Hero Impulse could not stir up the Indian motorcycle segment as the company would’ve hoped for, however its Honda twin the NXR150 Bros is a relatively popular model in Brazil. In fact the Honda NXR150 Bros makes up for the fifth largest selling motorcycle in Brazil, as the motorcycle provides a comfortable ride on the uneven road conditions of the country. Now, Yamaha Brazil is taking the fight to Honda in this segment with the XTZ150S and has released details of the motorcycle.
The Yamaha XTZ150S Crosser as it will be called upon launch features a dual sport styling also seen on the Hero Impulse with a high exhaust muffler. The seats are designed to offer riders comfort over long distances. The bike also gets a short break-style fender under the headlight completing the off-roader look, while the instrument cluster is taken from the YS150 Fazer. Yamaha will offer the motorcycle in three colour options namely white, grey and orange and is likely to be priced at 9050 Brazilian reals (Rs. 2.33 lakhs) when launched in Brazil.
The Yamaha XTZ150S features a 149cc single-cylinder engine featuring the Blue Flex system and can run on petrol, ethanol or the mix of both. The engine is capable of producing 12 HP at 7500 RPM and 12.55 NM at 6000 RPM. There is a marginal increase in power with the use of ethanol alone. The motorcycle gets spoked 19-inch tyre at the front and 17-inch tyre at the rear which gets long travel telescopic forks in the front and a linked monoshock suspension at the rear. Stopping power comes from 230 mm disc and 130 mm drum at the front and rear respectively.
The Yamaha XTZ150S Crosser is slated for a launch next February in Brazil. Honda captures 80 percent of the two-wheeler market, whereas Yamaha has a comparatively meagre 10 percent market share in Brazil. The company however plans to capture a larger market share with the XTZ150S and the YS-150 Fazer which will be launched by the end of 2014. The dismal sales of the Impulse however won’t encourage Yamaha to launch this product in India at least for now. Should Yamaha get the XTZ150S to India, your thoughts?
