yamaha R15's elder brother R25

Yamaha has finally unveiled the much awaited 250cc bike at the 43rd Tokyo Motor Show on November 20, 2013. Dubbed as ‘Yamaha R25’, it is still in a concept stage but after the unveiling it is expected to be available in Japan and Europe by the end of 2014. The company also hinted to launch R25 in India and other South-eastern countries by the end of 2014 or by the starting of 2015.

Quick Facts

Unveiled at the 43rd Tokyo Motor Show 2013
What Yamaha says about R25 - “A superbike you can ride every day”
249cc, twin-cylinder liquid cooled engine
Expected maximum power of 35+BHP
Expected maximum torque of 28+NM
Expected price tag of INR 2.50 lakhs (ex-showroom)
Constant mesh 6-speed transmission
Expected to be launched by the end of 2014
Main rivals of Yamaha R25 are Honda CBR250R, Kawasaki Ninja 300 and Hyosung GT250R
Other popular bikes in this segment are Suzuki GSR250S, KTM RC390, KTM RC200 and Hero Karizma ZMR
All-new lightweight, slim and compact chassis
Inspired from Valentino Rossi's YZR-M1 MotoGP bike
Entry-level sport bike for developed nations like Japan and Europe
Top-spec performance bike for Asian markets
Expected to be displayed at the 2014 Auto Expo (Noida)

But, some of these details may change when we see this superfluous bike in the production model. It has a length of 2000mm, a width of 720mm and a height of 1140mm as its dimensions with other specifications have not been released by Yamaha. Like Suzuki and Kawasaki, Yamaha has also opted for a twin-cylinder liquid cooled engine for the R25.Yamaha R25 has a fairly spectacular design and attractive features which includes its sleek body panels, alloy wheels and tank, edgy tail with LED tail lamp, a large race-style air intake in its fairing, an aggressive and weight forward riding position, an Akrapovic exhaust, a tubular chassis, telescopic fork front suspension and monoshock absorbers at rear, single disk brakes at front and rear with non-radial callipers and many other eye-catching details. It shares its looks with YZR-M1 MotoGP machine and also some of its features with R15. It is also a faint reminiscence of the old R1.

Yamaha R25 is powered by a newly developed 249cc, in-line parallel twin cylinders, liquid-cooled, 4-stroke engine with fuel injection and constant-mesh 6-speed transmission. The power and torque values have not been disclosed by the company but the power is expected to be in the range of 35+ BHP with good torque figure of around 28+ NM. Yamaha has not released an official image of the instrument console of Yamaha R25 but it is expected to feature an analogue tachometer, digital speedometer, digital fuel gauge, digital odometer, trip-meter and all the other tell-tales and indicators.

Out of all these entry-level sport bikes, the main rivals of R25 are Honda CBR250R and Ninja 300. Honda CBR250R is powered by a 249.6cc engine, which generates maximum power of 25 BHP at 8500 rpm and 23 NM at 7000 rpm. The engine is mated to a six-speed transmission. Kawasaki Ninja 300 is powered by a 296cc engine, which develops max power and max torque of 39 BHP and 27 NM respectively. The engine of Ninja 300 is also coupled to six-speed transmission.Overall, Yamaha R25 looks like a formidable competitor with its attractive design, advanced features, powerful engine and economic price. Once launched, Yamaha R25 will compete with the likes of Honda CBR250R, Hyosung GT250R, Kawasaki Ninja 300, Suzuki GSR250S (yet to be launched in India) and KTM RC 200/RC 390.

The price of Honda CBR250R ABS is INR 1.87 lakhs and Kawasaki Ninja 300 is available for INR 3.50 lakhs (ex-showroom, New Delhi, may vary). There is no word on the price of Yamaha R25, but rumours are that it would be priced in the region of 2.50 lakhs to 2.75 lakh rupees. If Yamaha manages to keep the ex-showroom price of R25 around INR 2.5 lakhs, then one thing is for sure, it is going to be a sure-shot hit and will set the sales charts on fire. It will be easily the best selling premium 250cc sport bike in India.

Yamaha also released an official video of Valentino Rossi riding the R25 Prototype on a test track and according to Valentino ‘This Bike Really Packs a Punch!!’

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