Yamaha wants to launch Honda CBR650F rival in India

After launching scooters and mass market motorcycles, Yamaha is showing a great deal of interest in bigger displacement bikes. The Japanese motorcycle manufacturer has shown interest in launching a motorcycle that will compete with the CBR650F in India.

This information was revealed by the president of Yamaha Motor Research & Development India, Yasuo Ishihara, during an interview with Autocarpro.

“Honda has recently launched the CBR 650F (in India) and we want to catch up. If everybody in our company agrees, then we can introduce such a model very quickly as we have it in other countries. Initially, we can bring it as a CKD,” said the top honcho.

While Ishihara didn’t reveal the bike they have in mind for the India market, we believe it could be the Yamaha FZ6R. Just like the Honda CBR650F, the Yamaha FZ6R is a sports tourer. It is powered by a 600cc liquid-cooled inline-four cylinder engine that produces 77bhp at 10,000rpm and a peak torque of 60Nm at 8,5000rpm. This engine is mated to a six-speed gearbox that transfers power to the rear wheel via a chain drive.

Just like the recently launched YZF-R3, we are expecting Yamaha will assemble the FZ6R in India, in case it decides to launch here. When it comes to pricing, Yamaha might price it slightly lower than the CBR650F to take away few customers from Honda.