Yamaha MT-25 Launched In Malaysia. Coming To India?

Draws styling cues from the updated MT-03 unveiled last year

Here in India, we’re still lamenting the loss of the Yamaha YZF-R3 to BS6 emission norms, but just a few thousand kilometres away, the Malaysians are celebrating the launch of the MT-25 naked roadster. It is based on the R3’s smaller cousin, the R25, and powered by the same 250cc parallel-twin, liquid-cooled DOHC engine. Its styling, meanwhile, is borrowed from the MT-03, which received a pretty comprehensive design update last year.

The robot-like headlight unit is in line with the rest of the MT range and also looks quite similar to the MT-15 that we get here in India. We’re glad to see that even though this is a bit of an outlandish design, Yamaha hasn’t overdone things, and the proportions are quite conventional. The tank extensions are a good size, the tail section looks sharp but still practical enough, and the stubby exhaust end-can goes well with the overall look.

Engine output stands at 36PS and 23.6Nm, making it quite a lot more powerful than even the KTM 250 Duke, the quickest 250cc bike sold in India. Like the Duke, the MT-25 gets an upside down front fork (37mm diameter), something which the MT-15 sorely misses out on in India in an effort to keep costs down. Thanks to import duties, pricing for the MT-25 is a pretty expensive RM 21,500 or around Rs 3.80 lakh.

So what about India? Can we hope to see the MT-25 end up in our showrooms anytime soon? Well, first and foremost, if a bike like this did come to India, it would probably be the larger MT-03. And more importantly, the MT-03 and its faired cousin, the R3, would need to get a Euro 5/BS5 update, which hasn’t happened yet. But never say never; up until a few years ago, even having the MT-15 on sale in India would’ve seemed out of the question, and yet here we are.