Can a Yamaha R15 tow a 2,000 Kg Tata Safari Storme? [Video]

We often see big towing trucks and cranes hauling massive SUVs on the Indian roads. Well, do you think small displacement bikes can do that job? Here is a Tata Safari Storme that is hooked to the Yamaha YZF-R15.

Yamaha R15 towing Safari Storme?

The video shows a Yamaha YZF-R15 V2.0 towing a heavy Tata Safari Storme without much problem. The video shows that the Tata Safari Storme is tied to the bike with the help of the chassis. This allows the bike chassis to tether properly to the Tata Safari’s towing hook. The Yamaha YZF R15 can be seen pulling the heavy Tata Safari Storme for a few metres. It does not look like the bike had to put in a lot of effort to pull the Safari Storme.

The vehicle was towed at slow speed in a controlled environment where there was no traffic. The Yamaha YZF-R15 V2.0 was powered by a 149cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine that produces a maximum power of 17 Bhp and peak torque of 15 Nm. It came with a 6-speed transmission. The Tata Safari Storme weighs a massive 1,918 kg, and the weight can go to 1,950 kg depending on the variant.

Now, we are sure that the Tata Safari was moving due to the force exerted by the Yamaha YZF R15. There was no one sitting in the Safari Storme, which makes the claim much stronger. Now the Yamaha YZF R15 V2 came with a 6-speed transmission. The first gear of the R15 is extremely short, and it is made like that to provide quick acceleration. The shorter gear helps the engine rev more freely and reach the maximum power range quickly. This is one of the reasons why the Yamaha R15 could pull off such a heavy vehicle. Also, it was for a short distance and extremely slow speed. It would have been difficult to tow such a heavy vehicle at higher speed.

The bike also towed it for a few meters just to demonstrate. It was a flat surface, and if it were an incline, the job would have been extremely difficult for the bike. Towing such heavy objects puts an immense amount of pressure and stress on the engine and transmission, and it should not be done until it is absolutely necessary.

Most of the modern vehicles, especially cars get a towing rating that indicates the maximum towing weight that the vehicle can handle. Keeping below the towing weight ensures longer life of the engine and the transmission. The transmission can wear out quicker, and the same can happen with the engine of the vehicle.

Many cars have been doing promotional activities where they are involved in towing much bigger objects. Tata Hexa towed an Airbus 320 sometime back while the Land Rover Discovery Sport was used to tow a train. Such marketing gimmicks show how capable the vehicle is, but it should not be done regularly to keep the engine and transmission safe.