New Yammies for the festive season

We told you in the September issue of the Motoroids2 e-mag that Yamaha is on the brink of launching the V-Max in India very soon. Well, here's the word from the horse's mouth! The Indian subsidy of Yamaha Motor has indeed put the V-Max up for grabs provided you have Rs. 20-lakh to spare for the torque monster. As for the colours, we are not sure whether its the 2009 or the 2010 liveries that will make their way into the peninsula, but since the engine remains unchanged for the upcoming year, rest assured that you are getting the same bang for the buck as the biking brotherhood outside India.

Also joining the V-Max on the Indian showroom floors are two new limited production colour schemes of the FZ16 and the Fazer. We have already posted pics of the LE FZ16 below this post. Stay tuned for pics of the Fazer LE...
In the meanwhile, feast your eyes on the hi-res wallpapers of the V-Max HERE.

Limited edition FZ16 photos

As mentioned earlier about the Limited Edition Yamahas, we finally get our hands on the photos of the new limited edition FZ16!

Special thanks to our reader, Aditya Nath for the pictures!!

The Yamaha Fazer 250 story - more information

The question that everyone's been asking after reading about the possible launch of the Fazer 250 on Motoroids is when exactly are they going to introduce it. Well, the 10th Auto Expo is just around the corner, and there cannot be a better platform for the Japanese company to launch the big bike. They'll also showcase what they have in store for the coming years for India.

The Fazer is selling well for Yamaha India with a waiting period of well over 30 days. If a well-styled 150, priced so optimistically can sell so well, we don't think the blokes at Yamaha will have much problem introducing a bigger engine in the same bike for a higher price. And a well styled half-faired bike, with a fuel injected 250cc torquey single, priced in the region of Rs 1 lakh sounds like the perfect offering for someone who wants an all-rounder. FI would mean that the bike won't go breathless, be it while scaling the altitudes of the Himalayas, or while cruising through the highways at sea level - a virtue that's perfect for touring. The well-sorted dynamics and wide rubber on the Fazer would mean that it'll be a great corner carver for the weekends as well.

Yamaha are also planning to increase sales in the 100cc segment as nothing below the Gladiator is moving out of the showrooms. Yamaha are looking very keenly at the scooter segment as well. We have a fair idea of what exactly they want to do in those two segments. Stay tuned for the updates..

Click here for the first part of the Yamaha story about the Fazer 250

Click here to read about Yamaha India's scooter strategy for India.

Visit www.motoroids.com to download India's first bike e-magazine, absolutely free!

Scoop! Yamaha mulling the Fazer 250 for India

We all know that Yamaha sells the Fazer 250 in the international market. And we were as disappointed as all of you when the Fazer was launched in India with the small 150cc powerplant of the FZ16. Well, it seems all of us have a reason to cheer, as we've heard reports that Yamaha is seriously considering equipping the bike with a bigger 250cc mill. Our sources have told us that the bike with the bigger, single cylinder 250cc fuel-injected engine is currently at ARAI, undergoing testing, probably even homologation.

The Fazer's chassis, suspension and other cycle parts are strong enough to take the bigger engine, and adding a 250 single to the package with a price tag of close to 1 lakh will make the project sufficiently feasible for Yamaha India. At that price, there will be quite a few takers for the bike as well to generate the requisite volumes for the Japanese bikemaker.

The recently launched Fazer is touted as a touring bike by Yamaha, and the bigger engine will actually endow it with the biggest virtue of a touring bike - bucketloads of torque. The fuel injected single cylinder engine produces roughly 22PS at 7500 rpm. Even after being detuned for the inferior quality Indian fuel, we can expect a healthy peak power output of 20PS, which would probably make the Fazer the fastest production bike in the country. But the more important thing is 20Nm of peak torque that'll make the Fazer a potent tourer with its strong mid-range surge and weight lugging capabilities. Both FZ 16 and the current Fazer are bikes with well-sorted dynamics. A few alterations with the position of the handlebar and footpegs should make the them competent corner carvers as well.

We think Yamaha will make subtle changes to the design of the current FZ and Fazer when they introduce the bigger version. The FZ would still be a streetfighter and the Fazer would be a half-faired machine, but there would be distinguishing elements to make the bigger machines stand out. Yamaha India have a medium-term strategy of introducing a new bike every six months. The new launches will be in line with the strategy. Either the FZ or the Fazer 250 will be launched first, followed by the bigger engined version of the other bike.

We have plenty of dope on Yamaha's other plans for India as well. Click here for the second part of the story..

Click here to read about Yamaha India's scooter strategy for India.

Visit www.motoroids.com to download India's first ever bike magazine - absolutely free!

Yamaha India launches the FZ16

The wait for India's most radical street bike is over! Yamaha India has finally unveiled the FZ16 at an ex-showroom price of 65,000. The specs are similar to what we revealed to earlier. Our contributor Rash will give you a first ride report soon...

Till then visit Yamaha's webiste for more info HERE.

Complete Specs HERE.

More FZ16 details

100 Octane brings you more info on the soon to be launched FZ16.

Here they are:

Engine:

Engine: 153.7 CC four-stroke, air-cooled, single-cylinder, 2 valves, SOHC

ESTIMATED Power: 15PS @ 8,400 RPM

Gearbox: 5-speed

Fuel System: 26mm CV Carb

Wheels, Tyres and Brakes:

Wheels (F/R): 5-spoke 17" die-cast alloys

Tyres(F/R): 100/60-R17, 140-60-R17

Brakes(F/R): 267mm single cross-drilled ventilated rotor with 2-pot calipers / 130mm drum

Suspension:

Front: 41mm Telescopic Forks

Rear: Monocross type

Electricals:

Headlight: 12V 35W Halogen with Multifocal Reflector

Exhaust System:

Mid Ship type, side mounted

Tank:

Construction: 3-piece

Capacity: 13 litres

Additional info:

1. Fully digital console with digital readout for RPM, Speed, Trip and Odo.

2. YTPS: Yamaha Throttle Position Sensor, for better throttle response and fuel efficiency

Expected price:

Rs. 70,000 ex-showroom