Yamaha R15-based MT-15 bookings are now open

Yamaha’s current most awaited bike in India, the MT-15, will be launched by the end of February or early in March. Now, the latest inputs suggest that the Japanese company has started taking pre bookings of the bike at select dealerships. The amount to be paid for booking is Rs. 5,000, which has been confirmed by various dealers. Also, deliveries will start taking place in April, which will be the same time from when test rides will be offered too.

Talking of the bike, the MT-15 is in fact a street fighter (read naked) version of the popular Yamaha YZ R15 motorcycle. It gets similar radical styling sans the cowling. Another major attraction point of its design is the unique predator style headlamp casing, which is quite different from any other bike on sale in India.

The version sold in India will be a watered down bike as compared to the international version, the main difference being the switch to telescopic front forks and box section swingarm. The international variants get a upside down fork along with an aluminium swingarm. This is similar to the spec that the Yamaha R15 is available in India.

The bike has been caught testing several times, which has largely revealed the design of the Indian version. It gets a more relaxed seating position than the Yamaha R15 along with a short tail section. It will come with disc brakes at both the ends and will likely come equipped with a dual channel ABS.

The Yamaha R15 was also recently updated with a dual channel ABS system and the same is expected for the MT-15 also. The naked bike will specially appeal to those who want a stylish and powerful bike which is easy to ride for city commutes. The MT-15 fits the bill perfectly and offers good amount of power along with a more relaxed riding position than the R15.

As already mentioned, the MT-15 will share a lot of parts with the Yamaha R15 V3 including the engine, suspension, exhaust setup and others. The MT-15 is powered by a 155cc, single cylinder, liquid cooled engine, that produces 19.2 Bhp of power and 15 Nm of torque. The bike will be mated to a 6-speed gearbox and a slipper clutch. The engine is supported by variable valve action (VVA) which improves fuel efficiency. We already know this engine

As of now, nothing is confirmed by the company on how will they price the bike. Going by estimates, we think the company will price the bike around the Rs. 1.2 to 1.3 lakhs. Since naked bikes are usually positioned lower than their fully faired counterparts, this seems the likely price range. The bike will face its main competitors in the form of Bajaj NS200 and the TVS Apache 4V, both of which offer excellent value for money.

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