Indonesia gets 2015 Honda CBR150R

Somehow, Indonesia keeps getting the best and latest bikes out there, while the Indian biker sits on his ass and cries foul. The 2015 Honda CBR 150R has been launched in Indonesia, with no word on this upgrade showing up on Indian shores anytime soon. I really doubt if the Indonesian 2-wheeler market is that big as compared to India, but for some stupid reason we have to wait for most of the products that people have already bought, used and sold over there.

Frustration aside, the CBR 150R’s upgraded version doesn’t really get much upgrades in reality, it is just a cosmetic job and everything about performance remains the same. I had really hoped that more companies would take KTM’s cue in building bikes with more importance given to performance than looks, but seems like the Japs will continue to take it slow and conservative, much to the irritation of the real Indian riders. 

Anyways, here are the “upgrades” in the new CBR 150R:

• Styling inspired from the CBR 300R (another bike BTW that hasn’t shown its face in India)
• New truss frame and pro-link suspension (don’t ask me what this does, I have no clue!)
• Twin headlamp setup, like the 300R, hopefully will give better illumination at night
• New footpeg design (who cares?)
• New exhaust design, nice and long and shiny chromed pipe now
• Engine remains the same, but now makes 0.7 horses LESS than the older version, although torque has gone up by 0.4 Newtons.

So, yeah, all in all the bike remains more or less the same, sans the dual headlight setup and exhaust look change. I can foresee the CBR 150R having a really hard time in India, with competition from a much better looking R15, and a looming threat of Bajaj Pulsar 200SS. The CBR 150R retails for about 1.3 lacs in India, and at that price it is not that good a value for money, in my opinion. Honda really needs to up their game if they want to stay competitive.

The bike is expected to hit Indian shores at the beginning of 2015, but I am much more interested in the bigger brother of this machine, the CBR 250R. The 250 has been a staple of performance tourers in India, in spite of the steep price Honda asks for it. But due to dated looks and no upgrades over the years, the bike has been forgotten down the dark shadows of forgotton-land. Hopefully, these cosmetic mods (and some performance mods please!) should make it to the CBR 250R, and we the legendary tourer is revived from its ashes.