Battle of the Samurais in India

If Honda is unleashing premium bikes to take on Yamaha, the latter is getting into scooters

Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI), India’s third- biggest two-wheeler maker, showcased the CBR150R at the Delhi Auto Expo last month.

This premium motorbike, which was one of the seven new products that the Japanese company unveiled, was a top draw at the Expo. That’s not something its long time rival and fellow Japanese company Yamaha would enjoy.

The flagship 150cc YZF R15 from Yamaha costing Rs 1.07 lakh has been having a free run in India since its launch in mid-2008 and has been selling 2,500-3,000 units a month. But competition is making its intent clear – finally.

This new segment, more commonly referred to as the budget-performance sports bike segment with engine capacity at 150cc, offers the riding experience and styling of bigger capacity bikes but at a fraction of the cost.

Sources in the know say Honda Honda will price the new bike around the same level as the new R15 version 2.0, which Yamaha had launched four months ago. Honda, which has a 14 per cent share of the Indian two-wheeler market, expects to start retailing the CBR150R within the next two months.

The new R15, though expensive by Rs 9,500 compared to its earlier version, brought in additional demand for Yamaha selling on features like improved acceleration and top speed with new stylish 5-spoke split alloy wheels.

The CBR150R is a clone of the CBR series of bikes that Honda makes and sells in India and globally. The CBR series, manufactured and imported as fully built units in India, are known for their stylish appearance and sporty performance.

Honda’s new bike will plug the huge pricing gap between the Unicorn Dazzler, a 150cc commuter bike (priced at Rs 65,000) and the CBR 250 (priced at 145,000). This bike, targeted at young buyers, will address demand from the city regions, says the company.