It didn’t take a long time, at least for Yamaha to launch the R25 in Indonesia. The much awaited machine was launched today, and people in India are already drooling on their keyboards, waiting for it to be launched in India.
In my opinion, the Yamaha R25 will have a difficult life in India, with the biggest thing in its favor being the twin cylinder engine. Let’s take a deeper look at the bike, shall we.
Yamaha R25: Specs
- 8 valve, liquid cooled, fuel injected, in-line two cylinder 249cc engine
- 36 PS of power at 12000rpm and 22.6 Nm of torque at 10000rpm
- 166 kgs weight
- 14.3 L fuel capacity, 3 L reserve
- 110/70 R17 rubber at front, 140/70 R17 at rear
- 298mm dual piston disc in front, 220mm single piston at rear
So on paper, the bike looks quite potent. The biggest advantage would definitely be the inline two engine, which will pit it directly against the baby Ninja that makes 39 horses. 36 PS is quite respectable, especially for a bike that weights just 166 kgs. Even though the riding position looks rather sporty, touring on this bike shouldn’t be a big hassle with the 14.3 L fuel tank. Mileage is expected to be around 35 Kmpl.
Yamaha R25: Looks
For me, the bike isn’t a big visual improvement over the R15, it is less aggressive if anything. Unlike the upcoming RC series bikes, you don’t get any projector headlamps. It is not bad to look at from any angle, just a bit dis-proportioned for my liking. The exhaust looks stubby and meaty, and that I like.
The 10 spoke alloy wheels look nice, so does the ass and the rear monoshock. Yamaha R25 will be available in 3 colors:
- Racing Blue,
- Predator Black,
- Diablo Red.
All in all, not a very exciting visual package, hope it compensates with performance!
Yamaha R25: Practicability
Let’s be honest, ever since the Duke 390 was launched, all new and old bikes in the 250-400cc region seem inadequate. The R25 is no exception, be it the price, features or raw power. The R25 has been launched in Indonesia at a price of about 2.7 lac INR. If that’s the price it will arrive at in India, don’t expect it to sell too well.
Consider this, the RC200 will be priced below 2 lacs, will have projector headlamps, much more aggressive styling, and ABS (probably). Yes it will not go as quick as the R25, but hey, it won’t be a slouch either, if the Duke 200 is any benchmark to go by. The CBR250R will be the only direct competition to the R25 as far as engine capacity goes, and it has already cemented its place as a tourer’s delight.
The upswept rear seat will reduce the life-expectancy of any pillion, so this isn’t a machine for a family guy either. The seat height is kept low at 780mm, so even guys with below average height can command the bike with ease.
In a unique setting, the Yamaha R25 will be available online from tomorrow and as a promotional setup, the first 5,000 customers will get an exclusive AGV Valentino Rossi VR46 helmets complementary. Further, 5 lucky people will also get a Dainese VR46 leather jacket, imported directly from Italy. Hope they do this promotion in India as well! For now, I am not really impressed, and would wait for the bike to be launched in India, then judge it on the basis of the price and road performance.
Image source: BikeAdvice.in
I want to buy r15 !!should I wait fr r25!!is r25 is better than the r15 on lko road!!wt u say!! Wt is the onroad price of r25
No one knows, R25 will obviously be better than R15 performance wise, but there is no telling when it will launch, and what price will it be available at.