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Yamaha has seen alot of success with the R15 in India. The company launched the Yamaha R15 in 2008, creating a niche segment for the performance machine. However, the recent launches have created tough competition for the Yamaha R15. The R15 used to enjoy no competition but the KTM Duke 200 and the upcoming Honda CBR150R are not going to make things easy for Yamaha. Thus Yamaha have decided to diversify its portfolio by launching more 2-wheelers. First in line to arrive will be the Ray scooter but what particularly interests us is the Yamaha 250cc motorcycle that the Japanese automaker plans to launch in 2013.
Yamaha has been keenly observing the 250cc motorcycle segment for quite some time now. The company feels that there is feasibility of launching a model in this segment, post the success of the Honda CBR250R. A 250cc motorcycle from Yamaha was expected earlier but was postponed as Yamaha wanted to see the market’s reaction to the Honda CBR250R. Which model will be launched is not yet confirmed, nor is the time frame announced but Yamaha has revealed that it does not plan to import the bike or any of its components. The company will instead opt to localy manufacture everything, which will eliminate import duty, helping the company to price the 250cc motorcycle aggressively.
“The market for 250cc is growing and we are studying that. There are a couple of models in that segment and people are upgrading to 250cc bikes. We will do 100% localisation of that bike, we will manufacture it here. We have taken the feedback from people who have bought 200-250cc bikes and our feedback says they are not fully ‘satisfied’ with their products. So there is a need for a better bike than what is available today. Internationally, we have the Fazer 250, but I cannot comment when we will launch a bike in that segment,” Roy Kurian, national business head,, Yamaha India, said.
Yamaha India has lots of options to enter the 250cc segment. The company can launch a new model, something on the lines of the Yamaha R15, but this will take them time, due to extensive tests required before large scale prodcution. On the other hand, the best option for Yamaha would be to launch the Fazer 250. Yamaha already sells the Fazer 150 and just has to upgrade the engine, brakes and a few other parts to develop the Fazer 250. Since the Fazer is already locally manufactured, the company will not have to invest into additional lines at its plant. This will enable them to churn out the Fazer 250 quickly. The Fazer 150 is an excellent bike with the only problem it faces is the lack of grunt.
The Yamaha Fazer 250 is an excellent machine and is sold in many Asian countries. The Fazer 250 is powered by a 249cc, 4-stroke, 2-valve, single-cylinder, OHC, air-cooled engine which produced 21 BHP of peak power at 8000 RPM and 20.7 Nm of peak torque at 6500 RPM. The Fazer’s positives are its comfortable riding position, sharp handling, good ride quality and excellent brakes. The negatives of the Fazer are its basic instrument cluster with just one trip meter, no full fairing, single working head lamps and MRF tyres (not the size but the quality). Yamaha will almost certainly offer racing kits for the Fazer 250, giving enthusiasts options to improve the performance of their bikes.
The 250cc motorcycle segment is growing and how! First to arrive was the Kinetic Hyosung Comet (at a time when the demand for 100cc bikes was maximum). Naturally the Comet did not do too well and the exorbitant spare parts and their lack of availability did not help matters much. For years to come there was total silence in the 250cc segment until Bajaj Auto decided to launch the world’s most popular 250cc machine in 2009. The Kawasaki Ninja 250R was launched but did not do too well either, owing to its high price. In 2011 Honda really started this segment with the launch of the CBR250R, which was localised heavily and priced aggressively. Bajaj Auto followed it up with the KTM Duke 200, which uses a 200cc engine but produces same amount of power as the CBR250R. Subsequently Bajaj announced the Pulsar 200 NS, which produces 23.5 BHP of power and can compete with these 250cc motorcycles. Now Hyosung is all set to launch the GT250N and GT250R while Suzuki is still contemplating an entry into this segment.
Source – Business Standard
