Yesterday was a massive day for Indian motorcyclists and Yamaha fanboys as the Japanese bikemaker launched a host of products including the much-loved R15’s updated version. Dubbed as the R15 V4, Yamaha also accompanied it with the introduction of R15M, a more premium variant of the supersport machine. Here are 8 highlights that you should know about the R15 V4 and the R15M:
Looks
Ever since it first set our streets on fire, the R15 has been quite a looker. Yamaha has nailed the aesthetics in its every generation and the V4 is no different. If we had to sum it up in just one sentence, it looks like a shrunken R7 that recently broke cover. The design inspiration can be clearly seen when you look at it from the front.
The sleek fascia is studded with sharp DRLs and a bi-functional LED projector lamp is neatly tucked between the ram air intake. The fairing design is also new and looks more in line with the R family. The golden USD forks also add to the overall visual drama. Yamaha has also tweaked the air-dam shaped grab rails and the exhaust unit. The R15 V4 can be had in four new colours: Metallic Red, Dark Knight, Racing Blue, and a MotoGP inspired Monster Energy livery. There’s also a new R15 M variant which comes in a Yamaha R1M inspired dual-tone silver/black shade.
New instrument cluster
The updated R15 also gains a new instrument cluster that comes with the functionality of Bluetooth connectivity. It also gets two display modes (Track and street). Reflecting its track-focused intent, it shows a host of information like lap timer, instantaneous fuel economy, intake air temperature, degree of throttle opening and rate of acceleration.
USD forks
The gold finished USD forks instantly make their presence felt. The R15M and the R15 V4 will come equipped with USD forks up front, something which we have been longing for since time immemorial! The R15, even in its current avatar with telescopic forks is already considered to be the most potent machine in its class when it comes to handling. The inclusion of USD forks will only make the package even better than it already is!
Traction control
Yamaha has added a ton of features to justify the premium it commands over the outgoing model and one of the noteworthy additions include traction control as well. Although being a 155cc machine, it doesn’t really need traction control but having it as a safety net is still better than not having it at all.
Quickshifter
When you are setting hot laps around a racetrack, every millisecond matters a lot! To save those crucial seconds, Yamaha has bestowed the R15 with quicksifter in its latest update. It is available as a standard fitment on the YZF-R15 V4 Racing Blue and YZF-R15M. It is not a full-blown bi-directional unit and it can only provide smooth, clutchless, upshifts. It activates when speed is at or over 20 km/h, the engine rpm is at or over 2,000 rpm and accelerating.
R15M
This is the first time that Yamaha has included the M moniker in one of its more affordable offerings. The R15M benefits from a metallic grey livery with blue-coloured alloys that look particularly smashing. The R15M gets the quickshifter as a standard fitment and retains all the remaining features from the standard variant.
Improved aerodynamics
Yamaha has also particularly focused on improving the aerodynamics of the R15 V4. 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.
Performance and chassis
The perfect fusion of Yamaha R15’s engine and chassis is what has made it such a joy to ride around bends. Yamaha has gone ‘Don’t fix what isn’t broken’ way when it comes to R15 V4’s engine and chassis. The 2021 YZF-R15 range is powered by a 155cc, 4-stroke, liquid-cooled, SOHC, 4-valve engine that produces a maximum power of 18.4 PS at 10,000rpm, with a torque output of 14.2 Nm at 7,500rpm. The fuel-injected motor with Variable Valve Actuation (VVA) is mated to a 6-speed gearbox. It also retains the Deltabox frame that we have come to love so far.