Yamaha India has spoken about R15 v3 a few weeks back. New spy pics reveal the new aggressive headlamp and for comparison we also have the older R15. Update: This may not be the R15 v3.
The world has been waiting for the new R15 V3 it seems, or at least countries like ours which will get the motorcycle are. In what may come as a revelation, a relatively unknown Indonesian blog Macantua has posted pics of a “different” R15 which was spotted at a dealership in Bandung in Indonesia.
Evidently, the headlamps are completely different from the current R15 V2 which is parked beside it. They are more angular with a raised-eyebrow type of a look which lends it an aggressive face (much like the 2016 CBR150R). There is a small black plastic which is right at the nose and frankly unless it is kept there for protection (and is removable) I believe it looks odd. The motorcycle features non-projector headlamps; we hope they are 55 watt at least (current R15 comes with 35 watt twin headlamps) and then there are those regular parking bulbs on the corners.
Surprisingly, everything else including the lower part of the fairing, visor, tank etc appear to be similar to the current model on sale. The rear is not visible from these pics.
3 Main Reasons Why it could be the R15 V3
First things first, the decal (on the fairing) and the design confirms this is an R15. Now that we are on the same page, let us talk further…
- I tried to compare this model’s headlamp with Yamaha’s other ‘R’ motorcycles but it is way different and does look fresher at the same time screaming ‘Yamaha design language’ . So this doesn’t appear to a mod job.
- While we are at it, I don’t think Yamaha will, just when the current-gen motorcycle is at its end of the lifecycle, change the design for some limited edition. Had this been some kind of a special edition, they could have introduced new decals and stickers, like they have been doing for so many years. A change of design requires R&D, new plastic, vendors need to change their lines, new part-sourcing and new government approvals. Why will Yamaha do all this to a model which is about to get discontinued. Why not do this to the new model?
- Even with the transition from R15 v1 to v2 there wasn’t a major change in design apart from the tweaking of the rear. So, Yamaha may go ahead with the current design with minor changes and still make sense since even the current version doesn’t look outdated at all.
Apart from what we have talked about, Yamaha India has already announced that the new-gen motorcycle will be a “step above in all aspects of performance and safety”, which leads us to believe that the engine may be more powerful and the ABS will be on offer. You can read the official quote and report here.
The most interesting bit to note is that – the motorcycle is already at a dealership, in its finished avatar. So shall we hear an announcement of its launch in the coming few days/weeks? And expect an Indian launch soon after it goes official in Indonesia.
Apart from this Yamaha India is also testing a near 250 cc mysterious naked in India. You can check its spy pics and details here…
