If you are one of those who are not perturbed by long reviews, then grab a snack and a comfortable seat, and be my guest.
I bought this bike in January, 2011, and almost after using it close to a decade, I still have it. Obviously, close to ten years of use justifies a long review.
Why I Bought It:
I was always a motorbike enthusiast from college days and had the legendary Yezdi, and Karizma among others. With my four-wheeler prone to getting stuck in the city's chaotic and unpredictable traffic every now and then, my R15 was like a huge prayer answered. Though, it was expensive, back then, I had no qualms in buying it because I was charmed over by its seducing looks.
There were not many sports bikes in those days and this particular bike was burning the roads with unprecedented power, classy looks and best in class performance hitherto unseen. The Yamaha R15 was a masterpiece of motorbike design and engineering introduce in India at that time. It was a carbon copy of its elder sibling, the legendary R1.
The biker in me was absolutely thrilled to the core, and remember, in those days, Indians were starved of genuine sports bikes. Though, the bike was like a'big hole in the pocket'compared to other bikes available then and also many of my friends were not sure of my choice, I made up my mind to go for it as it had the Yamaha Racing DNA. The R15 did not fail me and proved my decision was right. For close to ten years, it has been my trusted two-wheeler for commuting.
Performance:
Contrary to what people say about its forward biased stance which forces the rider in to a crouching position, I had no issues with it at all. I never experienced back pain even while riding 200 kilometres at a stretch at over 100 Kmph on the highways. Dwelling a little more on the forward stance, I would like to point out that it actually helped me focus more on the road. The other point is that it helped me avoid extra pressure and injury to the tail bone due to compression when I had to negotiate rough and pot-hole filled roads. In such cases, a normal, regular riding position can actually cause injury to the tailbone. It may be a small matter for most people and, also, a subject for debate, however, I do feel relieved because of its riding stance.
The road hugging ability, perfect balance and stability at high speeds, good breaking response and good acceleration while overtaking make this bike a rider's dream. Twin headlights provide more than enough lighting on the road and, also, display that aggressive road hungry look. The shocks are really good and took in their stride my off road journeys without giving up. However, the chains and sprockets needed to be changed a few times because of the dusty conditions because of my regular off road sojourns. Riding this bike is a breeze under any conditions, be it rainy or sandy.
Ergonomics:
The R15 is a stunner. It embodies the right mix of muscle, power and sleekness. Today, there are many sports bikes on the road, but R15 still holds its own in terms of looks and in class performance. It is a beauty from every angle.
Power Mill:
It's a 149 cc single cylinder churning out a noteworthy 17HP of raw power. It comes with five gears and gear ratios are perfectly spec'd for smooth pickup and linear acceleration. However, the clutch is a bit hard for my liking.
Electricals:
The switches are top notch and operate smoothly. I replaced my headlight halogens with LEDs as they consume less power but light up the road beautifully. The bike has neither a manual kick-start nor a choke, so it's totally dependent on the electric start. Fortunately, the R15 starts purring and ready to hit the roads every time I press the start button. Of course, you need to take care of battery maintenance every six months or thereabouts. Like most bikes, today, it has also an engine kill switch.
Mileage:
If you were expecting Hero two-wheeler kind of mileage, come on, what were you thinking about? Seriously, this is a sports bike designed for speed and performance. An average mileage of 35 Kmpl is what you get. If you prefer more, then, you should forget even thinking of buying a sports bike in the first place. Sorry people, but that is how it is.
Maintenance:
This bike is slightly high on maintenance charges because Yamaha accessories do not come cheap. However, you should also factor in the fact that Yamaha bikes do not develop problems too often. A Yamaha bike lasts a lifetime if you maintain it properly. It is a totally different matter whether you want to keep it that long. You need to spray the chain with the Yamaha chain spray for long and event free chain life. You just cannot remove a link, as we do for normal bikes, to tighten the chain if it gets uncommonly loose. The only way is to buy the entire chain-sprocket set. Also, during the long span of 10 years I had to replace the clutch plates and the gear shaft just once, which says a lot for the quality of the bike.
My Preference:
This bike was launched in 2008, since then, the scenario on the sports bike front has changed dramatically. There are many more bikes, today, in different power ranges and flavours competing for a market share. There are some good, some not so good and some downright ugly. However, beauty is subjective and lies in the eyes of the beholder. Ever since Independence up to the 2000s, the two-wheeler industry was driven by the sellers. However, it has slowly turned into a buyers’ market, Therefore, these days; the showrooms are packed with bikers’ eye candy. I am still using this bike as it is in perfect condition and, hopefully, I am not going to dispose of it anytime soon. However, if I had to answer a hypothetical question as to which bike I would buy today – then, my answer is simple, I would still go for the Yamaha R15 in its V3 flavour as production of V1 has been discontinued. Like the legendary RD350 and the RX100, the R15 is certainly on its way in acquiring cult status.
Though, I have a lot of fond memories riding this bike, the fact that this bike is no longer available in its V1 avatar is not going to force me fret over it. After all, change is the only way forward towards better things.
Mbfarookh ©