Yamaha R15 based MT15 launch date revealed, Bajaj Pulsar 200 NS-challenger

Yamaha will soon launch the all-new MT15 in the Indian market. The MT-15 has been testing on the Indian market for a long time now and Yamaha has now officially revealed the launch date of the upcoming bike as 15th March 2019. Yamaha has already started taking the bookings for the upcoming bike at a token amount of Rs. 5,000. However, the price will be revealed only on 15th March.

The Yamaha MT-15 is based on the Yamaha YZF-R15 V3.0, which is already available in the Indian market and is quite popular. The MT-15 is the naked version of the R15 and is available in many international markets. However, just like the Yamaha YZF-R15 V3.0, Yamaha will make many Indian market-specific changes to the bike that will keep the overall cost of the bike low and aggressive. Even though it will be powered by a 155cc engine, it will take on the likes of Bajaj Pulsar 200 NS and TVS Apache RTR 200 4V in terms of power and price.

Even though the MT-15 is the naked version of the Yamaha YZF R15 V3.0, the riding position on the MT is slightly more relaxed and the rider sits upright. The R15, on the other hand, offers a very aggressive riding position, which is perfect for track riding but can cause fatigue on long-distance rides and daily commutes.

The MT-15 looks very aggressive too. It gets a layered three-part headlamp design with LED positioning lamps mounted on the sides and a single projector LED headlamp mounted on the middle of the cluster. It also gets a very aggressive and chiselled fuel tank that makes the motorcycle look very modern and aggressive. Being a naked motorcycle, it gets minimal body panels and the engine remains completely exposed.

In the international markets, the MT-15 is offered with upside down front suspension but that is expected to be replaced with a regular telescopic fork in the Indian market to keep the cost low. Even the full aluminium footpegs are expected to be replaced with new steel footpegs. The international-spec bike also gets an aluminium swingarm, which is expected to be updated with a steel swingarm for the Indian market. All these changes will allow Yamaha to keep the price of the bike much more competitive.

The all-new MT-15 will be powered by the same 155cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine. It generates a maximum power of 19.2 Bhp and a peak torque of 15 Nm in the YZF R15 V3.0 and similar power output can be expected in the MT-15 too. The six-speed transmission with the slipper clutch will also remain identical.  The Bajaj Pulsar 200 NS is powered by a 199cc engine that generates a maximum of 23 Bhp.

Yamaha will load the bike with a lot of features including a fully-digital instrument panel, disc brakes on both the front and rear wheels, dual-channel ABS and LED headlamp and tail lamp. Yamaha has not officially said anything about price but it is expected to be priced at around Rs. 1.2 lakh.