Find out what makes the new Yamaha R15 V3 so popular amongst the young motorcycle enthusiast of the country
There is no doubt in the fact that the Yamaha R15 V3.0 is one of the best sellers in the 150cc motorcycle category in India. Yamaha sold a total of 15,000 units of the motorcycle in the month of October alone here in India. Now there could be many reasons why this popular sportsbike sells in such huge numbers.
The R15 cannot only can be used for daily commute but can also be taken to a race track on weekends and have some serious fun with it. The performance of the new generation motorcycle has also increased from its predecessor and the R15 V3 is the most powerful 150 cc motorcycle in the Indian market currently. That said, here are the 5 reasons why the Yamaha YZF-R15 V3 is selling big in India.
1. True value for money
While some may argue that the new Yamaha R15 is priced well above other 150cc motorcycles available in the country, but to be quite honest this particular motorcycle is unlike any average 150cc motorcycle which is available in India. Compare the specs of the new Yamaha R15 V3 with any other 200 cc sportsbike including the KTM RC200 and you won’t be too disappointed.
Moreover, the motorcycle is also known for its impressive build quality as well. The quality of materials and the hardware used on the motorcycle are of top-notch quality. To be quite honest, how many 150 cc Indian motorcycles offer a slipper clutch. The new R15 V3.0 also happens to be the most powerful 150 cc motorcycle available in India at this moment which somehow justifies its steep price tag.
2. Powerful and advanced powertrain
Yamaha decided not to update the engine when they introduced the second generation R15 in India. However, when they introduced the third generation motorcycle recently the first thing they did was introduce a more powerful powertrain.
Even though the updated 155cc unit is based on the second generation motorcycle’s engine but Yamaha decided to introduce Variable Valve Actuation (VVA) to improve the mid and higher spec grunts of the motorcycle. Moreover, the compression ratio has also been increased to 11.6 compared to 10.4 on the V2.0.
Lastly, the crankcase has also been modified to reduce the pumping losses. All the above factors have ensured that the 155 cc, liquid cooled unit is not only powerful by almost 16.3 percent but there is enough power available when you twist that throttle even at higher revs.
Engine Specs | Yamaha YZF-R15 Version 3.0 |
Displacement | 155.1 cc 6-Speed |
Maximum Power | 19.3 HP @ 10,000 rpm |
Maximum Torque | 15 Nm @ 8,500 rpm |
3. Better handling machine than its rivals
There is no doubt that the R15 V3 is one of the best handling 150 cc motorcycles available in India at this moment. Yamaha has fitted the fattest tires on the V3.0 but at the same time has also reduced the wheelbase of the motorcycle considerably as well from 1345mm to 1325mm.
The Yamaha engineers have not only worked on the wheelbase but the rake angle has also been sharpened by half a degree while the trail has been decreased by almost 10 mm. Version 3.0 is also slightly heavier than the old generation motorcycle but the gain in overall power output somehow justifies the heavier weight and does not hamper the performance figures.
Front Brake | 282mm Single Disc |
Rear Brake | 220mm Single Disc |
Front Suspension | Telescopic Forks |
Rear Suspension | Monoshock |
Front Tyre | 100/80-17 |
4. The motorcycle is ideal for City commuter and Highway riding
Another good thing about this motorcycle is that it is user-friendly. The YZF-R15 not only builds up speed while you twist the throttle, but one can ride the motorcycle even at the speeds of 30 kmph in fifth gear. Although the gearings of the motorcycle are short but it does not run out of breath while you push it hard. The R15 V3.0 can even do three digits speeds quite comfortably.
Although the riding position of this motorcycle is bit aggressive the rider can use it for short highways trips without causing too much trouble to their wrist or spine. The only disappointing thing about this motorcycle is that Yamaha still does not offer an ABS yet. However, the renowned Japanese two-wheeler manufacturer will introduce the ABS-equipped variant of the R15 V3 real soon.
5. Plenty of new features and accessories available with YZF-R15 V3.0
The motorcycle gets a newly designed sharper fairing towards the front which helps in better aerodynamics. There has been a lot of complaints that the twin headlamps setup of the previous generation R15 did not provide sufficient illumination at night.
So in order to solve that Yamaha has added a full LED headlamp setup to the new motorcycle. The semi-analog and digital instrument cluster have now also been replaced with much more informative fully-digital unit inspired from the bigger R1.
This unit not only provides some additional information but also features a gear-shift timing light as well to extract optimal performance out of the motorcycle. Yamaha also offers some other official accessories for track use only which includes a frame slider, skid plate, Metzeler rear tire, and Daytona muffler. It even offers a USB charging dock as well.