Yamaha FZ-X vs Honda CB150R ExMotion: Photo Comparison

Two 150cc neo-retro bikes, two Japanese manufacturers, but two different approaches -- which one wins?

The much-awaited Yamaha FZ-X, India’s first 150cc neo-retro offering, has finally broken cover. While it seems like a well-rounded package, we can’t help but wonder how it would fare overseas against another Japanese 150cc neo-retro bike, the Honda CB150R ExMotion. Curious to find out? We compare the two via a series of images: 

Even though both bikes hail from Japan, Yamaha and Honda have opted for extremely different design approaches. The FZ-X takes inspiration from the renowned XSR155, while the CB150R seems influenced by its elder siblings: the CB300R and CB1000R.

Both bikes get round all-LED headlamps. The FZ-X’s unit is more futuristic, though, thanks to a projector and arced DRLs. The one on the CB150R isn’t too bad either but it seems somewhat conventional in comparison to the FZ-X.

Overall, the CB150R takes the cake. The FZ-X’s thick single-piece seat and teardrop tank are no match for the CB150R’s beefier fuel tank and sportier split seats.

The FZ-X’s seat (810mm) is also higher than the CB150R (795mm), making the latter more suitable for shorter riders.

At the rear, both bikes feature LED tail lamps, but then again, the CB150R does a better job owing to its more premium appeal, in comparison to the FZ-X’s bulky and squarish appearance.

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Where the FZ-X excels is on the feature front. Both bikes may feature a fully digital LCD console, but the FZ-X gets smartphone connectivity and shows notifications too. It also comes with a USB port tucked below the console. The CB150R doesn’t get any of this, but it does show live fuel efficiency, which is absent on the FZ’s display.

Both bikes are powered by a 149cc single-cylinder engine. The oil-cooled unit on the CB150R puts out around 17PS while the FZ-X’s air-cooled motor makes significantly less power, at 12.4PS. Moreover, the CB150R gets a six-speed gearbox, as opposed to the FZ’s five-speed unit.

The two bikes are anchored by single disc brakes at both ends, but the CB150R has a bigger 298mm disc up front, compared to the FZ’s 282mm front disc. While the FZ-X is only offered with a single-channel ABS, the CB150R also comes with an optional dual-channel ABS setup.

What gives the CB150 a further edge are its modern USD fork and grippier road-biased tyres. Meanwhile, the FZ-X features a gaited conventional telescopic fork and dual-purpose block tyres.

Honda hasn’t launched the CB150R ExMotion in India yet, but its price is equivalent to Rs 2.40 lakh in Thailand, almost twice that of the FZ-X, which retails at Rs 1,19,800 (ex-showroom) here. The CB150R isn’t twice as good as the FZ-X, but it is certainly the more likeable and well-rounded offering of the two.