Hello Bikers. This is Ajay Samuel doing III Year B.E. Mechanical Engineering in Chennai. This is my Ownership Review about My Yamaha YZF-R15 V2.0. In this Review I don’t want to express feelings for my bike or do a comparison between the previous versions of R15.
I will be basically dealing with all the factors which the basic Indian rider wants to know about and also a little comparo with the other bikes in its segment.
Time for a New Ride
I’ve been driving regularly for about 5 years now from home to school/college. I’ve owned a few bikes in this period.
- Scooty ES
- Bajaj Discover 125cc
- Bajaj Pulsar 150cc
- Yamaha FZS
I and my dad had a Pulsar and an FZS for our usage. The Pulsar (UG3) had done about 50 k Kms and had been giving lots of maintenance issues. So my dad took the FZS and asked me to select my New Bike. Dad wanted me to get a bike with decent mileage.
I went into research mode. I did a lot of homework before getting my new ride as this was the first time I was asked to select my ride. I went through BikeAdvice and xbhp websites for reviews of many bikes. Initially I kept aside from bikes priced 80k+. I wanted a racy 150cc bike with killer looks, mileage of about 45-50, good handling and lesser maintenance issues.
I saw almost all the bikes in the 150-180cc segment but each bike had its drawbacks. I had to compromise on something or the other until I saw the R15 2.0. I was simply stunned by the beauty of the machine. I was really tempted to get it. Amidst mixed suggestions from people around me I decided to sacrifice the mileage part of my expectation and decided to get it.
Now I have no regrets at all although people told me to wait for the launch of the duke and pulsar. It’s an absolute eye turner and also one of the most technologically advanced bikes in India. As I am a mechanical engineer the technology of this bike was the best at the moment so I never had second thoughts while getting this bike
Looks
One may lie to you that biking is all about the quality of the ride and not just looks. But in reality No one would like to buys a performance freak bike with awful looks would we? When I bought this bike it was the best looking bike at that moment. After that came the CBR150R (Auto Expo) Duke and also the Pulsar NS. I’d still say this bike reigns supreme in this department.
It’s a fully faired bike with killer styling all around. You simply can’t find a flaw in its styling coz it’s such an Eye turner and every girl would want her boyfriend to have this bike. Even If you don’t want to show off with your bike it grabs a lot of attention. The KTM Duke and Pulsar are for a set of people who love naked bikes.
But most people find the Faired bikes better. Karizma ZMR and Pulsar 220 cant even come close to this bike in the looks segment as Pulsar is a semi faired bike whose styling doesn’t do justice for a 220 cc. The ZMR looks good in white but its tail and overall styling doesn’t blow you away. It stands apart from its rivals in this department.
Performance
Ever wondered how a 150cc bike draws comparison with 200+cc bikes in terms of performance? That’s the beauty of this bike. It’s the undisputed champion of the 150cc segment in this department too till date. It’s because of a wonderful 149.8cc Liquid cooled engine with Electronic Fuel Injection.
Now what this means is, Due to Liquid cooling the Engine does not heat up easily like the other air cooled engines even after driving at around 100 kmph for a good amount of time. This also helps in retaining the good engine performance even after the bike is 3-4 years old. Fuel Injection system will supply the fuel directly with the aid of an electronic control unit.
This helps the bike get a good mileage and a linear supply of fuel to your bike. As this is an EFI bike you can say goodbye to your kicker, Fuel knob and also choke. I haven’t checked the Top End of my bike but my friends say that you can reach about 130-135 kmph without pillion in stock conditions. Its acceleration in the lower RPMs is average but once you cross the 5000-6000 range you’ll become uncatchable.
This bike has a super smooth engine. It doesn’t have any vibrations. The Engine performance does not drop after a few years. Its Quality all around. This bike is built with utmost care such that every customer feels that his money is well spent.
But Now Performance biking category is having a lot of good products too. The CBR150R will be coming soon and is speculated to be more powerful (lesser torque) than the baby R, The KTM duke is a performance delight with its light weight can Out Run all other bikes except the Ninja. CBR250 is also an amazing performer.
Pulsar 200 NS and 220 are comparatively cheap options for power hungry bikers. But above all the R15 is a proven performer and is enough to blast through the traffic in city road. Also it is to be noted that there are a lot of performance upgrades for this bike which can make it touch 150kmph.
Handling
This is the one department which will give this bike a decisive edge over the other bikes. Yamaha scores really high in this department as this bike is one of the best track tools available in the Indian market. It has a delta box chassis which gives it amazing stability even while cornering at high speeds. It is lighter than most of its counterparts in all segments although it might look heavy for a third person with the full fairing and others.
It can be flicked effortlessly in traffic even if you are a novice rider and you can overcome corners even at the speeds close to 100 kmph. It is truly a benchmark bike in this segment. You will no longer find traffic hard to overcome. Its competitors might have more power in terms of bhp but what’s the point in reaching high speeds without control.
It’s easy for the common biker to get blown away by the performance figures on the spec sheets. But they don’t tell you the whole story. The Pulsar 220cc and the Karizma even with higher performance figures will smell the R15’s exhaust in city traffic conditions which allows the bikes to touch speeds between 30-80.
Riding Position
It’s a sports bike so don’t expect a conventional seating position. You’ll have to lean front a bit. With a few days of driving you can easily get accustomed to it. You might have pain in the back and shoulders but you’ll soon overcome it so this won’t be much of a problem for youngsters. But if you’re 35+ and if you’re into daily commuting then you might have to be careful in this department.
For me this seating position is perfect for this kind of a bike. If you want a more upright positioned performance bike then you can take a look at the CBR
. When it comes to Pillion comfort. It’s a big thumbs down. Not the best bike for a pillion but its not impossible to take your mom for 20kms at a stretch. So if pillion comfort is a priority then you have to look deeper into this aspect of the bike
Mileage
Here comes the Million Dollar Question. What Mileage? Before I got this bike the ownership reviews of many people said that it would return 40 kmpl with sane driving and 35 when you start revving hard. But a few people who have never even ridden this bike said that this bike will return only 20-25 and I even heard a guy telling that it returns only 10. On a serious note these comments from people were misleading.
After driving in city condition I calculated its mileage. To my happiness I got 41-42 when I kept the throttle in 4-5k RPM( which is about 60-70 kmph in 6th gear). When I started revving hard and driving a little faster I still got 35+. I haven’t checked in the highways but I guess you can get a max of around 45kmpl if ridden properly. So I finally Rubbed this figure in the faces of those who claimed it cant give this much mileage.
So don’t let people mislead you. Trust me and the other owners. With a proper Run-In according to the manual and proper driving you can achieve these figures regularly. Although everyone’s driving style might be different you surely won’t get mileage of 20-25 unless there is a big problem with the bike or the rider.
Braking and Tyres
Although this bike doesn’t have ABS there is not much of a problem to bring this bike to a halt. Brake is one of the most important components of a bike. And that too for a sports bike you expect sharp braking. Yamaha doesn’t disappoint. The bike doesn’t skid much and performs well in all conditions.
Both Tyres are tubeless tyres and the rear tyre is wider compared to the previous version. The Tyres have perfect grip on all roads. No complaints whatsoever.
Suspension
The Suspension is tailor-made for good roads. It has a mono cross suspension which performs really well in tarmac. The Stability in higher speeds is really good. But as it’s a little hard off road. It won’t be able to take pot holes well and the pain will be felt by the driver.
Instrument Cluster & Electricals
It has a stylish instrument cluster with a white backlight. It has an ODO,2 Trip meters, A bold Speedo and a Fuel gauge which are digital. It also indicates the amount of kms travelled in reserve fuel. It has an RPM meter which is analog. Overall it’s pretty stylish and functional. It has a dual headlamp. One of the gets lit for low beam and both for Hi- Beam.
Price & Colours
It costs about 1.21 Lakhs On Road here in Chennai. You can be easily mislead by people when they say 1 lakh+ for a 150cc because it’s hard for common people to realise the technological advancements of this Bike. But I feel it’s worth the price. Quality products don’t come cheap.
- Liquid Cooled Engine
- Fuel Injection
- Mono cross Suspension
- Delta Box Chassis
- Tubeless Tyres
- Front and Rear Discs
- DiAsil Cylinder
- Aluminium Swing arm
- Full Fairing
- Split Seats
- Full DC Console
- Dual Headlamps, LED Rear Lights and a Good Instrument cluster
What more can you ask for. And it’s has genes of the R1 and R6 which are internationally acclaimed sports bikes.It’s got everything so the price is well justified.
Cons
- Pillion Comfort is a drawback. This bike is not the best for pillions. It doesn’t have grab rails.
- Low End Torque may not be as good as other higher displacement bikes but it really screams performance when it goes past 5k RPM.
- Pot-Holes are hard to tackle and It pains to ride in bad roads.
- A little Overpriced when compared to other bikes. Its easy for people to pay a few more thousands for a 200 or 250cc bikes.
- It’s a faired bike so you don’t get a crash guard. You’ll have to spend more when the bike has a good crash.
Verdict
Every bike has its own Pros and Cons. It really comes down to the requirement of the customer. According to me this is a brilliant bike engineered in the best way to extract peak performance and also to grab a lot of awe from everyone. To be more clear-cut This is a Sports Bike. You cant expect terrific mileage, pillion comfort, painless commuting from this bike because its built for a purpose and that is to set the roads on fire.
The feel when you get when you rev this bike hard is amazing and your bike gladly accepts the revs with pleasure and delivers outstanding performance. Overall If you want a pulsating, youthful, exhilarating and top quality race bike with excellent handling then look nowhere else, Here is your destination.
By the way, Everything mentioned above is my personal view and I stand by it. I’m sorry if I offended any of the people who are fans of other bikes I mentioned above. Cheers. Drive Safe
Regards,
Ajay Samuel
{ 40 comments… read them below or add one }
As soon as people hear yamaha the, milage is what worries them.But this review helps a lot in changing that thought.Even for the milage which the yamahas give I think their engines have great endurance compared to others.(even better than Honda)
True. It does offer a little lesser mileage than others.. But people exaggerate it in such a way that you will consider it as a huge drawback. But the looks handling and Quality of the bike is really good.
Wow, awesome pics, this will be in the top ten I am sure.
This review made me love with the new R15……..
Nice job……..
I fully agree with u . This is the best bike in india upto 200 cc. No one knows what the next cbr 150 has to offer.
heyy dude i think u got something bad in ur mind….u can beat a 220 in traffic …no wayz dude ….a 220 will nt even let u see its tailaight in d traffic……..u can nvr evr beat a 220 in traffic or straight line….only on track u can have an edge ….but who goes on track……1 out of a 1000……n wats d point of buying a 1 lakh plus bike if u r still left behind n smoked out by a 80k bike…….Pulsar 220 Rocxxx
awesome answer
heyy dude i think u got something bad in ur mind….u can beat a 220 in traffic …no wayz dude ….a 220 will nt even let u see its tailaight in d traffic……..u can nvr evr beat a 220 in traffic or straight line….only on track u can have an edge ….but who goes on track……1 out of a 1000……n wats d point of buying a 1 lakh plus bike if u r still left behind n smoked out by a 80k bike…….Pulsar 220 Rocxxx
Hear d 220`s grunt n u will realise wat u miss in an R15…………
In traffic, its mostly the driver whose capability is counted……..i even have beaten many CBZ, Pulsar 150 & Karizmas with my Caliber………
very nice review buddy..!! enjoyed a lot…!!
As a biker..!! Every bikers has to respect other bikes and biker’s feeling towards there bike…!!!
Useless low powered 150cc bike
pathetic words of a fanboy..carry some biker spirit dude
220 cubic centimetres of junk
Good review Ajay
I’m a Previous Owner of Yamaha RX 135(2005-2007),Pulsar 180(2007-2010),Pulsar 220 oil cooled(2010-2011)….its been less than a month i’ve owned Yamaha YZF-R15 Version 2.0. I was seriously amazed with its Mid range-High end Power and the instant flickability of this vehicle. The Pulsar 220 i owned,still owning is an animal for raw acceleration…In Pulsar 220 i feel the adrenaline rush when i rev the throttle and i always wonder if im riding a torque packed street machine…but later i realized tht the Pulsar 220 gives u extra vibration in speeds 100+ and those adrenaline pump u get cuz of the vibrations u witness in the chassis…but something i enjoyed with R15 was even at 120+ it was asking for more and the power was stiff but smooth…The power deliver in R15 IS SPREAD THROUGH THE POWER BAND AND LINEAR but in P220 it is concentrated in low end…the higher power creates some serious illusion of us driving at high speeds and the P220 is physically more demanding than the R15 RIDE. THE P220 engine feels stressed at 120+kmph…
a standing ovation dude…….for both the writer as well as above commenter…!!!
I’m going to buy r15 v2.0 but also waiting to see cbr150r
Which is going to come in march …should I wait r go with r15v2.0
wait for the CBR150R.. See which bike suits you better.. test drive both and make a decision.. Dont regret later
cheers.. But I’d prefer the Baby R anyday
who sayz p220 vibrates at more than 120+……m riding it for past two yrs n also rode a couple of others……it goes smoother n smoother after u cross d 100 mark…..n it pulls n pulls away so fast from ur r15……..also u can say engine stressed coz itz nt liquid cooled n full faired bike so engine noise comes directly to ur years but its vice versa in r15……m a proud owner of a pulsar 220…..i have also rode both d versions of r15 bt it didnt give that adrenaline rush dat a 220 gives…..d only thing i like about r15 is it looks coz it resembles to a r6….n i love d rated r version bikes of yamaha whether it is a r6 or r1…..
gud one dude ….she will be in my hands on monday ..i too had no second choice apart from this baby
gud review dude ….she will be in my hands on monday ..i too had no second choice apart from this baby
thanx dude .but im not comfortable with that milage’
nice review ajy….cheeeeeeers
Superb review Ajay….. I was always R15 fan but i dint know so much about it until i went through your review. i had a yamaha gladiator which was awesome compared to the other 125″s & now planning for a fazer but after goin through your review i would definitly think of the R15 before buying any bike… i always wanted to have this bike but the price always stopped me. But as u said…. “good things dont com cheap.” thnx buddy
Welcome mate
Hope you select the right bike according to your requirements 
yamaha r15 v2 is uncomfortable i have r15 lookin good evry thing his good but it is a uncomfar bike
my back is panning my hand is panning not a long drive bike back set is very up back said and front said uncomfortably sooy but a true
@ajay-thats “cubic capacity” nt “cubic centimeter”
cubic centimeter is also true…….in metric representation its actually cubic centimetres…haven’t u seen 149cm^3?….it can expressed as ajay did too…
very nice bike dude….wish to own this….but settled wit dazzler…!
No mate.. I think its Cubic Centimetre.. It denotes the Engine Capacity( Volume swept by the piston in the Engine Cylinder )
super review buddy. I booked a racing blue R15 2.0 which is due to arrive in two months. I live in Bangalore btw. And as to what these pulsar maniacs say, the pulsar is a good bike. No doubt. But technologically and stylishly Its not in the same league as the R15. The Oly problem that i could see in the R15 was the pillion position. So ajay, or anybody else. Answer this pls. Besides the uncomfortable pillion seat, is it dangerous cos Its so high above the head of the rider?
Its Uncomfortable but I dont think its unsafe.. As the Rear seat is inclined towards the front, when the pillion sits he/she will be leaning towards the front so there are very less chances of them falling back.. They might fall on you when you brake suddenly but thats not considered dangerous.. But riding with a pillion will be uncomfortable for both the pillion and a little for you.. Ive ridden with my mom sitting one sided and when i drive sanely without flicking the bike deeply, she didnt have any safety issues.. When my friends sit double sided too they never had any complains regarding safety.. So I guess Thats not gonna be much of a problem when they sit properly..
The R15 V2 is a great bike in terms of looks and top end power. But comfort is a big thumbs-down to this bike. It’s NOT A PRACTICAL MACHINE for Indian roads which are filled with potholes and undulations. The thin and super-hard seats makes riding an uncomfy business in the city as well as on State Highways. Pillion comfort is Nil and pillion seat is almost negligible. Both the KTM Duke 200 is a far better sorted machine in terms of comfort, handling and power. As much as I appreciate your love for the R15 V2, it simply cannot challenge the P220 DTSi on any given day. Cheers. Ride Safe and do take good care of your butt.
P220 failure model is now recalled
Its a cheap and useless bike which has maintenance issues after a year or so.. R15 with a daytona kit can clock 150+.. Pulsar will be smoked in drag races as well after that
Vipin..
I dont want to justify here…my pulsar 220 rocks….i care for nobody’s opinion…i have beaten many R15 and karizmas in long straights…..why are u guys supporting for a japanese bike brand when our indian engineers stuggling to bring an indian brand to international standards….
I dont want to justify here…my pulsar 220 rocks….i care for nobody’s opinion…i have beaten many R15 and karizmas in long straights…..why are u guys supporting for a japanese bike brand when our indian engineers stuggling to bring an indian brand to international standards….
I hv jst gt a R15 V2.0 Wat does d orange light blinking above d speedometer of R15 v 2.0 indicate..? Plz help
hey bro just wanted to ask u something ……………..i too brought my new r15 v2.0 yesterday and thing tat i am not getting is tat if my bike is kept on side stand for few time and then we on the ignition the fuel indicator rises to 2 boxes and later on decreases to 1 and starts blinking…………….i have 2 liters of fuel in my bike stil it shows 1 box which blinks…….is there any prob pls help me
No Problem..
It blinks below 2 liters. It goes up after we keep it on a side stand.
Hi everyone, I read the above. And writing first time in a forum And I own r15v2. Before this I ride cbr 250 pulsar 180, fazer. But r15 impressed me. M from Australia and use to ride Kawasaki ninja 650 cc bike. M bike lover. All I want to say everyone is that pls don’t confuse others if u don’t have right knowledge. I don’t criticise other bikes but believe me my experience is more then u nd I personally reccomand r15 v2. U cn close ur eyes and enjoy the ride. I had hit 135 k on r15 v2 without any vibration. Its a smooth beast. before I had ride pulsar etc I found they r not smooth as r15. Bcs on my ninja 650 I use to ride fast sometimes nd I know wht is comfort above 100+ speed. R 15 v2 pillion is not dangerous at all. Pls leave this thought. In Australia all bikes are like this. Ur pillion is supposed to grip around u not on hand rails. Look at the design of the bike. Yamaha gave u a monster, a very beautiful bike. Ur pillion will b safe. Pls dont listen me go and Look on Indian roads 99.9% pillion rides don’t hold the handrail. The grab rider. I m not Yamaha salesperson. But I advice u that u have great 2 seater and super sports bike in a very good price. Says thanks to Yamaha. Bcs international companies don’t provide such good bikes very often. Specially in a very low price. Take ur pillion rider with u ask him/ her to hold u. Rev up ur bike fast nd few quick breaks nd c wht happens. No one will fell down. Yamaha is not stupid that they gave you a monster without safety. If they think that handrails r very important for a pillion why they removed them in v2? I hope u got the answer of ur safety question. Good luck nd enjoy wht fits suit to u. To me only Yamaha impressed.