According to the company, the bike comes with a significant design upgrade and more sculpted looks that give the best aerodynamic characteristics which ensure good handling and stability. For a comfortable riding experience, the bike features telescopic forks front suspension and monocross suspension in the rear. Other features of the motorcycle are 100/80 front tubeless tyre and 140/60 radial rear tyre, full Digital Crystal Display (LCD) unit featuring speedometer, trip meter, eco indicator and fuel gauge, among other indicators. It has safety features with a 267 mm front hydraulic disc brake and 130 mechanical leading trailing shoes, drum brake in the rear.

The FZS FI V 2.0 is priced at Rs 247,000 while the FZ FI V 2.0 costs Rs 237,000 in the domestic market. The bikes are available in five different colour options. The company provides a two-year/3000 km warranty and eight free servicings.

Meanwhile, the company is running a test ride programme at all Yamaha showrooms across the country. Visitors will also get an instant sure gift and a chance to win two iPhone 6 as the bumper prize.

Blue Core is Yamaha’s next gen technology

Jun Nakata is the director of sales and marketing at Yamaha Motor India. He was in Nepal recently to launch the Yamaha FZ FI Version 2.0 and the FZS FI Version 2.0 motorcycles that are equipped with the Blue Core engine. Suman Bashyal of The Kathmandu Post caught up with Nakata to talk about Yamaha’s plans for the Nepal market and the newly introduced products.

Tell us something about the new engine Blue Core and the added features in the FZ FI Version 2 and the FZS FI Version 2.

The Blue Core engine is Yamaha’s next generation technology that has been designed to give maximum performance and fuel economy. The new FZ and FZS are equipped with the engine allowing them to provide 14 percent more mileage. It is more environment-friendly too. The Blue Core engine is a combination of fun plus eco ride as it provides every moment of fun for every drop of fuel along with maximum speed. I am sure this advanced technology will be a hit in the Nepal market.

How has Yamaha’s performance been in the Nepali market?

Currently, we have a 15 percent market share in Nepal, and we aim to increase that to 20 percent this year with the newly launched models. We are witnessing a 25-30 percent annual growth rate in this country as demand is increasing mainly for the FZ series and the Ray series of scooters that are very popular among youths. The recently launched Alpha is also doing very well. Like in the Indian market, the scooter segment is witnessing tremendous growth in Nepal as everyone feels easy and comfortable riding them.

What strategies are you adopting to increase the market share in the country?

We are launching various promotional campaigns along with the new products. We are not satisfied with the current market share, so we definitely have to offer various schemes and innovative products.

What are the upcoming launches from Yamaha?

Every year, we come up with new models in the bike and scooter segments. We will be launching a new model in 2015 too, but I can’t speak on this now. Our focus will be on the scooter segment as it has been gaining popularity for being a unisex ride in India and Nepal. Similarly, we are giving equal priority to high-end and premium motorcycles along with the commuter segment. Young customers mainly demand high engine performance, so we are considering the timing for the launch of high-end models also.