Apart from the five most awaited 250 to 400 cc motorcycles that are currently on test on Indian roads, Yamaha has started testing a mysterious mule which has been snapped second time in India, by Overdrive.
In our last report we have debunked the possibility of this being a new (150 cc) FZ and that it doesn’t appear to be the M-Slaz (not even customised for our market) which is sold in some India-like markets. So, what could this be? Let us analyse…
From the new spy pics that have surfaced, we have the following pointers to highlight…
- It is confirmed to be riding a single cylinder engine (since it is clearly visible now) and not a dual cylinder mill.
- Considering those two pipes near the crank case, it appears to be an air-cooled engine supported by an oil-cooler – a cost effective set-up we have seen on Pulsar 220 and Karizma ZMR.
- The styling does have a few cues of the FZ and the MT-03 whereas the headlamp is from the M-Slaz but it is an all-new bike which is not sold anywhere in the world and nobody knows about its exact whereabouts (read specifications!).
- It gets front and rear disc brakes and fatter tyres and going by the build and size, it fits in the 200 to 300 cc segment.
- The split seats, high raised handlebar and slightly rear-set footpegs give it an entry-level streetbike kinda look.
Do we have some New Dope?
This brings us to the most important part of the article – the engine and its resemblance with Fazer 250 of Brazil. We searched through various Yamaha motorcycles on sale in India-like countries and Fazer 250 struck us like a brother. Not exactly in terms of looks but that engine does have a lot of similarities. From the crank case cover to the nut bolts, oil cooler jackets, engine inclination and some other bits it does appear to probably be the same or similar motor.
So, if we have to concoct the dots, Yamaha may just be preparing a new 250 cc streetfighter for our market with parts from FZ, MT03 and M-Slaz. The good news is that it is a single cylinder 250 cc engine which will be a lot cheaper and if they can produce it (the motorcycle and the engine) here it can rival the likes of KTMs and others in terms of pricing as well.
In terms of specs, Brazilian Fazer 250 is powered by a 249.45 cc SOHC 2-valve mill capable of churning out about 20.7 PS of power at 8000 rpm and 20.5 Nm of maximum torque at 6500 rpm. These are pretty low for the current market and we are sure, if this is the same engine, Yamaha will up the figures to some competitive range. Further, it is fuel injected and has a 5-speed transmission. It must be noted that only the engine of Fazer appears to be similar to this test mule, rest of the components like frame and the overall design is very different.
This platform can also spawn other single cylinder (near) 250 ccs, probably faired as well for a more rounded-up portfolio. As is obvious, this Fazer-engined motorcycle will sit between the massive gap between R15 and R3 and can capitalise on the growing demand of the entry-level reasonably powerful and relatively affordable near quarter liter segment.
So, in essence, how do you foresee a new single cylinder 250 cc motorcycle from Yamaha which can adorn the brand name of FZ 250 or something else?
Next Read: Yamaha R15 V3 Confirmed for the First Time; Will be Higher on Performance & Safety
