Only time will have the answer to this question coz baby Ninja and Baby CBR are 2 different bike (Sport - Street / Touring - Street)

Those who know what Ninja can do will never think of CBR and it's price but for those who want to own a CBR Badge along with 250cc so called sport bike and keep their expenses low will opt for Honda

I never understood number of BHP game for eg. R15 - 17 and P220 - 21 still they both are selling in good numbers and have their own space in market

I am sure about other players such as Yamaha, Suzuki, Hyosung (Garware Motors), TVS will also have something for 250cc segment and we can expect few new launches in next 3-4 months

But looking at today's scene i am sure about one thing that Baby CBR will affect resale value of Baby Ninja but again it all depends upon what the rider prefers a Sport -Street or Touring - Street bike..

+1. I dont think CBR can beat Ninja in the Performance category which is more important for we bikers.

But I still wish the price of the ABS-version to be around 1.6 OTR.

for the time being

For the time being yes, but the long term plans of Bajaj directly points to a completely dedicated line for Kawa and KTM.

This means, a non stop production of bikes on a line every day- a direct infusion of performance motorcycles in market, and that obviously means highly sensible pricing to generate sufficient demand.

This, COULD also mean local sourcing for Ninja, and who knows, considering Bajaj's strong supplier network, they place a locally made ninja @ 1.8-2.0L, Katoom 200cc @ 1.5L and Katoom 125cc @ 1L

EDIT- Plan for a completely dedicated line at Chakan for Kawasaki and KTM is a confirmed news from a friend @ Bajaj's Pantnagar plant.

@kanishka: Pitching multiple models and multiple brands against one CBR 250R is not fair . The scope of this poll is narrow and limited to the two bikes in question. Honda is also no new player and has the answer to every type of model available from any manufacturer.

Take it easy

Just a 250??? How about Jawa, that was a 250cc too Lol...just kidding!!!

But talking practically, what's more important? Top speed, bhp, braking, technology, acceleration or riding comfort? What's that more important? On our roads, any motorcycle capable of cruising between 120-140 is just right. Anything over this speed is little risky unless the rider has a great experience.

So its all the expectation from CBR250R to see if it delivers this one.

Well..I care..
and I like this amazing storm hitting the indian biking world. at least people are talking about 250ccs after a long break.
But I don't think a single cylinder can't win the drag with a parallel twin and I also think that a 3+ Lakh INR pricing can't compete with a 1.5+Lakh INR prcing.
Personally I'll go for for the Honda, not just for the pricing(although that's the main point!!) but also for the sport-tourer nature of it. Just let me complete my graduation(6months to go!) and have a job..

Being a Ninja Owner I come with Prejudice.

But I am happy that there is now some competition. Forget about the Cost, maintaining the Ninja is very expensive.

I don't think that Bajaj can reduce the price, unless they start manufacturing in India. But what they can do is lower the prices on Spares.

Doesn't make sense to pay 1500 bucks for an indicator .. Does it?

In my opinion, CBR250R is a Ninja Killer at least in the Indian market..

1. It costs almost half than than Ninja.. is 250cc, full faired, a little under powered than Ninja and a bit behind on other technicalities.. but, I don't think the market it will serve, will care for it.... 90% of the people I come across don't know what's BHP.. It's all CC..

[At ~170k or a bit more this will primarily serve these cattle class people! oops.. a controversial comment.. sorry, was just kidding.. Actually poser class I mean. Please don't take any offence as I belong to something to worser than cattle/ poser class.. But, these poser class people have a lots money than me ... that's why I see a lot of these people riding on an R15 and poor me.. Of course, a lot of sophisticated people here at xBhp will buy it too.. Gimme a ride please..]

2. Double price for these (6 bhps more and the so called tech) goodies don't justify to me.. Majority people here in India prefer looks at lowest possible cost. CBR250R has nice looks and bulky body!

3. Honda will have a wider distribution network through all it's distributors, where Ninja has selected Pro-Biking showrooms.

So, it certainly will eat up Ninja's market, unless they start producing it here in India and save some taxes..

I won't be buying this of course, as I got no money.. Anyhow, will consider a litre class when the Free-Trade-Agreement with Japan comes into force.. or, they begin to be produced in India too..

It's Indian production, as far as I know..

It's consumer preference, not BHP game.. R15 is just (fully-faired) looks IMO.. A lot or rather say, majority people care for looks..

Only in terms of sales, the CBR will do better. Otherwise, the CBR is a market-sales competitor to the Ninja, not a comparable performance competitor in true figures.

Let's understand the customer segment for a 250cc.

They can definitely be classified as motorcycle enthusiasts else they wouldn't think in terms of 250cc and 20+ ps, and now given the growing percentage of informed buyers through forums like this and many others, a biker is fairly well informed. This segment has as of now 2 choices - the Ninja and the CBR. For a biker enthusiast, these 2 are entry levels to learn/upgrade his riding skills on a smaller platform of a superbike. Which offers more of a superbike experience? I think it would be Ninja. But if you guys remember, market was expecting Ninja to be priced similar to what CBR would be priced but was priced atleast a lakh higher. So, what market can get now is a bike closer to a Ninja in performance if not better at a price which according to me is quite attractive.

And ofcourse there's always an element of affordability. It would be a no-brainer to chose Ninja over the CBR if affordability including maintenance is not an issue.

All said and done and to cut a long story short, agree with many of you that on sales numbers CBR will do better. And then there's a whole lot to speculate on reliability, maintenance, performance...et al which only time will tell.

I think the CBR will do extremely well, considering the overwhelming success of the R15. People won't mind paying closer to 2L for something they know right off the bat will be a top quality product, and that's always going to be at lot less than 3L for the Kawi. As for he Ninja...well sales are tapering off anyway, aren't they... or is it just me. One thing though, I think bajaj are worried... They've been calling up past enquirers off late offering test rides of the Ninja, which is a first for me at least.

On paper the Ninja is more impressive, no doubt, but having watched these forums for some time there's clearly a gravitational pull towards all the bells and whistles that come with these machines. ABS for one, modern console, fancy lights and such. For the truly discerning rider, I think the Honda is a superb VFM propsition with enough juice to hold its own even against the mighty Ninja, and besides here's something to ponder... What percentage of Ninja owners actually commute on their bikes?

Personally I'm holding out for the 650 but then I've always been doing that but if I were looking for a 250 now, the Honda would definitely be it!

CBR is going to chew and throw Ninja out of the market....even the bajaj know it that's why they are literaly calling up people for Ninja test ride

I like the fact that Honda is bringing the bike at a way lower price than Ninja. I had my heart set on Ninaj when it's launched. I went to showroom only to get my heart broken when the price was announced & there's not even a dyno trial for the bike. So, I guess, I don't like CBUs, as they are not affordable for me. Honda has got a good design, enough power to satisfy the people in the 250cc class and it's way cheaper than the now-available competitor, Ninja 250R. BTW, I'm more of a sport-tourer rather than tarmac-scorcher/racer. So, Honda is the killer for me.

I agree on that.. Talking about KTMs was not required over here. But Sunny, I also believe its not just killing sales. Many products enter a market with monopoly of some other product, kill its sales till the already established product responds.

My point would not have been raised if Ninja (or a similar product) was launched by Yamaha, suzuki, or any other company. It has Bajaj's backing! Looking in longer prospectus, i still believe if the price gap is brought down to 20k, all is back to square 1

As far as Honda not being a new player is concerned, then so are not Suzuki and Yamaha. But everyone cant have a leader like Rajiv Bajaj with them.

hmmmmmm.

i wonder what is an ultra-realistic ex-showroom price that the Ninja 250R
can be brought down to?!?

under 2.4 lac for an N250R?