It may come as a surprise to you that Yamaha, despite having the rather successful YZF-R3 as an entry level sportbike in the U.S. and other countries, would still find the need to roll out a seemingly redundant YZF-R25 for different markets. Well, as it would turn out, this bike has been developed in accordance to the various licensing restrictions found across different countries.
I for one, find it pretty cool that Yamaha has seen to it that all markets get a taste of their low to mid-displacement sportbike in one form or the other. That said, Yamaha has updated the YZF-R25 for 2021, and has launched the updated bike in Malaysia. The revised model gets a striking new color option, Cyan Metallic, which is adorned with contrasting fluorescent orange wheels. This unique color combination gives it an incredibly sporty appeal, with an homage to the loud colorways of decades past.
Apart from the new color scheme, the 2021 Yamaha YZF-R25 carries over most of the features found in the 2020 model. Let's break them down real quick. The YZF-R25, unlike the R3, features a 249cc parallel twin engine. It does however feature similar tech in the form of dual overhead cams, fuel injection, and of course, the lawnmower-esque 180-degree firing order. Don't let this bike's lackluster exhaust note fool you to think it's boring, though. It churns out a healthy 35.5 ponies, making it quite the ripper both on the street, and on the track.
Adding to the bikes impressive overall performance is an inverted front fork and a preload -adjustable rear mono-shock. A 2-piston caliper mated to a 300mm disc handles braking duties up front, while a 220mm disc handles braking for the rear. Keeping things rubber side down, the YZF-R25 rolls with a set of 17-inch wheels with 110/70 front and 140/70 rear tires.
Now, depending on which part of the world you reside in, you're either going to be best served by the YZF-R25 or YZF-R3. Regardless, this platform makes for quite the potent sporty all-rounder given its decent power output, lightweight construction, and affordable price point. For reference, the outgoing YZF-R25 was priced at RM 19,464, which translates to $4,823 USD. The Yamaha YZF-R3, which is available in the U.S., is priced at $5,299 USD.
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Source: iMotorbike