Yamaha Y15ZR: Reasons to buy

Only a few underbone motorcycles get to enjoy the kind of popularity and cult status as the Yamaha Y15ZR does in South East Asia. Selling across 6 countries under 4 different names, it has developed a cult following with its promise of style and performance. In its three years of existence, the Yamaha has emerged as the clear winner of the race between performance underbones.

And there is a good reason for its success. The Yamaha Y15ZR is one of the best sporty underbones that anyone can buy today. Yamaha Y15ZR price of RM 8361 puts it in competition with Honda RS150R, Benelli RFS150i and the SYM VF3i. So, what are the features and benefits that make this bike perform better than its rivals? Let’s find out.

Racy styling

Every element of the Yamaha Y15ZR is race inspired. With the Moto GP livery, the bike wears its sporty intentions on its sleeve. But even without it, it is clear to see what message the styling is trying to send. Racy details like sharp cuts and aggressive edges make it look sharp and modern. The front gets a mean expression thanks to the big halogen headlamp and the twin LED position lights. The taillight also uses LEDs for a similar effect. The rear section of the bike looks superbike inspired. The instrument cluster uses a combination of a tachometer and an interactive LCD digital display. It even has two different customizable welcome screens.

Powerful engine

Powering the Yamaha Y15ZR is a thoroughly modern 150cc fuel injected and water cooled engine with 4 valves and SONC. It produces as much as 15.1 hp at 8500 rpm 13.8 Nm of torque at 7000 rpm. All this power is sent to the rear wheel using a five-speed transmission. The low gearing on this bike gives it blistering performance. Riders will find it very easy to do wheelies on it. The power band is wide and available across the rev range with the majority of it between 7000 and 9000 rpm. Riders will also find it easy to take it to its top speed of 120 kmph. Best of all, the engine does not feel too strained under such extreme pressure and performs without any threatening noises or vibrations. The fuel injection mapping also gives the bike decent fuel economy. Depending on your riding habits, the Y15ZR can deliver 35 kmpl in city driving and up to 45 kmpl in highway driving conditions.

Agile handler

The Yamaha Y15ZR’s compact dimensions make it great for cruising through city traffic. The 780 mm high seat can accommodate most riders with no problem. The bike’s low handlebars give it a slightly forward leaning yet comfortable riding position. The Y15ZR specs include 17-inch die-cast alloy wheels along with 70/90 tires in the front and 120/70 tires in the rear that give it a good grip for sporty enthusiastic riding. The telescopic front forks and monoshock in the rear also aid in this. The bike is also the lightest in its class at just 115 kg making it very easy to take on corners in an aggressive way.

Excellent braking

Any performance-oriented bike needs to have adequate if not strong brakes to give its rider the confidence to use the bike to its maximum. The Yamaha Y15ZR gets a 245 mm disc with a single piston calipers on each wheel giving it good stopping power.

 

Customizing scene

Like we said earlier, the Yamaha Y15ZR has a cult following in the country. This extends to a thriving customizing scene that enables the Y15ZR’s riders to customize their rides in any way that they see fit. Anything from wider tires to even more aggressive gearing is on the cards for riders.

Yamaha has recently introduced a new version of the Y15ZR for the year 2019 and given it a very welcome upgrade. These upgrades include a new full LCD instrument panel that also incorporates a gear position indicator, wider tires and an LED headlight. However, there is no news as to when this bike will appear in a showroom near you. Till then you have the just as capable current version of the Y15ZR that can go toe to toe with anything else in its class.