Concept: Yamaha R25 | Up To Speed

Entry-level 250s are some of the best-selling new bikes in America and a core product in developing markets where a perfect storm of government regulation, economics, urban crowding, and fashion have made quarter-liter sportbikes the favored form of two-wheeled transport. No manufacturer can afford to ignore this red-hot market segment, so it’s no surprise that Yamaha’s primary concept bike for this year’s Tokyo Show was a 250cc sportbike.

Although designated an "Experimental Vehicle" and dressed in race-replica bodywork sans lights and mirrors, the R25 is at its core clearly a production-ready streetbike, sporting a simple steel-tube frame and box-section swingarm, a conventional fork, and single-disc front brake. Little is known about the engine except that it's a liquid-cooled, 250cc parallel twin. And don't expect that tasty Akrapovic exhaust to appear in production form, though hopefully it will be part of an available race kit.