EASY RIDER

STYLING

The R15 draws its inspiration from the R1. The front cowl is an almost exact replica of its famed predecessor. It8217;s aerodynamic and ensures stability even at higher speeds. The knee position on the tanks also perfectly fit the riding position. The twin headlights echo the R1 styling with their sharp cats-eye feature. The digital speedometer comes with a fuel indicator. The console is also equipped with a tachometer.
R15 also comes with spring mounted retractable foot pegs, which ensure safety to both man and machine. The bike also doesn8217;t come with a kick-start. Yamaha says the R15 is a part of the R series and embodies the racing spirit of the family.

ENGINE
The bike is powered by a 150 cc liquid cooled 4-stroke SOHC single cylinder 4-valve engine. It has been designed in Japan and is a totally new concept, alien to Indian bikes. The engine is equipped with radiator grills and a liquid jacket, which does not allow it to heat up even when riding at high speeds for sustained duration.
The all-aluminium DiASil cylinder and the forged aluminium piston ensure excellent heat dissipation and eliminate power loss due to engine heating even at 11,000 RPM.

TRANSMISSION
The R 15 has a 6- speed gearbox in the traditional Yamaha styling, first down and remaining up. The gear shifting is very smooth and the pick-up good even in the fourth and fifth gears. At speeds of over 100 kmph under test conditions, pick-up in the sixth gear takes a bit longer, but it is pretty fast in the fifth. At speeds between 90 and 95 kmph, the pick-up is excellent in the fourth gear.

CHASSIS
The Yamaha R series DNA can again be seen here. The deltabox frame is based on Yamaha8217;s Moto GP experience and provides balance in longitudinal, lateral and torsional rigidity. The company says it has 200 pc higher rigidity compared to traditional structures. The bike is stable even while banking at speeds of 90 kmph in test drives. On straight stretches, the bike does not vibrate even at speeds above 130 kmph.
The racer also uses a linked monocross suspension8212;another first of its kind for the Indian market, which Yamaha has again brought from its racing experience. It reduces the 8216;sinking8217; effect when riding in tandem and delivers an agile handling performance.

MANOEUVRABILITY AND HANDLING
The bike is extremely manoeuvrable and its handling is awesome. The R15 can negotiate tight corners with agility. The bike comes with front and rear disc brakes for safe braking. The bike can be easily slowed down from a speed of 120 kmph to 20 kmph in less than 25 feet. The brakes are also effective on lean turns. The tyres are made of soft compound rubber, similar to the ones used in racing bikes. They ensure good traction even on wet tarmac and prevent the bike from going into a skid when sudden brake is applied. R15 also comes with front forks with 33 mm inner tubes, which again reduces the damping force and delivers an agile handling performance and stability.
The best feature of this bike is probably its riding posture. The rider can either sit upright or even crouch forward without any difficulty. The clip-on handlebars perfectly aid the rider to attain the desired position. The pillion rider position is also very comfortable. The pillion rider foot pegs are aptly positioned and not raised too high.
At present the bike is available in two colours, black and racing blue. The intelligent fuel injection system also ensures a decent mileage comparable with other bikes of higher engine capacity. At Rs 97,425 ex-showroom, however, the YZF R15 is a bit expensive, but then it is in a league of its own.