Yamaha’s foray into the quarter-litre party has been the most awaited one globally and the Japanese manufacturer did impress everyone with the R25 concept that was showcased last year in November. Since then very little has emerged out of the company regarding the R25’s production version. The company’s much hyped unveil on an all-new website also led to a huge disappointment among the media and the aficionado’s alike. However, after so many months of speculations, here is some concrete evidence that the R25 is indeed on its way, with the launch of the production model coming closer by the day.
The spy shots snapped in Indonesia showcase the Yamaha R25 being tested on public roads for the first time. Though the front could not be clicked, we do know that the R25 will sport a twin headlamp cluster like the R15 with integrated turn indicators. The bike sports similar dimensions and sporty silhouette as seen on the R25 concept. The images also reveal the LED tail lights, whereas the design language is less sharp towards the rear, than the one seen on the concept model. The test mules seen in these images were riding on 130 section tyres.
The production version of the R25 will sport a tubular frame with a fully-faired design, and a sporty seating position. The bike will also get rear-set foot pegs and clip-on handlebars. Expect the bike to sport an aggressive stance and track focused riding dynamics. The quarter-litre offering from Yamaha will be powered by a 250cc, liquid-cooled, twin-cylinder motor that will be tuned to produce around 34 PS of power. There are talks about a 250cc single-cylinder motor also being developed for cost sensitive markets like ours. The concept also featured an Akropovic exhaust system, which won’t make it on the production model though.
The Yamaha R25 will be competing in the very aggressive 250cc segment with the Kawasaki Ninja 300, Honda CBR300R and the upcoming KTM RC390 in the segment. The company managed to turn the tables with the R15 in the country, when the bike was launched back in 2008 and is expecting to get a similar response with the R25 as well. Biker’s too are eagerly waiting to check out this maniac from Yamaha, which could be a game changer for the segment once again. Yamaha is expected to launch the R25 internationally by the end of this year.
Pictures Source – Iwanbanaran
