Yamaha Motor India has launched their much anticipated MT series-inspired motorcycle in the lower capacity commuter segment. The new machine on the block is none other than the MT-15 which has been aggressively priced at 1.36 lakh, ex-showroom, Delhi. The motorcycle is fresh and borrows its 150cc engine and several other parts from the supersport offering R15 Version 3.0.
The bike had been spied several times earlier last year in 2018 and was expected to be unveiled in January. However, Yamaha India, as reported earlier, pushed forward the FZ-S series upgrade instead along with ABS introduction on FZ25 and Fazer 25 motorcycles. The Japanese manufacturer gave a new touch to their best selling motorcycle India along with several design changes.
MT-15 is completely a fresh motorcycle in terms of design in this segment. Up front it gets ‘Bi-functional LED headlights’ which includes a projector light that illuminates once the engine is turned on. The front displays an aggressive stance and Yamaha is has termed it a dark warrior.
Coming to the engine, it employs the 155cc motor, same as the one seen on R15 V3.0. There is a six speed transmission, the power figures are also identical to the fully faired bike which is 19.3hp at 10,000rpm and 14.7Nm of torque at 8,500rpm. Additionally, the slipper clutch and Variable Valve Actuation (VVA) is present as well.
But all is not the same though. The MT-15 misses on the essential dual channel ABS safety feature and instead get only the single channel unit. This is clearly cuts the safety of the motorcycle by a bit. Moreover, MT-15 gets a box-section swingarm, as opposed to an aluminium unit seen on the R15 V3.0
Nonetheless, this premium naked motorcycle offers lower seat height and shorter wheelbase which will certainly aid in maneuring in the city. While the MT-15 has a fuel tank capacity of 10 litres which is a bit of let down, a ground clearance of 155 mm and a kerb weight of 138 kg make it a very lightweight motorcycle.
As mentioned earlier, this is a premium naked motorcycle which punches way above its weight in the 150cc segment motorcycle. While MT-15 has been priced cheaper than the fully faired R15 V3.0, for competition it will take on higher-capacity bikes like the TVS Apache RTR 200 4V ABS (Rs 1.11 lakh) and the Bajaj Pulsar NS200 ABS (Rs 1.12 lakh).
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