Saturday, March 9, 2013

Yamaha YZF R15 V2 Owners Review ... "Its I versus Me" - Jeffin Thomas

Yamaha R15 V2

Yamaha's Style icon R15 v2 !


They say history repeats as the three tuning forks that Yamaha have as their logo seems to be resonating in clear frequency, though a bit sharper and louder as the years go by. As we know, the tuning forks symbolize unity in technology, production and sales, which in turn musically translates to unification in melody, harmony and rhythm. It generally deciphers all three must work together in unison for better functionality.
The YZF R15 v2 is a perfect example. I have always been a Yamaha fan beginning from the  RX series. I eagerly waited to be 18 to get my license and convince my Dad to get me a bike. Surprisingly the only demand he had was that get your license. I could not wait to legally be eligible to ride :p.
Frankly speaking I fell for R15. Even thou the V1 did not please me completely with its rear styling the V2 was Love at first sight for me. I had to wait over 3 months, beacuse of the number of bookings in its early phase.
Now coming to the serious matter , my little beauty has completed 16000kms in an years time. It has not given me any hindrances rather than the occasional body pain that is inevitable after a long drive. I receive an average mileage of 40kmpl in highways and 34kmpl in cities. Seriously speaking no other bike convinced me enough than R15, mainly beacuse of its unmatched styling :)

Yamaha R15 V2

The First Ride

Dramatically the day the bike was promised to be delivered was exactly on the day of my final exam :( . I did not want to leave the bike in the showroom for even a single day again, since it has been a long 3 month wait. After finishing my exams as early as I could traveled all the way to Cochin, about 200kms from my home to take home my cutie pie :). As you expect I did not have a great first day , I felt it pretty difficult to manuover R15 through the cities. The gear felt stiff as it is early days that added to the difficulty. The time I reached home I felt real pain on my palms and back as the riding position of R15 is not as easy as you think it is. But once you get adjusted it feels a hell lot better. Registering the bike was the best part for me , I am a big time Valentino Rossi fan , what better number to get for my cutie than 46 ! yes KL-37 B - 46 ! :)

                                            


Yamaha R15 V2
  

Riding Comfort & Engine

The bike rides really well but is bit stiff, and if you are used to riding commuter bikes than you will definitely feel that difference.The seating position is really awesome,style wise, once you are on the seat it looks like that it was especially made for you and one gets adjusted in the seat very well , but the issue I face every now and then is the pains I get in the palms and back . Yes the bike is very easy to handle and corner , but not really the bike that suits long drives or even crowded city rides. The linked type monocross suspensions do their job really well, it feels bit stiff but yes the cutie pie absorbs them very well. After ZMR I  think R15 gives you the best of road presence very similar to a moto GP rider. Get some cool gear on and u bet that eyes will catch you. The engine is a creditable one. Not much to boast of but its is superbly tuned and produce nearly 17bhp. The bike feels powerful enough with 17bhp and ride is good at the same time.The throttle response is very nice unlike the version 1 of R15. The engine is fuel injected and this means no cold start issues. 99.99 % of the times, the bike starts in one go, no matter what the conditions are. The ECU has been tweaked in this version to better suit the traffic, and you can feel the significant increase in low end torque when compared to v1. The liquid cooling ensures no matter how much or how harsh you ride, there would be no signs of overheating.The bike loves being revved. May it be an open highway or bumper to bumper traffic, the bike does not feel suffocated. The smooth gear shift’s adds more points towards the pleasure of riding it. Somehow or the other the engine tends to get a little tired. My personal opinion without knowing the technical explanation is that a 150cc engine working hard all the time ?? hmmm may be that's the cause. I nearly missed out on the pillion rider point. To be frank the pillion seat is not practically usable. However, the mono shock does not have any sort of adjustment option. Since this is a track machine, it does not take potholes too well. I hope Yamaha improves this in the future. Many hesitate to come with me for a long drive as pillion. City Traffic becomes a nightmare for the pillion rider and many a times braking hard in cities with pillion rider has given me memories that I really dont want to remember again. Hope you got the point ;) .Advantage that I feel with R15 is that , the bike is like a rock. Not even a hint of vibration whatever speed you go. Tremendous handling ability is the best part. Its gives me the confidence to take on any corner without disturbing the brakes.



Top Speed & Braking


The bike as you all know is extremely light and agile and with a peak power output of 17 PS, it can really take off with its top end torque, which is insane once you cross the 6000 RPM mark. The aerodynamics and the fact that the bike has been designed in a full-fledged wind tunnel are easily noticeable once you crouch behind the visor. At around 3000kms I have hit a top speed of 136kmph. Braking is top class , the best in the segment. I have experience of riding the FZ-S too which offers confident braking. So I feel that Yamaha specially concentrate on the braking part and has delivered it to perfection in the R15 V2.

Yamaha R15 v2


Service , Maintenance & K&N

All is well so far . INR 650 - 800 as service cost. Major replacement was that off the front and back brake pads at around 13000kms. That cost me around INR 2500 . Good quality service is another trademark that you always receive from Yamaha. Now coming to the  K&N part of it. The bike lacks initial pick up , just like how a sports bike should be. But I needed to gain a bit more beacuse once I was packed to Banglore for my studies I needed that bit more power up front to cruise through the traffic. So went ahead with the plan of installing the filter at 8000kms. Now the bike has got that extra bit that helps me to storm through the traffic every now at then. The filter and the installation costed me INR 2000.

Fuel Consumption

As mentioned earlier I get an average mileage of 40kmpl . The worst mileage I have received is 29kmpl. I was in a hurry :D . Best mileage is 43 kmpl. Followed the universal policy "Slow and steady wins the race". But you cannot repeat that once too often with R15 in hand.


Instrument Cluster & Lights

The Instrument Cluster is beautiful.It is simple and decent, consisting of an analogue tachometer and a digital speedometer. The white back-light is very pleasing to the eye at night and makes the display quite readable. The headlamps to me is disappointing. I am planning to switch to HID's that would look good and also help me with a clear vision at night.

Verdict

I am satisfied with R15 , this little beauty is for people who need style more than anything. But if you are one who rides that extra bit I dont think it would be a good choice. This is the only real sports bike available in the Indian Market at a budget reach :)

Turn On's

  • Has the best looks
  • Liquid cooled Engine
  • No Vibrations
  • Efficient Braking
  • Quality Tyre's
  • Quality Service
Turn Off's


  • Pillion comfort will have to be compromised
  • Lacks bottom end torque
  • Frequent gear changes required especially in traffic
  • Not at all recommendable for city use , it can be a pain at times
  • Does not take potholes well , its a track bike than a Indian road bike
  • Headlights are dissapointing 

Slow and Steady wins the race :) Drive  Safe :)

Thanks and Regards
Jeffin Thomas

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>>Lifeon2wheelz<<
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