Honda’s CBR250R has been warmly received in North America, its sophisticated design, manageable size and reasonable price no doubt being factors.
Well, in India the diminutive Honda sport bike is white hot.
Since Honda Motorcycle India Ltd. (the firm that took over distribution from Hero Honda) announced it was taking bookings on the new bike on January 1, riders in India have reserved 1,800 of the single-cylinder CBRs.
To put things into perspective, Bajaj Auto, distributor of the Ninja 250R in India, sold 1,000 of the quarter-litre Kawasakis in 2010.
Industry insiders in India attribute the CBR’s popularity primarily to its pricing. It sells for 150,000 Rs ($3,300 CDN) without ABS, which is about half what the Ninja 250R sells for. But they also noted that the Honda’s success is an indication that the Indian market is ready for more powerful, large-displacement machines.
Bookings do not necessarily translate into sales, though the high interest in the machine, in one of the world’s fastest growing motorcycle markets, may be an indication of how it does worldwide.
