Yamaha Motor Company is evaluating launching four new two-wheelers in the Indian market, which include three new motorcycles as well as an all-new scooter
Yamaha Motor Company is one of the top five largest two-wheeler manufacturers in the Indian market as of now, and the automaker’s line-up currently consists of a number of motorcycles as well as scooters. The Japanese automaker has been known to introduce updates for its motorcycles from time to time, as well as explore different segments.
As of now, Yamaha Motor Company is working on launching four all-new products in the Indian market ranging across different segments. Continue reading to know more about the said products in detail –
1. XSR 155
We recently reported about Yamaha’s plans to kick start an all-new segment with the XSR 155 retro motorcycle. Yamaha launched the XSR 155 in Thailand in August last year, while it is also currently sold in a few other South Asian markets. Now, the manufacturer is considering bringing the said motorcycle to India, where it will go on to become the most affordable retro bike sold in the country.
On the design front, the XSR 155 looks similar to the bigger XSR 700 as well as the XSR 900. It gets a round LED headlamp, a round LED tail light, a single-piece seat; all of which add to its retro appeal. The suspension setup consists of inverted telescopic forks up front, and an adjustable mono-shock at the rear. The Thai-spec motorcycle comes equipped with disc brakes on both ends.
The XSR 155 will likely be equipped with the same 155 cc Liquid-cooled, 4-stroke, SOHC, 4-valve, single-cylinder engine as the YZF R15 V3.0. The said motor puts out 18.6 PS of max power at 10,000 rpm, and 14.1 Nm of peak torque at 8,500 rpm, and comes mated to a 6-speed gearbox.
2. New R3
The Yamaha YZF R3 was not upgraded to comply with the latest BS6 emission norms, and hence, was discontinued from the Indian market earlier this year. The YZF R3 wasn’t a volume seller, so the costs to upgrade the motorcycle to meet the new emission norms wouldn’t be justified.
However, Yamaha is all set to bring a new-gen model for the bike next year, and the Japanese manufacturer could certainly bring the motorcycle to the Indian market as well. No changes are expected to be made to the bike’s powertrain, and it will likely retain its 321 cc liquid-cooled, DOHC inline, twin-cylinder, fuel-injected motor that generates 42 PS of maximum power along with 30 Nm of peak torque.
If launched next year, the 2021 Yamaha YZF R3 will reinvigorate its rivalry with the KTM RC 390, and the Kawasaki Ninja 300 in the Indian market.
3. NMax 155
The NMax 155 is a maxi scooter that Yamaha has been planning to bring to India since it was updated late last year for the Indonesian market. In April 2020, the NMax 155 was launched in Thailand, and we expect it to be launched in our country soon too.
The maxi-scooter comes equipped with the same 155 cc VVA-equipped motor as the R15 V3.0, but in a different state of tune. The power and torque figures of the scooter are rated at 15.36 PS and 13.9 Nm respectively. The Indonesian-spec model comes with features like traction control and Y Connect – Yamaha’s smartphone connectivity system.
While the former could be given a miss, the telematics system could be retained for the India-spec model as well. Yamaha could go ahead and launch the NMax 155 in the Indian market by the end of this year, or early 2021.
4. 250 cc Adventure bike
The popularity of adventure touring motorcycles in India is quickly gaining pace, with the introduction of a range of affordable ADV bikes in the recent years like the Royal Enfield Himalayan, as well as the Hero XPulse 200. Being one of the biggest manufacturers in the country, Yamaha certainly does not want to be left behind.
Yamaha is evaluating of building an adventure tourer motorcycle based on the upcoming new FZ 25. Powering the ADV bike could be the same BS6 249 cc, air-cooled, 2-valve, SOHC, single-cylinder motor as the FZ-25. The said engine makes 20.8 PS of max power at 8,000 rpm and 20.1 Nm peak torque at 6,000 rpm, and is coupled to a 5-speed gearbox.