Here’s How Yamaha Could Price Its Big Bikes In India

Yamaha showcased the R7 and MT-07 at a dealer event in Chennai last week, hinting that the bikes could debut in our market later this year. This is the first time that the Japanese bikemaker will be stepping in this segment in India, and here’s a lowdown on how Yamaha could price these bikes:

The Kawasaki Z650 is one of the most popular motorcycle in the 650cc naked segment. Over the last few years, we have seen new competitors emerge, like the Honda CB650R, Triumph Trident 660, Aprilia Tuono 660 and more recently, the Moto Morini Seiemmezzo 6 ½ Retro.

Moto Morini is a new brand, and hence, is yet to find its takers. But the other bikes on the list, except for the Tuono 660, have been selling well. Now, a big reason for the relatively competitive pricing is the fact that these bikes are assembled here. Meanwhile, Aprilia has been importing the Tuono 660 here, which results in such a high price.

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Yamaha too is likely to follow Aprilia’s path with its big bikes, and bring these bikes as CBU (Completely Built Units). We expect the MT-07 to be priced at around Rs 8 lakh (ex-showroom), which wouldn’t make it as expensive as the Honda CB650R and the Tuono 660, but make it more expensive than most bikes in the segment.

Same stands for the MT-07’s faired sibling, the R7. However, there isn’t much competition to this bike, except for the Kawasaki Ninja 650, Honda CBR650R and Aprilia RS 660. We reckon this supersport could demand Rs 9 lakh (ex-showroom). 

Both the bikes share the same 698cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin engine producing 73.4PS and 67Nm. While the naked gets basic hardware and electronics, the R7 comes armed to the gills and features fully-adjustable suspension and even an optional quickshifter.

Interestingly, Yamaha is also gearing up to introduce the MT-09 in India. Now, this bike will lock horns with the Kawasaki Z900 which is the best-selling naked motorcycle in the segment. Yamaha MT-09 is a new 899cc liquid-cooled 3-cylinder crossplane engine. The extra 49cc has resulted in a total power output of 119PS at 10,000rpm. That’s 4PS more than the smaller Euro 4-compliant 847cc engine in its predecessor. 

Now, the Kawasaki Z900 packs more performance but is priced at Rs 9.11 lakh (ex-showroom), whereas Yamaha could price the MT-09 around Rs 13 lakh. This would make the Yamaha bike quite an expensive proposition. And if the company decides to bring the SP variant too, it could demand up to Rs 16 lakh. All Yamaha big bikes are expected to debut in India by July 2023.