Yamaha R15 v2.0 vs Honda CBR250

Happened to visit Yamaha showroom today. Was eager to check the new R15. Remarkable is what I can. The fit and finish of the bike reeks of quality from the tiniest nut to the big sporty fairing.

Ever since the launch, lot of enthusiasts pointed out the thin rear tyre. Now, it's really becoming. The width now is 130mm. For a comparison, the width of an FZ16 rear tyre is 140mm. That's how wide the rear-tyre of the new R15 is.

The styling is top-notch. When I say this, I can tell you that all pictures circulating on the web do not do justice. You have to see it in person.

I also happened to visit a Honda showroom couple of days back. Here are some pics of the CBR250.

To my mind, without a doubt, R15 beats CBR250 in matters of styling and build-quality. A lot of enthusiasts have also felt that.

Now, if thinking of buying a affordable new sporty bike, which one of the two should one opt for? I've ridden R15 on quite a few occasions. Haven't yet tested the CBR250. Surely, power makes a difference in our riding experience. I, for one, prefer to cruise at a safe speed instead of shooting off the block as if the earth is crumbling behind me. Even if I buy a CBR250, I wouldn't ride it like mad. R15 gave me a lot of happiness. Choice would be mighty tough. CBR250 might just about win.

Yamaha R15 - nothing less than exhilarating

It's a sort-of review. Late one but adding to the positive ones and countering the detractors of this bike :).

For people familiar with Mumbai, my ride was about 25kms long from Bandra to Powai. Usually this road is choc-a-block with commuter coming back from office but today being a Saturday the road wasn't exactly empty but not really crowded and that made for a perfect test ride of my cousin's 2-week old R15.

Mind you I am not a stunt freak. Though am a motorcycling enthusiast and like to ride fast, I fear trying out any kind of stunts on my bike. I could even say that none of the bikes until now gave me the confidence to try any kind of stunt. May be it's the lack of feeling of good balance or sturdiness or any other factor but somehow I never got the confidence to try anything out on any motorcycle till date. I could even blame my own disposition. Perhaps my mindset has changed and unarguably am less fearful now than what I was a few years back.

So coming to the R15 ride. On a couple of traffic stops, when the light turned green I actually felt like I can jump off the mark and shoot ahead. Considering my conservative stance on stunts, it does say something about the confidence the bike instills in the rider after a little bit of riding.

I didn't go past 80km/hr but on Mumbai roads even 75km/hr speed feels like flying. And R15 makes it more exhilarating. On turns or while overtaking it feels so sure. There were a few stretches where I could enjoy the 6th gear - the bike really rides free in that gear. Braking is superb with disc brakes at the front and the rear working in perfect unison; indeed, you also need the timing right :). The gear changes are so crisp; at stops, changing to neutral was perfect. No false neutrals at all. That's Yamaha engineering.

Every biker I passed, at least paid a glance to the bike; without doubt it's a looker.

So the thing is, you can go on cribbing that Indian motorcycle makers aren't launching higher-end performance bikes and so on... The really high end bikes have already been launched and we know how many Indians can afford those bikes. So the thing is, no matter what anybody says, for an average motorcycling enthusiast who doesn't just vainly dream big and crib, Yamaha R15 comes as close to anything as sports motorcycling and, I should say, at a very reasonable price. It deserves every penny you pay of that 100 grands. You ride it, you'll know it.

Think of any other sports bike and you'll atleast have to pay double, nothing less. For e.g. Kawasaki Ninja 250R, it will cost you anything around INR 2.25 to 2.5. Got that kind of money? If yes, I would say go for it :); otherwise also no harm, R15 will give you as much thrill.

R15 Red

In one of my earlier posts on 5th July '08, I had expressed a desire to see a red R15. And how soon does it come true :). Reason enough to plan for buying one soon.

The pic's from the Yamaha India website. Does look smashing, doesn't it?

R15 - A Motorcyclist's Muse

Yes another post on Yamaha R15. Can't help it. Capped off a wonderful Saturday with a visit to the Yamaha showroom in Vikhroli after watching Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na.

While I was aware of the Yamaha dealer in our vicinity, it never really occurred to me all this while that the showroom would have R15 on display. So when I saw the R15s from a distance while on my way to the cinema hall, I decided to visit the showroom when I would be on my way back.

To say that I was already in a good mood (because of the movie) which made my first-hand experience of R15 so cool would be an injustice. Even though I didn't get the test-ride, I could convince myself of the quality of this bike in every sense of the word. I switched on the ignition and revved the bike and rpm needle just swerved smoothly and quickly to the other end. The engine sounded so refined. And the bike felt rock-solid in spite of being so light. The stance without any doubt is sporty. The best part is that the size of the bike doesn't seem to overwhelm the rider; many people after reading a few reviews think that the bike is diminutive. In stead, the bike is just the right size to be sporty and at the same time give a feeling of total control to the rider. Don't you recall the same about RX100 and RXZ135?

Well, that in a nutshell was my experience. Would've liked a test-ride definitely. I'll buy it soon nonetheless.

R15 Wallpapers

I must buy one of these after the rains. Both look stunning. The oil prices are going up every day and the price of this bike is no less, and yet, these pictures simply fuel my desire. Have to have a test-ride soon.

Anyway, I wish so much there were an R15 in red too!!! :)

Yamaha R1 & Yamaha MTO1

Barring the fact that 99.9999% of the Indians can't afford these bikes, the size and muscle of the these bikes is awe-inspiring.





Meanwhile, the Yamaha dealership at Ahmedabad were taking Rs25000 for advance booking of R15. I said I would rather wait for the actual launch.

Yamaha line-up is a visual delight

Picked this picture up from the Yamaha website. The website remains as hopeless but these bikes look ravishing standing in one line. Starting from left, the bikes are Gladiator Type SS (Stylish & Sporty), YZF-R15 and FZ15. While the first is an improvement of the current Gladiator, the other two are 150cc bikes modelled on two of the best (also big) global bikes of Yamaha, R1 and FZ1. Late, really late but eye-pleasing nonetheless.

From what I've read in Bike and on 2wheelsindia.com, the R15 is expected to redefine what we call performance bikes. Here's a picture from one of the posts on Payeng's blog.

Payeng is 5'5". Comparing the bike's build with Payeng's, the two seem to be a good match :). So, is it a small bike for the average Indian male? Some comments on Payeng's blog suggest that readers do think it's a smallish bike considering what all it promises in terms of performance.

I have some thoughts. If we look at Yamaha RD350 and Yamaha RX100, the two performance bikes of yesteryears, both had a rather naked look. RD350 had twin cylinders, packed 32bhp power and yet wasn't really as big. RX100, the same. The tyres weren't really fat. Reason, the broader the tyres, the more it takes to propel the bike and therefore loss in pickup and loss in fuel-efficiency. The narrower the tyres, the better the concentration of power to propel the bike (Forgive me for not using the technical jargon. This is the best I can explain. Hope you are getting it). Of course, the tyres can't be cycle-like! :)

So, why does one need broad tyres for YZF-R15? Are we gonna take really close-to-the-ground turns on racetracks at 100mph or what?

There have been comments on the size of the bike too. It is said that the wheelbase is lesser than the likes of Pulsar, Karizma, etc. Does the length of the bike matter so much? Perhaps not. In fact, it's the sitting height which matters more. If it's too high it can affect handling since your feet might not touch the ground comfortably; if it's too low it might feel more like a cruise-bike instead of a sports-bike.

So guys, just chill. I would rather reserve my judgments until the time I take a ride on R15. As far as the specs and the styling are concerned, I think the bike excites. Let it come out on the roads. Then we'll discuss the rest too :). What say?

Thanks Payeng for getting the bike closer to us through your blog.