Yamaha 02R, we believe, will again be a built-to-cost motorcycle, and priced aggressively like the FZ 25 range…
It is clear that majority of the manufacturers have understood that slugging it out in the entry level 100-125 cc segments is not worth it and slowly they are leaving it to Hero – the maker which enjoys the lion’s share in that segment. Apart from Suzuki, Yamaha has also finalised that they will focus more on the premium motorcycles in India and will create new sub-segments to better penetrate the market.
They have already done that by offering FZ25 which is currently the most affordable no-frills quarter liter in India. They expanded the range with its faired sibling Fazer 25 recently and sales have really been very impressive. Buoyed by this, according to a snippet at Economic Times, Yamaha is working on a new motorcycle which has been codenamed as 02R.
Yamaha 02R Launch & Details
The report goes on to predict that
- 02R will be a 300-400 cc motorcycle
- It will be based on an all-new platform.
- Introduction is expected by 2020.
Yamaha has tasted success with single cylinder premium motorcycles whereas the dual-cylinder R3 (which is more of a global product) has been an average seller. Elaborating it, we believe that 02R would again be a single-cylinder product developed for India (and probably other such cost-conscious markets).
If it is that, 02R will be set out to rival the very successful Duke 390 range and probably a few others which may be launched by that time, like the BMW G 310R, production Hero XF3R etc.
It is possible that Yamaha may unveil the ’02R’ as a concept at the 2018 Auto Expo, like they did with the R25/R3 concept back at the 2014 Auto Expo before the motorcycle became a production version few years later.
Also Read: First Video Footage of Yamaha R15 v3 Surfaces; Spy Pics & Observations
Also, based on the guidelines, the existing 150 cc motorcycles will be gradually updated with ABS, by early 2019, before they become mandatory for all two-wheelers. Among other products, Yamaha will also introduce scooters in various segments.
