Is Honda CBR150R The Yamaha R15 Killer India Awaits?

The Yamaha R15 has been considered a benchmark in the small displacement sports motorcycle category. It’s agile, fast, fuel efficient and, most importantly, relatively accessible to the masses. Yamaha’s reliability ends up being another cherry on top. But is that the only option available for newcomers seeking a sportsbike? Honda doesn’t think so. 

Wind the clocks a decade back and Honda had two fearsome motorcycles pitted against the Yamaha R15. The CBR150R was essentially a more accessible alternative to the R15, whereas the CBR250R came with more power and torque. While the CBR250R achieved a cult following over the years, the CBR150R struggled to achieve sales despite offering similar levels of performance. Despite several cosmetic upgrades, Honda’s India division decided to pull the plug in 2017, thus letting the R15 dominate the segment. 

Overseas, Honda continued to upgrade these motorcycles, thus offering enticing options for beginner riders. For 2025, Honda updated the CBR150R to the latest specifications and the public has gone berserk about the motorcycle. Will Honda’s latest small capacity sportbike put up a strong competition to the ever dominant Yamaha R15?

Honda CBR150R: What does it offer?

Since the Yamaha R15 V4.0 takes inspiration from the flagship Yamaha R1, it was only logical for Honda to copy the homework. The CBR150R’s styling takes inspiration from the Honda Fireblade, featuring aggressively styled headlamps and aerodynamic bodywork. With the tempting Honda Tricolor and Silver colourways, the CBR150R has the potential to steal more hearts than Yamaha’s R15 ever did!

While our hearts are on the Honda Tricolor variant, the CBR150R’s party piece is the engine. Surprisingly, it makes a peak power of 16 bhp and 13.7 Nm of peak torque from the updated 149 CC engine. Paired with a 6-speed gearbox that comes equipped with a slip and assist clutch, this baby CBR’s performance is just shy of the R15’s performance figures, which stand out at 18.1 bhp of peak power and 14.2 Nm of peak torque. The 100/80 tyres on the front and 130/70 tyres on the rear also hint at the limited performance credentials of the Honda CBR150R.

Despite having a relatively tame performance profile, the CBR150R ensures top-notch safety measures, considering the engine class. You get dual-channel ABS as standard, and the USD forks promise to improve the handling experience. An emergency stop signal (ESS) measure is part of the feature list and riders get to enjoy a fully digital speedometer unit. 

While it may be easy to snub this baby Honda, the CBR150R provides a great starter platform for beginner riders interested in track riding, just like the Yamaha R15. 

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Will Honda bring the new CBR150R to India?

Based on Honda’s track record, the chances are highly unlikely that this CBR150R will make it to Indian shores. Honda’s two-wheeler division has struggled to price its products competitively in India and updates seldom come to the brand’s two-wheeler lineup. With a rise in demand for off-road-centric Adventure tourer motorcycles and street naked machines, India’s motorcycle market isn’t a great place for the traditional faired sportsbike. The Yamaha R15 has been the only player in the small displacement segment for a while and with doubt whether Honda is going to change anything. 

However, with rumours of KTM bringing a new RC160 to the market, Honda could undergo a change of heart and may bring back the legendary CBR name to India. 

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