The 2021 Honda CBR150R gets a colorful makeover with flashy new paint schemes. Is it enough to worry the Yamaha R15 V3?

 

Superbike mimicking 150cc sports-bikes might not give you the thrill as their behemoth siblings. But if you’ve just stepped into the world of motorcycles and looking to hone your skills- these are great machines to start.

Apart from modern styling, these motorcycles are engineered for high performance with screaming engines and stiffer frames for precise handling.

Though there are ample choices in this segment, the primary contenders have always been the Yamaha YZF-R15 and the Honda CBR150R.

The Yamaha R15 V3 has evolved into a mini-me version of Yamaha’s flagship, the YZF-R1. Supersports styling, a smooth high revving motor with slipper clutch, rigid perimeter frame, stubby swingarm, dual-channel ABS, etc., denote how feature-rich these little motorcycles have become.

The Honda CBR150R has been playing the catching game with Yamaha updating its baby CBR series to eat into the R15’s sales. However, the R15 has always been a step ahead of its rival with substantial updates, but Honda now aims to turn the tables with the launch of the 2021 Honda CBR150R.

 

With rumours aplenty as to the baby CBR getting an inverted suspension have turned out to be a false alarm.

The 2021 CBR150R retains the same old suspension with preload adjustability at both ends. There are no hardware updates on the motorcycle except being treated to a slew of new shades.

 

The new CBR150R gets Matt Black, Dominator Matt Black, Victory Black Red, Honda Racing Red, and MotoGP Edition for the Indonesian market.

However, the Thailand launch sees the addition of more colour combinations that read Black and Orange, Grey and Red, Matte Black, Matte Black and Red, and Red and Black.

 

Nestled in a twin-spar diamond frame, the CBR150R’s 149cc single pod liquid-cooled motor continues to yield maximum power of 17.1 ps @ 9000 rpm with 14.4 nm of twisting force @ 7000 rpm. In comparison, the Yamaha R15 V3 cranks out 18.6 ps 14.1 nm and also scores over the CBR150R with a better spec’d frame and swingarm.

 

Another USP being Variable Valve Actuation for seamless power and torque delivery across the rev-range. The wave rotors comes on the ABS model, which also features an Emergency Stop Signal where the blinkers start flashing under sudden braking. 

So, that sums up the 2021 Honda CBR150R that sees nothing more than just a colour upgrade and shouldn’t worry the blokes at Yamaha or the feature-rich R15 V3.