Flashback Friday: Yamaha R15 Evolution- Chapter 1 In India’s Supersport History

It must feel strange to be the first fully-faired super sport in India in an era when the idea of ‘sporty’ was a quarter fairing on street bikes. But the Yamaha R15 had arrived and in 2008 it forever changed the course of India’s performance motorcycling scene – nothing was the same since. Most bikers of the time would recall when the first batches of R15s started to show up at biker meets and Sunday rides, a tiny 150cc had the competition’s attention and here why!

Tu Janta Nahi Mera Bhai Kon Hai… (Do you even know who my birader is?)

Let’s play a game: Name this iconic supersport - YZF-R___. 

Being the baby brother of the mighty YZF-R1 (the One), the genetics on the R15 were strong. One glance and you’d know this entry-level supersport came from a family well known for demolishing lap times at race tracks. This pedigree was as much visible in its styling as it was when the R15 was in motion. The sharp and ferocious falcon-like face of the R15 with its split headlight setup earned it its distinct identity through the first three iterations but by the fourth, the R15 V4, it changed. The current generation looks different to its predecessor but continues to resemble its older siblings. And very soon, it will be joined by the R3 and the R7 in India.

Speed? Woh toh mere khoon mein hai! (Speed? It’s in my blood!) 

When Yamaha introduced the generation one of the YZF-R15 most 150cc bikes were air-cooled and made about 14-odd ponies. But suddenly, the enthusiast had access to a 150cc liquid-cooled engine making roughly 17PS and 15Nm. For context, that’s what the Hero-Honda Karizma (225cc) made. Because of its high-strung nature, the motor lacked bottom end grunt, and most of the action was primarily found above 6,000 rpm. But once you broke that threshold, the R15 V1 would charge aggressively towards its 11,000 rpm redline. 

Thankfully, unlike its sibling, the FZ-16, Yamaha kept pushing the performance envelope of the R15 further and further with every iteration. With every version getting angrier, sharper and sportier than the last, the R15 V4 today makes 18.4PS and 14.2Nm and is an absolute sucker for redline performance. And with its new variable valve technology (VVA), the push up to 11,000 rpm is even more enjoyable, without compromising on bottom grunt too much. 

Tera bhai sambhal lega! (I got this bro!)

What enthusiasts loved most about the R15, across the board, was its handling package. That Deltabox frame gave us a taster of what proper sportbike handling feels like, and acting as ancillary support was the suspension setup. For the first three generations a simpler telescopic front and a monoshock at the rear allowed for great spirited riding, but the new upside-down fork and aluminum swingarm on the R15 V4 takes things up a notch. Fantastico! 

Braking on the R15 across versions has been good but not great. A single disc at both ends managed to shed speed fast enough, but they aren’t as sharp and strong as the KTM’s (200 Duke/RC 200). All said and done, the R15 has been and continues to be one of the sharpest handling motorcycles. 

Ek din purani biryani sabsey swadisht… (Day-old biryanis are the tastiest)

With every passing generation of any motorcycle, things certainly get better, more sophisticated and modern – that’s a given. What makes the R15 so special is that back in 2008 it was way ahead of its time. Today, it’s keeping up with the times. But it’s still relevant and fresh as ever – at least, it’s gotten tastier with age.