Yamaha FZ 150 motorcycle launch in November 2008

Yamaha FZ 150 motorcycle will debut in India in later half of 2008 at an expected price of Rs 90,000 and Rs 70,000 on-road Delhi.

3 March, 2008

After the big news of the upcoming launch of the Yamaha YZF-R15, almost nothing else seems worth waiting for – and then you see the Yamaha FZ 150 cc motorcycle. You can see the official photo f the FZ 150 above - you know what I am talking about.

More than a decade back, I rode around on the streets f Mumbai, shit-scared, on a BMW F650 Funduro. The bike cost more than Rs 4 lakhs, and was an unqualified disaster when it came to sales. But it had a stance which reminded Mumbaikars of a stallion. Crowds gathered wherever I parked it.

The Yamaha FZ revealed for the first time at Auto Expo 2008 – they call it a prototype – reminded me of the F650 with its color scheme and upright stance. But the FZ looks more modern for sure. Yamaha says that the FZ 150 is just a prototype. Nobody in the motoring press believes them. Chances are, this 150 cc air-cooled motorcycle will make it into production towards the end of 2008.

You have basically the same engine as the YZF-R15 Yamaha on the Yamaha FZ 150, but this is more a road-and-track motorcycle than the YZF, which has racing pretensions even in the 150 cc guise.

So what you have is a motorcycle that will take on the Pulsars directly, and will tempt the owners of the regular econo-miser 150 cc motorcycles. The Yamaha FZ 150 will have a 5-speed gearbox which will put some 16-18 bp on the road – enough to become the performance 150cc king. The expected price (absolutely unconfirmed, and based on rumors, etc etc) is Rs 70,000 on-road in Delhi.

One advice: If you can hold on to your motorcycle purchase decision for a while, do so till you hear about the YZF R15 and the FZ from Yamaha. They might both be path-breaking motorcycles in India, and you don't want to feel bad about not buying them. Wait for a bit, it'll be worth it.