Honda CBR150R Repsol Edition is derived from Honda’s MotoGP machine with similar colour scheme
Honda Motorcycles & Scooter India is currently the second largest two-wheeler manufacturer currently on sale in India in terms of sales volume. They are like Maruti Suzuki when it comes to scooter sales. Honda scooters like Activa series are the default for most people and sold 1,84,305 units in June 2022 as seen in top 10 scooter sales.
Motorcycle side, they have the CB Shine which is currently the second highest-selling motorcycle in the country after Hero Splendor, of course. But when it comes to faired sporty motorcycles, we used to get both CBR150R and CBR250R. But now, we don’t get both of those motorcycles for reasons best known to Honda.
It’s not like India is a dead market for sporty faired motorcycles with a smaller 150cc engine. We have YZF-R15 from Yamaha which is ridiculously expensive and also the brilliant Suzuki Gixxer SF. But unfortunately, we don’t get CBR150R here in India since its discontinuation in 2017. But Malaysia gets it and to add salt to our wounds, it recently got the Repsol Edition too.
Honda CBR150R Repsol Edition
Repsol Edition is a way for Honda to give its smaller machines a look like its prized MotoGP machine. Because it is mechanically identical to the normal CBR150R on which it is based. Repsol Edition brings with it the iconic orange splash like on MotoGP machine. This iconic orange is found almost everywhere including its sharp fairing, fuel tank, subframe and also 17” alloy wheels. On the side fairing, it also gets a dash of white and red.
We can also see Repsol livery proudly adorning the motorcycle on side fairing and the front. The front Repsol livery looks a little too much, in our opinion. But hey, that’s what Honda gives. But what seals the deal is the fact that this Repsol Edition will be sold in limited numbers. 800, to be precise.
Specs & Competition
Honda CBR150R is powered by a 149.16 cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled DOHC unit which dishes out 17.1 bhp of peak power at 9,000 RPM and 14.4Nm of peak torque at 7,000 RPM. It gets a Diamond type frame, Showa SFF Big-piston USD forks at front and a mono-shock unit doing duties at the rear.
CBR150R gets a 276 mm petal disc up front and a 220 mm petal disc at the rear wheel. It gets dual-channel ABS but only in higher-spec variants. Honda CBR150R tips the scale at just 139 kg. Honda CBR150R Repsol Edition costs RM 13,499 in Malaysia, which is approximately Rs. 2.42 lakh when converted. It is still cheaper than rival Yamaha R15M, which is priced at RM 14,998 or Rs 2.7 lakh.
Honda CBR150R comes off as less of a performer as it makes slightly less power and torque than its arch-rival, Yamaha YZF-R15, as seen in a dedicated comparison post between the two. Considering the success of R15, Honda CBR150R makes a lot of sense in India.
We say India because, Honda has patented the CBR150R in our country and might be even considering it too. Honda is set to launch a new product in India on 8th of August 2022. We predict that it would be the Forza 350 maxi-scooter or the CRF300L ADV as the upcoming launch is exclusive to BigWings dealerships. But there is a tiny possibility that Honda can launch the CBR150R too. We can only say for sure next month.
