1 year review yamaha r 15 v2

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Yamaha R15 V2 Review after 1 Year of Usage

I was almost up to tears when my Yamaha R15 V2 arrived after almost a 3 month long wait. YES, it was worth and even after using this lovely bike for almost a year I feel satisfied at my choice. Now that I have completed 1 year with this bike it’s time to look back at this bike through my experience.

Yes, its frame is sturdy. No nuts and bolts jutting out or no lamps falling out till date. Only nagging issue is that the GEAR BOX vibrates at certain speeds especially above 4th gear. Secondly you can actually feel the engine jolt or knock hard if you quickly slow down from 4th to 1st gear. Tried the same on another R15 of my friend, the result was similar.

The thing that I don’t like, 1 year after riding this lovely machine, is that the plastic parts do end up loosing color too quickly, within a month sadly! A glaring example is the front console area and buttons and thank god they are not visible from the front.

The handle color, the area near the keys and the tank too are prone to discoloration. The tank is prone to scratches and sadly cheap tanks pads for R15 are still not around.

A big issue for me is the positioning of the LEG BRAKE LEVER. For one, it’s higher than usual and I end up occasionally braking when not needed at all. Trying to keep your feet off the brake might cause your ankles and knees a bit of pain. Secondly, if you have the habit of riding too close to the tank or too close to the back seat you might yourself missing the brake!
ODDLY, gear shift lever seems correctly positioned! The clutch lever needed a retune which is fine I guess.
Another bad thing, the heat near the ankles might scare any sane rider. Some better form of heat dissipation is needed. I noticed this problem especially on long drives.

Ride Quality:

Smooth! Even after 1 year I find driving the Yamaha at 100+ an easy job. No niggling or frustrating grunts from the engine. I wish I could say the same for my pinion riders. Even after 1 year in the market the R15 makers haven’t provided us with grab rails for the pinion riders. Its might be a bit frustrating for your girlfriend to climb up this bike. You can’t drive at high speeds either as the person behind you may simply fall off!!! But then who said this bike was for “double sit”.

Cornering becomes easy as you get used to steering the handles and shifting weights. Brakes glide you easily on smooth stop. But given its weight and limited steering movement (due to the fairings) it may be safer to say Pulsar or a KTM Duke is easier to steer through the maddening traffic jams.

The bike is at its best on straight, low traffic roads. I would suggest you buy KTM Duke or Pulsar 220 for off roads or if you drive inside the city.

The larger tyres do make you feel better on normal roads but one thing I fear most is driving the Yamaha R15 v2 on wet, sandy or gravelled roads. The tyres simply don’t inspire the confidence to drive on slippery and wet roads. I almost had a few slides!

NO, the head lights aren’t as bright as they are meant to be. Especially a pain when using both the lamps at high speeds as the light throw is too shallow and short.

Indicators are really SMALL but then they are fairly bright too! The horn is louder than the one provided on the previous R15 version. Having said this, the FLASHER is a nifty feature but I would still prefer to buy brighter lamps.

Buy the Yamaha R15 V2 if you drive mostly on highways or low traffic roads. Avoid, if you end up driving mostly through the city or high traffic. The good part is girls end up grabbing you:P

Do check out some of my bike pictures on My blog. If you like these photos or review do let me know!

Kunal Waghmare

The Looks:

R15 V2 wows most bystanders even though now it’s become a fairly common bike in Pune. Strangers do occasionally come up and ask its specs. But then if I had the RED and White combo I would have probably attracted more eyes.

Kunal Waghmare yamaha r15 v2 060 Kunal Waghmare yamaha r15 v2 062

Build Quality:

Suspension Quality:

Looking back I feel the suspension needs a lot of tuning up, but then do I blame Yamaha for an average suspension system or Pune Municipal Corporation for the really bad roads? The front handles can give your a wrist pain. Yes I prefer KTM Duke’s suspension. I had to get it retuned twice.
Be prepared for back aches and shoulder aches after long distances not just due to the suspension but also partially also due to the hard seat.

Electricals:

Service:

Yes I ended up paying huge amounts even for a “Free servicing”. Dear Yamaha if you can’t provide free servicing please don’t dupe customers with misleading “free servicing” coupons and booklets.

Average Fuel Consumption:

Obviously these kinds of bikes are not purchased for their good averages. The Yamaha R15 V2 does give a respectable 38-40 kms on highways and 35-37 in city. Off roads this can drop as low as 30-32 kms to a litre.

So my verdict:

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