has scrimped on this, considering that they known for their sport derived advancements like the link-type monoshock on the R15. Yes, they’re more expensive than conventional telescopic forks and not exactly necessary for a quarter-litre bike, but still, its inclusion would have made the R25 an irresistible package.

4. No ABS

There’s no denying that Anti-lock Braking System is a lifesaver, especially on our less-than-ideal roads, and that’s why more and more manufacturers are incorporating them even into their smallest offerings. As far as we know, Yamaha isn’t offering ABS on the r25, not even as optional equipment.

5. Too little, too late (capacity, expected power)

For such a highly anticipated motorcycle that has been in the making for this long, 250cc might not just cut it. Thanks to Honda and Kawasaki, and now KTM, the game has now moved from 250s to 300s and beyond. Power and engine capacity will be the R25’s Achilles Heel no matter now good a handler it turns out to be, though we are sure that ought to be very good.

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