Overview:   The proper modern sport bike that the mass people of Bangladesh was able to have is the Yamaha R15 v3 and maybe for that reason, it is the most loved sport bike till now.

Moreover, it is a very capable bike and its Yamaha, the legend continues with the R15. In 2011, Yamaha India LTD launched the R15 v2 after analyzing the feedback from the end-users, updating the drawbacks of the R15 v1. Let’s talk about the features that the R15 v2 have.

Design:   The Yamaha R15 v2 got its most of the styling from its elder sibling, the R6 which is a 600cc bike of the YZF series of Yamaha.

The front of the bike has the styling as we saw in the earlier version except for the wider front tire and redesigned visor. The major difference we see is in the backside of the bike.

The whole bike had the major plastic surgery like the split seat setup, the cast iron swing arm, the rims, the redesigned under-seat cowl and side panels, the rear mudguard, the exhaust, LED tail lamp and a new number plate carrier all these have changed. These changes made the bike very refreshed and new.

The wider and fatter rear tire gives the design the completeness that was missing in the previous model. The engine has been black powder coated which looks awesome.

The bike has the same clip on that was in version 1. The fairing has been redesigned too but not noticeable unless someone is looking closely.

Instrument Console:   The Yamaha R15 v2 has the same instrument console that was used in version 1. Which has an analog tachometer inside a round pod and a digital unit with speedometer, odometer, trip meter and a fuel gauge. The console looks very cool even now.

Switch gears:   The switch gears of the YZF R15 v2 are standard and of premium quality as every Yamaha bikes. Other switch gears include pass lights, headlight switch and other common switches included push-button start and Engine kill switch

Engine:   Any YZF engines of any Yamaha bike is the best in its class. Its made in that way. The YZF engine on the R15 v2 is no difference.

It is a single-cylinder, 149 cc, Liquid Cooled, 4 strokes, SOHC, 4- Valve, Fuel injected, Blue-core engine with 57mm bore and 58.7 mm stroke. The engine has a 10.4:1 compression ratio.

With all these the engine is capable of producing 17 PS of peak power at 8500 RPM and a maximum of 15 NM of torque at 7500 RPM. The cylinder is made of Deasil which is a cast of Aluminum with 20% silicon in it.

These kinds of casts are very strong, have a much higher melting point (temperature) and also very efficient in heat dissipation than traditional Iron Cast Cylinders.

The Piston is made of the same Aluminum cast with the aluminum forging process developed by Yamaha in the late ’90s. The reason behind all this is more power and less weight. The fuel injection is controlled by a 26-pin ECU which measures the amount of fuel needed depending on the throttle position, environment and delivers the optimum amount of fuel using small fuel pump, regulator, filter and a small 6 hole type injector.

For breathing, Yamaha used a large 3 litter air-cleaner. The intake duct is also optimized for the most optimum airflow. So in-terms of engineering Yamaha gave their maximum in this case.

Transmission, Clutch, and Final drive train:   The YAMAHA R15 v2 is mated with a 6-speed return type gearbox. This transmission uses a wet multi-plate type clutch. The gear shifts are an international pattern that means 1 down and 5 up. The bike is equipped with a toe shifter so you have to worry about your shoes. The final drive is chain and sprockets.

Electronics:   The YAMAHA R15 v2 uses a 12V – 3.5Ah Maintenance Free battery. The bike uses a TCI ignition system controlled by the 26-pin ECU. The Bike has a 12V, 35W halogen lamp for Low Beam and Two 12V, 35W Halogen Lamp for High Beam, 5/21 W tail/ Brake LED light setup, each 10 W clear lens turn signal light and all other lights are 1 W each.

Wheels and Tires:    The R15 v2 is equipped with 17 inches five dual-spoke Black finished Alloy rims. The rims are fitted with a 90/80-17 tubeless tire at the front and 130/70-17 tubeless tire at the rear.

Breaks:   The R15 v2 comes with a 267 mm disk brake with a dual-piston caliper in the front and 220 mm disk brake at the rear with single-piston caliper. The disk brake setup delivers just enough and linear braking performance.

Suspension:   The R15 v2 is equipped with a Telescopic coil spring; oil damped forks at the front and a linked type monoshock at the rear which are attached with the cast aluminum swingarm. This suspension is superb in this segment for soaking up all the bumps of all kind roads with even a pillion in the back and offering great comfort at the same time.

Chassis & Dimensions:   YAMAHA used a Delta box type frame for the foundation of the R15 v2 which gives better stability at any time. The YAMAHA R15 v2 has an overall length of 1970 mm, the width of 670 mm, the height of 1070 mm and ground clearance of 160 mm, the wheelbase of 1345 mm. The wet weight (with a tool kit, oil & 100% of fuel) of the bike is 136 kg. These mean that the bike has an average footprint in terms of dimensions.

Comfort and handling:   The R15 v2 is not much of comfortable bike to ride, thanks to its very skinny seat and also the pillion seat is not much usable. But the shocks are well-engineered. You can see r15 v3 price in bangladesh here. 

The handling of this bike is tough in the city traffics but easy in the high ways thanks to its 800mm seat height and 1345 mm wheelbase. As the bike is super sport and it has the same riding posture that needs to get adjusted. The bike has 160 mm ground clearance which is enough for any road condition on Bangladesh.

Performance:   Yamaha R15 v2 is made for performance so it should deliver otherwise it would be a disappointment. Thanks to Yamaha’s top-notch engineering this bike delivers.

The bike is made for handling performance as well. The performance on the traffics and city roads might not be that impressive but in the highways or the track or hills these bike rules. Its an ultra flick-able to the bike.

But one thing that this bike is not capable of is fuel efficient. It burns fuel like a 250cc or 300cc bike. That means 30 to 35 KmpL while ridden carefully but in full throttle, it goes down to 25 to 30 KmpL some times.

Conclusion:   The Yamaha R15 v2 is an ultimate performance machine from 2011 in the 150cc super-sport segment with performance, elegance, and style like its elders. If someone can afford it then highly recommended.