Yamaha YZF R15 looking very nice

Yamaha YZF R15 looking very nice

If you’ve been waiting for the new Yamaha YZF R20 (rumoured successor to the R15), you’ll be disappointed with the launch of the R15 2.0. Because other bikes like the Bajaj Pulsar 220cc and the Hero Karizma 223cc had crossed the 200cc mark even before the first R15 was launched back in 2008.

To add insult to injury, both those bikes compete at the R15 2.0’s price point. And if you have a little extra to toss in, you get a Honda CBR 250R, a head turner with its scaled-down VFR 1200F looks, and a dream to ride on highways. So is the R15 2.0 the biggest blunder in the motorcycle business? We are glad to report the answer is ‘no’.

The R15 has always been an entry-level sports bike and the 2.0 is no different. The 2.0 improves on areas where the older bike lacked. Yamaha says when it was time to update the first R15, the R&D boys held customer clinics to find out exactly how they needed to tweak the R15 without corrupting its baby-superbike soul.

The first thing people pointed out was the thin tyres, which gave excellent grip but looked out of place on such a wide bike. So the front now comes with a 90/80 tyre, which is a 10mm increase over the older R15. The rear is a 130/70, a whole 30mm wider. The wider tyres have enhanced the 2.0’s visual appeal, but they’ve also increased drag.