India-spec Yamaha R15 v3.0 Spied In New Colour

The new two-tone colour is expected to join Yamaha’s trademark blue paint scheme when launched in India

A few spy shots of the upcoming Yamaha R15 v3.0 have surfaced online yet again signaling the advent of the highly-anticipated third-generation Yamaha R15. The latest image shows the bike in a new two-tone red and silver paint scheme with added graphics.

Styling will be a big draw for the latest iteration of the R15. The India-spec motorcycle will get the same bodywork as the one sold abroad. The new bike takes design cues from the larger R1 and R6. The front has a more rounded profile while the tail section is styled on the lines of the new R6. The full-LED headlamp and full-digital instrument cluster finally make its way here as well.

Now, the R15 sold abroad sees a substantial increase in price thanks to new technology and suspension parts in the form of the upside down front forks and ABS. If the same spec is sold here, it would be very expensive. To keep prices in check, the India-spec version gets conventional front forks and might miss out on ABS. The tyres are expected to see a switch to MRF from the IRC ones seen on the R15 sold abroad too.

Thankfully, going by the stickers on the bikes, it seems that the new VVA motor has been retained. The 150cc, liquid-cooled and fuel-injected, single-cylinder motor gets Variable Valve Actuation which bumps up power to 19.5PS. Torque is up as well, now making 14.7Nm. These performance updates will make the new R15 the most powerful 150cc bike to be sold in India.

These changes should keep prices down. We expect the new bike to be priced closer to the Rs 1.5 lakh mark, which is still a sizeable premium over the Rs 1.18 lakh you pay for the Yamaha R15 v2.0. However, you do get a lot more kit and more performance for the extra dough. We expect Yamaha to launch the new R15 v3.0 at the 2018 Auto Expo in February. However, Yamaha might surprise us by launching the bike by the end of this year itself.

Image courtesy: Rushlane