Renderings of the upcoming R25 published in an Indonesian website have got me as anxious as I have ever been since the birth of my child five years ago. I am sure you would have seen the 15-second R25 video Yamaha has been teasing the boys with. I saw it too, many times, but apparently I missed something.
The artful Indonesian author in motoblast.org has frozen a few useful frames of the video to bolster his viewpoint that the production model of the R25 is a bit unlike the beautiful concept R25 that Yamaha has been displaying all this time. This is an interesting piece of news. I thought the concept was bang on the money.
When I compare the profile of the concept with the new renderings from motoblast.org, it leads to something visually different from the concept. The swooping, graceful lines of the concept R25 are missing on the rendered pics of R25. The wind deflector and the front cowling looks unnecessarily upright and pushed forward leaving the handlebar look pushed backwards and higher. This gives the bike a more upright ‘sports touring’ seating style. Another confused supersports?
Concept R25 showcased at Auto Expo 2014
The tank design, again, comes with more chiselled profile than the smooth flow of the concept. The air intake under the headlight has more gape to it than the concept. The overall design of the production model, if it is the one indeed, has lost the smooth, gradual scoops replaced by abrupt, chiselled lines. It might please some, but I doubt if it will please many. Or perhaps, the machine will look better than its images.
The YZF-R25 is expected with a 250cc twin cylinder with a high power output, and being a twin cylinder, prices are also expected to be on the higher side. A cheaper option for Yamaha (rather us) would be to bring in the R25 with a 250cc single developing around 27-30 PS and wearing a price tag of, say, INR 1.70-1.90 lakhs.
A screengrab from the official teaser video
It is common for the manufacturers to tone down the styling when taking a concept into production. The new YZF-R25 might look more like the latest renderings on the motoblast.org. Accepted. But if you go about adding the cheaper single cylinder option with that look you have a mass seller all set to hit the bulls eye.
One hopes that Yamaha knows what’s expected of the parents of the still revered RX100 of old and deliver accordingly. By the way, the YZF-R25 is going to be launched/unveiled tomorrow. Stay tuned.
