Last November, we showed you the “concept” Yamaha R25 displayed at the Tokyo Motor Show. The bike looked production ready, and Yamaha even produced a video of Valentino Rossi riding it.
Yesterday, Yamaha unveiled the YZF-R25 production machine in Indonesia. It features a 249 cc, parallel-twin, 8-valve, liquid cooled engine putting out a claimed 36 hp at 12,o00 rpm. A six-speed transmission delivers power to the rear wheel.
A short wheelbase and a claimed curb weight of just 345 pounds promises lively handling. For now, this is an Asian product, but don’t expect Yamaha to sit on the sidelines of the burgeoning U.S. market for small displacement motorcycles. Will we get one with a full 300 cc to take on the Kawasaki Ninja 300? Time will tell.
It seems that most comments are from folk that have never been to Indonesia?It is a different world and the roads are mostly like being way back in time.In the end I wonder if this 250 will be able to keep up with the popular and cheaper ‘Ninja’ 150 that is very popular with the performance bike ground in Indonesia?It may seem like only a few dollars more to most folks reading this?But imagine if your salary was but $200.00 per month,or less?From that perspective the few hundred bucks are huge!
Why did Yamaha launch its new product in Indonesia?
It is the fourth-most populated country in the world, has lots of small displacement bikes and is Yamaha’s largest market.
That makes sense…
Thanks, Jeremy…
Does anyone remember the FZR400.
It was a wonderful motorcycle .
Put a 400 in this nice little pkg and I’m in.
36 HP? believe that when I see it.42,000 miles on my ’08 dos fitty Ninja and still ticking. Yamaha is too late to the party, again.
It doesn’t say “at the wheel” so while 37hp at the crank would be a lot, it’s not impossible. The Ninja 300 dynos at 34hp so it’s making well over 40hp @ the crank.
I ride a Ninja 250R every day and I love it. It is the most fun bike in my stable of 4 Ninja’s.
It has enough power for MOST situations except for short-notice passing. Passing cars demands a plan and some room to get up to speed.
Riders of small bikes know this: get up to speed AND STAY THERE. This bike, like it’s twin brother Kawasaki, when ridden like that, are TONS of fun, and I mean metric ass tons!
I see zero difference between this Yamaha and the Gen II NInja 250’s, and either one will make you smile.
Oh, and 60mpg at WFO.
me too, most fun I have ever had riding on the street and I have been riding for 42 years
I know it’s built to a price, but I wish they would do a V instead of parallel. These (Yam/Kaw) have hit home runs. I really like these bikes and hope to find one used not abused cheap enough to justify it. My commutes are short enough for a bicycle.
it seems they would more likely to offer a triple than a V-Twin
(I ride an SV1000N)
Honda did the VTR 250 “Baby Interceptor” back in the early 90’s. It was a sweet little bike but a parallel twin is smaller and more practical (one valvetrain). The crank can be clocked to mimic the firing order/balance of a V-engine, as was done with the Yamaha MT-07.
I had a baby Interceptor and loved it. Started 3 riders out on it, and learned a lot about street riding on it. I just wish they’d come out with it again. I sold it to a friend to start his son street riding with the understanding it would be sold back to me if it left. I’ve got a whole garage of V-Twins, Buells, Ducs, SV, RC51 and an airhead BMW. At least Yamaha didn’t go the single route.
Yamaha knows all about v-twins.
Google SRV250 for a tasty non-cruiser.
Something tells me it would work better than the half-decent Hyosung GT250.
Its the best looking of the bunch by far….IMHO
Agreed. The last period of time (Let say from YZF-R1) Yamaha motorcycles look much better then competitors in terms of finish.
I wish entry level bikes had looked like this back in 1997. Freshman year of college I got a Ninja 500 which didn’t look as cool as its bigger brothers and at the time, that was the worst thing about the bike to me.
Good to see they’re upping the looks on newer small bikes, which let’s honest can be a big drawback to younger riders.
re: “Good to see they’re upping the looks on newer small bikes, which let’s honest can be a big drawback to younger riders.”
yes, Yamaha seems to understand that their competition isn’t simply limited to other manufacturers…? FAAAR more threating is the “Retina Display” and the “Super Amoled” screen.
threatening.
Snoooooooze yaaaaahhhhhwn. Wake me when it’s over.
Glad you’re in the minority. My 75hp Ducs and Buells would have you fast asleep, while I’m out grinning like an idiot on a bike that can see full throttle occasionally.
1981 RD250LC was 35hp and about the same weight. Could be fun!
This is so impressive. To think that their last 250 sport bike in the US (the lovely SRX250) made less than half the power. Let’s never mind the fact that it was 300 pounds, wet…
I’d trade my Ducati Monster in on one I’m a heartbeat.
The US model SRX 250 was detuned to 22hp at the crank while the Japan model made around 28 for the first generation. Substituting the XT350 cams in the US bike brings it up to around 26hp and adds 1500rpm on the power range. Mine has a 31hp TT350 engine in it and 17″ wheels front and rear. So at under 300 pounds wet, it’s big fun.
I just found my next project bike!
You have to cut the swingarm lug off the engine cases(easy)and make a couple of mount plates but other than that it’s a bolt up for either an XT350 (lot’s of those around) or a TT350 (just 2 years) You also loose the electric starter and have to convert to the dirt bike charging system and ignition but it’s worth it. Good luck!
I am keeping an eye out for another SRX250. They are not cheap anymore it seems.
That was a sweet bike, got lots of stares for those who like to be noticed. Just don’t ask too much of it.
I read somewhere you can drop in an XT350 jug. Did not know about swapping the cam. Thanks.
Sorry Johnny, the 350 cylinder won’t drop on to the 250 cases. The absolute best cams are the ’84 XT250L. With those the SRX will squeek out 27hp at the crank.
I actually expecting it to look more like the R125 (UE) version..
this one look more like a step back compared to Europe R125 design.
I hope they dont just put 300cc engine in there and call it a day for US version.
its like a skinny R1.
Cool. Let’s hope it arrives in the USA soon!
Yamaha has trademarked “R3” for the USA and Euro markets, so expect to see a 300cc version this year or next. I’ll bet it would be rated around 38 hp and would weigh close to the Ninja’s 380 pounds wet. I’d expect pricing between $4990 and $5490.
Bought for the looks, and yes it’s not in the performance league you want
and in a side note…
There is so many people who are very handy in mods, what would it take to grab something light like an aprilia 125 frame and put in it a good power to weight engine…
Or is it that something like the ktm 690 it’s the peak of power to weight ratio? in a not uber expensive machine.
from the page 149.5 kg for 67HP.
Wet weight of 300# and 40+ HP would be a nice target for this bike. Could we get the big bore (400cc) version with the aluminum frame please?
the only way you get that kind of hp from a 4-stroke 250 is as a 4 cyclinder. See the golden era of 250cc machines where you had the likes of the CBR250R, Ninja 250, Balius, Zeal, Bandit 250 etc, all making peak power at >16k rpm and some redlining at 19k. Great fun to ride as a beginner because you feel like you are going much faster than you really are, and you get a lot of practice changing gears. But in a practical sense, having almost no power below 10k rpm makes them a pain to ride in traffic if you don’t feel like being a boy racer that day.
by ninja 250, I am of course referring to the ZX2-R and RR from the 90s (not the parallel twin from a few years ago). I should also mention the GSX-R250 and the FZR250. Great fun, but kinda ridiculous little bikes.
Four cylinder 250s were getting up around 45hp.
..and you had to squeeze them really, really hard to get that juice from them.
Hmmmm. Other sites are reporting 166kg curb weight or 366 lbs rather than the 345 lbs reported here. I hope Motorcycle Daily is correct.
Bring it to the US as a 350 for $5000 or less.
$6000 and that’s my final offer.