HOBNDA

Best Lap: 1:54.13 Honda CBR1000RR Honda certainly thinks so, which is why engineers didn’t feel the need to add traction control or make any major changes to the model for its 20th anniversary. Updates include new wheels and suspension, a restyled fairing, a new digital dash and a few fueling tweaks. Aside from that it’s the same bike, although emissions requirements and associated equipment have robbed it of 3.5 bhp and 2 lb.-ft. of torque and added 5 lbs. compared to the last example we tested. Even so, the CBR feels lightest and most powerful on the street, earning high praise from all of our testers. Compact and narrow between your knees, it looks downright diminutive next to the chunky Yamaha. The Honda’s smaller size finds you up on top of the bike rather than down in it, which is excellent for attacking corners and a characteristic that made it the favorite of our smaller testers. The CBR makes the most peak torque, spreads it on thickest and boasts more midrange horsepo...

Overall Indian biking scenario is witnessing a drastic change as customers are demanding more powerful and sporty bikes. We can witness a significant shift in customers moving from low-end commuter bikes to premium bikes. Yamaha was struggling with its bike line up but introduction of R15 and FZ series really turned the tables for Yamaha. Yamaha heralded a new era in Indian biking scenario with the launch of R15 as it was the closest thing to a true sports bike in the Indian market at that time. A whole new segment of premium sports bikes was created to cater the rising demands of Indian customers. To cash in on this trend Honda launched the CBR 150R in wake of the success of Yamaha R15. Looking at the popularity and rising competition Yamaha launched a refreshed R15 V2.0. Both bikes resemble their bigger siblings and are one of the most modern bikes on offer in this segment. Looks Yamaha R15 V2.0 has undergone some drastic changes compared to its previous version. The n...

KATHMANDU: The world’s most popular and stylish sports bike company Yamaha has come up with yet another pair of breathtaking products in the biggest automobile exhibition in Nepal — NADA Auto Show 2014. MAW Enterprises, the authorised distributor for Yamaha Motorcycles in Nepal, has introduced two of its best products from its vast collection of sports bikes. The new 2014 model YZF R6 is probably the hottest launch in expo. Another model — R15 Version 2.0 — is being launched with new graphics. The new YZF R6 is a 600cc motorcycle with a peak power of 122 PS. Light and powerful, it features a taut, turnable chassis that lets it manoeuvre from upright to full lean instantly — and carve tight, perfect lines. It features cutting edge technology such as Exup Valve, Yamaha patented Delta Box, YCCT (Yamaha Chip Control Throttle) and YCCI (Yamaha Chip Control Intake). It is a perfect combination of power, performance, handling, braking and stability. Equipped with delta box frame, fue...

Up-Close with the Honda RC213V-S Prototype I can’t decide whether to be elated or disappointed over the Honda RC213V-S prototype, which was debuted this week at the EICMA show in Milan, Italy. On the one hand, the RC213V-S lived up to the hype…literally a MotoGP race bike with lights, mirrors, turn signals, and a license plate. On the other hand, for all the waiting and consternation from Honda, what they brought to Milan was a fairly derivative and obvious design. Rumors of a true MotoGP-derived sport bike from Honda have been circling for several years now (closer to a decade, if you’re a reader of MCN), and the project borrows the ethos found in the Ducati Desmosedici RR project, another exclusive GP-bike-for-the-street motorcycle. Where Ducati took inspiration from its MotoGP program, kept the basic elements found there, and created an entirely new machine, the Honda RC213V-S prototype is quite the opposite. Honda has released zero, and I mean zero, information about the...

Yamaha FZ-S Version 2.0 Overview Naked bikes have always been a popular option for riders who like to flaunt their muscle on the streets rather than the racetrack. Globally naked bikes have been riding a crest of popularity and India is no exception either. The Yamaha FZ-S has been precisely that, a slickly designed product with just the right amount of muscle for the discerning rider looking for something in the 150-200 cc 2 wheeler market segment. Yamaha has recently updated the model and come up with an entirely new product aptly called as the Yamaha FZ S-FI. The chunky looking tank, aggressive side profile stepped seat etc. are still very much there but have been subtly redesigned while still borrowing elements from the model is replaces. This ensures that the bike’s look still reaches out to the hooligan within all of us. Yamaha FZ-S Version 2.0 Engine & Transmission The older 153 cc SOHC 4 stroke air cooled engine has been junked in favour of a newer albeit s...

Yamaha YZF-R15 Version 2.0 Review Overview Yamaha R15 was the first affordable sports bike in India which shared most of the styling bits with Yamaha’s much expensive bikes from R series. The looks and performance of this bike made it famous instantly and looking at its popularity and rising competition, Yamaha has launched the second version of this bike – R15 Version 2.0. Yamaha also launched the Racing Blue Edition and Grid Gold Edition of R15. Yamaha R15 Grid Gold has been painted in a striking Gold shade with all-new decals on both sides. Yamaha R15 Racing Blue Edition is inspired from the Grand Prix and looks awesome in blue and white. Yamaha R15 Version 2.0 features all-new design for engine fairing, new design for alloy wheels, split seat which is now better cushioned, new graphics and decals, fatter rear tyre - 130/70 - R17, bigger 220mm rear disc for better braking, all-new LED tail lamp which looks much better than 2010 model of YZF-R15, new ECU mapping for better pick-...

As you’ve likely heard, Yamaha recently jumped into the off-road market in an even bigger way with the introduction of two all-new machines: The WR250F, a trail-specific off-road model, and the YZ250FX, a GP variant of the hugely-popular motocross bike. Both machines are based on the YZ250F—Dirt Rider’s 2014 Bike Of The Year and a two-time 250F motocross shootout winner—although the WR is more of a trail bike in terms of temperament and personality. The YZ250FX, though, is a much more aggressive, closed-course competition racebike, and of all the Japanese off-road motorcycles it just may have the best chance at dethroning a KTM in a head-to-head comparison. Here are our thoughts on the YZ250FX, after riding it for the first time at Yamaha’s US press launch at Cahuilla Creek in Anza, California: To start with, the YZ250FX differs from the YZ-F by way of electric start, an 18-inch rear wheel, a six-speed transmission, a kickstand, suspension revisions, and frame mounts ready for...