Autofarm: Honda CBR150R 2012 Road Test and Review

Hi bikers. On 27th June, I tested the all new Honda CBR150R here in Bangalore. Let me begin with speaking about Planet Honda. When the BikeAdvice team was striving hard to get the new CBR150R, I being a CBR250R owner contacted Planet Honda, a very reputed HONDA dealer in Bangalore and told them about the blog and our interest in reviewing the bike. They being very enthusiastic agreed to it and were very happy to offer the bike to us. But then, formalities..!! So I had to wait till the bike was registered to the dealer’s name for it to be tested.

Note: press control button and click on images to see bigger images in a new window.

Speaking about the bike, Honda launched it at the time when the whole of India wanted a sporty 150cc bike, whose segment was widely dominated the gorgeous Yamaha YZF R15. So when Honda launched the CBR150R, It knew how good the R15 is and the reasons why it was ruling the sporty 150cc segment which no other producers dared to enter. So now, entering that segment means, competing against the already well settled R15 in the Indian market. So let’s see how successful Honda is in doing so.

Honda CBR150R Design

At the first look, no doubt it looks very similar to its bigger brother CBR250R, which in turn is designed after the monstrous HONDA flagship VFR. But just remove the fairing and you will be shocked to know that it is completely different from the 250R. It comes with a Diamond type frame. It has a new 150cc engine which is not on any other Honda or Hero Honda bikes. It’s a completely new PGM-Fi engine, but let me save it for the engine department.

And speaking about the looks of the bike, I would say, it’s not a 150cc beast; it’s the angelic beauty which attracts me with that layered fairings, Y-shaped headlights, short-exhaust, Racing stripes, brilliantly finished console and black alloys. It looks very sporty and is surely a head turner in the city or on the highways. The short exhaust technique has worked very well in both mass centralization and also to provide that killer looks, and as looks being a very subjective topic, will leave this for you to decide on it.

BikeAdvice RATING- 4/5

Honda CBR150R Engine and performance

As I said earlier, it comes with an all-new 150cc engine designed specifically for this bike, which does wonders. Honda has built a very smooth and an impressive engine which doesn’t vibrate at any speed. It comes with a liquid cooled, 4 stroke, DOHC 4-valves engine, which shells out 17.58BHP at a very high 10,800RPM and also it produce about 12.66Nm of torque at 8,500RPM which is enough to easily conclude it as a very rev-friendly machine.

Its power band lies hugely at higher RPMs and the best part is, it loves to rev hard and stay in higher RPMs for quite a long time very comfortably than you actually want it to be. It has a 6 speed Manual gear box and I personally loved the gear ratios which is quite very long to bring out the power within her. It doesn’t mean you can’t shift early, for those who want to cruise comfortably; you can shift her up to higher gears and relax.
And also speaking about the liquid cooled engine, it has a huge radiator in front which does its job very well that, I did not find any heat being dissipated or poking my legs in the city riding when I was pushing her harder.
Bike Advice Rating – 4.5/5

Honda CBR150R Handling and brakes

This is one of such things in which the bike does its best. The mass centralization process of shorter exhaust has ended up very well, giving it great handling and cornering ability. The suspension settings are right to attack any corner at any speed and all you notice is the baby CBR just glides and brings the ROSSI within you. Though it is not as sharp as its competitor, the R15, which you know is the best handler of all the small bikes, there is nothing you can complain about. The MRF Zapper Q tyres does well enough to stick to the ground and offer enough contact. But with a better rubber, I am sure it could do wonders. (I am not saying the MRF is not good, but the rubber gives up before the bike gives up)

It Comes with a MRF Zapper-Q tyres in Bangalore. It also comes with a TVWS ATT 230 tyres in some places. Its 17 inch alloys and 130mm wide tyres provide good ground contact and grip.

It has both front and rear disk brakes. The Nissin brakes are just the perfect combination for the bike and does its job perfectly. The response is very good and is quite sharp. I did try breaking hard at triple digit speeds to check out if the bike skids, and to my surprise, it just came to a halt without any drama (Slides or skids). But what’s lacking is the C-ABS technology which they have it in the 250R. But is that really necessary for the 150R??

BikeAdvice Rating- 4/5

Honda CBR150R Riding and pillion comfort

The riding posture is sporty and not too tracks oriented nor up-right. Just the perfect blend which doesn’t strain you even in the highways or even city limits. I rode the bike for enough time and distance and did not find any back or wrist pain. And there was no strain or fatigue which kicked in over any point of time during my test.

The bike could easily cruise at 95Kmph at 7000 RPM in the top gear with a pillion, on a windy day and it felt as the sweetest point of the bike. I could go up to 132kmph with a pillion without any vibrations very comfortably. On a dry sunny day, without a pillion I am sure those figures would go up. Pillion comfort is way better than its competitor and is good enough to sit for hours without any back or leg problems.

BikeAdvice Rating – 4/5

Honda CBR150R Electricals

It has a 12V 6Ah, Maintenance free battery. The ignition is a Digital ECU based and the computer takes care of everything. The headlight assembly is very similar to the 250R which is very good and has a 12V 60/55W bulb which is very powerful and good enough for night highway riding. Its pilot lamps just need a mentioning which looks like projector lamps and are brilliant. The indicators are cool and the Honey-comb tail lights again a replica of the 250R is bright and is clearly visible from long distances.

But if there is anything to complain against, you have the switch gear which comes directly out from the stunner. Not just it gives a feeling of un-premiumness, it also doesn’t have a pass-Light button or the engine kill switch, which is pretty much shocking for this price tag.

BikeAdvice Rating – 3/5

Honda CBR150R Mileage

Well, coming to the India’s most admired question, “ Kitna Deti Hai?”
It would give about 45-50kmpl depending on the riding styles, which is very good for a sporty 150cc bike.

BikeAdvice Rating 4/5

Pros and Cons

What is so cool about the Honda CBR150R bike?

A very high Ground Clearance of 190mm.
Very Low weight of 138kgs
Flickability- Well I know there is no such word in English, but in biking terms, you all will be able to understand it.
Beautiful full Cowling gives the bike the sporty look.
Utility Space is provided under the rear seat which is enough to store small rain jacket or such utilities.
Shorter Exhaust looks good and also helps in mass centralization.
Powerful Headlamps which is comfortable for all type of riding.
Sporty Black alloys which enhances the look of the beauty.
Looks similar to its elder siblings which put a smile on everyone’s face.
The riding posture is comfortable for long hours and high speed riding.
The exhaust note also sounds very cool.

What’s not cool?

Switchgears- the oldest type with not much functions.
Chain is link type, which doubts me of its durability.
Fit and finish could have been better.
Foot pegs looks too huge, the small metal pegs would have looked cool.

Honda CBR150R Pricing

There are two models, standard and Delux which are priced at Rs.1,23,001 and Rs.1,21,968 Ex-Showroom Bangalore. While On-Road pricing is Rs.1,41,539 and Rs.1,40,356 respectively.
Feel it is quite expensive? Well in that case you are wrong. It has the Honda designed DOHC Technology engine, The best in class Nissin brakes, the sporty body design which looks gorgeous, Liquid cooled powerful 150cc engine…Well, the list goes on and on specifying about each and every part of the bike.

Honda CBR150R Colors

It comes with 4 colors. The Sports Red (which is the combination of White and red), Black (Combination of Black and Pearl Sunbeam White) are the standard colors while, Vibrant Orange (Combination of White and Orange) and Black (Combination of Black and Candy Palm Green) are the deluxe versions of the bike.

Honda CBR150R Booking and delivery period

As of now in Bangalore the waiting period is about 1 month for both the versions and the booking price is Rs.5000. The deliveries have started and about 30+ bikes are on road in Bangalore alone.

Honda CBR150R Technical Specs – at official website.

BikeAdvice Verdict:

Being frank with you guys, let me tell you something. The moment I sat on the bike and started moving, the 1st question that passed my mind was, “Is this all you got?”, but the baby said, “Have patience my dear” and as the revs climbed, the baby was getting aggressive and it did 75kmph @ 11000RPM in the 2nd gear and 95Kmph at the same RPM in the 3rd gear. As the power band lies up so high, it’s very easy to guess, the engine is a track oriented engine. But with lower power in the lower RPMs mean, better economy within the city. This makes it a very practical bike which is an all-rounder rather than a purpose built machine.

I don’t see any reason why the bike won’t suit you. It’s a track oriented bike with a sporty posture, which is a very good commuter both in city and highway. What else could you expect from a bike?

Over All BikeAdvice Honda CBR150R Rating – 4/5

I would like to thank Planet Honda for arranging the Honda CBR150R for BikeAdvice road test, and to our long time reader Diwagar for being an enthusiast supporter during the road test helping in the photos and the review.

More Pics of Honda CBR150R: