Yamaha MT-15 India Launch Date Revealed

Japanese motorcycle manufacturer Yamaha has revealed the launch date of its upcoming MT-15 motorcycle. The Japanese motorcycle maker has sent out media invites for the launch a new bike in Bengaluru on the 21st of January, 2019.

The Yamaha MT-15 will compete with the likes of the TVS Apache RTR 200 4V. The MT-15 naked streetfighter will share most of its mechanical parts with the Yamaha R15 V3.0 faired sports bike.

The new MT-15 is expected to sport the same 155cc engine as the Yamaha R15 though we are not sure about the exact tune the bike will hit the roads with. In the Yamaha R15, the engine which features fuel injection pushes out 19 Bhp and 15 Nm of torque. The engine is paired with a 6-speed gearbox on the R15, which the all-new MT-15 is expected to retain when it arrives in January 2019. The bike is also expected to sport a slipper clutch with assist function.

The new India-spec 2019 Yamaha MT-15 is expected to feature a regular set of front forks instead of the Inverted unit found on the international version of the streetfighter. The rear mono shock setup along with front and rear disc brakes are set to be retained from the R15 V3.0. The new Yamaha MT-15 will sport Anti-lock brake system as standard due to the upcoming safety laws that go into effect next year.

In terms of design, the MT-15 features a rather futuristic front fascia. The headlight provides an almost robotic look two horizontal lights and a circular one at the bottom of the nose like shape at the centre of the headlight section. The bike also features a fully digital instrument console.

The fuel tank looks quite muscular and sculpted and the short stubby tail section looks quite cool as well and plays host to the taillight. The rear turn indicators are placed on the floating mudguard for the rear wheel. Other cool design elements include the chunky exhaust setup and the wheels that are painted in a contrasting colour to the rest of the bike and just add to its character.

There are no details about the pricing of the new MT-15 from Yamaha. However, considering the fact that R15 is priced at Rs 1.27 lakhs ex-showroom (Delhi), the new naked motorcycle is expected to be priced a bit lower than its faired sibling, with which it shares almost all of its mechanical parts. However, compared to its future rivals which include the likes of the TVS Apache RTR 200, Bajaj Pulsar NS 200 and the new hero Xtreme 200S, the all-new MT-15 is expected to be a more performance-focused bike. The new MT-15 is expected to be a more premium offering in the segment.