Yamaha India plans to launch scooters

In our previous posts, we had discussed how Yamaha India plans to up the ante in the performance segment by plonking in a fuel injected 250cc single in its Fazer and FZ models. But that's not all Yamaha India plans to do. While 150cc and bigger engined bikes can create an enviable brand name for Yamaha, the volumes and profits in the great Indian two-wheeler market are still primarily governed by the 100-125cc bikes and scooters (as demonstrated by Honda). Suzuki, the third Japanese player in the Indian two-wheeler market has been banking on its Access scooter to generate volumes and the ploy seems to have worked rather well for the manufacturer. Now, Yamaha India also seems keen on taking a leaf out of Honda and Suzuki's books and claim its share in the scooter market by introducing some new models.

We cannot be sure about what exactly Yamaha India have in store for the Indian market, but we have seen the Yamaha Vino, Mio and Nouvo models (from the South East Asian market) parked in a Yamaha showroom earlier this year.



Yamaha Mio
Displacement 113cc
Max Power 8.13PS @8000 rpm
Max torque 7.53Nm @6500 rpm

The Mio/Mio Soul of these scooters has a good chance to make it to India, but we suspect Yamaha is also looking at its European scooter lineup to pick the most suitable scooters for India.


Our sources have told us that the 50cc BW's series is one of the strongest contenders for the entry level market.



Yamaha BW's series
Displacement 49.2cc
Max power 3.67PS@6800 rpm
Max torque 4.0Nm@5000 rpm

We think that higher up the ladder the 125cc fuel injected Cygnus X or the Vity will make the cut as their styling and specs are more suited to the Indian taste.
We're still trying to get some more information on the exact scooter models that Yamaha is mulling for India. One thing, however, is sure - we'll soon witness Yamaha scooters zipping on the India roads. We expect an early-mid 2010 launch for these machine in the Indian market.



Yamaha Cygnus X
Engine type Air cooled, 4 stroke single cylinder
Displacement 125 cc
Maximum power 10.88PS@8,500 rpm
Maximum torque 9.3Nm@7,500 rpm



Yamaha Vity
Displacement 125 cc
Maximum power 8.7PS@7,500 rpm
Maximum torque 9.2Nm@ 6,000 rpm


Click here for the Motoroids lowdown on the Yamaha Fazer 250.

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Venom GT to be faster than the Bugatti Veyron?

The debut supercar from any low-volume ultra-exclusive supercar maker (read Ascari, Koenigsegg, Pagani) is preceded by claims to beat the best 0-100 acceleration and top-speed figures. Following the trend, American tuning firm Hennessey, better known for tinkering with Cadillacs, Corvettes and Dodges is now planning a supercar, to be introduced at the next Geneva Motor Show.

The mid-engined two-seater, christened the Venom GT will be powered by a V8 dishing out a claimed 1,200bhp. Hennessey claim that the new car with so much power and a kerb-weight of less than 1100 Kg will take no more than 2.4 seconds to hit the 100kph mark from a standstill and should be good for a top speed of 272mph.

Those figures could easily shame a Veyron, but as you would assume, its easier said than done. Hennessey have made some real tall claims, let's see whether they manage to live up to them.

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!

Shock News! Michael Shumacher cancels F1 return

Seven times F1 champion Michael Schumacher isn't filling in for Felipe Massa anymore! In a shock disclosure he said that the injuries sustained due to his bike accidents in recent past are too severe to withstand the extreme stress which is an integral part of F1 racing. Here's what the Champion had to say.

"Yesterday evening, I had to inform Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo and Team Principal Stefano Domenicali that unfortunately I'm not able to step in for Felipe. I really tried everything to make that temporary comeback possible, however, much to my regret it didn't work out. Unfortunately we did not manage to get a grip on the pain in the neck which occurred after the private F1-day in Mugello, even if medically or therapeutically we tried everything possible.

The consequences of the injuries caused by the bike-accident in February, fractures in the area of head and neck, unfortunately have turned out to be still too severe. That is why my neck cannot stand the extreme stresses caused by Formula 1 yet. This are the clear results of the examinations we did on the course of the past two weeks and the final examination yesterday afternoon. As there were no improvements after the day in Mugello, I decided at short notice on Sunday to do that thorough examination already yesterday.

I am disappointed to the core. I am awfully sorry for the guys of Ferrari and for all the fans which crossed fingers for me. I can only repeat that I tried everything that was within my power. All I can do now is to keep my fingers crossed for the whole team for the coming races."

We are sad. Check out http://www.michaelschumacher.de for more information.

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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.

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Aprilia RSV4 Tuono - latest spy pictures

Motorcyclismo.it have spotted the Aprilia RSV4 Tuono on the Misano race track. In its most clear snaps, the Tuono reveals its intricate detailing. The bike in the pictures doesn't have Ohlins suspension and Brembo monobloc radial calipers which were seen on the bike which was spotted by another website earlier. This bike uses a cheaper set of underpinnings, which suggests that a cheaper variant of the bike will be available.

The Tuono retains the angular low-slung exhaust of the RSV4 superbike. While the test bike doesn;t have much of a paintjob over it, expect the finished product to have exquisite colour coating.

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

Apache RTR to get performance kits a la Yamaha R15

TVS Apache RTR is soon to get a performance upgrade on the lines of the Yamaha R15 performance kit introduced recently. The RTR 180 as it is, is a nifty performer and gives the bigger 220s a good run for their money. With the performance upgrade, we expect it to be the outright performance king on the Indian streets. The company was supposed to launch the performance kit some time back, but postponed the launch due to some internal reasons. But our sources tell us that the kits will be out sooner than you think. And we don't even expect them to be half as expensive as the obscenely priced R15 upgrades. The Yamaha has a scare we'd reckon.

The RTR in its stock form produces about 17.5 PS or power. We expect the power to exceed 20PS with the kits. That'll endow the RTR with screaming performance and probably make it the fastest bike on sale in India in a straight line, as well as around a racetrack. We are keeping our finger crossed!

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

BMW to take Japanese bike manufacturers head on

In a recent development, some highly placed BMW Motorrad officials have stated that they are not going to be content in being a niche player anymore, and that they want to take the Japanese Big Four head on in the international superbike arena. BMW is planning to price their S1000RR superbike bang in the price range of the 2010 Yamaha R1 to give the hot selling Japanese bike a good run for its money. The company is also injecting fresh, young blood in its marketing setup to connect better with the new generation. We see an interesting battle of SBKs brewing up. It's going to be fun!

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

Yamaha MotoGP bikes now as powerful as the Ducatis - says Rossi

Valentino Rossi thinks that the performance of his MotoGP YZR-M1 engine is at par with the Ducatis now. The Ducatis have been having a massive advantage over their Japanese rivals in terms of straight line performance ever since the 800cc bikes were introduced in 2007.

While the previous season was a bit of a struggle for Yamaha, this year the Rossi-Lorezo duo of the Japanese firm have managed to win six out of ten races. Rossi says that the Yamaha team has become very strong this season. The key reason for that, according to Rossi was largely down to Yamaha making big improvements to the power delivery and acceleration of this year’s YZR-M1.

The eight-times world champion told UK based MCN "We have improved the engine a lot but we have really made big progress with improving the acceleration. It looks like the Ducati might still be a little bit faster, but we are more or less on the same level. Last year was different, and especially two years ago it was a lot different."

Porsche 911 Turbo 2010 - First pictures out!

These are the first pictures of the new Porsche 911 Turbo which is the fastest, sharpest and the most brutal 911 to have seen the light of the day. the Ferraris, Lamborghinis and the GT-Rs of the world have a new scare!

The new car will feature a twin-turbo direct injection 3.8-litre flat six engine. The engine, picked basically from the Carrera S has revised variable-vane twin turbochargers to increase responsiveness and power. The result is a 20bhp boost in power, which is now rated at 493bhp.

According to Porsche sources, the new cars will have a more playful character compared with the outgoing version with power biased more towards the rear wheels. A six-speed manual gearbox is standard and a seven-speed dual-clutch PDK is optional. The gear ratios have been revised and the clutches are larger when compared with the other 911s.

Also, as a first, the 911 gets proper paddle shifters, replacing the flawed button shifters to change gears in PDK models. The paddle shifters come at no extra cost. The new 911 turbo now does a 0-100km/h sprint in a super quick 3.4 seconds, about 0.3 seconds quicker than the older version. The top speed too has increased by 2mph to 194mph.

Stay tuned for more pictures, wallpapers and news on the new 911 Turbo