VIDEO: All You Need To Know About the New Yamaha R15 V3 Pre-Launch

The all-new third generation R15, known popularly as the Yamaha R15 V3 is knocking on India’s doors after being launched in many other markets. The new motorcycle has been spotted several times in India and is very close to its launch. Here is everything you need to know it before it’s officially introduced in India.

To start off, we called a few Yamaha dealerships and realized that a few select dealerships in big cities like Mumbai have already started taking bookings for the bike for a sum of Rs. 10,000. If these dealers are to be believed, the bike will be launched in early to mid-January and deliveries will begin ten days later.

In terms of styling, the New Yamaha R15 V3 gets restyled front headlamps which are sleeker and wider with an air intake in the middle. The tank top gets aggressively styled fins on either side lending the bike a very aggressive feel from the rider’s point of view. There are new graphics and the tank is more sculpted. The bike also boasts a new design for alloy wheels, new exhaust, new side panels, and new all-LED headlamps, and LED tail lamps.

From a comfort perspective, Yamaha has reduced the seat height for the pillion, although it’s still a split seat setup. The seat height for the rider has been increased by 15mm, and the front seat also appears to be elongated and widened to be more accommodative and comfortable. The increase in seat height may not be good news for very short riders, but average to slightly short riders should still be able to ride it without much problem.

The Engine on the Yamaha R15 V3 is a new unit. It stands at 155cc, which is about 6cc more than V2 with a power output of 19.04 hp @10,000 rpm and peak torque rated at 14.7 Nm at 8500 rpm. Power is up by more than 2 hp, although the torque has reduced very marginally as compared to the V2.

The new engine also features variable valve actuation, which basically manipulates fuel combustion based on throttle inputs and speed for more torque at low engine speeds and more power at higher revs. It also optimizes fuel efficiency and adds to the linear character of the engine. The R15 continues to have a forged piston and a diasil cylinder. The Engine is mated to a 6-speed transmission.

In terms of features, the new motorcycle will get a fully digital instrument console, with a whole load of features. The digital console has a tacho, speedo, shift indicator light, fuel gauge and a trip computer with average fuel economy and other efficiency and range related data. The switchgear now gets a separate button for hazard lights. The bike now features bigger 282mm front disc brakes, 240mm rear and a new swingarm as well, although the chassis is the same as before in the form of the tried and tested delta box frame, which has been slightly re-tuned.

Internationally, the new Yamaha R15 V3 has received some cool features such as a slipper clutch, clutch assist and upside down forks. However, for the Indian version, the bike is expected to come without the two features to keep the cost down, and keep the R15 relevant to the audience within a specific price bracket. Other omissions may include a front fender which is carried over from the R15 V2, unlike the sportier fender on the V3. The bike doesn’t have ABS and the Yamaha will skimp on tyres as well, with MRF replacing the IRC units on international variants. Tyre size is 100 section front and a wide 140 section at the rear.

The Yamaha R15 V3 will get an 11-litre fuel tank and weighs 137 kg. The bike is expected to be available in Matte red, matte black and race blue colours upon its India launch. Yamaha claims that the top speed is around 144 km/h, which is surprising for a 150cc as even the much bigger Dominar has a top speed of 145 km/h.

The price of the R15 V2 is around Rs 1,18,00 ex-showroom Delhi. Expect the new motorcycle to be very slightly more expensive, and to expect a price tag of around 1.25 lakh ex-showroom sounds pretty reasonable. At this price, the R15 V3’s closest competitors will be the Bajaj RS200 and the Honda CBR150, which are somewhat similarly priced and positioned.

The bike will be launched in the next couple of weeks, and you can count on Motoroids to come up with more information, along with a review when it’s is launched.