[ebonho]

Originally Posted by Silverflash

If even one run of 690s happens, I'm jumping, and the wife will be handled somehow.

You'll have to jump really high to get in front of me. The wife has been a generous partner for 18 years now.

[GKR9900]

Originally Posted by Aditya

Honda is expected to price the locally assembled CBR 650F under Rs. 10 lakh. If the bike receives a favourable response, the company will consider the local assembly of more high performance models.

Link to Team-BHP News Article

Really don't understand the logic behind a price of 10L in this equation.

When a locally assembled Ninja 650 can be procured for almost 5.5L, how can a locally manufactured 650 (even if it is a 4 cyl) come close to 10L ?? Frustrated !

[allajunaki]

This bike *should* be priced around 6L (7 - 7.5 Onroad) or less. Otherwise, why would one choose this over Ninja650 ? I know Ninja is a parallel twin, making a little less power but a lot more torque, but given that both fall under "Sport Tourer", I would think CBR should atleast try to be competitively priced.
Also, at 9L you have another serious contender, the Z800! Inline-4 More Power, more torque. Granted, it isn't a tourer, and it will not be as comfortable as the 650 Twins, but if I were to plonk money (and I seriously might ), I would chose 650F only if its priced around or maybe a bit more than Ninja and Far lower than Z800.

[Nithesh_M]

Originally Posted by GKR9900

Really don't understand the logic behind a price of 10L in this equation.

When a locally assembled Ninja 650 can be procured for almost 5.5L, how can a locally manufactured 650 (even if it is a 4 cyl) come close to 10L ?? Frustrated !

Originally Posted by GKR9900

Really don't understand the logic behind a price of 10L in this equation.

When a locally assembled Ninja 650 can be procured for almost 5.5L, how can a locally manufactured 650 (even if it is a 4 cyl) come close to 10L ?? Frustrated !

Thailand and India had the same pricing for CBR 250Rs manufactured in their respective countries. I expect the same pricing strategy to happen here.
I expect Honda to price it at 5.6 lakhs with ABS, the same price they're selling it in Thailand for.
And if Honda goes to import engine from Thailand and localize everything else here, then they will put a 30k premium on the bike like they did with the 150R.
If Honda wants to gamble with the pricing, then they are going to end up in big trouble especially a year or two later when there are more manufacturers competing in the sub 5 lakh segment. The ball is in their court, how they price it will determine how many buyers they would have.
They cannot price it too high because the Z800 would then make more sense to anybody willing to spend over 7 lakhs for this bike. More power, USD forks, Thailand build quality

[GKR9900]

Originally Posted by Nithesh_M

Thailand and India had the same pricing for CBR 250Rs manufactured in their respective countries. I expect the same pricing strategy to happen here.
I expect Honda to price it at 5.6 lakhs with ABS, the same price they're selling it in Thailand for.
And if Honda goes to import engine from Thailand and localize everything else here, then they will put a 30k premium on the bike like they did with the 150R.
If Honda wants to gamble with the pricing, then they are going to end up in big trouble especially a year or two later when there are more manufacturers competing in the sub 5 lakh segment. The ball is in their court, how they price it will determine how many buyers they would have.
They cannot price it too high because the Z800 would then make more sense to anybody willing to spend over 7 lakhs for this bike. More power, USD forks, Thailand build quality

I feel the same.6-6.5L(on road) is the best possible price for this beauty.

Considering that the only competition right now is the Ninja 650(doubtlessly a great product), Honda can actually afford to take potential customers for a ride with some high pricing at least till other manufacturers decide to join the party.
4 cyl with that sweet exhaust note is pretty much reason enough for me to consider this over the Ninja,even if it means plonking in an extra 1L.

My guess is that Honda will price the product on the higher side to cash in on the initial hype.It would be another 1-2 years before other manufacturers decide to follow the same path.And when other products flood the market,Honda might revise their prices.Prove me wrong Honda!
And come on Kawasaki,how can you let Honda get away with this ha??? :P

On a different note,you gotta love KTM for pricing their products so damn aggressively.Just wish Honda does the same.

[ebonho]

Honda definitely understands the Indian junta's psyche. Or Indians are suckers for Honda. How else would you explain the popularity of the Splendor, the Unicorn, and the Activa. Class leading modeals all - by HUGE margins. The second place is on a different planet. But this bike is in a different category, aimed at a different clientele. I do not think a price point of 10 lacs is going to give them any sales. But its Honda, and we are Indians, so I am ready to be proven wrong. I can just say one thing with certainty. They ain't even getting a sniff of my money.

[Silverflash]

Originally Posted by GKR9900

I feel the same.6-6.5L(on road) is the best possible price for this beauty.

The problem is here is that this is Honda we are talking about. Perceived as an economy brand almost everywhere in the world except in India. For whatever reason, India seems to view Honda as a purveyor of incredibly advanced products that deserve to command top dollar.

While I'm happy to give credit where it is due (reliability, consistency, refinement), I've never been able to understand their brand image and pricing position. Not for their cars, not for their bikes.

And come on Kawasaki,how can you let Honda get away with this ha??

Kawasaki have always been an enigma in India. Of the big 4 Japanese bike makers, Big Green seem to have historically been the most hesitant in terms of their commitment/investment in our market. In many ways, I'd consider them the most insular of the 4, so no surprise really that they are still snoring while KTM undercuts them with their own partners.

Pity, because in many ways their bikes have the most character out of the four.

[GKR9900]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Honda definitely understands the Indian junta's psyche

Precisely.No other manufacturer understands Indian market better than Honda.That is also the reason why we expect Honda to price the 650F reasonably.I don't think Honda would introduce a game changing product and then kill it off with some suicidal pricing strategy,or will they??

Originally Posted by Silverflash

Kawasaki have always been an enigma in India. Of the big 4 Japanese bike makers, Big Green seem to have historically been the most hesitant in terms of their commitment/investment in our market. In many ways, I'd consider them the most insular of the 4, so no surprise really that they are still snoring while KTM undercuts them with their own partners.

Pity, because in many ways their bikes have the most character out of the four.

You sir literally took the words out of my mouth. I could never understand what Kawasaki hoped to achieve with the Indian market.They have been in the Indian market for quite some time,have got a great partner in Bajaj and still can't seem to find a major foothold.

What KTM does now is what Kawasaki could've done years back. Instead they chose to prolong their slumber party by lazily importing CBU units at exorbitant prices and hoping for the market to reach out to them rather than the other way round.(except for the Ninja300/650,the latter being their most VFM option)

Indian market has clearly matured to consider 2 wheelers from mere commuters to performance machines.There's a steady rise in demand for the bigger capacity motorcycles and KTM has really captured the imagination of an average Indian motorcycle enthusiast and satisfied his need for a well engineered,powerful machine like no other.
I'm just frustrated why other manufacturers are hesitant to follow suit!

Its no rocket science. The formula is already out there, the market has never been more ready,all that remains is for the corporate heads to give a nod of acceptance to produce bigger capacity motorcycles in India.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by GKR9900

Precisely.No other manufacturer understands Indian market better than Honda.That is also the reason why we expect Honda to price the 650F reasonably.I don't think Honda would introduce a game changing product and then kill it off with some suicidal pricing strategy,or will they??

You've seen their pricing of the CBR 250 and 150 have you not? Do you think with the Dukes on the scene, those prices are justified? Do you think the R15's pricing by Yamaha is justified? Closer to home, you've seen Royal Enfield's pricing of its products. Justified? Yet they all have their own niches and sell. India is a vast country with many bikers. The pie is really huge, so even a niche product targeting a very very small slice can realistically look at sales which is equivalent to the sum total of the total bike sales of many small countries put together. That is the attraction of the Indian market and that is what manufacturers al over the world have started waking up to. But until our market matures, until we have all the same choices in our country which other countries have, until our buying public beomes more discerning, better informed, and much more demanding and intolerant, we will keep getting taken for a jolly ride as a third world market/dump zone by most.

[GKR9900]

Mod note: Post EDITED, please leave space after punctuations. Helps with readability. Thanks.

Originally Posted by ebonho

India is a vast country with many bikers. The pie is really huge, so even a niche product targeting a very very small slice can realistically look at sales which is equivalent to the sum total of the total bike sales of many small countries put together. That is the attraction of the Indian market and that is what manufacturers al over the world have started waking up to.

I couldn't agree more to your viewpoint.
Yes, many of the so called performance bikes of yester years are not realistically priced,but we Indians tend to accept them whole-heartedly as we never had any other choice.

The R15 was deemed to be the best entry-level sports bike money could buy here.It was a 150cc, yet Yamaha managed to find a lot of takers at a price in excess of 1L. The CBR250R was the only alternative to a much pricier Ninja250R, and it provided ABS, usable power, comfort all packaged into one. Again, choice was a luxury we didn't have.

That's why the advent of KTM is so instrumental in our current scenario. They have considered the current scenario of performance-starved Indian enthusiasts, and have displaced the myth that performance always burns a crater in your pocket.

Ofcourse other manufacturers are not going to sit tight and let KTM run away with a large chunk of pie (dunno about Kawasaki )That's why I honestly plead and pray for Honda to take the bold move, and do to the 600+cc segment what KTM has done to the 200+cc segment.

Also many of the Indian manufacturers are rising up to the challenge to provide bigger capacity motorcycles at a reasonable price. So foreign manufacturers cannot continue to exploit the lack of choice we have, and charge a premium for a not-so perfect product they offer, not for long. With competition brewing from domestic and other brands, we as customers will have the final laugh.

Our market still needs to mature, product perception has to change, it might be even years before we are pampered with choices, but I strongly believe that after all these years, the tide is finally on our side, that Indians are getting to taste performance at affordable price points.

Now only if a similar situation arose for our cars

[rakesh_r]

Pop goes the weasel. I had some expectations that ,well went down the drain . I think I might put my money on the N650 since KTM will not be bringing the 690 as well .

[the VTEC guy]

A question here. Should we not be comparing the CBR 650 with another model in Supersport category from other manufacturer offered in India? Like Triumph Daytona 675? The Daytona costs 10.5 lakh INR ex showroom? Comparing inline 4 with parallel twin (Ninja 650) or single from KTM doesn't seem right?

[GKR9900]

Originally Posted by the VTEC guy

A question here. Should we not be comparing the CBR 650 with another model in Supersport category from other manufacturer offered in India? Like Triumph Daytona 675? The Daytona costs 10.5 lakh INR ex showroom? Comparing inline 4 with parallel twin (Ninja 650) or single from KTM doesn't seem right?

The CBR650F is not actually a supersports.Its a sports tourer with emphasis on low and mid end power delivery more than top end whack of the supersports, very much like the Ninja650.They provide with useable, rideable power , and comfort suited for daily rides and long distance tours.Internationally,the Ninja 650 is the direct rival to the CBR 650F.

The Daytona 675 is a ballistic missile more suited for the track than for everyday rides.The CBR600RR,Ninja 636 would be more in line with the Triumph's DNA.

[man_of_steel]

Originally Posted by the VTEC guy

A question here. Should we not be comparing the CBR 650 with another model in Supersport category from other manufacturer offered in India? Like Triumph Daytona 675? The Daytona costs 10.5 lakh INR ex showroom? Comparing inline 4 with parallel twin (Ninja 650) or single from KTM doesn't seem right?

Not really. IMHO, the CBR650f should never be compared to the tech laden Daytona. The 650f is a real basic motorcycle with only an ABS and an I4 engine to boast about. And we, being Indians, can only compare it with the closest available N650!

PS: I dont think the CBR650f can be categorized as a supersport. A sports tourer would be a more apt description.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by man_of_steel

Not really. IMHO, the CBR650f should never be compared to the tech laden Daytona. The 650f is a real basic motorcycle with only an ABS and an I4 engine to boast about. And we, being Indians, can only compare it with the closest available N650!

PS: I dont think the CBR650f can be categorized as a supersport. A sports tourer would be a more apt description.

Its a 4 cylinder inline only technically. On the road it will pump out barely 12 horses more than the 650 Ninja twin. Whereas a proper 600 cc inline 4 pumps out 120 bhp and above.