January 6, 2012

HONDA CBR 150R LAUNCHED AT THE 2012 AUTO EXPO!



Surprise surprise! Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Ltd (HMSI) has pulled a fast one on unsuspecting Indian motorcycle enthusiasts! The motorcycle giant has launched the CBR 150R in the country and it has a spec sheet that's hotter than a blasting furnace! The CBR 150R produces 18 bhp@10,500 rpm and 1.28 kgm@7500 rpm from its 150cc DOHC single-cylinder mill which employs liquid cooling and fuel-injection too!
Bodywork is largely identical to that of the CBR 250R, which means there's the dual-layered fairing, a stubby exhaust and a Y shaped headlight. Also included in the features list are digital meters, front and rear disc brakes (no mention of ABS - we think they'll give it a miss on the 150R), tubeless tyres and a monoshock at the rear!

It sports a twin tubular frame and since it's bound to be lighter than the CBR 250R, we expect it to be a much more agile handler than the latter. The CBR 150R will be available in two variants - Standard and Deluxe. The Standard can be had in two shades, Black and Red, both set against Pearl Sunbeam White while the Deluxe sports additional sporty decals and two colours - Candy Palm Green and Vibrant Orange, both set against Pearl Sunbeam White.

The specification sheet and features list of the CBR 150R definitely look far superior to that of the Yamaha R15 V2.0 and how it is priced remains to be seen. Although Honda, in its press release has mentioned 'value for money that exceeds customers' expectations'. Amen to that!

Alongside the CBR 150R launch, HMSI also unveiled a new paint scheme for the CBR 250R - Pearl Heron Blue - which is a typical Honda white-blue-red combination as seen on many iconic Honda motorcycles. Can't wait to get our hands on both! Watch this space for more.