Yamaha Motor’s quarter-litre inline-twin YZF-R25 makes roughly 35.5bhp and 23.6Nm of torque
Ahead of BS6 implementation, Yamaha Motor India discontinued its entry-level twin-cylinder sportsbike, YZF-R3. The faired motorcycle received an update in global markets last year but changes were mostly cosmetic and its mechanicals remained mostly untouched (still Euro 4 or BS4). In India, the Yamaha R3 has never been a volume seller and was sold as a CKD product. We do not see any possibility of the parallel-twin motorcycle returning in the near future unless it receives a major overhaul in global markets.
Powered by a 321cc DOHC inline-twin (not to be confused with a parallel-twin), the Yamaha YZF-R3 was good for almost 42bhp @ 10,750rpm and 29.6Nm @ 9,000rpm. Although India has not got any twin-cylinder motorcycle at the moment, several other Asian markets (such as Indonesia) has a lesser Yamaha YZF-R25 in their portfolio.
The 2020MY Indonesia-spec Yamaha YZF-R25 carries a starting price tag of IDR 61.7 million (INR 3.30 lakh) ex-showroom. Indonesian motorcycle enthusiasts have been waiting for the Yamaha Tracer 250 adventure tourer for a long time. The Japanese two-wheeler manufacturer has never made a quarter-litre avatar of its popular ‘sport touring’ series, which currently includes the Tracer 700, Tracer 900 and Tracer 900 GT.
Meanwhile, an R25 owner from Indonesia (@huzni8 on Instagram) has modified his motorcycle into a convincing ‘Tracer 250’ design. It is hard to ignore the level of effort he put in its conversion project. With no example to take as reference, his Yamaha Tracer 250 build sports an adjustable windscreen, top box, raised handlebars, extra engine protection and more. It rides significantly high from the ground as well. The modification strikes a decent balance between form and function.
The Yamaha Tracer 250 would most likely share its power plant with the YZF-R25 but could come in a slightly different state of tune. In the R25, the 250cc DOHC inline-twin pushes out around 35.5bhp @ 12,000rpm and 23.6Nm @ 10,000rpm. As you may observe, it is quite rev-happy. A high-revving low-displacement multi-cylinder motorcycle may not seem the most desirable on paper but it is a perfect choice for those who wish to ride on the absolute machine-limit. A prime example of this is the all-new Kawasaki Ninja ZX-25R.
Lower-capacity adventure tourers are becoming increasingly desirable in emerging markets. In our market, KTM India has set a benchmark among single-cylinder dual-sport or adventure tourer motorcycles with the 390 Adventure while Royal Enfield’s Himalayan and Hero MotoCorp’s Xpulse 200 are good alternatives. Meanwhile, BMW Motorrad India’s G 310 GS could come in BS6 format at a massive discount over its BS4 counterpart.
