[mehuel]

Mod Note: BHPian Grimlock's Yamaha MT 15 Ownership Review has been taken live at this link. Please continue the discussion over on the new thread. Thanks!

Hi all

Just chanced upon 2 Yamaha's, at that, naked versions of R15 V3. In international market this model is on sale with USD forks. But as with V3 in India, the naked beauty is getting conventional forks(and purists will know that there is nothing wrong with that). Shall I take the credit of being the first one to spot this "Yamaha MT15" India spec version



So as is obvious from the pic, except for the bulky faring/cowl and 'shoulder above your ear' riding posture, figuratively speaking, this naked beauty is indeed identical to V3 in terms of power and torque figures and steering geometry along with suspension setup(this is a speculation that can be true).

Front fork too appeared to be 41mm. Twin spar, aka Deltabox frame seems identical. As does the aluminium swingarm.

Though, I did not see an ABS disk plate( apologies in advance for what I am gonna say, ' " V3 does not need ABS". Yamaha has indeed launched it, government has mandated it, but, (and I am probably wrong in many eyes here), "Its not necessarily needed".))

So not seeing ABS doesn't surprise me. But eventually it would have to comply with government mandate.

That current standard "quintessential"(frivolous no less) LCD display as it comes on V3, is there on this naked too.

Front and rear tyres are of same spec as well.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by mehuel

Shall I take the credit of being the first one to spot this "Yamaha MT15" India spec version

I think so Mehuel! Thanks for sharing the scoop with the community.

Interesting to see the changes Yamaha has made for the Indian version, but then considering the pricing challenges - this was only logical. Hope it retains the fully quirky looks of the original, because the pics don't reveal much about the headlamps.

[Bismaya]

Thanks a lot for sharing this Mehuel. This is something which would impress a lot of naked bike lovers, especially those who are looking for something more premium than a FZ/FZ-S while not wanting to switch to a higher displacement. I wonder how competitively they'll price it here. I'm not impressed by the headlamp though.

[mehuel]

A little correction along with few more pics. The swing arm is a box type one, as seen in the pic. Interesting thing here Is that it still appears to be a trailing link type.
That has made me question the fact that, are the rake/trail any different from V3? Chassis is certainly twin spar one(that along with the radiator hidden in those tank cowl made me differentiate this one from FZ), but would Yamaha have gone ahead to modify the steering geometry aswell?

I doubt! (Another speculation )

Crazy driver and Bismaya, two different opinions on the headlight front. That's the idea, that is what individualizes us. I will hold back on this. But as can be seen in the two pics, the illuminating portion, taped profusely, indeed is reminiscent of that questioned quirky character.

[NiInJa]

I think the swing-arm is different than R15 v3, this one on MT15 is more similar to the old FZ16 with screw type adjustment for sprocket inside a rectangular tube. Might compete with NS200 in terms of pricing.

[Bismaya]

On a closer look, it might be worth noticing that the vehicle may share a lot of parts with the FZ/FZ-S V3 for a change. That's what might make the Indian version cheaper. The rear mudguard, tyre hugger and swing arm look similar to the FZ V3.

[payeng]

The Swingarm of the one in the Spy Pic is different from the one on the current R15.

It is a simpler Rectangular Section (like one found on the first gen R15 launched in 2007), unlike the Chunky Aluminium Swingarm as found on the current R15V3 and R15S models. Am not complaining if the handling isn't affected. The first gen R15 despite the simple swingarm design, thinner rear tyre and conventional telescopic forks had a stellar handling characteristics.

But it certainly means that we can expect a price lower than the price of the current R15S which retails at INR 1,17,246 (Ex-Showroom Delhi).

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by mehuel

Crazy driver and Bismaya, two different opinions on the headlight front.

Would have looked exactly like the FZ16 with a conventional headlamp unit.

Thanks for the second set of pics - confirms the front end look too!

[payeng]

The R15 is the landmark motorcycle in India. According to me its the Best 150 cc, probably in the world. It punches much above its weight.

Just that I was never a fan of full faired bikes. But now the idea of a "Naked R15" (with ABS to boot) appeals to me very much.

Hope the Engine Performance and Handling Characteristics remain the same.

Also Noticed that the Alloy Wheel Design on the Indian Mt15 is different than the one on launched in Thailand. Its similar to the design of the alloys of the R15V3. Another case of cost cutting/optimization? I am not complaining actually.

[tchsvy]

I might be wrong here but for me, it looks more like a FZ version 3, heavily inspired by the MT 15, like I said, I might be wrong though.

[payeng]

Originally Posted by tchsvy

I might be wrong here but for me, it looks more like a FZ version 3, heavily inspired by the MT 15, like I said, I might be wrong though.

The 2019 FZ has already been spotted and photos of it are already floating on the net. This one definitely is the R15 based Yamaha MT-15.


It will be a interesting choice of Nakeds to choose:

The Air-Cooled FZ-S,
Air+Oil Cooled FZ25 and the
Liquid Cooled (with the Perimeter Frame) MT-15.


My pick would be the MT-15.

[Bismaya]

Originally Posted by payeng

It will be a interesting choice of Nakeds to choose:

The Air-Cooled FZ-S,
Air+Oil Cooled FZ25 and the
Liquid Cooled (with the Perimeter Frame) MT-15.

My pick would be the MT-15.

Sure enough can't argue here. Liquid cooling with a lighter frame and more power with better transmission makes it a compelling offering over the FZ25.

[payeng]

Originally Posted by Bismaya

Sure enough can't argue here. Liquid cooling with a lighter frame and more power with better transmission makes it a compelling offering over the FZ25.

Don't miss the Perimeter Frame and Linked Type Monoshock (of the R15)- the combinatiion of which makes a sharp and stable Handling package.

[Bismaya]

Originally Posted by payeng

Don't miss the Perimeter Frame and Linked Type Monoshock (of the R15)- the combinatiion of which makes a sharp and stable Handling package.

Indeed. All the this will make it the perfect street fighter to rival against some of the most premium offerings in the segment. NS160 is currently the only vehicle to offer liquid cooling in the segment. MT will beat that.

[TusharK]

India-spec Yamaha MT-15 specs leaked

Engine specifications and other details of the India-spec Yamaha MT-15 have leaked through a 'Type Approval certificate'.



According to the document, the Yamaha MT-15 sold in India is likely to be powered by a BS-IV compliant 155.1cc engine that produces 19 BHP @ 10,000 rpm. The bike measures 2,020 mm in length, 800 mm in width and 1,070 mm in height. Its wheelbase is 1,335 mm and the gross vehicle weight (GVW) is 288 kg.

The Yamaha MT-15 was unveiled in Thailand last year. While, the bike is based on the YZF-R15 V3.0, the Indian version is likely to get conventional telescopic front suspension instead of upside-down forks. The bike could be offered with a 6-speed gearbox, while the braking setup is likely to be similar to the R15 V3.0 featuring disc brakes at both ends equipped with ABS.

Source: Indian Autos Blog

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