Yamaha R15: The sword that cuts through traffic

 If you're new to bikes, you may not have heard of the R series from Yamaha. The R1 is a 1000cc sportsbike, the R6 is its younger, 600cc brother and the R15 is the 150cc variant. It's an infant if you compare it to its larger siblings.The word infant should not be taken very seriously. It is a very capable motorbike.

The first thing you notice when you mount yourself onto the R15 is its forward inclined, speed oriented seating position. The footpegs are mounted high and backwards. This serves a purpose: you can dangle off the bike and use your knees through the corners. The position takes some getting used to and some may complain. If you're looking for comfort and touring, you're much better off with other bikes which are meant for long distance touring. The R15 isn't a tourer, it's meant for the track.

Turn the ignition on with the button, and it greets you with a mellow purr. A very intelligent purr. It idles away at about 1000 rpm, but the real business starts at 4000 rpm and above. The R15 is a rev-happy being. Tight corners require you to rev the throttle to 6-7k rpm. Cruising around town is done in the 4-5k rpm range. This bike is a very intelligent thing. There's sufficient torque at the bottom of the rev range, although all the fun lies beyond 6000 rpm.

The rearview mirrors are positioned spot on

The intelligence doesn't stop there. The bike is extremely light, and its lack of weight makes it extremely flickable. You may wonder that all that lack of weight may cause instability at high speeds. That isn't the case though. I tried lifting the R15 using the handlebars, much like lifting a dog with its forelimbs. It wouldn't budge. My heavier Pulsar 180 lifts off the ground a bit. I guess that this is because of a low lying, forward inclined engine. This keeps the CG low, lending the bike stability at high speeds. The fairing contributes to the stability as well.

All that stability and intelligence had a profound effect on me. I have never been thrilled at the sight of traffic, until I met the R15. The precisely distributed gear ratios meant that I could select the second gear for calm slips through gaps, and the first gear for aggressive dashes. The third, fourth and fifth gears enable you to cream all dispersed traffic that comes your way; but that's not all. There's a sixth gear; just in case.

Slice away to glory

 All that acceleration and speed requires solid engineering on the braking front. I was happy to discover that the brakes offer real good feel, all the way through. The R15 comes equipped with front and rear discs. I was on my way to a friend's place; I was distracted thanks to all the newfound speed and acceleration. I spotted the lane that I was supposed to get into very late and I must have been doing about 60kmph. I accepted the fact that I'd miss the turn. Half way into the braking maneuvre, I realized that I would not miss the turn after all.

The tyres offer enough grip; they cling on to the road like a baby monkey clings on to its mother when the mother jumps between branches. You can be quite sure of your braking, as long as you downshift properly to supplement the very capable set of brakes that this bike is equipped with. 

After riding around for about half an hour, I realized that the bike needed a service. And that surprised me because it felt quite smooth, and if it weren't for a few visual signs (a leaking front suspension), I wouldn't have known. Yamaha's build quality is excellent; it will stand a lot of abuse. The bike's intelligence is a testament to Yamaha's capable engineers and an excellent philosophy.

Looks inviting, doesn't it?

The R15 is a tad slower than the Pulsar 200NS. But I think that this point is irrelevant. Comparing the R15 to the 200NS is similar to comparing Bruce Lee to Mike Tyson. Mike Tyson sure packs a lot of power, but Bruce Lee makes up for it with sharp, quick movements. I have a feeling that in a straight line, the 200NS may be a tad quicker, but the R15 will be quicker in the real world. It will be a very interesting fight between the 200NS and the R15. The very fact that the R15 can compete against a more powerful engine from the Bajaj stable (and it will be close) shows how good a bike it is.

One may argue that the Pulsar 200NS is quicker than the R15 (and cheaper too?) and hence a better buy.  I'd like to disagree with this point. Although the Pulsar 200NS is a very enjoyable thing, it's not quite a track machine. And you can't argue with Yamaha's engineering and manufacturing. What you pay for is the sharp handling that you still can't find from the Pulsar 200NS. I'll have to admit that it's a close contest, but I'd go for the R15 based on the experience I had today.

The contest between an R15 and the KTM Duke 200 will be very interesting, although I think that the Duke 200 will win. But the Duke is more expensive. If you've got the cash, the Duke may be the wiser choice; but the R15 is totally worth the money.

For just over INR 1 Lac, what you get is a sharp handling machine, which will not let you down come what may. It is a mini sword that lets you slice through traffic and monster corners with a big grin across your face, provided you know how to use one.