This is a tiny bike. That’s the first thought that crossed my mind as I laid my eyes upon the motorcycle in a lovely two-tone livery that had been left at my home by the good people at Yamaha. Yet, I noted with some surprise, in spite of the Yamaha MT-15’s compact dimensions the bike will still manage to catch your eye.
Perhaps it’s that innovative two-tone paint job, or maybe it’s that highly unusual (for India) face. In all likelihood, it’s a combination of the two things. Nonetheless, when I find my cousin — a diehard Royal Enfield fan — stop and stare at a non-Enfield motorcycle for more than half a minute, I am convinced that this little bike is cool enough to get you the attention you want when you ride it.
The big question though is this — is that all there is to the Yamaha MT-15 v2.0? Or is there more here than meets the eye.
The face of the Yamaha MT-15 is typically Japanese in its street fighter interpretation. The golden upside down forks are part of the updates in the v2.0 over its predecessor
In the metal
To the noob, the MT-15 is a street sport motorcycle that is based on the now iconic YZF-R15. As such the motorcycle therefore boasts several aspects that made its sportier older sibling so endearing.
On the tech front, there is that brilliantly refined yet utterly performance oriented 155cc single cylinder engine. The cutting edge liquid cooled motor mated to a 6-speed slick shifting transmission has been recalibrated to deliver a performance that’s more in sync with this Yamaha’s street cred. To boot, you still get nearly eighteen and a half horses if you can rev that lone piston to 10,000 revs and more than 14Nm of peak twist if you’ve touched 8,5000.
On the frame front, again it borrows its chassis from the R15, and now in this v2.0 guise it also gets upside down forks and an aluminium swingarm. Another change over the previous version is the reduction of the motorcycle’s wheelbase by 10mm.
Swing a leg over the bike and you will soon realise that I wasn’t exaggerating the part about compactness. It really is tiny. Tiny to a point when you start wondering if your pillion will be comfortable at all. My wife, who rode pillion on occasion, however told me that the seat is quite okay and she wasn’t uncomfortable in the least.
If you’re spirited enough in your riding most other 150s are likely to see this tail lamp
On the handlebar
The reverse LCD instrumentation is straight off the R15 and is easy enough to read, but the fit and finish of some of the things, like indicator stalks or switches, could certainly be better. Especially because in the past Yamaha has always set the high watermark with respect to these aspects. A major irritant is the inexplicable swap between the switches for the horn and the indicators! One of course gets used to this but it really is a strange move with no apparent benefits.
On the road
Slicing through Calcutta’s horrendous traffic, the first thing that becomes very apparent is how darty this bike is. Its steering geometry combined with that shortish wheelbase makes it extremely agile and nimble. Yet for all its ability to dodge and dive, it doesn’t feel unstable. That I would say is the beauty of that super rigid Deltabox frame that the MT-15 is built around.
The ride quality is stiff no doubt and can become jarring over some of the worst maintained roads in this city even if it isn’t a problem in other cities with better roads.
Out of the city streets and on cleaner roads with some bends it’s difficult not to allow yourself a smile at this bike’s dynamic capabilities.
The rear disc brake works effectively enough but we would have liked a dual-channel ABS
The other part that you’ll absolutely love is that unlike many a motorcycle where a lovely chassis is let down by a poor powerplant, in the MT-15 the two are beautifully matched. There’s enough grunt for those quick shunts between gaps in the traffic while there is a lovely creamy power available for you to enjoy some nice winding roads.
Out on the highways over long distances, I’m not sure if this will have the legs you’d want to make a ride enjoyable. But then again that’s not the purpose of this one, is it? What is thoroughly remarkable about this motorcycle’s powerplant, however, is the level of refinement. You’ll really have to rev the nuts off this bike, upwards of 8,000 revs, to feel any vibrations at all. It truly is silky smooth.
The bike also has a bunch of new-age techy features for younger riders than myself. Bluetooth connectivity and so on.
The call
On to the big questions then. Is the Yamaha MT-15 v2.0 worth the Rs 1.62 lakh (ex-showroom) asking price? Does it really deliver the goods? Or is it an empty promise? Well, that last question certainly isn’t true and the MT is in reality a very good motorcycle. To that second one, I’d have to say that if you’re looking for a cool motorcycle that is nimble, agile and peppy to carve up the city’s roads with, then this is it. To that first question, I suppose the answer to the second will do just fine.
Pictures courtesy Yamaha India
The author is an automotive journalist who has been writing about two- and four-wheelers for nearly two decades now
The 155cc liquid cooled engine is lively but silky smooth
THE MT- 15 V2.0 IN NUMBERS
Engine type: Liquid cooled, single cylinder
Capacity: 155cc
Transmission: 6-speed, constant mesh
Maximum power (hp @ rpm): 18.4 @ 10,000
Maximum torque (Nm @ rpm): 14.1 @ 7,500
Ground clearance (mm): 170
Length x Width (mm): 2,015 x 800
Wheelbase (mm): 1,325
Saddle height (mm): 810
Kerb weight (kg): 139
Fuel tank capacity (litres): 10
Front brake: 282mm disc, single channel ABS
Rear brake: 220mm disc
Price: Rs 1.62 lakh ex showroom in West Bengal
The Pros...
- Engine refinement
- Agility
- Handling
- Styling
- USB port
...and Cons
- Fit and finish
- Pillion seat
- Lack of feel
- at the brake lever
