Thailand grants citizenship to half a million people – but not farangs

[blackpanda]

http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-news-new-bikes/yamaha-confirms-250cc-sports-bike-again/22418.html

Just wondering if there is a possibility the bike might come to us her in Thailand. Thoughts and opinions.

[mania]

I know there has been rumors for a long time now.

This over a year ago..

http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/news/yamaha-250cc-sport-bike-confirmed-india/

But if the article you linked is right in their expectations & they plan

to follow the cbr250 in type ( single cylinder )

I think that would be too bad.

In the article they say...

"Indonesia has confirmed it is working on a 250cc sports bike – rivalling Honda's CBR250R and Kawasaki's Ninja 300"

They will not rival that 300 with a single cyl thumper

They need to raise the bar

Edited March 6, 2013 by mania

[NomadJoe]

With the tax break 250's get over larger displacement bikes, I would think it will be sold here.

[denkiblue555]

If they use the WR250R/X engine it may be ok....

I believe this engine is sort of 1/4 of the R1 engine??

Interesting none the less!

[BSJ]

Yamaha have dragged the chain for so long, allowing Honda to take the upper hand in the market. It would be a case of too little to later.

[blackpanda]

It would be kinda if hard to compete with Honda here in Thailand as the CBR s are made here and Yamaha would be making there bike in Indonesia.

Does anyone know if ASEAN could effect the prices, if sold here.

[CBR250R]

If they use the WR250R/X engine it may be ok....

I believe this engine is sort of 1/4 of the R1 engine??

Interesting none the less!

I personally would love to see Yamaha swap the WR250R/X engine into a YZR-R125 chassis and call it a YZR-R250. I have a WR250R and the engine is brilliant. The WR250R has character. Below 7000 rpm it feels like any other 250cc dual-sport. But between 7000-11,500RPM it turns into a mean, snarling, race bike - pulling very hard for a 250cc, single-cylinder dual-sport. So much fun. Yet it still retains all the characteristics many desire in a small, lightweight, reliable, and economical, great-handling bike.

The WR250R engine puts out almost 28 rear-wheel stock hp (see WR250X dyno link below). A full 3 more rear-wheel hp than the twin-cylinder

250 Ninja - yet boasts unmatched reliability (26,000 mile valve adjustment intervals!) and weighs around 300 lbs wet (about 60lbs less than

the CBR250R).

This would give a YZF-R250 a theoretical power-to-weight advantage over the Ninja 300.

Ninja 300.....35hp.....384lbs....10.97lbs/hp

YZF-R250....28hp.....300lbs....10.71lbs/hp

Quarter-Liter Supermoto Shootout -Motorcycle.com

Of course - a YZF-R250 based on the WR250R engine would be an expensive proposition for Yamaha. But......for me - I don't want yet another nice, well-balanced, friendly, all-round competent, inexpensive motorcycle-for-everyone, kind of bike - like the CBR250R.

The YZF-R125 in the U.K. is expensive. Yet - it's as if Yamaha built the bike this way: 1. Let's build the best, most exciting, modern, high tech, high

quality, reliable, 4-stroke, single-cylindered 125cc sportbike that has ever been built. 2. We know it will cost more - but so be it. We are passionate about building the "best" most exciting bike possible. Is this passion disappearing? If the YZR-R125 was available here - I'd have one already.

Granted, Yamaha would benefit from saving money on tooling costs, as the WR250R has been manufactured since 2008. They would

also benefit from economies of scale by introducing a YZF-R250 as a "world bike" and selling them across many markets. Production costs could be saved by building it in Thailand (i.e., CBR250R) or India (i.e., KTM Duke 390) too.

I’m older now, and have much more disposable income. I actually WANT to pay MORE money for a motorcycle. Rather than throwing away $5000 on something that seems uninspired (but affordable) – I want to spend $2000 more on something that makes me feel awed by a manufacturer's engineering and technological prowess. I would like to see a 250cc single from Yamaha that costs MORE than the CBR250R - where you actually get more with the bike (e.g., more power, lighter weight, higher quality components - more passion). Just like what Yamaha did with the WR250R. The WR250R is clearly a "better" bike than the CRF250L in terms of power, suspension quality, and weight. However, the CRF250L appears to be the "better" bike in terms of value. The question is - would there be a market for a WR250R based YZF-R250 if it cost more than the CBR250R - yet offered more?

Wishlist? Just make the ergonomics a little more comfortable - with a more upright seating position.

Mike