Yamaha India CEO had told IAB that the company was “thinking” about launching the bikes.
A report from Autocar India suggests that the launch of the Yamaha R25 could be on the anvil. The report, however, doesn’t shed light on whether Yamaha India will launch the Yamaha R25 or the Yamaha R3 or even both models in the Indian market.
The Yamaha R3 is powered by a 320 cc two-cylinder engine mated to a six-speed gearbox that makes 41.4 bhp at 10,750 rpm. Seen here is the bike at the 2015 Bangkok Motor Show.
A recent spying of the Yamaha R3 suggested that the company might just bracket out the R25 for its more powerful cousin. The R3 comes with a 321 cc engine as opposed to the R25’s 249 cc engine. The R25 made its debut in Indonesia in May 2014 and the R3 has been on sale in the European and American markets for a while.
The lack of clarity as to what model would be preferred in India could be attributed to the fact that while the 249 cc market is crowded with both domestic and foreign offerings, there’s not much in terms of competition for the R3 in its segment.
The smaller Yamaha R25 sports a 250 cc parallel-twin engine making 35.5 bhp that is mated to a six-speed gearbox.
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However, the ~300 cc segment is, at least at present, is dominated by cruisers in the form of Royal Enfield’s lower offerings at one end and sporty products from the stables of KTM and Benelli at the other end. A well-manufactured everyday commuter-friendly sports bike, much like the R3, could just be what the segment needs at the moment.
Yamaha R3 – Image Gallery
Yamaha R25 – Image Gallery
[Source – AutocarIndia]