Yamaha r15 review

Yamaha r15 review

Engine and Performance



Now 17 PS might not seem much in this day and age, especially with some competitors going above and way beyond. But this short stroke 150 cc mill is probably the best out there. Its refined and very smooth. Add to the mixture the 4 valve setup with fuel injection and this engine builds rev’s so easily. The first 4 gears hit the limiter with so much ease and if you are new on the bike you will be welcomed by the rev limiter and wonder what is happening. 0 – 60 came up in 5.8 seconds and the 100 kmph came up in 15.1 seconds. The top speed we could achieve stood at 140 kmph, but its most comfortable and composed till about 120 kmph. There is however one place that all this high RPM fun taken its toll on. The older R15 had this problem more pronounced, its been taken care to some extent on the V2, and this is the low end performance. Its a bit sluggish below the 4000 RPM mark especially with a pillion and will make life in traffic a bit of a struggle, but ofcourse all is forgiven once you wring the throttle. The clutch shaft on the R15 V2 is also redesigned for better life and feel. Although it is not that evident a change we did feel the clutch a bit lighter from the older version. Now coming back to life in traffic, heat dissipation issues even with some prolonged riding in traffic was minimal and the fan kicked in keeping temperatures in check on the liquid cooled engine. Fuel economy stood at 37 kmpl in the city and 41 kmpl on the highways.

Look and Feel and Build Quality



Looks is where the new R15 V2 has just annihilated competition. Its looks mean, sharp and with the redesigned tail with the split seats, chunky swingarm and the broader tyres, the R15 V2 looks very proportionate. The colours from the earlier limited edition like the fiery red and the current thundering green probably are not the best ones for the R15 V2. But other colour options like the current Black, Red and the Racing blue shown here in the review do immense justice to this bikes design. The massive and gorgeous looking aluminium swing arm completes the ‘mini superbike look’ and on a quick glance at the right angles it looks like its elder siblings. Once you are on the bike the riding posture is quite sporty and you feel in control. However taller riders can get quite cramped on the bike, especially since the knees overshoot the gripping recesses on the tank. The switch gear are of very good quality and are easy to use. Plastic quality probably is the best out there and the build finish is superb. The redesigned silencer jells very well with the bike but probably the first thing that you ought to get changed is the saree guard and the extra mud flap.