advertisement
Right before the safety regulations become mandatory, Yamaha India has launched the new variant of its R15 V3 sports bike with dual-channel anti-lock braking system (ABS). The 150 cc affordable sports bike gets a price tag of Rs 1.39 lakh (ex-showroom) which is Rs 14,000 more than the non-ABS model that was first seen at the Auto Expo 2018.
Motorcycles like the R15 have a huge fan following in India and following its initial success the company launched an upgrade dubbed the R15 V3. During our time with the bike in 2018, we felt that for its price, the R15 V3 could use additional braking assurance and we’re glad the bike finally gets it. Even though you’re paying extra bucks for it, safety should be the prime concern here.
Yamaha claims that the R15 V3 is the first 150cc bike to get dual-channel ABS in the country.
This falls in line with the country’s regulations, forcing all two-wheeler makers to equip their 150cc bikes or above with ABS for safety purposes. We can expect other brands to follow suit and offer their existing and upcoming bikes with ABS as a standard.
The Yamaha R15 V3 gets a 155cc engine with 19.3 PS of power and 15 Nm of torque. The engine is mated to a 6-speed gearbox and comes with 17-inch tubeless tyres and disc brakes on both the front and the back.
During our time with the bike, we got to understand the reason for its popularity with the youth of the country – its peppy engine performance and muscular looks in a nimble body shell.
At this price, the Yamaha R15 V3 goes up against the dual-channel variant of Bajaj’s Dominar 400cc bike, which is priced around Rs 1.50 lakh (ex-showroom) in the market.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)