Following the government’s decision to slash import duties on CBUs, Yamaha has dropped prices of its two big bikes for India –the YZF-R1 and the MT-09. The revised prices of the YZF-R1 and MT-09 stand at Rs 18.16 lakh and Rs 9.55 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). It is a whopping 2.56 lakh and 1.32 lakh price drop, which is good news to prospective customers.
The 2018 YZF-R1 has a MotoGP derived 998cc inline 4-cylinder engine that cranks out 197.2bhp and 112.4Nm of peak twist and comes mated to a 6-speed gearbox. The con-rods in the engine are made of titanium alloy, which Yamaha claims is 60 per cent lighter than steel. It also gets its MotoGP cousin’s high volume air intake. The motorcycle is constructed around a delta box frame and weighs just 200kg (kerb). The price reduction gives the R1 an edge over the Ducati Panigale V4 and the Aprilia RSV4 RR, which retail at Rs 20.53 lakh (ex-showroom, India) and Rs 21.29 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).
The MT-09 gets an 847cc crossplane 3-cylinder liquid cooled engine that belts out 113.4bhp and 87.5Nm and comes mated to a 6-speed transmission. With its price drop, the MT-09 has a slight cost advantage over its nearest rival, the Triumph Street Triple S, which retails at Rs 8.71 lakh (ex-showroom, India). Expect more big-bike manufacturers with CBUs in their line-up to follow suit.