If you’ve been looking ahead to the new Yamaha YZF R20 (rumoured successor to the R15), you’ll be foiled with the launch of the R15 two.0. as a result of different bikes just like the Bajaj neutron star 220cc and therefore the Hero Karizma 223cc had crossed the 200cc mark even before the primary R15 was launched back in 2008.
To add insult to injury, each those bikes vie at the R15 two.0’s value purpose. And if you've got a bit additional to append, you get a Honda cosmic microwave background 250R, a head turner with its scaled-down VFR 1200F appearance, and a dream to ride on highways. therefore is that the R15 two.0 the largest blunder within the bike business? we tend to ar glad to report the solution is ‘no’.
The R15 has continuously been associate degree entry-level sports bike and therefore the two.0 isn't any completely different. The 2.0 improves on areas wherever the older bike lacked. Yamaha says once it absolutely was time to update the primary R15, the R&D boys control client clinics to seek out out precisely however they required to tweak the R15 while not corrupting its baby-superbike soul.
The first factor folks seen was the skinny tyres, that gave wonderful grip however looked out of place on such a large bike. that the front currently comes with a 90/80 tyre, that may be a 10mm increase over the older R15. The rear may be a 130/70, an entire 30mm wider. the broader tyres have increased the two.0’s visual attractiveness, however they’ve additionally accumulated drag.
Also, those wider tyres would end in a loss of lightsomeness. therefore Yamaha has worked around this with the utilization of associate degree aluminum swingarm, that holds the rear tyre. Yamaha claims the swingarm provides larger rigidity and higher grip, that successively mean higher cornering.
We found this to be true however the bike has lost a number of its lightsomeness attributable to the broader tyres and longer distance. however it’s a good compromise only if the bike has higher ride than before and most of its users are taking it out on long route runs.
The most distinguished style changes ar at the rear. once the R15 was launched, the rear styling was bland and standard compared to the front. With the 2.0, that’s been sorted, with a chiseler wanting rear galvanized by the 2012 Yamaha YZF R6. Yamaha says the redesigned middle and rear cowl, split seats and integrated light-emitting diode taillights haven't solely increased visual attractiveness, they additionally cut back drag by four per cent.
The complete middle and rear plan has left US with one little grievance tho'. The face has not been touched, and with the Yamaha Fazer sharing an identical wanting face, the R15’s front currently appearance dated compared to the remainder of the bike. Yamaha could’ve tweaked the front to form it look as sharp because the remainder of the bike.
Anyway, get on the saddle and there’s a familiarity from the older R15, beginning with the instrument cluster, that is way a similar. As within the older bike, Yamaha has tried to strike a balance between the upright position of a commuter bike and therefore the outright jazzy stance of a litre-class bike – riding position currently leans towards jazzy.
The little 150cc motor produces sixteen.8bhp and 15Nm of torsion, just like the earlier R15. On paper, which may not seem like a lot of, particularly only if the neutron star a hundred and eighty has a similar power rating at a far lower cost. On the bottom tho', it’s a special story.
So we tend to may push the R15 two.0 to its limits, Yamaha invited US to the Irungattukottai raceway in metropolis. One lap in and therefore the new bike created its intentions clear. this is often a track bike, which inspires arduous riding. Throttle response is sharp and therefore the two.0 felt snug being unbroken at around 7000rpm in third, lap when lap. Even when a full day of constant up and downshifting, the gearshifts were correct, with no false neutrals.
Keeping the two.0 on the boil was ne'er the issue; it absolutely was the mid-range (below 5000rpm) wherever the bike left you wanting. to form it a lot of linear, Yamaha tweaked the eu, that currently makes the two.0 easier to ride in traffic. Most of the riding round the track was exhausted second and third, however we tend to did manage to hit sixth likewise – the rate needle happening to 4500rpm and therefore the bike feeling reluctant to stretch any longer. This factor is usually for route cruising, with its tall gears, that successively ought to facilitate fuel economy.
The 2.0 sounds like a real upgrade to the older R15, instead of simply a sticker job. Power has not accumulated, neither has engine capability, however that works within the two.0’s favour – this bike is a lot of for enthusiast riders, giving them a correct style of what a sports bike is, while not corrupting them with outright power.
If you’re still yearning for some additional juice, Yamaha has Daytona kits specially developed for the R15. additionally on show were kits by Yoshimura, associate degree choice to the Daytonas. No costs declared for the kits nonetheless, however we tend to reckon the cheaper of the 2, the Daytona, can set you back by Rs sixty,000. each the Yoshimura and therefore the Daytona ar for track use solely.
The Yamaha YZF R15 two.0 can price Rs one.18 hundred thousand (on-road, Mumbai), that is around Rs ten,000 quite the outgoing model.
The numbers
149.8cc, liquid-cooled, 4-stroke, single-cylinder engine, 16.8bhp, 15Nm, 136kg, Rs 1.18 hundred thousand (on-road, Mumbai)
The finding of fact
A genuine upgrade to associate degree already sensible bike, with higher power delivery across the rev vary.