While Honda Siel Cars India easily had the most boring stall amongst all car manufacturers, whereas the bike stall at Honda made all the media persons and auto enthusiasts surprised unveiling the CBR150R at the Auto Expo 2012 held at Delhi. Honda CBR150R looks very promising and many prospective buyers were waiting for this 150cc bike from last 2 years. The company will launch the 2012 Honda CBR150R premium sports motorcycle in March 2012.
Already Honda has launched the 2012 model of the CBR150R in Thailand and the design of new bike seems to be inspired from the Honda’s VFR series which gives look of a big engine bike. Like its elder bro CBR 250R, Honda CBR150R will be available in two variants – Standard and Deluxe.
Its features a liquid cooled, DOHC four valve 150cc four stroke engine, very similar to the the CBR250R. The single cylinder, fuel injected engine produces a peak power of 18 PS and a peak torque of 13 Nm. The peak power is slightly higher than the R15′s 17 Bhp-15 Nm and so is the kerb weight which at 138 kgs makes the CBR150R 2 kilograms heavier than the R15. The CBR150R however does have a few advantages when compared to the R15, which prospective buyers would want to consider.
The Honda CBR150R is going to compete head on with Karizma ZMR & R15 if Honda India keeps the price of CBR150R around Rs. 1,20,000 for standard model, considering the fact that it features a liquid cooled 150cc engine. The deluxe variant is expected to be priced around 1,22,500 rupees.
In terms of design and styling it seems that Honda designers had superbike VFR1200F in mind while designing the CBR150R. It features similar looking headlight, tail lamp, engine cowl and front fairing. 2012 New CBR150R will be the most handsome looking 150cc bike in India. The small exhaust pipe design looks awesome which has been finished in chrome to give it upmarket look. It also features step-up seat which gives CBR150R a sporty touch with split grab rail which further enhances the looks of the bike. The updated CBR150R has the VFR1200F’s distinct headlight design while the body panels reflect the CBR lineage.
Apart from the stylish and fully faired design, it also features a very neat instrument cluster which is dominated by the analogue tachometer in centre and digital speedometer is placed below it. The orange backlight for the screen looks very cool especially at night.
The Honda CBR150R uses telescopic shocks at the front while the rear is a monoshock one. 4-level adjustable monoshock suspension offers more dynamic and responsive road handling even in challenging road conditions. Brakes are discs at both the front and rear, sized 276mm at the front and 220mm at the rear. Most of the high end bikes in India now feature disc brakes like we have seen in Apache RTR 180, Bajaj Pulsar 220, Hero Honda Karizma ZMR & Yamaha R15.
First of all, the seating position of the CBR150R mirrors the CBR250R, which means that it isn’t as radical as the R15. While the obvious trade off will be that the riding position might not be the best one for track use, it will deliver more comfort in day to day conditions and for touring. Also, the pillion seat of the CBR150R will be more useful than the joke of a seat that the R15 Version 2.0 comes with. These two factors might tilt the balance in favour of the CBR150R for those who might want a stylish, fully faired motorcycle for commuting on weekdays and touring on the weekends.
Shades available in New 2012 Honda CBR150R –
New 2012 Honda CBR150R Standard –
New 2012 Honda CBR150R Deluxe –
Also see – 2012 Auto Expo – Honda Motorcycles unveils 7 new products, including CBR150R
See more pictures of New 2012 Honda CBR150R –
Video of test ride new 2012 Honda CBR150R –
