I woke up getting a call from my friend and he greeted me with very appetising news. When I first heard about this news that Yamaha is launching a bike I prayed it to be something in the 200 cc range, but it wasn’t to be. When I heard that Yamaha is just launching the same bike again it got me wondering whether my friend is going crazy. But he was saying the truth and Yamaha is launching the same 150 cc bike, Yamaha R15, again but this time with many changes. When I went on and searched more about this news I was pretty impressed and on the other hand very much confused. Why would Yamaha do the same launch again while the competition is so high and tough? Only Yamaha knows. But at this first look I can tell you guys how this bike looks and the major changes this bike have undergone. And it will be up to you to decide whether you need this 150 cc bike at the price of a 200 cc bike.
When the last R15 was launched, it showed a revolution in bike designing. The vehicle highly resembled the Yamaha’s R series and it was something really good to look at. But it also made a drastic change in 150 cc bikes’ riding. This bike was something that you could take to a race track and enjoy its awesome handling and mind blowing power. R15 made her footprint in the market easily and earned many fans. Despite being priced highly, this bike sold like any other 150 cc bike. And I felt that it’s high time Yamaha launched a new bike, and so they did. But to my amazement, it is the same bike, with a twist.
Now getting to the point, what are the major changes in this bike and why is Yamaha launching it again? Well, this bike gets more ‘racing instinct’ tagline. And it looks more racing oriented too. This time the engine is liquid cooled with 4 valves. It also has a delta box frame that promises better stability while riding. This vehicle gets much more impressive rubber. The whole design and vehicle looks racetrack oriented. But it made me doubt whether they concentrated on too much racetrack oriented that it is not entirely satisfying to be used in real life. The practicality in our congested and not at all racetracks like road is highly doubtful. Now, sports bikes are supposed to look muscular and strong but this new bike lacks that muscularity of a sports bike. And we all know the competition at this level is too high. With a lot of new manufactures coming to India eying the 250 cc category, it will make the survival of this new bike very hard considering it is priced almost as a 250 cc bike.
Even though good looking, this bike is nothing drastically different to look at. But it is clear that extensive changes have been made in this new bike. This bike also gets a brand new fairing design that Yamaha says will improve the aerodynamic efficiency. This bike also gets upsized tires at both front and rear. And the discs are also really updated promising better braking at high speeds. The new aluminium swing arm is also good. This bike gets a whole new tail section that looks better than the old bike. The seat height is also increased that is very much sporty. The seating position also reminded me of a big sports bike. The tweaked weight distribution is also new and good, that it will in the end help in better ride and handling. Yamaha has tweaked the ECU for better vehicle response. This vehicle also gets a new throttle mechanism and a revised final drive ratio. The whole dynamics of the vehicle is improved and the bike feels more stable. The longer wheelbase and large tyre promises better and nice ride. Yamaha says the bike will be really sharp at corners giving you more confidence while tackling any curves or corners.
Even though there is a lot of change in the look, there isn’t much change in the engine specification or the power. This beauty is run by the same heart that ran the old version except that this new engine is liquid cooled. The engine is liquid cooled 4 stroke- SOHC 4 valve. Each stroke is about 57x 58.7 mm. the compression ratio is 10:4:1 and this engine generates 16.7 bhp at 8500 rpm. The torque produced is about 15.2 nm. The gearbox is the same six speed transmission. Like the older version this bike is also very light, weighing only about 136 kg. The length is 1970 mm; width is 670 mm, height is about 1070 mm and the wheelbase is 1345 mm. the tires are also comparatively big in this new version. The front gets 90/70- R17 tires while the rear gets 130/70- R17. The suspension at the front is telescopic and in the rear is linker type monocross. And the brakes at the front are hydraulic while the rear gets single disc. The fuel tank capacity is 12 litres. The fuel efficiency will be approximately 38 to 40.
To be honest, I still have no idea why Yamaha is launching the same bike again. However, with all my confusions aside and just being a critic, I have to say this bike is good. This looks really good (though it lacks that masculinity) and it sure looks like this bike will ride better than the old one. But I am still not sure whether this bike is practical on common roads. It looks like as if Yamaha made it too much racetrack oriented. Having said all these, I am waiting for this bike to be launched so that I can get really up-close with this bike. It sure looks like a beast and will it behave like one, is yet to be known. And all we can do is wait for it to be launched.
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