Is Yamaha Working On A Baby XSR Based On MT-15?

The motorcycle will reportedly be launched this month in Thailand

• The XSR 155 derives its design language from the XSR 700 and XSR 900. 
• It reportedly uses the same engine and suspension as the MT-15.
• The bike will be Yamaha’s most affordable retro-modern motorcycle in Thailand.

According to online reports, Yamaha is planning to launch the XSR 155 in Thailand soon. The XSR range comes under Yamaha’s Sport Heritage lineup and currently, there are two motorcycles in the XSR family: the XSR 900 and the XSR 700. It makes sense for Yamaha to use the XSR’s pedigree to bring about a more affordable version as retro-modern small capacity motorcycles have great potential in markets like Thailand. Case in point is the Kawasaki W175 and Honda CB150R Streetster, among others. Moreover, Yamaha’s lineup in Thailand only has the SR400 in the neo-retro category and there’s no product which caters to a segment below the SR400’s. So with the XSR 155, Yamaha could stand a good chance of capitalising the segment. 

As the rendering suggests, the bike’s design language is likely to be similar to the XSR 700 / 900 with a round headlamp, classic fuel tank, and a small round tail light. The motorcycle is said to come with a flat tracker style seat and a fully-digital instrument cluster. 

It is also reported that mechanically, the bike will be heavily based on the already-existing MT-15 (international-spec model). The upcoming motorcycle is said to be powered by the same engine as the MT-15, and the underpinnings - inverted fork and rear monoshock - are borrowed from the naked too. The wheels are the same 17-inch alloy units as the MT-15, but it will reportedly be wrapped with dual-purpose tyres for a more rugged demeanour. That said, it is also possible for the bike to have road-biased rubber on both ends, just like its elder brethren.

Also Read: Yamaha MT-15-based ADV In The Works?

While we’d love to see such a motorcycle on our roads, it is unlikely that Yamaha will bring the XSR 155 to India. That’s because Yamaha is known to be conservative when it comes to new product launches in India. Currently, there are no other retro-modern bikes in the sub-200cc segment barring the Hero XPulse 200T. So, if Yamaha plans to launch the bike here, we believe it would do really well as it would have the first-mover advantage, especially in the 150cc segment. 

Source: tmcblog.com