India to get the new Yamaha R15 V3.0 with ABS

KUALA LUMPUR: The Yamaha R15 has enjoyed a lot of success in Asian markets and the newest edition of the bike is no exception. V3.0 as Yamaha calls it has been in many Asian markets for some time now. It packs in the same combination of performance and agility in a stylish fully faired body, giving the likes of Honda CBR150R a run for its money. Together with Yamaha’s other 150 cc offerings, the NVX 155, the NMax and the Y15ZR, it makes for a well-rounded portfolio of sporty two-wheelers.

While the Yamaha R15 provides tons of performance along with oodles of style, it still lacks some features that are becoming more and more common even on smaller capacity bikes. Now though, Yamaha seems to be rectifying this by launching new versions with enhanced features. The first of these was launched very recently in India where the R15 has been a huge hit since day one. The new bike now comes equipped with two-channel ABS. This means, that while the bike does feature and an added layer of safety, it is now just a little bit heavier at 142 kg compared to the old bike at 139 kg.

Yamaha has also brought in new graphics to differentiate the new bike from the old. As expected the price has also gone up to Rs 141000 (RM 8188) for the new Darknight (black) version and Rs 139000 (RM 8077) for the Thunder Grey and racing Blue versions. The ABS units have therefore increased the prices by Rs 12000 (RM 700). Keen observers will realize that these prices are still much cheaper than the non-ABS equipped R15, which sells in Malaysia for RM 11988. Part of the reason behind this could be because the Malaysian R15 comes equipped with USD front forks while the Indian one uses conventional telescopic forks.

But surely Yamaha cannot keep these advanced features away from us for too long. The R15 packs a lot of punch with its 155 cc liquid cooled, fuel injected, VVA equipped engine producing 19.3 PS and 15 Nm of torque. With a six-speed gearbox, assist and slipper clutch, dual disc brakes, LED headlights and digital dash, it ticks all the right boxes.