Friday, May 16, 2014
Monday, March 31, 2014
Yamaha R25 Concept in Tokyo Motor Show My Take on its chances in India
Finally Yamaha shows the R25 (250 cc, twin cylinder) concept..
Internationally Kawasaki has ruled the sporty 250 cc class with its Ninja 250 over 2 decades now. Taking a cue out of Kawasaki’s book, Honda made the plunge a couple of years back with a VFR inspired 250 cc, calling it the CBR250R. To keep costs low Honda gave it a single cylinder and manufactured both from Thailand and India. Meanwhile Kawasaki upped the Twin cylinder Ninja from 250 to 300 cc (except in Indonesia), and Honda too is now following suit with the CBR 250R replacement with the 300R and thankfully with non VFR like styling this time.
Missing in the picture was Suzuki and Yamaha. Most have actually forgotten that Suzuki makes motorcycles too but the absence of Yamaha from this quarter litre segment was very much felt. Yamaha has finally revealed its quarter litre model in the ongoing Tokyo Motor Show. Calling it as the R25, it is a sporty concept that looks very much similar to the European R125. Although Yamaha insists that it is inspired from Yamaha’s MotoGP bike the M1.
Yamaha R25 Details:
The model is just a concept for now, but it definitely doesn’t look too far from production. The only details of the R25 made public is:
- Engine: 250 cc, Parallel Twin Engine
- Chassis/Frame: Tubular
- Transmission: 6 Speed
My Take: Looks Despite skipping the Perimeter frame (which incidentally the lower capacity R125 and R15 gets), the R25 concept looks very promising. The package is racy and unlike the Honda CBR250R, this one deserves the Yamaha “R” tag. For the enthusiast the absence of the perimeter frame is an eyesore, especially when the tubes are exposed. But the bike looks overall looks neat.
My Take: Probable Price For the model to be competitively priced in India, the bike have to be made in India. Now even if the bike is made here, the Yamaha R25 would be difficult to be priced less than 2.5 Lakhs on road. The CBR250R ABS is already at 2 Lakhs and therefore with the twin cylinder, the R25 can be at best priced at Rs. 2.5 lakh. Ok 2.3 at best (non-ABS version).
The only issue would be the KTM RC390 which is a much sharper looking and more desirable, which will be definitely more powerful and being manufactured by Bajaj in India means that the KTM 390 will be available for around Rs. 2.3 Lakhs..!! Now I am not even even taking the Pulsar 375 into consideration here.
My Take: Probable Performance Being a Yamaha product, I expect it to handle well despite the budget frame. In terms of its competitors, the CBR250R might not be a great track handler but one can at expect the KTM 390 to be a sharp handler. In terms of peak power, I’ll be realistic here. Expecting 40 plus bhp from a 250 cc 4 stoke engine will be too much. Kawasaki Ninja 250R made around 32 bhp and that according to me would be the max that the Yamaha R25 will be able to manage legally. Which will be a significant 8-10 bhp less than the KTM RC 390 and the Pulsar 375 as well.
My Final Take: The majority of the buying public won’t be bothered with the power output or if the bike lacks a perimeter frame or if the bike has a single or multi cylinder.
For the average buyer, if it bike “looks worth the price”, they will be more than happy to get this “Dhoom bike”. And in case of the Yamaha R25, if the production model would be not too different from this concept, then Yamaha has done the styling and the desirability quotient right. So now it will ultimately boil down to the pricing.
Anyway Yamaha, better late than never. Welcome to the 250 cc club. Now please price it sensibly in India.
Related Posts
- Honda CBR300R replacement for CBR250R? [Oct 2013]
- Pulsar 200SS/400SS will compliment (in Price) the KTM RC 200/390 [Nov 2013]
- KTM RC 200 and 390 Price in India? [Nov 2013]
- 5 Interesting things about the KTM RC 125/200/390 [Nov 2013]
Disclaimer:
This is to remind that the Views or Opinions in the blog are entirely mine unless explicitly stated. The Views and Opinions published in this blog should in no way be related to any other person or organization associated -- directly or indirectly -- with me.
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Hero Honda TVS lead TV Ad spendings in 2009
TV Ad spendings of our bike makers in 2009
I always interested to know how our two wheeler manufacturers invested in terms of TV Advertisements. The other day I happened to come across the following data about the 2009 TV Advertisements by our two wheeler manufacturers.
Posted below are data as reported by Hindu Business Line:
According to this news article, the price for a 10 second ad spot for an IPL match in 2010 was roughly about 5 lakhs..!!
Ok, the Ad rates during the IPL season would definitely be sky high. But even during normal period, just imagine what a month long campaign of showing a particular TV Ad, 10 times a day, spread across 10 TV channels would cost.
TV Advertisements are a necessary evil, specially for new product launches. But then the important question for every manufacturer would be, how effective are these expensive TV Ads in promoting a new product?
A failure to make an impression on the customers mind amounts to a huge wastage of money. Which of the below posted TV Ads do you think was successful in making an impact, and which ones failed to make an impact?
News source: Hindu Business Line
The largest domestic two-wheeler company in volumes, Hero Honda, led overall with a 41 per cent share among two-wheeler TV advertisements.
Incidentally, Hero Honda has maintained its position as the largest advertiser in the auto industry for two years in a row (2008 and 2009).
Among the other companies, TVS Motor Company had a 27 per cent share in TV advertising, while Bajaj Auto had a 13 per cent share and Yamaha Motor and Mahindra had a 9 and 4 per cent share each.
Among new two-wheeler brands advertised in 2009, TVS Apache RTR 180 led, followed by TVS Scooty Streak, Hero Honda Karizma ZMR, Bajaj XCD 135 DTS-Si, TVS Flame SR 125, Hero Honda Passion Pro and Suzuki GS150R – in that particular order.
Celebrity ratings
Hrithik Roshan, brand ambassador for Hero Honda, was the top celebrity endorser among two-wheeler brands with a 59 per cent share.
He was followed by Priyanka Chopra (20 per cent), M S Dhoni (10 per cent), Sania Mirza (8 per cent) and John Abraham (3 per cent).
Disclaimer:
This is to remind that the Views or Opinions in the blog are entirely mine unless explicitly stated. The Views and Opinions published in this blog should in no way be related to any other person or organization associated -- directly or indirectly -- with me.
Saturday, March 22, 2014
BMW Set Single Month Sales Record in April 2013 – New R1200GS Represents 27 7 of Sales Volume
The record month helped push BMW‘s overall sales over the first four months to 39,319 motorcycles and scooters, a 5.0% increase from the 13,088 units sold in the same period of 2012.
“Five per cent growth as compared to the first four months of the previous year is certainly satisfying as far as we are concerned,” says Heiner Faust, vice president of sales and marketing for BMW Motorrad. “It was April in particular that got us off to such a good start in 2013, having been the best month for sales in the entire history of BMW Motorrad.”
More impressively, the sales growth comes in spite of declining sales for the overall motorcycle industry, especially in Europe.
“Like last year, the motorcycle markets are currently very varied,” says Faust. “Development of the major markets Italy and Spain has been very weak due to economic conditions. However, we have been able to make up for this negative development with excellent sales in the USA, Brazil, other Latin American markets, Asia and Russia. Germany remains the single most important market by a wide margin.”
Leading the way is new 2013 BMW R1200GS has been a strong performer, with BMW selling 10,883 of the water-cooled adventure tourer since January. That represents 27.7% of the company’s sales for the first four months.
Also doing well, though not even close to the success reached by the GS, is the S1000RR-based HP4 sportbike, with Faust announcing sales of 1,300 units over four months.
[Source: BMW]
Thursday, March 6, 2014
KTM RC25 IS EXPECTED TO LAUNCH IN INDIA BY 2014
Monday, March 3, 2014
Kawasaki J300 Scooter Launches in UK
Kawasaki are delving into the urban and sub urban personal transport market or to me and you - theyre introducing their first ever scooter!
Styled in-house by Kawasakis design team, the new J300 scooter features exciting Kawasaki visual cues that Mr Fukumoto, head of KHI’s Styling Department comments: “It was of great importance that our first step into the European scooter market should be with a machine that embodied Kawasaki’s cutting edge design, we are happy that we have achieved this with the styling features of the new J300”.
If you are wondering what the J stands for, Mr Fukumoto added “J stands for Jyounetsu which means passion in Japanese. We approached the styling and design of the J300 with the same passion as for our other significant new models for the 2014 season”.
Whilst the Kawasaki J300 may not get your heart racing, Kawasaki have reacted to a gap in their motorcycle market. This new scooter will compliment other successful urban Kawasakis including the popular ER series and the versatile city charm of the Versys.
The J300 will be available from Kawasaki Dealers later this year and should appeal to smart commuters but also attract new riders to the Kawasaki brand. The scooter will be unveiled to press and public at the EICMA show in Milan on 5 November and will also be on display at the NEC in Birmingham at Motorcycle Live from 23 November.
Kawasaki J300 Scooter
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Road Star S 2014 On The Streets In September Awesome Price Announced
Star Motorcycles announced the availability for their new 2014 Road Star S for September. Even more, the price makes it an even cooler piece of classic machinery: $12,990 (€9,810) for the base version, already fully-loaded with chrome and road-worthy features.
The 2014 Road Star S brings the classic hardtail looks in a modern trim, with a hidden rear shock and 43mm chromed forks, rolling on fat tires: 150mm in the rear and a chunky 130mm for the front end, for a massive, aggressive on-road stance. 9-spoke cast rims make everything look even more brutal and in-your-face attire.
The power unit is an 102cui (1670cc) v-twin with electronic fuel injection, which Star claims is capable to deliver huge amounts of torque barely off idle. Mated to a wide-ratio 5-speed manual gearbox and belt final drive, it seem like this engine can offer quite a fun ride both on the winding mountain roads and on the highway.
36 mpg (6.5l/100km) is still decent given the displacement and the 743 lbs (336 kg)weight of the 2014 Road Star S. Dual 298mm front discs and a 320mm rear one will help you slow down this massive beast safely. The machine only comes in Nebulous Purple, but with a plethora of accessories available, were sure that even those who are not that fond of the color will grow to like the bike.
Friday, February 28, 2014
899 Panigale in British Superbikes TriOptions Cup for 2014
Ducati announced last week that well be seeing the new 899 Panigale competing alongside the 848s in the Ducati TriOptions Cup in 2014.
It will be good to see how the new mini Panigale performs on track next to the Ducati 848 Evo models in the MCE British Superbike series. Featuring a new “Superquadro” engine, the 899 Panigale has 148hp and a full Ducati electronics package including quick shift, traction control and ABS. Its also rumoured that an S version is in the offing with electronically adjustable suspension.
We are due to see the new 899 in November, with entrants to the TriOptions Cup getting £1000 off the £12,495 price tag.
Ducati had this to say about the new 899: "Ducati UK, together with MSVR, have confirmed a two-year outline deal to ensure that the iconic Ducati sound will remain part of the MCE British Superbike Championship. For 2014, the Ducati TriOptions Cup will feature the all-new Ducati Superbike 899 Panigale alongside the existing 848 Evo model in a new format for the series".
"For 2014 the series registration fee is reduced to £750 which includes a Ducati Corse paddock clothing pack, access to the exclusive Ducati UK hospitality unit and other benefits to be confirmed. Neil Hodgson, World and British Superbike champion, will continue his role as series ambassador to help promote the series and support the riders with his racing expertise and experience"
"The 2014 Ducati TriOptions Cup will again be contested with two point scoring races over eight MCE British Superbike Championship events, including the TT Circuit Assen. The full 2014 Ducati TriOptions Cup calendar and full regulations will be announced in due course. The series will feature an overall winner and an 848 class winner for riders who will continue to run the current model."
"The overall winner of the 2014 Ducati TriOptions Cup will receive a £5,000 cash prize, a Ducati Corse riding suit and free entry either to the 2015 series or the National Superstock 1000 Championship (providing they will ride a Ducati). The 848 class winner will receive a £2,500 cash prize plus riding suit."
Ducati UK Managing Director Tim Maccabee said: "As we enter our fourth year as part of the British Superbikes series, it’s great to be able to announce that we will feature the new Supermid Panigale 899, keeping the series at the cutting edge of sports bike technology. I can’t wait for the new season to start!"
Monday, February 24, 2014
2013 Indian Motorcycles In Sturgis
2013 Indian Motorcycles In Sturgis Photos Gallery
2013 Indian Motorcycles In Sturgis From OneMotorcycles
