Should the opportunity arise, do not miss taking it to the track. Every single penny you spent on your motorcycle will be realized in those 20 mins over 4-5 laps. Trust me!

BHPian R15M_Rider recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

It finally happened! The place which most of us would’ve experienced in Gran Turismo or Forza Motorsport, was at last experienced for real. The environment where riding as a necessity to most becomes an art or even poetry. 23rd March 2024 will indeed remain special in my books as the first day, I got to experience the track and it definitely won’t be the last!

Before going into the this, I do want to mention that, I didn’t take much photographs, in fact hardly any. Thanks to my introvert nature and in anyway on the race track, it’s only about you and the machine and nothing else. I will try my best to express in words to the best of my ability.

Booking amount for 23rd Mar 24, Saturday(beginner) is Rs 2000/- and for 24th Mar 24, Sunday(Expert). Both me and my brother's slot was booked around 10.30 in the morning on Saturday. MMRT is around 40 km from my place and thanks to metro rail works and traffic it took around one and a half hours to reach. The usual and expected entry procedure was there with requirements of you Driving License, RC for verification. They gave us a checklist which we need to follow through the day and a food coupon to be used at the stall near the circuit.

Quite a few R15s already ready!

The Checklist Given

Checking In for complimentary oil change

Both of our bikes were given a complimentary engine oil change with the RS4GP racing oil (exclusive for R and MT series). This retails about Rs 1500/.- so that itself makes up most of the cost of registration. Will further update on the performance of this oil later on. As expected, as per regulations, our bike's headlights, indicators, DRLs, tail-lights and the front visor were covered with tape to prevent glass to shatter and cause hinderance and safety hazard to other riders I think if we crash. Next up was of course the theory/briefing session. Since there was already a batch occupying an ongoing session, we were put into the next batch. We spent some time in the customer lounge, where they had setup tables and chairs for visitors and riders. There was a display area with the MT15, R15 V4, R15M, Aerox, R3 and MT03, with the R3 and MT03 gaining the most attention. Actually, there were quite a few R3 riders too, I spotted at least 2-3, with the newly launched R3, so I guess, even with Yamaha's absurd pricing, the fan following is still really strong. R3 is also gradually becoming my dream bike too and myself as a Yamaha fan, happy to see there are people who enjoy these machines.

If the upgrade ever happens, it would be this

A trio of Aerox

Around 5-10 mins later, next batch was let in along with me and my brother. The briefing was in general about the the ethics about track days, how it is not a race and everyone needs to be responsible. Basically, red flag being the important one which signals end of session and all riders must slow down. Basically we need to follow the marshal who will lead the batch at all times, with no overtaking and maintain consistent pace in the process. With the briefing session done, it was time for us to gear up! Riding gear which comes under FMSCI certification are only allowed on track. We were given Yamaha race suits, gloves, boots and helmets. Since it was our first time wearing this, it was a bit weird but eventually we got into gear and headed to the track. There was a session which hadn't concluded yet so we had to wait beside our bikes which were prepped up and ready with all the taping and fresh racing oil added. The sun was beating down with a vengeance, typical summer day with high humidity in Chennai prompting us to constantly drink a lot of water. Even in the briefing session, it was highly recommended that we need to be as hydrated as possible considering the weather conditions before we go for a spin.

Briefing Session

Gearing Up!

Finally, it was time. With all the heavy gear, especially the boots, initially the feel was really weird, 1 of the bikers almost lost balance while sitting idle on the bike! Thankfully nothing of that sort happened on the track. I was 4th or 5th from the front that is from the marshal. Eventually one by one we started joining the track from the pitlane. This is it. The start of a dream. The true home of the R15. First few corners, I was on a much defensive pace, even got overtaken by a couple of fellow riders. With the first lap nearly complete, I gained confidence and started to push it. Damn! That feel. Its very difficult to describe. I was starting the kneel down in extreme angles, even I was never in my wildest dreams thought I would be cornering so early like this! I even scraped my boot at one point, thankfully kept the balance! Kneeling down on corners, moving my body and clinging onto the bike and controlling the throttle. From one corner to another, left to right, I don't know if its me or the bike but I felt, I am actually feeling good about this! I didn't sense any discomfort. Maybe its the adrenaline, even the bike too, but I personally felt, this is something, I might be actually good at! The R15 though, this experience, just made me fall in love with the bike so much that, I can never ever see myself riding anything else. The spec sheet that everyone is so obsessed with, its absolutely obliterated on the track. It was like telepathy, if I picture how I want to tackle this corner in my mind, I can execute it exactly! Its magic, extremely hard to describe in words. The Deltabox frame shines here. The way I shift from left to right corner as I shift my body weight accordingly, the bike so beautifully responds. There is one quote from Shumi in Motorinc where he describes the feel of riding the R15 as a "warm hug of a sports bike". Those words turn into reality on the track. The quick shifter was simply a blessing on the track. My favorite part was the last corner before the main straight, clinging on with the kneel down, holding 6-7k RPM at the long and addicting 3rd gear and then as you exit, crouching behind the visor, gripping your thighs with the tank and start gunning it. 7K, 8K, 9K, 10,11,12K RPM, the engine screams followed by the blip of the quick shifter. as I enter the 4th and eventually 5th gear. I hit a max of around 110-115 kph on the straight in the 4-5 laps we did. One thing which I felt good about is, even though I did make mistakes, I never went off the track, considering its my first time. 2 guys in front of me made a mistake on a very technical and long corner after the main straight which caused them to go off onto the grass and made me gain 2-3 places and I eventually finished "1st" behind the marshal. It felt truly like an experience of a lifetime. We did 4-5 laps and finally the red flag was shown signaling the end of the session.

About the RS4GP engine oil, I personally felt it to be the best match the R15. It had Motul (Rs 2500) in my R15 at my last service with an FNG, but I felt this was just as good and even better too. I mean its obvious in some ways, since its Yamaha's own oil designed for their bikes. The engine response was amazing and the difference was clearly felt. I also bought one from the apparels stall near the track Yamaha had setup with a 10% discount along with a chain cleaner. I would definitely recommend to other R15/MT-15 owners for sure. Finally, we returned the gears, changed back. We had our free snacks as lunch, and took some rest. Eventually we checked out the R3 and MT-03 on display. Having sat out it definitely felt a lot less weight than I was expecting, coming from the R15. As I said earlier, after the track day, I am thoroughly spoilt and can't see anything beyond Yamaha whenever I upgrade! Its going to be extremely difficult though. As I said, too much attached to my R15M.

We were asked to fill a feedback form for the event and our given our welcome kit (Monster energy T shirt and a sticker. My only feedback was, to have this track day more than once a year at MMRT or anywhere else. Currently it happens I think only once a year at each location. Takeaway is this, Yamaha does get a lot of flak for their pricing and how they in general treat the Indian market, how they price their products.

To this, I agree for the following points:

1. Yamaha can definitely do so much more, they need to start treat the Indian market same as elsewhere. Their engineering is unmatched, but their sales strategy is far from it.
2. Reliability is amazing, but ASS isn't upto the mark or at least inconsistent in my experience.
3. FZX and their scooters apart from the Aerox, definitely don't scream Yamaha. Some of the lineup just feels out of place and definitely can do with updates.

But, apart from the above three points, when it comes to their true products as per me at least that is the YZF R and MT series, forget the spec sheet. They are absolute marvels of engineering. Don't mind the cc. Don't mind the power figures. To an extent, even forgive the pricing and just ride it. Should the opportunity arise, do not miss taking it to the track. Every single penny you spent on your motorcycle will be realized in those 20 mins over 4-5 laps. Trust me!

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Accompanying me was my friend riding his Royal Enfield Himalayan 411.

BHPian R15M_Rider recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Finally, after 1.3 years of ownership (I do sincerely apologize for mentioning it as 2 years in the initial review even though I mentioned the purchase and delivery in Oct 2022. Mods, if it is possible to edit the post now, would gladly do it), here is my first ride report on a long ride of one of the most popular routes from Chennai for bikers- the East Coast Road from Chennai to Pondicherry.

I prefer to keep the review and the entire experience/adventures of ownership as a single thread, therefore will update everything here.

Ride Date- 26th Jan 2024 (Chennai-Puducherry), 27th Jan 2024 (Puducherry-Chennai).

After a lot of delays, I finally, got a good opportunity to do the famed ECR stretch on my R15 from Chennai to Pondicherry. As stated in the original review, I had done the Chennai-Marakannam-Chennai trip, so this is actually my second run on the ECR, but this one felt special! The start of the ride was a bit bumpy. The entire night, I was down with a fever and a sour throat. Having taken medication, I tried my best to get good sleep and try to make this ride possible as it was long due on my bucket list. Honestly speaking, I badly needed this. A three-day weekend, and also, considering some hectic work-related stress in my day job over the past couple of months, this seemed like the best opportunity to refresh.

Thankfully, by early morning 5.30 AM, the fever relented and I was feeling better. I did this ride with a very good friend of mine from college. With my jacket, gloves and helmet all prepped up, I met with my friend was on a Royal Enfield Himalayan (the old one, not the newer 450). The first stop is of course the petrol station. We filled both our bikes at Shell near Injambakkam on the ECR. This will be the only fuel stop for me for the entire trip!

We hit the road. Since we both had mobile holders on our bikes and with the first stop set at A2D (Adyar Anandha Bhavan) at Mahabs, I didn't consider much about riding at a sedate pace and wanted to have a good speedy run when the roads allowed it. The bike with fresh fuel started to shine as always as I twisted the throttle, well, that was until Kovalam. Due to some reason, we were diverted to OMR via Kelambakkam with ECR being blocked till Mahabs. This added around 10-15 km. So much for wishing to experience the entire ECR. Adding to this, the mobile holder on my friend's bike broke off. This meant only one of us could navigate. It was also not actually a friend's bike, but rather he borrowed it from another friend of his. It was also not in the best shape. The brakes were worn out and the engine kept overheating at frequent intervals. All things said, this meant we needed to stick together and with the worn-out brakes, anything beyond 60-70 kmph on the RE seemed risky.

So, with a detour and with no option but to keep a sedate pace throughout the rest of the trip, it was a rocky start. But I guess such things happen. So you're on a 155cc sportbike, with little to no access to harness the VVA band. What did that result in? Mileage! The total distance covered on this trip was around 272 km, and I only had to fill once at the start, that too, I am confident, it wasn't a full tank. Pretty sure I was getting 50-55 km/l. Really astonishing numbers when you consider, the bike behaves like a totally different animal after 6000-7500 RPM, when the VVA kicks in.

Now, I am not the kind of person who values mileage as something that's of some paramount importance when considering a bike. I knew the R15 wasn't meant to be driven like having a cruise control set at 65 km/h for long stretches. But you know what, The bike never seemed like complaining. 5th gear, 65 kmph and just admire as you gracefully pass through. I never imagined, that I would have fun, not even reaching triple-digit speeds even once on his trip. I have seen some reviews, where many claimed the bike to be boring/dull until you reach the VVA band. I disagree. It makes me feel like I have two bikes in one. Till 6K RPM, it is just like any commuter, (Splendor, Passion etc) with a sporty twist. Beyond 6k-7.5k RPM, it is becomes an R3/R7. Now as the spec sheet and facts imply, it is neither as slow as a commuter nor anywhere as quick as an R3/R7. But does it really matter? Absolutely not! In the end, you have a machine that doesn't complain and will always support your style whatever the type of riding you're going for and make it look absolutely easy and beautiful while doing it. This to me will always be the biggest pro of this bike, something you will miss out on lower down the range and even if you move to higher-powered machines in the future.

Back to the trip, we had breakfast at Mahabs, and with the 55-65 km/h pace, we eventually reached Auroville first. Had some juice to freshen up and eventually proceeded to Pondy for lunch. Both myself and my friend have already been to Pondy n number of times, but this was the first time we came by bike. So neither of us was keen to visit tourist places like originally planned, and rather we decided to take it easy and just roam around the beach at most. Initially, the plan was to return starting in the afternoon and return to Chennai by evening itself. But since we both were quite tired, we decided to stay at Pondy for the night and start tomorrow early morning.

We woke up at 5.30 and left by 6.10. After my friend filled up his Himalayan, we proceeded once again at a consistent 60-70 kph pace. I am glad we stayed the night. The early morning ride was memorable. The mild fog, and occasional drizzle. This made me forget about the lack of pace on this trip, sometimes taking it slow does bring a smile, given such wonderful weather with a sweet sunrise. Once again, we reached Mahabs for breakfast at the same restaurant. I did notice quite a lot of geared-up bikers on the ECR on RE Interceptors, Continental GTs, some 600ccs like the Kawasaki Z650, and even a mild glimpse of a possible ZX10R and maybe even a Z900 if I spotted it correctly while riding. Probably, making use of this three-day weekend.

Some shots were taken on the way. Early morning rides are bliss!

We reached Chennai around 10.00 today morning bringing close to my first long biking trip. Wish to do Ghats next, possibly Yelagiri. Hoping for the best.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The last Yamaha in my family was the legendary RX100 in the early 2000s.

BHPian R15M_Rider recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi All!

Having been a silent observer of this esteemed forum for years, I finally found the right time to share something from my side. Apologies if I miss certain details, but I have tried including everything that came to my mind, as per guidelines shared by mods for reviews.

A little bit about me, till I got to experience R15, I was mostly an introverted rail enthusiast, particularly Indian Railways, and on the automobile side, I was more of a JDM fanatic- the Supras, Skyline GT-Rs and even some interest on sporty hatchbacks- VW Polo TSI in particular.

On the two-wheeler side, until 2022, I have only driven a 2017 Honda Dio scooter, right from my college days. We still own it and as usual, this being a Honda, true to the reputation was as reliable as anything 5 years + of ownership.

Booking, Delivery & Into The World Of Motorcycles

Fast forward to 2022, the need for a motorcycle for my younger brother grew for college commutes. As I mentioned earlier, I was never in the run to get one as I never felt the appeal even till this point. Both of us were new to geared motorcycle riding, having only driven scooters till this point. My brother had some practice on one of our neighbour's commuter bikes for a few weeks before the exploration for a new bike.

Options explored

1. Suzuki Gixxer 155 SF / 250 SF: Found it decent, lack of power was evident (but being a new rider, and not experienced much can't comment much on this). 250 SF was too fast it seems
2. Honda Hornet 160: Brakes were comparatively weaker compared to others.
3. Bajaj Pulsar NS200: Not sure about the flaws as I was only there for the above two test rides, probably my brother being a new rider, might have something to do with the clutch release and engine cut-off.
4. TVS Apache 160 4V: This was one of the considerations to get, no particular flaws to report on a test ride.
5. KTM Duke 200: Almost settled on this except for ground clearance, where he told me, he scrapped the bottom on a speed hump. Apart from this, he didn't like the exhaust note
6. Yamaha MT15, R15: Here is the interesting stuff, we went to Yamaha first itself, before even the 155 SF test ride, And as you would imagine, they didn't have a test ride vehicle at that time for the MT-15 (we weren't even considering the R15 at this point). We got a call later on after a couple of days that a test bike was available NOT for the MT-15, but one was available for the R15. And this call probably changed the decision entirely from the KTM Duke.

On a test ride, one very, very important factor came into the picture and today after being fairly experienced, it seems silly, but the major reason my bro opted for Yamaha was that the engine never cut off once despite the possibly improper clutch release due to lack of experience. I believe since the R15 was the only motorcycle in the segment that came with a slipper clutch at that point, it probably aided a little and made up for the lack of clutch control.

Soon we made our decision and decided to book the R15. Even now there is an argument amongst ourselves about whether to pick the MT-15 or the R15, mainly with the committed riding posture coming into the picture of the latter vs the relaxed riding posture of the former. My bro was having to fall for the absolutely beautiful R15 V4's design and who can blame him? But practically, one more safety feature on the R15 was the dual channel ABS compared to single channel ABS on the MT-15 (I guess currently MT-15 also gets dual channel ABS and TCS on par with the R15). We booked the racing blue colour for the R15 V4 and since the bike was readily available, registration and delivery only took 3-4 days after booking.

Upon delivery, my dad asked my bro to thoroughly do practice runs on the bikes for a few weeks before taking it for college commutes. Now this is where my first experience on a geared motorcycle comes into the picture. Yes, a guy who has never ridden/touched a single-geared bike and was not enthusiastic about motorbikes before (all the test rides before were done by my younger bro and my dad) was going to start his motorcycling journey on a YZF R15 V4. As expected, on the very first day, there were several cutoffs on clutch release. But as soon as the days passed, I got the hang of it. Gradually I was starting to see the light. The reason why so many people get hooked onto such tremendous machines is why people are so obsessed and passionate about motorcycles.

My brother's R15 V4 in racing Blue

A few months passed, and having raked up enough funds, it was time for me to own one for myself. On my birthday, 13th Oct 2022, I booked a Yamaha YZF-R15M in the beautiful metallic silver shade with the design borrowed from the R1M superbike from Bikerz Yamaha, Nandanam, Chennai. I was in a bit of a dilemma between the 60th Anniversary of Yamaha in MotorSports edition versus the silver R15M but eventually settled for classy silver. Once again, with the bike being readily available, got the delivery within 2-3 days of booking. Delivery Experience was decent, with nothing much to note. Both the bikes being available readily was indeed a bonus as there wasn't an abnormal waiting time. That would've made things a bit harder.

This marks the start of a continuing journey of my "baby R1" as many on this forum refer to. Over a year and still feels like it's the first time every day I go for a ride.

The first photograph was taken of the beast right of delivery and reaching home.

On-road pricing came around 2.34 L, which I believe is a pretty premium price tag for a 155cc motorcycle. But We will come to the pricing argument once we go through the other details.

Service Schedules:

1. 1st service is at 1000 km, and thereafter 5000km, 7500km, and 10,000km and the next one for me scheduled as of now is at 14,000km / 9th Feb, whichever comes first.
2. First 3 services are free with only labor costs included. I am going to have my 4th service soon which will be paid one, will comment on the costs once done.
3. Overall the service cost ranged roughly from 2k to a max of 4.6k. The 3rd service involved a brake-pad replacement and a chain replacement due to worn out and rusting issues which pushed the price quite a bit.
4. Additionally, over almost two years of ownership, the radiator fans required replacing twice due to failure. I heard this is a common problem in the R15 V4 generation, if any of you have an idea about this, please let me know.

So, coming to the Pros and Cons over a year of ownership:

Pros:

• An absolute gem of an engine. 155cc doesn't seem like a world of power, but the engineering that has gone into this, the refinement and when the VVA kicks in, that feel is in another league! The dual nature of the engine is a treat to experience and gives the best of both worlds- mileage and power. 18.4 BHP at 10K RPM and surge of power is best to be felt rather than explained.
• The quick shifter is beautifully integrated. It's for up-shift only, but it does the job well. I found myself using it more often than I thought I would. Slip & Assist clutch helps new riders a lot as well. Butter is smooth and easy to operate.
• The Design: Need I say more? Just look at it! I am damn sure this won't get old for a decade at least.
• Handling: This above all is the biggest pro for this machine. The nimbleness, the forgiving nature, and the absolute razor-sharp precision on offer are nothing to complain about. The committed riding posture with clip-on handle bars though was painful initially, actually adds a world of value to the handling aspect. USD forks must be having a role too, but since I have never ridden a geared motorcycle apart from an R15M / R15 V4, I can't comment on this. High-speed stability is evident, have pushed up to 120 kph on an empty stretch of ECR for a brief period and no sign of strain/discomfort was observed.
• Exhaust Note: IMO, this has one of the sweetest exhaust notes in this segment. Combined with the refinement, even at low speeds I love it so much!
• Safety Features: Dual Channel ABS (I believe this is the most important feature on our roads of unpredictability) is always welcome. Coming to TCS, while it does seem unnecessary on such a low-cc bike, safety features are always welcome any day.
• Build Quality: It's solid as expected. The quality of plastics used and overall fit and finish are good. While I have heard of rusting issues, personally while there are some areas of rust, namely in the tool section under the seat, I didn't face a huge problem despite being around 500m from the beach.

Cons:

• Service has been a hit/miss. Quality of service varies from one location to another. Bikerz Nandanam seem to be good having experienced the past 2 services compared to others in Sky Motors Besant Nagar and Samyukth Motors, Mylapore
• The radiator fan failure seems to be an issue with R15s. I have had it fail 2 times both in my and my bro's bike and required replacement. Stocks aren't always readily available so this can be an issue.
• Stock indicators are halogen and are pretty weak and seem out of place from the rest of the motorcycle.
• Battery drain if kept idle for more than a week happened once. This was caused by Yamaha Bluetooth Y-Connect. Once it was removed. issue hasn't occurred so far. I never cared for this feature anyway.
• Pillion sits on another floor compared to the rider but this is a sports bike. It is typical of its character. But an important point to note is whether you ride alone most of the time or not.

Gauge Cluster:

1. It is an LCD unit (currently the R15M alone comes with a juicy TFT display, which looks amazing). It has probably all the information you require apart from the speedometer and rev-meter - Gear position, Coolant temp, average fuel economy, battery voltage etc.
2. Visibility is good too, under sunlight, nothing much to complain about.
3. It even has a track mode (just display, mechanically nothing changes) where RPM starts at 6000RPM, maybe one day, will drive on a track with this.

Riding Gear:

• Helmet: I used to use a generic Vega Helmet for a year until I got myself an MT Hummer MIR :
• Riding Gloves: Used a pair of Rynox Gravel Dualsport Gloves

My General Usage Pattern:

1. My daily usage consists of an office commute of 44 km of commute considering both to and fro. The committed riding position was indeed a bit uncomfortable at the beginning, but I soon got used to it and I don't feel the pain I used to have initially.
2. As far as long rides are concerned, I have done Chennai-Marakannam(Near Puducherry)-Chennai, a total of 246 km roughly and it was an absolute bliss of a ride. So long rides, are totally possible once you get used to it.

Night & Rain Riding:

1. While I do return from the office after the sun goes down, and most of my commutes are within the city limits with street lights, and on some occasions when they are off, I found the headlight range to be decent. For the size of the projector like LED in the middle, I felt it does well.
2. The stability of the bike while riding in a medium-heavy downpour is amazing. Thanks to the dual-channel ABS and other electronic aids, adding to the already forgiving and friendly nature of the R15, rain riding is a breeze as long as you stay within reasonable limits.

Accessories added:

Nothing much, only indicators have been changed to LED after one of the halogen indicators got damaged. Personally, not a huge fan of modifications apart from the indicators. Would like to keep it as stock as possible. I guess the present R15M comes with LED indicators as standard and a TFT display too.

Also, coming to modifications, I know some people use handlebar raisers to make things more comfortable. My Honest Opinion: DON'T, don't ruin the character of the bike. It is a sports bike. Treat it as such. So much engineering has gone into it to make this so friendly, forgiving and at the same time engaging and fun! It is not a big deal to get used to the committed ergonomics. Just requires some time and persistence and you won't regret it. The same goes for exhausts, though this is subjective, for me at least stock exhausts sound the sweetest and especially for a single-cylinder bike, louder exhausts don't make things better.

Conclusion:

All things considered, I am so grateful to have experienced this machine and it truly has changed my perspective on motorcycles and truly turned me into an enthusiast. In India at least, high-performance motorcycles make a bit more sense than high-end cars, so that's an additional bonus.

With over 12K on the odometer, honestly, the more I ride, the more I get the feeling that this is a keeper for life. I know, it's the only motorcycle I have ever ridden and I am very young in the motorcycle scene, but maybe it's the magic of Yamaha. The last Yamaha in my family was the legendary RX100 in the early 2000s, and it's no surprise the R15s are considered to be the next great legend from Yamaha's stable. I honestly don't see myself ever moving on unless it's something really special- R3 maybe one day? Japanese for sure.

Finally, I want to round off this review by saying, what Shumi from MotorInc described quite a few times. You don't ride the spec sheet. Who cares that it doesn't have a so-called feature a competitor has, who cares that the bike produces only 18.4 BHP and comes at almost 2.3 L on-road (I know pricing doesn't always make sense and it is not for everyone, but it must not be considered a dealbreaker always, if you can afford it, take a test ride and decide), what matters in the end is the experience. The grin on your face matters so much more than what reviews / opinions of others say, including mine. It applies to everything.

Hope you had fun going through my first-ever automobile/motorcycle review! Signing off with a few more photographs of this incredible machine below.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.