SCOOP: First generation Yamaha YZF-R15, re-branded as YZF-R15 S, coming back to the Indian market

The Yamaha YZF-R15, in many aspects, changed the game for the Japanese two-wheeler maker in the Indian market. The motorcycle’s much appreciated performance and built-to-last quality helped the Indian arm of Yamaha to clock healthy sales numbers after a long lull.

The R15 was later updated, tagged as 2.0. The second generation YZF-R15 came with a long list of features and a new design that received admiration from Indian motorcycling aficionados. However, the design of the version 2.0 robbed the YZF-R15 of its highly single-piece comfortable pillion seat, replacing it with a  stepped two-piece unit for a sporty look akin to the bigger YZF-series motorcycles.

But it seems like Yamaha has some plans for the Indian market.

The latest buzz in town is about Yamaha’s plan to revive the first generation of its YZF-R15 motorcycle for the Indian market, which will be sold alongside the YZF-R15 Version 2.0. You read that right – first generation. An exclusive spy image snapped in Delhi by one of our avid followers indicates that Yamaha India indeed plans to re-introduce the first version of its much successful YZF-R15 and re-brand it as the YZF-R15 S for the Indian market.

From what we could make out from the spy image, the brushed up first generation YZF-R15 with the “S” badge will receive refreshed set of graphics, new set of alloys with wider tyres and redesigned pillion grab-bar, apart from the return of the single-piece seats. Thankfully, it will still retain the version 2.0’s exhaust – a design change that we really appreciated when it came out.

The YZF-R15 S will follow the FZ-series’ strategy in the Indian market and will be sold alongside the version 2.0. While we are still not certain about the list of updates that the first generation YZF-R15 will receive, there is a good possibility that the 150cc motorcycle will be equipped with latest hardware from Yamaha to keep up with its arch rivals in the Indian two-wheeler market.

Come to think of it, it actually makes sense to reintroduce the original version of the R15, weird as it seems.  The first-generation Yamaha, along with commendable performance, was also high on comfort with its pillion friendly single-piece seat. Moreover, it also came handy to load luggage for road trips. This comfort aspect, along with whole host of updates that the YZF-R15 S will benefit from the second generation model, is likely to make the motorcycle more potent against the competitors and garner attention of customers who demand functionality over form.

Are you one of them? Share your views about Yamaha Motor India’s strategy to re-introduce the first generation YZF-R15 for the Indian market through the comments section below.