AUTO WORLD BIKERS

How does it perform?

When I was ready to take Yamaha YZF R15 for a test ride, I really did not expect much out of this machine. I thought it was just another 150cc bike with too much of external make up. But the actual ride did prove my thoughts wrong. Even with a pillion rider, the pickup was awesome. I went upto 30 kmph in the first gear easily without much resistance from the engine.

The bike vibrates a lot and it is not smooth, but users have reported that the engine sound really becomes nice and the bike becomes very smooth after riding 700-1000 kms. So do not let the test ride performance disappoint you!

Do not be disappointed about the thin tires. I heard from some bike owners that the thin tires actually perform very well, the bike is very stable even on wet roads. Yamaha engineers realized that along with great looks, indians also need mileage – hence the thin tires which reduces friction and consumes much less fuel. The bike is said to have a fuel efficiency of 40 kmpl in citis and 50 kmpl in highways.

From the safety point of view, the bike performs great. The user’s have reported that the rear disc brakes does make a difference. It wouldn’t be long before all the high end bikes in India comes with compulsory rear disc brakes. The bike comes with mono suspension as in the Unicorn and claims to have better stability. But personally I don’t find a remarkable difference in mono-suspension.

If you give high importance to the looks and status of owning one of the costliest bikes in India, go ahead and buy this bike. As for me I wouldn’t buy it because it is not a good justification to spend nearly one lakh and buy a 150cc bike. If it had a 250cc engine, I would buy it right now. Even though the bike may have 6 speed transmission and other advanced technologies, it will never be able to cover up the low displacement of Yamaha YZF R15 engine.

There needs to be a match in looks and performance. If I buy the the original 1000c Yamaha YZF-R1, it wouldn’t really make a great difference because people will think that it is R15 in the first look. The bottom line is, R1’s value has gone down! The brochure consists of too many feature indications like DAISIL cylinder, liquid cooled engine, 33mm front fork etc… but it doesn’t make much difference to a common man. In fact, it makes people feel ignorant and shy away from the bike.

Bike Advice Overall Rating: 4.25/5

Beauty Rating: 5/5

Performance Rating: 3.5/5

Pros: Great looks, 6 speed gear

Cons: Low displacement, Thin tires, no leg guard

Yamaha YZF-R15 Specifications:

Engine type: Liquid-cooled, 4-stroke, SOHC, 4-valve
Cylinder arrangement: Single cylinder
Displacement: 149 .8cc
Bore x Stroke: 57×58.7mm
Compression ratio: 10.4:1
Maximum power: 17PS @ 8,500rpm
Maximum torque: 15 N.m @ 7,500rpm
Starting system: Electric Start
Fuel tank capacity: 12 liters
Fuel supply system: Electronic fuel injection
Clutch type: Constant-mesh wet multi-plate
Transmission type: Return type 6-speed

Dimensions

Overall length x width x height: 1,995mm x 670mm x 1,070mm
Seat height: 790mm
Wheelbase: 1,290mm
Minimum ground clearance: 160mm
Dry weight / Curb weight: 120kg / 131kg