Honda CB Hornet 160R vs Yamaha FZ25

The Honda Hornet 160R is the Japanese two wheeler maker's third attempt at luring in the young. It tried with the Dazzler and then with the Trigger, but both bikes were half-baked attempts. The Dazzler completely lacked appeal and the Trigger was just a Unicorn in fancier clothing. With the Hornet 160R, however, Honda has set out not just to play catch up with success like the Yamaha FZ-S and the Suzuki Gixxer but to blow past them. And what better place to start than one that truly defines this class of 150cc motorcycles: Style. The Hornet 160R might be the Unicorn 160 underneath with the engine and chassis borrowed from the latter, but Honda has done enough to create the much needed differentiation. 

The FZ-S 25 is Yamaha India’s take on the world of entry-level quarter-litre motorcycles. The BS4 variant was known for its no non-sense design and performance approach. These aspects along with good comfort level and decent pricing made it a great choice for buyers who wanted to upgrade from a 150cc motorcycle. But now we are in 2021 and also in the world of BS6, so a few things have been changed on the FZ-S 25 to make it cleaner, more enticing and also more aspirational.

11 months and 7000kms later, it’s time to bid adieu to one of the most favourite long-terms I ever had, the Yamaha FZ 25. The last one year has been great fun with this quarter-litre Yamaha. We did a 3500kms long-distance ride down south, spent a full gruelling day at the track and it was also my preferred companion for every day commute. 

In the last few reports, we talked about the experience in city and in touring with the FZ25. In both conditions, the FZ25 performed well and managed to impress us in a few aspects. We decided to take it to the track to check out its racing pedigree because it’s a Yamaha after all.