The Yamaha R15 2.0 Ownership Report at 4000 kms

[parrys]

What You'll Like:

• Super Bike like looks.
• Longer Swing-Arm ensures better rear tyre traction.
• Fatter tyres provide good grip and hold.
• Adequately powerful even with a pillion.
• Surprisingly good FE for a perfomance oriented bike : above 40 kmpl.

What You Won't:

• No significant change in Power Output. A bigger displacement Engine would have been welcome.
• Hard Seats. Need a little more cushioning.
• Riding position is very forward biased - palms / wrists get sore after a few minutes of riding.
• No ABS, not even optional.
• Long waiting period for the deliveries.

It all started with spy shots doing the rounds on various websites. Friends talking about Yamaha getting a 250cc motorcycle in India.

Friends also claiming that there are possibilities of the R125 coming in and what not. (Few also mentioned a Yamaha R4 which will be a 250cc engine.)

All speculations and assumptions were thrashed when Yamaha unveiled the R15 2.0 in the month of September 2011.

I owned a Apache RTR 180 then, but i wanted to go for an upgrade and was waiting desparately for this Baby SBK. I was so brain fried that I had also considered going in for the CBR 250R, but luckily Yamaha got the bike in the markets before I lost patience for the R15.

So, as soon as the bike was unveiled and launched; I booked the bike and started off with part payments. At the time of booking the bike, the dealer (AIMS Yamaha Thane) mentioned that the bike will be delivered within 25 working days. I had booked my bike on 3rd September and gave in the entire amount for the bike by 20th of September.
(INR 123,000 On-Road Price Thane as of 20-09-2011, Octroi Paid)

Ever since then i kept following up and kept calling and giving visits to the showroom to ask when my bike would be delivered. Every week i gave a call, the delivery date was pushed ahead. I got the bike delivered on 27th October. Almost 2 months after i booked the bike. (Remember the 25 days promise i mentioned above.)

But what ever it is, the minute i saw the bike; I could not think of any of the issues i had with the dealer and it was a happy moment for all of us. Happiness for me to have received the bike and unmatchable joy for them to have gotten rid of me.

The looks of the bike say it all. Razor sharp, R6 inspired Rear Cowl. Forward biased riding position, and...................................... (let the pictures do the talking)








Notice the Tilt Angle when on the Side-Stand.

[parrys]

New Features on the R15 2.0


New Middle Cowl, looks different from the R15 1.0.
Yamaha calls it a Layered Structure.
You can notice in the pictures below that the Engine Belly is a separate piece and not attached to the Side Cowl.







New R15 Sticker Graphics.





New R6 Inspired LED Tail Light.





New and very sporty looking Number Plate Mount.





The Exhaust also gets a Carbon Fibre like finish on the outside to give it a sporty feel and adds to the bikes character.







New Step Up Seats.






New Aluminium Swing Arm




New 10 Spoke Alloy Wheels. (5X2)

[parrys]

The most talked about feature (disapointment in terms if looks) was the rear mud guard. I somehow did not like the way it used to flow over the rear tyre and so got a few alterations done.

The plastic here is very thin. (Not too fragile)
Me along with my garage mechanic were thinking how to go about it. Then he just got a small blade with the zig-zag like sharp edge and started cutting it.

The plastic sheet gave in easily and we got the desired result. Half of this rear mud guard was cut off to give a much more sporty look from behind.


Well during rains what to do? I am going to buy another mud guard and keep it stand-by for monsoons.



Notice that the wire / cable running to the rear disc brake does not touch the wheels. So it is safe to get this alterations done if you wish to.

[parrys]

Riding Position

The rider seat is super inclined, you keep sliding onto the tank all the time.
The rear seat comfort, do i even mention it - just look where the pillion would sit; comfort is just out of question.

Because the rider seat is so inclined and the riding position being extremely sporty - palms / arms start hurting within 15-30 minutes of riding.



If you have a pillion riding with you, he/she has no other option but to lean on you; this adds to the pressure on your wrists further worsening the pain.

The seat is so hard you would feel like you are riding on granite flooring. The rear starts hurting and gets sore within a few minutes of riding, and if the roads are bad - only a pillow underneath is a solution.

But then, stay 4-5 steps away from the bike and look at it, the razor sharp R6 inspired looks make up for all the pain.


Another reason why I am saying all this about the seats and the forward biased position is that the paint on the tank is getting dull because i keep sliding on to it. I do not know if any of you guys have a different riding position that you would not face this issue, but I surely have noticed this and I wish the seat was just a little less inclined.

[parrys]

Aluminium Radiator



Bike details printed on the side. (Frame Number etc.)



The wind deflector on the R15 2.0 is slightly black tinted unlike the clear one on the R15 1.0



Carbon Fibre like panel on the sides.



Chain adjustment is similar to the higher capacity sports bikes.



Notice the covers on the chain, above and below the chain sprocket. Prevents from something getting stuck and dragged / tangled into the chain.



R15 Monogram on the Exhaust Pipe.



I do not know what they call it in Technical terms, but this piece of metal next to the foot-rest keeps your feet in position and prevents them from touching the parts on the inside.



Fuel Tank opening is the regular twist and lift up movement. The rubber masking from the inside is really good and when the helmet is placed over the tank, there is not much of fuel smell that accumulates on the inside. (A little smell of petrol is noticed though)



Rear Mono-Suspension




Overall plastic quality is good and was good even on the previous generation R15.





However, the rubber used to cover the wires going inside the pilot bulb section gets dirty easily. You can notice the shade of that particular piece as compared to the surrounding plastic. Some of me friends mentioned, it is because of the liquid polish that I applied on it that it has accumulated dust on it.

[parrys]

The headlamps though not very powerful, serve the purpose. I have taken it out on pitch dark roads and have not faced any problems of under-lighting due to the headlamps. The standard single bulb illumination for low-beam and both bulbs for high-beam is seen on the R15 2.0 which was also seen on the previous generation. (A lot of people on the road tell me that "ek bulb nahi chal raha" when I use the low-beam)



Rear View mirrors provide decent vision. But once the position is moved / disturbed by a pedestrian or anybody else, I find it very annoying to get it right.



The side stand has a nice protruding access point. It does not interfere with your gear while riding.



Switches are the same as on the every other Yamaha Bike.






Speedo does a check / test run when the ignition is turned on.




Under seat storage is minimum. As you can see in the pics below, it can accommodate only the tiny First Aid Kit and the Tool Kit. There is no space to store anything else apart from this. And both of these are very important and should me carried every time you ride a bike.









I am not sure, but i guess Yamaha does share the mounts on the RHS handle bar with other bikes they have to offer. (Reason - RVM hole)



Yamaha Logo at the tail piece. (Behind the pillion seat)



Read the warning on the middle cowl.



One more issue a lot of people used to crib and cry about on the R15 1.0 was the tyres. I used to hear a lot of guys say that the tyres were not good enough and stuff. I have used a friend R15 1.0 for a couple of hours at a stretch and I just could not notice what the issue was. The bike handled brilliantly like the 2.0 does. May be people just wanted a fatter profile tyre just because it looks good.

[parrys]

My Riding Gear









I also wear a jacket every time i ride. This avoids the clothes from getting dirty.

[parrys]

The Handle Bar has been misaligned ever since I have taken the delivery of the bike. Infact, i had accompanied the dealer chap when he went to collect my bike from the stock yard and i also followed him to make sure he does not over-speed before the running-in period.

I took the bike to the dealer service centre within a week and all they had to say was that the handle bar has no problem.

I was very sure that the handle bar position was disturbed while in transit. One of the mechanic did agree to the minor damage to the alignment. He took the bike out for a ride and comes back saying that it is ok now

I knew that they were not going to be able to solve the issue and hence i just quit explaining it to them. Even after the 1st service they were unable to solve this.

So for the 2nd service i took the bike to the Factory Outlet Yamaha has at Malad, Mumbai.

The service advisor asks me if I had dropped the bike when i mentioned the handle-bar issue. It is very pissing off actually when you try and explain a problem you are facing and the concerned person who is supposed to help you tries to play the blame game. So after 10-15 minutes of conversation he did agree and said he shall look into the matter. After the bike was serviced I took it for a test ride and the handle bar was the same. The mechanic then took the bike outside the service station and got the back with a even worse alignment. After 2-3 attempts he got the position back to as it was and i urged him not to try any more antics because the forks would just not respond to any more bends / force applied.

So as of now, The company with any of its service centre is unable to serve my problem. I did E-mail the back office and this is what I got as a reply.




P.S. - Nobody from the company has initiated any contact yet.

[parrys]

Performance and Overall Experience:

• The R15 has been a brilliant handling bike ever since it has been launched and the R15 2.0 lives upto the expectations.
• However, a powerful engine would have been welcome. Also because the bike has the ability to offer so much more.
• Initial acceleration and pick-up is little above the earlier generation. I have tried it against my friends R15 1.0 and there is a noticeable difference.
• Riding position is 100% confidence inspiring and does not make you nervous around the corners.
• Braking is adequate, ABS could have been a nice Add-on though.
• With a pillion also the bike does a 130 kmph which is very impressive. (true speed may differ to the speed on the speedo)
  {Also, when riding with a pillion - over speeding is not actually a good thing. I did so twice just to check the bikes abilities and to re-confirm it. Apart from that with a pillion I always keep the speed below 3 digits. The pillions comfort and safety is the riders responsibility.}
• Tyres provide ample grip while leaning around in the ghats.
• I miss the exhaust note on my Apache RTR though.
• The paid service cost of the R15 2.0 is around Rs.850. (Rs.418 - Oil, Rs.149 Oil Filter, Rs.200 - Chainlube. Taxes Extra)
• I am getting a little over 40 KMPL in city+highway riding. (I prefer to revv hard on the initial gears)

I went on a bike ride last Friday 3rd Feb. to Lonavala and was thoroughly impressed with the bikes handling abilities. The same turns where i used to go wide when on my RTR, i can move past my friends from the inside now.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Motorbikes section. Thanks for sharing, Parrys!

[Fordmanchau]

Nice and very detailed pictorial review Parry's.
I can relate how you must have lost patience waiting for it.
But why did you traded your 180cc Apache for a 150cc R15?
I know the design and dynamics of R15 is miles ahead, but still.
A bigger engine, probably a 250cc on this bike would do wonders, can surely give a tough fight to the baby Ninja.
Keep updating the thread with your ownership experience. Would be following it keenly.
Thanks!

[parrys]

Originally Posted by Fordmanchau

But why did you traded your 180cc Apache for a 150cc R15?

Thanks!

I wanted an upgrade. Also I was hooked onto the R15 2.0 ever since i saw the scoop / spy shots.

I must agree, that the RTR was a brilliant handler as well. It was the best bike one can own for the traffic light Moto-GP.
I miss the exhaust note of my RTR. Also the speedo console had so much to offer with 0-60 lap timings and top speed capture.

But, with the 2.0 - I am going knees, Elbows and Chin down which i could not on the RTR.

[abhinav.s]

Firstly congrats on the R15. Looks killer in black. Very nicely captured pics along with a detailed write up.

Originally Posted by parrys

I wanted an upgrade. Also I was hooked onto the R15 2.0 ever since i saw the scoop / spy shots.

Upgrade in terms of?

I miss the exhaust note of my RTR. Also the speedo console had so much to offer with 0-60 lap timings and top speed capture.
+1!! Beautiful exhaust note and very informative console

But, with the 2.0 - I am going knees, Elbows and Chin down which i could not on the RTR.
For how many kms did you own the RTR180 for?

[parrys]

Originally Posted by abhinav.s

Firstly congrats on the R15. Looks killer in black. Very nicely captured pics along with a detailed write up.

I owned the RTR for exactly one year. Did almost 16,000 kms on it.

And the upgrade i spoke of, it was more in terms of the abilities of the bike rather than the engine.

Where and when do you get to reach the top speeds in Indian Road Conditions.
So, top speed and other such stuff was not the motive. We friends go for bike rides often, so i wanted a bike which could give me that confidence to enter turns in and around the ghats. The RTR was a able performer as well but made me nervous when i used to stoop / lean.

Also, from your signature i noticed that you own a RTR 180 - i suggest you change the stock tyres. They are horrible in terms of road grip on wet surfaces. I have lost control a lot of times due to this, also the rear disc brake locks up the tyres easily on the wet surface.
P.S. This is just a suggestion, may be TVS has worked on the tyres later.

[abhinav.s]

Originally Posted by parrys

I owned the RTR for exactly one year. Did almost 16,000 kms on it....The RTR was a able performer as well but made me nervous when i used to stoop / lean.

Thanks for the info. The reason i asked was because, i have one for 5 months now and have done around 8k kms on it. Due to a wide puncture on the rear tyre, i had to change it. I went with Pirelli MT75 stock size at the rear. The handling and grip has improved by leaps and bounds. The twitch and nervous handling during corners has vanished and its much more sure footed round the corners.

All said and done, once you set your mind on a bike, its done for. you have to own it no matter what you had before and what you will own later. So kudos and wishing you many more happy miles on the R15.