The Yamaha FZS was a bit of a revolution in the 150cc premium commuter space. Its muscular naked street-fighter looks were a huge hit with bike buyers. And, for those looking to graduate to something bigger, and more powerful, Yamaha has brought in the FZ25. However, this 250cc bike will have to prove itself against some serious rivals like the KTM Duke 200 and the TVS Apache RTR 200. Here’s how the Yamaha stacks up against the competition on paper.
Engine
A huge part of the appeal of bikes in this segment comes from the performance they offer. All three use single-cylinder engines, however, the FZ25 has a nearly 50cc advantage over the KTM and TVS bikes when it comes to engine size. It uses a 249cc fuel-injected engine that makes 20.9hp and a healthy 20Nm of puling power. The TVS Apache RTR 200’s 197.75cc carburettor fed engine makes 20.05hp and 18Nm, while the KTM makes a whopping 25hp and 19Nm from its 199.5cc, fuel-injected motor. So clearly, the FZ25’s bigger engine doesn’t give it much of an advantage when it comes to the numbers it produces.
Also, weighing in at 148kg, the Yamaha weighs the same as the Apache RTR 200 and significantly more than bantamweight Duke 200 which weighs just about 130kg.
Body and suspension
The FZ25 uses a diamond frame, the Apache RTR 200 a double-cradle split frame and the Duke 200 a steel trellis frame (this frame gives the Duke 200 a big weight advantage).
The FZ25 and Apache RTR 200 use traditional telescopic forks up front and a monoshock at the back. This is unlike the Duke that uses upside-down forks (better suited for performance bikes) while it too uses a monoshock setup at the rear.
The brakes on the FZ don’t look too impressive either, at least on paper. It uses a 282mm front disc while the rear gets a 220mm disc. This is in comparison to the Apache RTR 200’s 270mm and 240mm petal-type discs at the front and rear, while the Duke 200 gets a 300mm disk up front (biggest among the three) and a 230mm disc behind.
Another number that is important for bikes is their saddle height; among the three, the FZ25 has the lowest seat height at 795mm which should make it easier to get on to for short riders. The Apache RTR 200 and the Duke 200 follow at 800mm and 810mm respectively.
Features
All three bikes use a fully-digital instrument cluster, while it’s only the FZ25 that uses full-LED headlights and tail-lights. Among the three, only the Apache RTR 200 gets ABS for now though.
Price
Of the three bikes, the RTR 200 is the most affordable at ₹93,725, against which, the FZ25’s price-tag of ₹1,19,500 seems a touch steep. While the Duke 200 is significantly costlier at ₹1,44,000, you need to consider that the KTM punches way above its weight when it comes to the performance it offers. (All prices ex-showroom, Delhi).
