Honda has unveiled the updated CBR 150R in the Indonesian market. The 2019 iteration of Honda’s 150cc sports bike features a revised fairing and some mechanical changes as well as new graphics and colour schemes.
The 150R now gets a colour back-light for the digital instrument console and a taller windscreen for better protection against wind blast at high speeds. Sharper new dual LED headlamps with LED turn indicators are also new on the CBR. The new colour schemes on offer are Matte Black, Victory Black Red, Honda Racing Red and a MotoGP edition.
The 2019 CBR 150R features a muscular fuel tank and a dual-tone finished exhaust. There is also a revised fairing on offer as part of the update. Suspension duties are carried out by a telescopic fork and a monoshock. The new CBR 150R is also said to get adjustable front and rear suspension, but it isn't clear yet what this adjustability involves. In terms of braking, the bike is equipped with petal front and rear discs, ABS and a new emergency stop signal (ESS) which flashes the brake light.
The 2019 CBR 150R is powered by a 149cc, single-cylinder, DOHC, liquid-cooled engine that makes 17.1hp at 9,000rpm and 14.4Nm of torque at 7,000rpm. This is a good deal lower than the 19.3hp and 15Nm that the Yamaha R15 V3.0 has to offer. The motorcycle comes mated to a 6-speed gearbox.
Prices for the 2019 CBR 150R in Indonesia start at Rp 33,800,000 (about Rs 1.63 lakh) for the standard variant and go up to Rp 38,700,000 (approx. Rs 1.87 lakh) for the MotoGP edition.
Honda hasn't revealed any India plans yet, however, we believe there is a good case to be made for the CBR 150R in India as a rival to the Yamaha R15, if Honda can get the pricing right. It is possible that we may see this bike in our market in 2019.
Azaman Chothia
Vishal Venugopal
Ved Janve
