Yamaha XSR155 Vs Honda CB150R ExMotion: Photo Comparison

Which one makes for a better neo-retro motorcycle?

The world’s newfound love for neo-retro motorcycles has led manufacturers to launch an array of these timeless machines. Honda has been pulling it off well with its CB lineup and a few years back, Yamaha joined the bandwagon with the XSR lineup. The 150+cc segment witnessed some action after the launch of Honda CB150R ExMotion, followed by the Yamaha XSR155 in 2019. Who pulls it off better though? We compare the bikes through detailed images.

Both the bikes strike the perfect balance with the modern day features without compromising on the old-school charm. Everything from the round headlights, minimal body panels to the muscular fuel tank screams retro. That said, the Yamaha is more towards the retro side compared to the Honda.

The XSR155 takes the cake here. Inside the inconspicuous round headlight, is a neat-looking LED headlight with DRL. Honda too packs a similar setup, however, it looks thoroughly modern, thanks to the split structure of the headlight.

The Yamaha XSR155 and the Honda CB150R ExMotion pack a negative-lit LCD instrument console. Both the bikes display all the necessary information including a gear position indicator, and an average fuel consumption indicator.

The flat, ribbed seat on the Yamaha XSR155 oozes retro appeal. However, the Honda CB150R’s split seat doesn’t look retro. That said, the 795m seat height of the Honda is accessible than the 810mm seat height of the Yamaha.


Unlike the side-slung powder coated exhaust on the Yamaha XSR155, Honda chose to equip the CB150R with an underbelly exhaust. Though it looks pretty neat, a traditional unit like on the Honda CB300R would have worked well with the neo-retro theme.

Underneath the old school bodywork, lie thoroughly modern engines. The Yamaha XSR155 packs a 155cc, liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine developing 19.3PS and 14.7Nm seen on the Yamaha R15 and the MT-15. The Honda CB150R uses a 149cc, liquid-cooled single-cylinder motor, however, the brand hasn’t mentioned the performance figures.


Both the neo-retro roadster come equipped with USD fork and a monoshock. That said, the Yamaha comes with a link-type monoshock which soaks up minor undulations more efficiently than the swingarm-mounted unit on the Honda.

Though Yamaha hasn’t mentioned the details of the braking system, it gets an axially mounted front caliper. The Honda comes with a 298mm disc paired radial caliper at the front which should offer better brake feel at the lever and 220mm disc at the rear.


The Yamaha XSR155 comes with a 100/70-17 front and 140/70-17 rear tyre shod with dual purpose tyres. Honda, meanwhile, chose to equip the CB150R with 110/70-17 front and 150/60-17 street-oriented tyres. Of the two, the Yamaha has a decent ground clearance of 170mm while the Honda gets a measly 139mm ground clearance.