Yamaha’s Much-Anticipated Supersport Is Here At Rs 1.68 Lakh

The Yamaha YZF-R15 has been one of the most successful offerings from the Japanese manufacturer in India. Now, the bike maker has launched the fourth iteration of the supersport in India, bringing an end to months of speculations and leaks.

What's The Price? Who Are Its Rivals

Yamaha has launched the R15 V4 at Rs 1,67,800 onwards. This is a hike of Rs 10,000 over the previous model. While the R15 doesn’t have a direct rival in our country, it locks horns with the KTM RC 125.

How Many Variants Are There?

The Yamaha R15 V4 comes in a standard trim (with three colours) and a Monster Energy limited-edition model. Yamaha has also launched a top-of-the-line R15M variant. 

What's New?

The most obvious change is to the design of the Yamaha R15. The puny supersport now borrows its fascia from the Yamaha YZF-R7, dropping the dual-headlight setup in favour of a single Bi-functional LED unit flanked by LED DRLs. Even the side fairing takes inspiration from the 700cc sibling for better aerodynamics. The new fairing design has reduced the coefficient of the aerodynamic drag from 0.307 to 0.293. While the rear section looks identical to the older model, Yamaha has reinforced the subframe to tune the chassis's balance.

The R15 V3 sold internationally came with the USD fork, something we sorely missed on the India-spec version. And now, Yamaha has equipped the India-spec model with the golden USD fork. For the M variant, Yamaha has added anodised blue fork caps, along with a new, carbon-like seat cover and an embroidered logo on the pillion seat.

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The Yamaha R15 V4 now comes with a new instrument console that finally gets bluetooth connectivity. Once connected with the app, you can get call and SMS alerts, mobile battery status and more on the display. Furthermore, Yamaha has even packed a lap timer and two display modes (Street and Track) in the console. Another change comes in the form of an updated shift lights which are eerily similar to the one on the Triumph Daytona 675.

For the first time, the Yamaha R15 receives electronics like a traction control system and even an optional quickshifter. The latter activates when speed is over 20kmph or when the engine rpm is over 2,000rpm, and accelerating. We have already seen KTM do it with the 390 Adventure, and soon with the 2022 RC 390, however, the R15 V4 is possibly the smallest bike to sport this tech. 

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What's Unchanged?

The Yamaha R15 V4 and the R15M continue with the same 155cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled engine. But there’s been a change in the power output. Now, the bike produces 18.35PS, which is marginally less than the outgoing model. Even the braking system, consisting of 282mm disc up front and a 220mm disc at the rear remains unchanged, however, the M variant comes with golden brake caliper. 

ZigSays

The Yamaha R15 V4 is a popular bike in the country, and now with the segment-first features and overhauled design, it is likely to remain in vogue. With the previous model, Yamaha cut a few corners, however, the new version making its global debut with the Indian market is a sign that Yamaha is stepping up its game in India. The Yamaha R15 V4 doesn’t have a direct competitor in our market, but with this update, it will likely threaten not just the KTM RC 125, but even the RC 200.