Yamaha R15

A Brief History of Yamaha R15:-

                                                   The Yamaha YZF-R15 is a single cylinder sport bike made by Yamaha Motor Company since 2008. In September 2011, the second iteration, called v2.0, was released in India, and in April 2014 it was released in Indonesia. In January 2017, the third iteration of the bike, called v3.0, was launched in Indonesia.

                                   
Specifications of the bike:-

                                       

The engine for the first and second iteration (v2.0) was a 149.8 cc single cylinder four-stroke engine with four valves and a single overhead camshaft. The bore and stroke were 57.0 mm × 58.7 mm (2.24 in × 2.31 in). This engine had a claimed 12.2 kW (16.4 hp) of power at 8,500 rpm and 14.5 N⋅m (10.7 lbf⋅ft) of torque at 7,500 rpm. The radiator is placed in the front of the engine with a fan behind it. The coolant reserve is on the left side up and behind the radiator. The transmission is a return type six-speed with a constant mesh wet multi-plate clutch.

For the first and second iteration, the bike had a 270 mm (11 in) single disc with dual piston calipers in the front and a 220 mm single disc single piston caliper at the rear, both the brake systems being made by Nissin of Japan. The front suspension was a twin telescopic fork and the rear is a linked type single shock suspension. The bike has dual headlights like the other bikes of the YZF-R series.

                                    The YZF-R15 v2.0 had undergone changes as compared to the previous version in the cases of the engine control unit (ECU), drivetrain unit, split-seat design, higher seat height, LED tail light, wider tires, larger gear ratio (15/47), longer wheelbase, rear mudguard, and redesigned middle and tail section. The engine performance was largely similar, still having a six-speed transmission and a linked type single shock suspension added on the back.

                                                   

My History & Experience with the bike :-

                                     I remember it was just like yesterday the first time I laid my eyes on this bike , it was love at first sight. My friend's elder brother had just bought the bike at after seeing friends brother rev and ride the bike , I knew I had to have one. Soon it became my dream bike. It took 3 years of hard  studies and scoring good marks in my exams , I was finally able to convince my parents to get me one.

I bought the bike in 23 March 2016 ,this was the BS3 version of the bike. the bike costed me Rs.1,39,000

on road and it came with 2 year warranty and 1 year of free service which means the labour cost is free but I had to pay for the parts and consumables (eg :- engine oil ,coolant, brake pads, etc.).The over all  maintenance of the bike is less which compared to other manufactures like KTM , Kawasaki and Honda. The First service of the bike costed me under Rs.1000 and once I finished the 1 year free service , it started costing from 1800 to 2500 depending on the service. Yamaha has their own engine oil known as Yamalube which is good but not long lasting after every 1500 to 2000kms the bike starts to feel rough. So I would recommend Motul 10w-50 factory racing engine oil which is the best the engine oil made my bike much more smoother and increased the initial acceleration of the bike. The engine oil is long lasting and I changed the engine oil of the bike after every 5000kms while compared to Yamalube which had to be changed after every 2500 to 3000kms. I would recommend switching to Motul once you have completed the initial 5000kms.i had also changed the air filter of bike from the stock which is bad and cheap in quality to a performance BMC AIR filter which is a 1 time investment cause the air filter lasts for lifetime this air filter boosted the top end performance of the by allowing more and controlled air flow into the engine I got a overall performance boost of 2bhp without any ecu remap this air filter is not a cone shaped but flat shaped one which is like a stock air filter with wider grooves for the air to flow. But if you are planning to put a cone shaped air filter to improve the sound and performance of the bike then you will need to get a ECU remap or else it will the make the bike run lean which means it will make the bike run more hot and there by effecting bikes engine in the long run.

                                     Coming to performance and handling of the bike its bloody insane the bike revs all the way upto 12000 rpm(sounds F***ing brilliant) and it is the highest revving motor in its segment. the peak power of the bike is at 10500 rpm and the peak torque kicks in at 8500 rpm . So in the lower revs it makes the bike a bit dull which is a good thing if you are a beginner rider it will help you control and understand the bike and it wont scare you silly like other bikes in this segment. The bike returns good millage because of this I get a fuel economy 35 to 40 kmpl depending on city and highway riding. There are a few cons in bike like the riding position which is too committed and not ment for long city or highway rides cause after some time you would start facing pain on your palms and back but after sometime you would get used to it . I would suggest hitting the gym if your planning to go on a long ride on this bike. Where this bike excels the most in the twisties( ghat section ) cornering the bike just feels like a breeze , I had recently gone to Goa on my bike for the first time and cornering the bike in the western ghats felt exhilarating at that point i felt like when man and machine becoming into one. The bike has low seat height which is 800mm which good for shorter riders me being 5'7 i could easily flat foot on the road. If you are a taller rider you might feel cramped beacuse higher and rear set foot pegs. I also wish the bike had better brakes cause they aren't confidence inspiring . The should have had ABS which have helped a lot in the braking department and would have helped beginner riders to feel confident while panic braking.These issuses have all been rectified in the R15 v3.

Conclusion:-

                   ALL in all The R15 v2 is a work of art with its timeless design and a reliable engine which has its roots from the old Yamaha RX bikes is modern day hero , revolutionizing the Indian automotive industry making a superbike for the masses . This bike has helped to grow the low capacity sports bike in India and i am glad that I own a piece of Indian automotive history. I plan on never selling my bike and make sure that my kids enjoy what helped me gain a passion into riding bikes , researching and reviewing them.

                                    

         YAMAHA REVS YOUR HEART!!!