Auto Expo 2012 Honda CBR150R
The 2012 Auto Expo had all the biking enthusiasts excited when Honda unveiled the CBR150R. That it wasn't expected, added to the lure.
The CBR150R is manufactured in Thailand and was first introduced in 2002. It's a part of many one-make racing championships that Honda organises across Asia, including India. The Honda CBR150R looks exactly like its bigger engined twin, the CBR250R, save for its scaled down look and the black alloys.
The CBR150R has a 149cc engine with fuel injection, an O2 sensor with air induction and a 6-speed transmission. It produces 18PS of power and 12.6Nm of torque. In terms of suspension, the 150R has telescopic forks at the front and a monoshock at the rear. Disc brakes at both the ends handle retardation duties. The bike has a twin tubular frame which increases stability. The ground clearance is 185mm, which should allow it to take on the Indian roads aptly. Honda will be selling the 150R in two variants â" standard and deluxe. While the CBR250R is available in dual tone colours, the CBR150R will be available in two shades â" black with pearl sunbeam white and sports red with pearl sunbeam white for the standard variant. The deluxe variant will have sporty graphics on both the black with candy palm green as also vibrant orange with pearl sunbeam white colors.
With the CBR150R, Honda are looking to draw away customers from Yamaha's YZF-R15 V2.0 which will be its biggest competitor. While the CBR250R was considered an expensive option when compared to the R15, the CBR150R, expected to be priced around Rs 1.1 to Rs 1.3 lakh, ex-showroom, will offer an excellent alternative. This will also put it in the same price range as the KTM Duke 200. But we don't know the price of either. So we will wait before we start our elaborate comparison tests. Honda haven't revealed when they will be launching the CBR150R but when it does, this one seems to be another winner from the HMSI stable.
