2011 Yamaha R15 continues to draw heavy interest

Yamaha R15 is perhaps the ultimate sports bike for about a lakh of rupees. Way back in 2008, Yamaha introduced the YZF-R15, a step well appreciated by the biking community in India which had to do with the Apache and Pulsar, two home-grown motorcycles that were learning fast but by making mistakes.
Till date the R15 has not lost its charm and is still a head turner on any road. It is the sports bike that’s instantly recognized and ever since its introduction, everyone’s been asking for a bigger engine, which the company has not paid any mind to.
However the YZF-R15 has been accused of having thin tires, poor response at lower rpm and lack of any style at the rear section. Three years into its launch Yamaha, it seems, has finally decided to refresh the YZF-R15.

It all started when the first spy images of an odd-looking R15 were posted on the internet. The test mule was spotted repeatedly and the final product’s image in production form without any camouflage arrived soon after.

Polaris, Ducati target market in India

Polaris Industries and Ducati Motor Holding SpA are both focusing on sales in India during the coming year.

Polaris will be delivering completely built units of ATVs and Rangers to the country through a wholly-owned subsidiary by August or September, according to a report in The Hindu. The company has already targeted 25 cities and will narrow the candidates down to 10 for its initial dealerships in India, an industry source told the newspaper. Polaris has hired Pankaj Dubey from Yamaha India as its new chief in India and will open the subsidiary’s headquarters in New Delhi.
 

Victory Motorcycles are planned to be sold in India starting in 2012, according to several reports made in February. The Hindu also reports that sales of Indian Motorcycles will also occur in India.

Ducati, which sold 100 motorcycles in India in 2010, plans to double its sales this year because of growing demand for premium vehicles, according to The Wall Street Journal.

“We see high demand in the Indian market,” Mirko Bordiga, chief executive for Ducati’s Asia Pacific arm, told the newspaper. “With new motorcycle makers entering India, the market is bound to grow.”