It has almost been twenty seven long years since India Yamaha Motors had set up a manufacturing plant in India.

And now, in what could be stated as a first in the history of our two-wheel industry, Yamaha are all set to export their flagship Indian sports bike, the R15 v2.0 to the Land of the Rising Sun. The Japanese two-wheeler marque will be exporting their first shipment of 300 units of the R15 from their Surajpur manufacturing plant in the next month and, if this move proves to be positive, the company may even begin to export the FZ series to Japan.

Hiroyaki Suzuki, MD, India Yamaha Motor, has stated that, the motorcycles manufactured in India meet the advanced specification of developed markets and they are produced at a lower cost. “We are sending R15 to Japan to test market them in the Japanese market and if the response is good, we may explore more products for export to Japan and other advanced markets in the world,” he stated.

About 4,00,000 units of two-wheelers are sold in Japan annually, with the market being dominated by 50cc scooters and the rest made up of big bikes. The R15 v 2.0 commands a price tag of 1.15 lakh on Indian roads, but in Japan, it will have a market price of ¥3.42 lakh, or 2.45 lakh. Mr. Suzuki goes on to state that Japan is a market for big bikes and racing motorcycles and within that, the 150 cc segment is fast emerging. The R15 fits the bill perfectly with its handling and its easy to race DNA and could also be an ideal choice for entry-level racing. If the response is good, Yamaha plans to export the bike to Europe next. Yamaha motors have already started exporting their bikes to Turkey and Spain, and Portugal is the next step in the block with the R15 and FZ slated to be launched there next year.