Yamaha plans to kick-start the R15 One Make Race Championship 2011

After the previous successful seasons of the R15 One Make Race, Yamaha is back again to enthrall the racing enthusiasts with the Yamaha R15 One Make Race Championship - 2011 at the Madras Motor Race Track in Chennai. The racing event is part of the Indian National Racing Championship 2011 being organized by Madras Motor Sports Club (MMSC) and the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI).

The 5 round championship kick starts from 4th June, 2011 and will conclude on 2nd October, 2011. Each round will have separate races for Novice & Expert categories. The races will be held at Madras Motor Race Track, Chennai and the Kari Motor Speedway, Coimbatore.

Like the previous years, this year too, the event will be open to all Yamaha as well as non-Yamaha customers thereby offering them an opportunity to stir their racing instincts on Yamaha’s flagship model – the YZF-R15. Participants are sure to have a thrilling experience as the competition bikes would be modified with Daytona Racing Kit. These kits are developed using valuable experience gained from MotoGP & World Superbike racing and are designed exclusively for racing purposes in a closed circuit.

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Hiroyuki Suzuki, CEO & MD, India Yamaha Motor said, “Motor Sports is an integral part of our Brand Image. It has always been Yamaha’s endeavor to promote motor sports along with safe biking. There are thousands of our customers who want to participate in these events for the love of the sport & thrill. This also gives us the opportunity to come closer to our consumers as they get to experience the true racing instinct of YZF-R15. The event has seen huge participation in its previous editions and we surely hope to witness the same this year.”

All the riders participating in Yamaha R15 One Make Race Championship will be evaluated on the basis of their performance. The 3 best performing riders may be given a chance to participate in the “YAMAHA ASEAN CUP RACE” in Thailand later in 2011.

The technology in YZF-R15 has percolated from R1 (Delta box frame/ Fuel Injection/ 6 speed gearbox/ styling/ Liquid Cooled 4V engine). Just like R1, it is light weight, has power-on-demand, besides having centralized mass, stopping power, aerodynamics, ergonomics and stability/ rigidity, among others. It also has the controllability and maneuverability to maximize riding/ cornering/ braking performance.

Yamaha’s corporate culture has always given special importance to bike racing in India. It is a way of expressing the ‘spirit of challenge’ that Yamaha values highly.  Through the R15 Championship which is one of the biggest initiatives by Yamaha, the company aspires to take racing culture to new heights in India. Yamaha plans to continue this championship as a valuable step for carrying forward the racing legacy in the country.

About India Yamaha Motor Pvt. Ltd.
Yamaha made its initial foray into India in 1985. In August 2001, Yamaha India became a 100% subsidiary of Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd, Japan (YMC). In 2008, Mitsui & Co., Ltd. entered into an agreement with YMC to become a joint-investor in the motorcycle manufacturing company "India Yamaha Motor Private Limited (IYM)".

IYM operates from its state-of-the-art manufacturing units at Surajpur in Uttar Pradesh and Faridabad in Haryana and produces motorcycles both for domestic & export markets. With a strong workforce of more than 2,000 employees, IYM is highly customer-driven and has a countrywide network of over 400 dealers. Presently, its product portfolio includes VMAX (1,679cc), MT01 (1,670cc), YZF-R1 (998cc), FZ1 (998cc), Fazer (153cc), FZ-S (153cc), FZ16 (153cc), SZ, SZ-X & SZ-R (153cc), YZF-R15 (150cc), SS125 (123cc), YBR 125 (123cc), YBR 110 (106cc) and Crux (106cc).

Yamaha introduces new campaign for Yamaha FZ

Yamaha has rolled out a new campaign to mark the launch of the new color variants of its popular motorcycle the Yamaha FZ. The campaign including a TVC is initially conceived by Adk Fortune and executed by boutique production house Future East. It has been directed by Andrew Hardaway, who is internationally known for post-producing movies like ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Men in Black’.

Boutique film production company Future East has created the new TV commercial for Yamaha FZ featuring John Abraham based on a concept by ADK Fortune. The Yamaha FZ is a popular motorcycle among bikers in India. With the company set to launch new colour variants for the product, the brand needed to create a communication that was clutter breaking while retaining the brand profile for the motorcycle.

The TVC features Yamaha brand ambassador, John Abraham in three distinct personas. Each persona comes across a different variant of the bike that he likes and wants to ride. However, the bikes display a mind of their own and refuse to be ridden. Ultimately, it is the bikes which choose their own riders. Future East has commissioned internationally acclaimed director Andrew Hardaway to shoot the commercial.

The ad was lensed by award-winning cinematographer Maher Maleh who has been involved with classic campaigns for Honda and Toyota. The execution of the concept was dependent on ensuring that computer graphics blend in seamlessly with the shots of John to create the interaction between man and machine. Ashim Ahluwalia, Founder / Director, Future East says, “For the Yamaha FZ commercial, we put together some great talent including director Andrew Hardaway who has worked with diverse directors like David Fincher, John Frankenheimer and Ang Lee as well as post produced films with ILM such as ‘Star Wars’ & ‘Men in Black’. More importantly for us, he’s a great guy and on the same wavelength as the rest of us at Future East. 

The photo-realistic Yamaha bikes were created at UPP in Prague, known for their work with directors like Francis Ford Coppola & Paul Thomas Anderson. As a director-led company (as opposed to a producer-led one), Future East has always focused its energies on the creative and visually-challenging aspects of film-making rather than having a purely logistical outlook. This means more sensitive production support for the director, a closer relationship with key agency creatives and a more open, collaborative approach.”

Yamaha to introduce scooter in India

Japanese two-wheeler major Yamaha plans to foray into the Indian scooter market by next year and will set up a separate body assembly line at its Surajpur plant in Uttar Pradesh for this purpose. The firm's wholly-owned subsidiary, India Yamaha Motor Pvt Ltd, is investing Rs 10 crore to set up the body assembly line at the plant. "The scooter market in India is huge and we want to have a strong presence. Now we are preparing to launch a scooter here within 2012," India Yamaha Motor Pvt Ltd CEO and Managing Director Hiroyuki Suzuki told PTI.

Asked what kind of scooter it will be, he declined to specify details, but said: "It will be focused more on personal commuting, with stylish and smart design like Yamaha's motorcycles that are sold here." Suzuki, who was heading Yamaha's Indonesian operations before taking over the charge in India last year, said he would aim to repeat Yamaha's success in the scooter market in Indonesia here.

"In Indonesia, Yamaha has a market share of around 46 per cent, which is very close to that of Honda. I want to replicate that here in India as well," he said. He also said Yamaha's scooters would be positioned differently from those of Honda, which are more family oriented. The Indian scooter market grew 50.54 per cent in 2010 and stood at 19.6 lakh units. It is dominated by Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India, although other players like TVS Motor Co and Hero Honda have also witnessed good sales.

On the preparations for the launch of the scooter, Suzuki said: "We will need a separate assembly line for it, specially for the body parts. We will invest about Rs 10 crore on setting it up." Last month, India Yamaha Motor Director (Sales and Marketing) Jun Nakata had said the scooter would be an India- specific scooter, which is being developed in Japan.

Suzuki said with the launch of scooter, the company is looking to increase sales volumes in India. In 2011, the company is eying total sales of 5 lakh units, out of which 3.5 lakh units will be in the domestic market and 1.5 lakh units will be exports. Last year it sold a total of 3.8 lakh units, out of which 2.5 lakh units found buyers in the domestic market and 1.3 lakh units were exported. Yamaha had also said it might consider launching an electric bike in the fast growing Indian two-wheeler market to offer an alternative mode of transportation.

Yamaha to unveil scooter in India next year

Japanese two-wheeler major Yamaha plans to foray into the Indian scooter market by next year and will set up a separate body assembly line at its Surajpur plant in Uttar Pradesh for this purpose.

The firm's wholly-owned subsidiary, India Yamaha Motor Pvt Ltd, is investing Rs 10 crore to set up the body assembly line at the plant.

"The scooter market in India is huge and we want to have a strong presence. Now we are preparing to launch a scooter here within 2012," India Yamaha Motor Pvt Ltd CEO and Managing Director Hiroyuki Suzuki told PTI.

Asked what kind of scooter it will be, he declined to specify details, but said: "It will be focused more on personal commuting, with stylish and smart design like Yamaha's motorcycles that are sold here."

Suzuki, who was heading Yamaha's Indonesian operations before taking over the charge in India last year, said he would aim to repeat Yamaha's success in the scooter market in Indonesia here.

"In Indonesia, Yamaha has a market share of around 46 per cent, which is very close to that of Honda. I want to replicate that here in India as well," he said.

He also said Yamaha's scooters would be positioned differently from those of Honda, which are more family oriented.

The Indian scooter market grew 50.54 per cent in 2010 and stood at 19.6 lakh units. It is dominated by Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India, although other players like TVS Motor Co and Hero Honda have also witnessed good sales.

On the preparations for the launch of the scooter, Suzuki said: "We will need a separate assembly line for it, specially for the body parts. We will invest about Rs 10 crore on setting it up."

Last month, India Yamaha Motor Director (Sales and Marketing) Jun Nakata had said the scooter would be an India- specific scooter, which is being developed in Japan.

Suzuki said with the launch of scooter, the company is looking to increase sales volumes in India.

In 2011, the company is eying total sales of 5 lakh units, out of which 3.5 lakh units will be in the domestic market and 1.5 lakh units will be exports. Last year it sold a total of 3.8 lakh units, out of which 2.5 lakh units found buyers in the domestic market and 1.3 lakh units were exported.

Yamaha had also said it might consider launching an electric bike in the fast growing Indian two-wheeler market to offer an alternative mode of transportation.

Yamaha in a plan to set up its 3rd plant in India

Japanese two-wheeler major Yamaha plans to set up a third plant in India as it looks to expand business here, and also make the country an independent export unit for selling in overseas markets, including Latin America and Africa.

The firm's wholly-owned subsidiary India Yamaha Motor Pvt Ltd will invest Rs 300 crore until 2012 to set up warehouses and delivery centres at its Surajpur plant, the capacity for which is being expanded to touch 10 lakh units by 2013.

"Currently a study is on for setting up a third plant. By the end of this year, we should think of a new factory," India Yamaha Motor Pvt Ltd CEO and Managing Director Hiroyuki Suzuki told PTI.

Asked about the time frame for the plant, he said: "We would like to start making the plan for it as soon as possible."

He said the need for a third plant, over and above the Surajpur and Faridabad plants, is in view of the company's ambitions to expand in the Indian market as well as also an intensified focus on exports.

"By 2013, we would like to sell 800,000 units in the domestic market and 200,000 units in export when the Surajpur plant reaches a capacity of oe mllion units annually," Suzuki said, adding, by 2015 the company is look at an annual export volume of three lakh units.

In 2011, the company is eyeing a total sales of 500,000 units, out of which 350,000 will be in domestic market and 130,000 of exports. Last year it sold a total of 480,000 units with exports accounting for 130,000 units.

At present India Yamaha's exports is done through its parent in Japan which act as the via media for selling between its different subsidiaries.

"We are trying to make India Yamaha an independent export unit rather than doing it through Yamaha Japan. We have started exporting directly to Nepal and the next would be Bangladesh and Sri Lanka," he said.

If the model becomes successful then India Yamaha will also look to export directly on its own to new markets.

"The markets in Africa and South America are suitable for our mass market bikes like the Crux and YBR. We would like to sell directly to Yamaha's subsidiaries there," Suzuki said.

Yamaha India authenticates a 200-250cc motorcycle for India

Yamaha India is planning to export a bunch of it’s commuter motorcycles to Africa to shore up it’s revenues. Now, for you the Indian motorcycle enthusiast, that is something as boring as say Kareena Kapoor in a ugly green jump suit. But what you will definitely please you is the fact that there is official word emerging from Yamaha India, that there is indeed a 200-250cc motorcycle lined up for the Indian motorcycle market in the future.

While it still remains unclear as to how quickly Yamaha India will launch the 200-250cc motorcycle to ensure that it remains in the thick of things in the very hot 250cc premium motorcycle market in India, which of late is seeing plenty of action. If you’re an Indian motorcycle enthusiast, there’s no better a time to start saving up.

We’re hoping that Yamaha India brings it’s latest 250cc offering soon as arch rival Honda has just launched the 2011 Honda CBR250R to an overwhelming response and is targeting no less than 30,000 units per year in sales. One bummer of course is the fact that Yamaha India will launch a 150cc scooter only after the next two years. So, all those of you expecting the zany Yamaha BW125 may have to wait for longer as scooters don’t yet seem to be Yamaha India’s priority for now.

Meanwhile, here’s what Hiroyuki Suzuki, the new managing director and chief executive of India Yamaha Motor Pvt. Ltd, had to say.

Keith Code is moving to India

India is (as you hopefully know if you have been paying attention) quickly becoming the largest motorcycle market in the world. Over the last several years there, the market has finally started to see motorcycles with displacements in excess of the seemingly ubiquitous 125cc motorbike which every family owns.

Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha, etc. – all the major players have introduced full-sized, large displacement motorcycles of many different classes to the Subcontinent and the dealers are having trouble keeping them on their showroom floors.

California Superbike School's Keith CodeNow, India does have a huge education system – though it does under-serve its population, it is incredibly advanced and expansive – but they lack racing schools, at least any which are professionally organized and staffed. Keith Code’s California Superbike School (CSS) will now hold classes inside this huge Asian nation with the help of local appliance giant Preethi.

The California Superbike School was founded by Keith Code in California some 30 years ago. That time has been used very well by the riding instruction genius as he has managed to expand the school into 15 countries all around the world. Code has also hired experienced riders and racers to instruct the students in the best way to get a bike around a track; the instructors are all very communicative, understandable, and they know well what they are talking about.

CSSCalifornia Superbike School's Keith Code (old photo) has developed its own technology to help with instruction off of the track. Some of their training aids have even created controversy in the industry they support, but some have proven some long-held beliefs wrong. Everything the CSS does is geared towards learning and improving your ability to ride a motorcycle. And, whether you believe it or not, taking a class with them will help you ride any motorcycle better – period.

Keith Code actually started his CSS work in India last year; it went very well and CSS had a roster full of participants from all over the country. That success led CSS to return again, but this time they brought an all-star instructor squad with them. In fact, Keith Code himself participated in teaching students, and he had a blast doing so.

The most recent CSS event was held at the Madras Motor Sport Track in Chennai back in January. Over 100 riders – including several Indian professional racers who also joined in to hone their own already excellent riding skills – New CSS BMW S1000RRparticipated over the five days of classes offered. The sessions were very successful and every student walked away impressed with the school and what they learned; all were eager to go again.

New CSS BMW S1000RRCSS will return to what is the world’s second largest motorcycle market again in 2012, and they may even expand beyond their one-track setup. In fact, the CEO of Preethi, TT Varadarajan, who has attended CSS classes since the 1990s, will be working to make the school a fixture in the nation of India. According to Varadarajan, helping India’s racers improve their skills to further their growth in the racing world is one goal, but making the nation’s riders safer is their primary focus.

Based on the results, with riders traveling from all over the country to attend, and all of them praising their time there, CSS and Preethi have hit upon a fantastic idea. All they need to do now is find a way to accommodate the huge number of riders in India who wish to attend – any riding instructors interested in moving?