Deepika Padukone To Endorse upcoming Yamaha Ray Scooter.

Yamaha india Pvt Ltd is all set to endorse Deepika Padukone as its brand ambassador to market its products. Deepika Padukone will now feature in all the ads related to Yamaha Ray Scooter.She was roped in due to her gaining popularity these days and her connectivity with youth, this is the first time that the actress will endorse an automobile product. Yamaha is soon going to launch the Yamaha Ray scooter so its important for Yamaha to create brand recognition for its product.Yamaha also has John Abraham who endorses the flagship motorcycles.

During Auto Expo 2012 held in Delhi ,Yamaha had showcased its first concept scooter Yamaha Ray. Though at the time of curtain raising Yamaha had not revealed any technical specification about the scooter but the scooter will be enriched with 125cc engine , producing around 10 bhp of power .

Features adorned in Yamaha Ray include dynamic and elegant design, powerful, and fuel efficient engine, comfortable long and wide seat, large storage space, smooth suspension, dynamic braking system, stylish headlamps, silver tone back mirror, impressive instrument panel and stylish alloy wheels.

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Hiroyuki Suzuki, CEO and MD, India Yamaha Motor Pvt.Ltd. said, “We are very pleased with our alliance with Ms. Deepika Padukone to endorse our scooter ‘Ray’ which just like Deepika signifies ‘Cool & Beauty’. Being young, fit, sporty and stylish, Ms. Deepika has all the elements that our customers will subscribe to when they buy our scooters. The youth adore her, respect her and follow her because she signifies an inherent sense of style that easily blends in with that of brand Yamaha. We look forward to have a longstanding and fruitful association with her.”

About the other companies endorsing bollywood stars ,HMSI has  finalised Akshay Kumar as its first brand ambassador in the country. While Hrithik Roshan endorses Hero’s premium motorcycle Karizma, Mahindra Two Wheelers has roped in Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor. John Abraham campaigns for Yamaha ,Priyanka Chopra is associated with Hero Pleasure and recently Anushka Sharma was appointed to endorse TVS Scooty, now Deepika has been added to this list of bollywood stars campaigning for various automobile companies.

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World's cheapest bike by Yamaha at INR 27,500.

After launching successful series of Yamaha bikes in India, Yamaha will develop a motorcycle which will cost as low as INR 27,500.This will be the cheapest motorcycle in the world and it is targeted at the Indian and African market since there is a lot of scope for cheap bikes in these regions. Africa has slowly gained momentum to become the hotspot for bike exports from various Indian and Japanese companies.This is specially targeted to those section of people who can't even afford the entry level segment bikes.

Currently, the cheapest motorcycle in Yamaha’s stable is the 110cc Crux priced at INR 38,365, while Hero Motocorp’s CD-Dawn is the cheapest motorcycle in the India at a price of INR 36,300 which is the current market leader.

Hiroyuki Suzuki, chief executive officer and managing director, India Yamaha Motor  said “Our product benchmark right now (on cost) is the YBR 110 and Crux, but we would like to develop a bike in the low-cost segment for markets like Africa. The target is to make a bike that will cost $500 (about Rs. 27,500). I think such a bike will have a lot of demand in Africa as well as in India.”

This definitely is a good move by Yamaha to enter in this segment after their firm grip in the 150cc segment,this  is bound to get popular among the rural population and has great future.
Yamaha recently announced plans to invest around Rs 1,500 crore to set up a new plant in Tamil Nadu and enhance capacity.

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Yamaha planning to launch 250cc motorcycle in India

Yamaha Motors India has determined the potential of 250cc sports bike in the Indian market and has planned to manufacture a 250cc sports bike locally. When a vehicle is manufactured locally, it attracts zero import duty, thereby allowing the firm to price the product reasonably. When a motorcycle is assembled, it will attract a 30% duty, which will of course be collected from the customers by increasing the price tag. Kawasaki Ninja 250R is one such bike in India which is assembled here, which when compared to the price of locally manufactured CBR250R is very high.

We earlier mentioned in our article of upcoming motorcycle launches in 2012 that Yamaha may launch its 250cc motorcycle in India. According to news reported by Business Standard, the company is now planning to manufacture its 250cc motorcycle in India which is schedule to launch in this year.
HMSI has been clocking an average of 3,000 units of CBR250R every month, which is local made. When the Yamaha’s adversary, Honda, has gained the success in the 250cc sports bike category, the firm obviously should not shy away from launching a product in the same segment.

The firm has collected feedback from customers who already possess a 250cc sports bike in India. They feel that there is still a lot of scope for improvement in their 250cc bike which could make it a perfect sports bike. Yamaha is studying the market condition and requirement by the book.
Yamaha already sells Fazer 250 in several foreign countries. The question is, whether they will launch the Fazer 250 or design a new bike especially to cater the Indian market.

Roy Kurian, national business head, India Yamaha Motor, said, “The market for 250cc is growing and we are studying that. There are a couple of models in that segment and people are upgrading to 250cc bikes. We will do 100 per cent localization of that bike”.

It doesn’t make any sense in speculating the R25 without any official news from the firm. We’ll keep you updated on this, so keep visiting bikoholic.com
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Yamaha launches new 2012 Edition of Fazer .

Recently we saw Yamaha come up with some minor changes in the styling department of the FZ series  and introduced an all new color i.e. Fiery Orange for FZ-S , now Yamaha have come up with a refreshed version of Fazer with almost identical changes as in the FZ-S . The color options in the Fazer remain the same , they haven't introduced any new color .

Changes in Fazer include  :

• New Grab Rails with better grip and support to the pillion rider .

• Longer and wider pillion seat which now provides  ample amount of space for the pillion.

• Large & Wide rear fender which prevents mud splashing through rear tyres.

• New Stylish Chain Protector for  safety of people wearing loose clothing.

About the engine specifications of the bike , Yamaha have mentioned on their official website about the torque of the bike to be 13.6 Nm against the earlier versions 14 Nm , now even Yamaha concentrating on the Mileage figures !!

Price of 2012 Fazer is INR 76,380 (ex showroom Delhi)

The customers have 4 color options for 2012 Yamaha Fazer :Competition White, Black Cyber Green, Lava Red, Midnight Black .

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Yamaha launches FZ-S Fiery Orange with New features .

Recently we saw the all new TVS Apache RTR series getting a new Avatar with some changes in the design and styling of the bike but  TVS have gone terribly wrong with the cosmetic changes that they  have come up with . Now Yamaha have refreshed the FZ series mildly , lets see how and what are the changes .

 Yamaha have come up with some minor changes in the styling department of the FZ series  and have introduced an all new color i.e. Fiery Orange for FZ-S , Yamaha haven't mentioned whether  FZ-16 gets this new color as well.This new shade suits the bike and enhances the already stunning looks of the FZ-S . Yamaha has always refreshed the FZ series with a few small changes at regular intervals as a part of their market strategy . Other then the introduction of new color there are some minor changes in the FZ series , these changes apply to both FZ-16 and FZ-S .

Changes in the FZ series Include :

• New grab rails.

• Longer and wider pillion seat.

• Altered Chain cover.

The Engine specifications of the bike remains the same . The changes in these two bikes are really minor that is the reason why Yamaha have not publicly announced these changes because they have been upgrading the FZ series every now and then . Every month we see a new color variant in the FZ series.

Now about the pricing of the bike , there doesn’t seem to be any impact on the price of the motorcycle .

The new FZ-S is for stylish and attention seeking Macho man.

Now the customers have 4 color options – Black cyber green, Sunset red, competition white and the all new Fiery orange. Color options for the FZ16 remains the same with Lava red and Midnight black.

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New Suzuki Inazuma 250 to debut in India by second half 2012.

 The Japanese motor expert Suzuki is planning for an entry in the premium sports bike market of India by debuting its New Suzuki Inazuma 250cc by second half  2012. Suzuki with its Indian partner Maruti has a good market in Indian car markets, but hasn't created an impact in the two wheel category. Being a tough competitor for its fellow Japanese rivals Honda, Kawasaki and Yamaha in foreign soils, Suzuki has decided deliver the same same in India too.

Suzuki was expected to bring in the GW250 to India, but the latest reports suggest that the auto major will introduce the Inazuma 250cc bike in India which looks ninety percent similar to the GW250. Well, there has not been much of details about the Inazuma 250cc floating in the net but the hint that it is similar to the GW250 has helped us in guess works.

The Suzuki Inazuma 250 is naked which gives us a good picture of its power house, the engine. Like the GW250, Suzuki Inazuma 250 will have a DOHC 250cc parallel twin engine. The peak power and torque capacities of the vehicles aren't known yet. As of now,  GW250's maximum power of 26 Bhp and 24 Nm of torque is expected to be delivered by the Inazuma 250.

Suzuki  brings its Inazuma 250 as a direct competitor to Honda CBR 250 ,Kawasaki Ninja and the recently launched Hyosung Comet GT 250R.
Though being a late contender in the sports commuter category in India, Suzuki will have an EDGE over its two existing rivals Honda and Kawasaki. If Suzuki manages to fix a price that falls below Honda CBR 250R and Kawasaki Ninja 250R, combat would become all the more interesting. Suzuki will bring the Inazuma 250 as the premium sports bike in India and entry level sports bike in foreign markets.

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Japan's Yamaha Motor Co to set up a Third Plant in Tamil Nadu.

Tamil Nadu is emerging as a hot spot for investors with various automobile companies such as Nissan, BMW, Hyundai, Ford, Daimler already operating there . TVS and Royal Enfield also have major plants set up in Tamil Nadu . Now there has been a report in  Business Standard that Japanese two-wheeler giant Yamaha is understood to have finalised a location in Tamil Nadu to set up its third facility in India to expand its operations.

Yamaha  has shortlisted Tamil Nadu out of three states, including Karnataka and Maharashtra, and will sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by May this year.

Yamaha is now trying to ramp up its operations in India in order to compete with its peers like Honda and Suzuki but also the top two-wheeler makers like Hero MotoCorp and Bajaj .
We recently saw Honda marching past Bajaj in terms of monthly sales , Yamaha also needs to ramp up its production to compete with them .

The company plans to invest Rs 800 crore in the next two years on capacity enhancement,the new plant is said to be fully functional till 2014 after which company sales in India  might increase upto 10 lakh unit against the 3.3 lakh unit in 2011 .

Yamaha Motor currently has two manufacturing units at Surajpur in Uttar Pradesh and Faridabad in Haryana and produces motorcycles for both domestic and export markets. In the current year, the company hopes to clock sales of 4.5 lakh units and 6.5 lakh units next year in India.

After launching successful series of Yamaha bikes in Indian bike market, Yamaha is going to make its entry in scooter market of India with the all new Yamaha Ray .
The Yamaha Ray concept scooter, which will be the first scooter offering from the Japanese brand for the Indian market, could be launched before the Indian festive season of Diwali 2012.

To know more about Yamaha Ray Scooter click HERE

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Yamaha Named Strongest Motorcycle Brand of 2012 by Harris Poll

When you think of soft drinks, you picture Coca-Cola. When you think of cell phones, you picture the Apple iPhone. When you think of cookies, you picture Oreos. When you think of motorcycles, you picture … Yamaha?

That’s right. Yamaha edged out Harley-Davidson as the strongest motorcycle brand in the U.S. for 2012, according to the Harris Poll EquiTrend study of the country’s healthiest brands.

According to the Harris Poll EquiTrend study of the country’s healthiest brands, Yamaha has come out on top edging out Harley Davidson. Yamaha is now the strongest motorcycle brand in U.S for 2012.
Harris Poll EquiTrend has been comparing brands in various categories since 1989 to determine the overall healthiest brand in U.S. Brand equity, Customer connection and the overall hype are the parameters on which brands strength is judged.

For this year a total of 38,529 consumers over the age of 15 were surveyed, in which they were asked to rate 40 randomly selected brands. Every brand out of 1,529 brands were evaluated 1000 times, on the basis of rating received from a varied range of people belonging to different ages, genders, ethnicities, regions and income. All the ratings were weighed using the same methodology Harris uses for Election Polling.

In the motorcycle segment five brands were evaluated by consumers namely Harley Davidson, Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki and Suzuki. Yamaha topped with a rating of 50.88 edging out last year’s winner Harley Davidson, which received a rating of 50.33. Score for the rest of the brands were not revealed, but it was told they are below the category of 48.20.
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New Honda CBR150R vs Yamaha YZF-R15 V2.0 : Game On.

Honda surprised us in a very sweet way, when it unveiled the CBR150R at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo.
Honda has definitely upped its ante in the 150cc segment and this bike will go in head to head competition with the currently popular Yamaha R15. Yamaha launched the latest version of the R15 last year, called R15 Version 2.0. Here we quickly take a look at how does both these bikes feature and would the CBR150R really give a tough time to the R15 Version 2.0.

Technical Specifications :
Honda's new CBR150R comes with a Twin Tube frame construction Diamond, while the Yamaha YZF-R15 Version 2.0 brings the delta box.

Honda's new CBR150R machine type carries CS150RE, Liquid-Cooled, 4-Step, DOHC, single-cylinder 149.4 cc, and the diameter measures 63.5 x 47.2 times. 11,0:1 compression ratio engine. Machines capable of burst power up to 17.55 hp at 10,500 rpm engine speed and maximum torque of 12.66 Nm at 8500 rpm. Supply of power and torque output is channeled to the rear wheels through a 6-speed transmission.

Honda's new CBR150R supported tank capacity 13.1 liters of fuel supply and injection system (PGFM-FI). Rival Yamaha YZF-R15 V2.0 given ammunition type Liquid-cooled engine, 4-Step, SOHC, single cylinder 149.8 cc, and the diameter measures 57 x 58.7 times. 10,4:1 compression ratio engine. Machines capable of burst power up to 16.76 hp at 8500 rpm engine speed and maximum torque of 15 Nm at 7500 rpm. Supply of power and torque output is channeled to the rear wheels through a 6-speed transmission.
Yamaha YZF-R15 V2.0 supported tank capacity 12 liters of fuel supply and injection system.

From the technical data is visible if on paper, Yamaha YZF-R15 will excel at the lower and middle engine speed. This is not apart from the character-type SOHC engine and under square (57 x 58.7), which incidentally makes more pull evenly from under the engine rev up the middle. It is also seen from the torque output of the Yamaha YZF-R15 V2.0 that is superior to 15 Nm at a lower engine speed 7500 rpm . Thus from these technical statistics we can say that ,
Power is a bit more in the CBR150R but when it comes to torque Yamaha R15 wins with 15Nm at 7,500rpm while CBR150R manages only 12.66Nm at 8,500rpm.

There is little difference in weight of both bikes with CBR150R weighing 138Kgs and R15 weighing 136Kgs. Ground clearance is bit more in CBR150R with 190mm while in R15 its 160mm only. Another important factor is the rear seat in R15 which is not suitable for long rides specially in India while the one on CBR150R is nice with grab rails.

Bikoholic verdict :

To measure the functional as an urban vehicle with a level of congestion and traffic flow "stop and go" high, it seems Yamha YZF-R15 V2.0 is more fitting as an option. Besides the issue of a lower purchase price, at least there is an excess of this Yamaha lineup, the posture is more petite. Although for the affairs of a little less maneuverable than its rivals.

While the new Honda CBR150R with posture and weight are a bit more gambot more fitting as a lifestyle vehicle or night life, where traffic is not too dense. Thus the rider can feel a powerful performance in a lap top. Or as an option as a vehicle short and medium distance touring. Sensation on the new Honda CBR150R will be more valued for the winding road full of bends or straight line that takes a long pull. Moreover, the support device front brakes are superior to its rivals.

So now the question now arises is whether CBR150R  better than the R15. Yamaha fans disagree that no 150cc Indian bike is a threat to Yamaha r15 due to its aggressive & beautiful styling with colorful side fairing & also the fact that Yamaha launched new colors for R15 version 2.0 at the Auto Expo 2012.

Talking about the Mileage and Top Speed of these two beasts , both the bikes deliver around 35 to 40Kmpl depending upon how you ride or maintain it and top speed around 135Kmph. But one factor in which Yamaha R15 V2.0 scores is its pricing ,there is difference of INR 10,000 in price of both bikes. Yamaha R15 costs around Rs.1.7L ex-showroom while Honda CBR150R is almost Rs.10,000 costly and the cost is Rs.1.16L ex-showroom
The game in the 150cc segment has just got more interesting !

Now is your turn to determine dreams and needs between the two ...

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Yamaha Ray concept scooter could be launched by October 2012 .

After launching successful series of Yamaha bikes in Indian bike market, Yamaha is going to make its entry in scooter market of India. During last Auto Expo 2012 held in Delhi ,Yamaha had showcased its first concept scooter Yamaha Ray. Though at the time of curtain raising Yamaha had not revealed any technical specification about the scooter but the scooter will be enriched with 125cc engine , producing around 10 bhp of power .

The Yamaha Ray will be directly competing against Suzuki Access , Piaggio Vespa and the recently launched Honda Dio 110 . Yamaha have designed the scooter with the perspective  to suit Indian women and hence, expect the production version of the Ray concept scooter to also feature similar dimensions.

Hiroyuki Suzuki , CEO & MD , Indian Yamaha Motor said,"We have developed a scooter that has got the Yamaha DNA and signifies ' Cool and Beauty image , which are the right words for describing young Indian girls ".

This clearly states that Yamaha Ray scooter will be targeted towards woman riders and expected to bear a price tag of around Rs. 50,000/-

Additional features adorned in Yamaha Ray include dynamic and elegant design, powerful, and fuel efficient engine, comfortable long and wide seat, large storage space, smooth suspension, dynamic braking system, stylish headlamps, silver tone back mirror, impressive instrument panel and stylish alloy wheels. It will be available in two color options of pink and yellow.

Yamaha plans to launch more scooter models in India , the reason for this rapid growth in scooter is due to high demand of scooters from the segment of working women. As a part of its plan for 2012 company speculates to sale 450,000 units in domestic market and export 1,90,000 units.

The Yamaha Ray concept scooter, which will be the first scooter offering from the Japanese brand for the Indian market, could be launched before the Indian festive season of Diwali 2012.

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Yamaha to empower Ray scooter with 125cc engine

After launching successful series of Yamaha bikes in Indian bike market, Yamaha is going to make its entry in scooter market of India. During last Auto Expo 2012 held in Delhi during last month Yamaha had showcased its first concept scooter Yamaha Ray. Though at the time of curtain raising Yamaha had not revealed any technical specification about the scooter but there were rumors that scooter will be enriched with 125cc engine. Now after the period of more than a month is gone there are reports confirming that Ray will be enriched with 125cc engine. Recently during its meeting with investors Yamaha has revealed its strategy of extending its business plan in Indian two-wheeler market and indicated that company is speculated to launch 125cc engine in Indian scooter market.

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Bikes to be Launched in 2012 with Price

Check out the bikes to be launched in the year 2012. Few bikes have already been launched and released and to mention few, KTM Duke 200, Bajaj Pulsar 200 NS and others.

Bike	launch date	Price
KTM Duke 200	Jan 2012	Rs.1.2L
Bajaj Pulsar 200 NS	Jan 2012	Less than 1L
Hyosung GT250R	May 2012	Rs 2 - 2.5L
Ducati Diavel	Jan 2012	Rs 27,00000
Ducati Monster	Feb 2012	Rs 500,000
Hero Motocorp Maestro	Mar 2012	Rs 40,000
Piaggio Vespa Lx	Jan 2012	Rs 55,000
Royal Enfield Classic	Apr 2012	Rs 100,000
Suzuki Skydrive	Mar 2012	Rs 45,000
Tvs Rockz	Mar 2012	Rs 50,000

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Yamaha FZ Vs TVS Apache RTR 160 HyperEdge - Make a better choice

The 150 cc segment is the premier segment for every company . With a wide variety of products available in this segment , its very important for the respective motorcycle company to provide the best deal for the commuter.
Basically in this segment ,a commuter expects a blend of performance and reliability from his machine.
With a lot more varieties of bikes rushing the biking market, it becomes not an easy job to choose a bike. Yes! We have to crack our heads before we choose. Here is a comparison between Yamaha FZ and TVS Apache RTR 160 HyperEdge which can help you go for the best one.

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India Yamaha Motor begins the year with a bang; registers 40 % sales growth

India Yamaha Motor rang in the New Year with high sales growth backed by its dynamic product portfolio, registering an overall sales growth of 40%. In the domestic market Yamaha sold 26,300 units in January 2012 vs. 21,974 units sold in the same period last year thereby registering a 20% sales growth. The export figures stood at 13,640 units in January 2012 while 6,623 motorcycles were exported in January 2011. The overall sales stood at 39,940 units in January 2012 vs. 28,597 units in January 2011.

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Bigger Pulsar & KTM motorcycle models to take on rivals Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki by Bajaj Auto

MUMBAI: Over the next few years now Bajaj Auto, the county's second-largest two-wheeler maker, will launch bigger and more powerful Pulsar and KTM motorcycle models in the 200cc to 700 cc range will take on rivals Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki and build on its leadership position in the premium motorcycle space.
Bajaj aims to position the Pulsar in the value-for-money sports bike segment and Austrian partner KTM's motorcycles at the premium end of the market.

"We share the same development process with KTM, so you can expect there will be 'a much bigger Pulsar' next year, because we think the market is at an inflection point (at the premium end) and we are in a good position to take advantage with these two brands," managing director Rajiv Bajaj said.

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2012 Yamaha SZ-X / SZ-R (New Colors + Kick Starter)

Yamaha India updates its SX-X and SZ-R models with new colors/graphics and adds a kick starter.
Yamaha India had launched three models under the SZ brand name in August/September 2010. Unless one keeps a regular tab on the 2 wheeler scene in India, its a bit confusing for the common man to differentiate between the three SZ models.

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QUICK COMPARO : Pulsar 200NS Vs Karizma ZMR Vs CBR250R Vs Duke 200 Vs R15 Version 2.0 Vs Apache RTR 180 ABS Vs Pulsar 220

Finally an all new Pulsar is here. Bajaj calls it Pulsar 200NS. Here are some of competitors which Pulsar 200NS takes head-on. Hero Karizma ZMR, Honda CBR250R,Yamaha R15, KTM Duke 200 , TVS Apache RTR 180 and the bike which helped Bajaj to strengthen its hold in the sports bike category , that is the Pulsar 220 . Though pulsar introduced the performance segment in the Indian biking indsutry, these bike captivated the customers with their uniquness in styling or performance. Though none could topple the pulsar 220, competitors like Apache RTR and CBR250R created a niche and own set of fans. With the pulsar 200NS coming into the fray, will they stand any chance against pulsar now. Here are pros and cons of each bike and spec to spec comparison of Pulsar 200NS Vs karizma ZMR Vs CBR250R Vs Duke 200 Vs Apache RTR 180 Vs Pulsar 220

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FULLY FAIRED 2012 BAJAJ PULSAR 200 NS IN THE WORKS : RIP YAMAHA R15 VERSION 2.0, HONDA CBR150R !

Another big announcement coming from the sidelines of the 2012 Bajaj Pulsar 200 NS unveil is that Bajaj Auto is already working on a fully faired variant of the Pulsar 200 NS. With Rajiv Bajaj confidently asserting that the Pulsar 200 NS’ price tag will be well under the INR 1 lakh mark, this announcement opens up a host of possibilities for the fully faired 2012 Pulsar 200. The first and the biggest possibility is that the fully faired Pulsar 200 has all the potential to undercut both the Yamaha R15 Version 2.0 and the upcoming 2012 Honda CBR150 in terms of pricing. Initial indications indicate a price close to the erstwhile fuel injected Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi.

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YAMAHA YZR-M1 showcased

The 800cc MotoGP racing machine developed by Yamaha, the YZR M1, was on display at Yamaha stands at AutoExpo 2012.

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YOSHIMURA EXHAUST SYSTEM FOR YAMAHA R15 and FZ16.

Yoshimura Japan Co Ltd exhibited their exhaust systems on the Yamaha R15 and the Yamaha FZ16.

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