Yamaha R15 V3.0 - Review - Motorbikes India

Yamaha’s R15 was always a track day derivation for the everyday road users. The recipe has seen quite some success in the past owing to a ton of mixed characteristics.

Well, the 3rd generation R15, priced at INR 1.25 Lakh in India (Ex-Showroom) is here to take our breath away (again!). Of course, the looks are sporty since the design lines come from the god-like R1 and it does seem a bit more mature, a bit more bulked up than the outgoing R15. One might even try to confuse it with its elder sibling R3 at a distance.

Let us check out a detailed review of the new motorbike from Yamaha!

Design, body, and specifications

The build quality of the body and the frame itself is top notch, including the material used to build up the fairing of the bike.
The riding position has always been a forte for R15 in the 150cc market because giving such a lean, race-like stance on a smaller cc road bike which is supposed to be handing city speeds more than the highway was impossible. That challenge was well addressed by Yamaha since the very first model.
At the front, it gets spilt LED headlamps and a large air intake (non-functional in this case) that makes up for the aggressive face.

The drooling fairing over the sides depicts its edgier stance with the R15 VVA and YAMAHA vinyl. Of course, it means it follows the same R15 design, with a sloppy rear section.

The fuel tank now holds up 11 liters of fuel, a liter lesser than the previous one and weighs only 139 Kgs.

The split seat configuration remains the same and the pillion seat is better cushioned and more comfortable now.

LED tail lights are very sleek while the machine-gun muzzle like exhaust which remains unchanged as the predecessor.

For one to experience the best and the smoothest ride even on high speed, Yamaha gave it a set of telescopic forks in the front with 100-80/17 inch wheels and clubbed the rear with a swing arm (link suspension) accompanied with 140-70/17 inch wheels.
Stopping duties have been taken care by single disc brakes measuring 282 mm and 220 mm in the front and the rear respectively but without the ABS bites.
The fully digital instrument cluster caters to everything from shifting lights, speedometer, tachometer, VVA indicator light and fuel Gauge in an ergonomic fashion.

Engine and Performance

Engine performance on the other end is a completely different story as it does not perform like a 150cc bike at all rather something eager than that.

The next-gen Yamaha R15 v3 really pulls all its magic tricks when it’s on the roll. The 155 CC liquid cooled 4 stroke engine produces 19.3 PS of power and 15 Nm of torque.
All are mated to a 6-speed gearbox assisted by a slipper clutch.
VVA stands for Variable Valve Actuation where you get power throughout the rev range giving power every time on an instance.
The gear shifts are crisp, the clutch is moderate and the brakes are just taught perfection to obey at any speed.

The initial pick up of the bike is tremendous as you can pull it up to higher RPM’s and shift late for a proper track feel.
An easy reach to a test speed of 132kmph without any problem stability or power lagging issues was evident. It was due to less testing space that the brakes came into play else maybe there was more that would meet the eye.
The first few initial gears are to the point and do not let you feel any kind of a drag as the VVA also kicks in and helps you get the same amount of power in low RPM’s.
The stability and the confidence on this bike on high speeds is a level up as it gets vibrations next to negligible, and a body so aerodynamically sound, it can warp through the air like a hot knife passing through butter.

Ride Quality and Feedback

The bike though well balanced tends to strain your hands under heavy braking or at cruising speeds for a long. This owes to a rather cumbersome riding posture which is one trait derived from its racier sibling. Hence the bike though has the potential to attack highways, is recommended for the streets where every now and then one can stop and ease off the strain on a red light by stretching the back and getting his hands off the handlebar.

Other than that I don’t believe that the new R15 V3 has any problems in terms of the riding position as you can easily shift gears and lean the bike making it quite nimble as well. The observed preferred height for riding this bike would be 5’8-5’10 inches.

The suspension too adds a hint of comfort as well as doesn’t take away the hostile-apex attacking characteristics away from the bike. It seems Yamaha tried pretty hard to keep their name in the game when it comes to tuning the suspension in accordance with the Indian road conditions.

Verdict

Finally coming down to the point. Is it worth a shot or not? A college going guy or a frugal Iron Man of today can be prospective buyers to this. Compared to the rest of the 150cc bikes, of course, it’s very much sportier and quick and powerful but it has some cons as:

The pillion comfort in the rear is not that great so if you are thinking of getting your mom or somebody else it might be a bit of a problem.
Secondly, if you are too tall, say 5’11 you would be able to ride the bike but would not fit in and look good on the bike as such.
Also, the motorbike doesn’t offer ABS as even an option which might make it look obsolete for the calendar month of April 2019 where the government has mandated ABS on all 125cc plus bikes.

So make your pick wisely!

— Rishabh Kaushik

Disclaimer: This article was prepared or accomplished by it's author in their personal capacity. The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not reflect the view of Motorbikes India or it's owners.