An Indian version 2019 Yamaha MT-15 has been spotted testing for the very first time. The bike is the naked avatar of the R15 V3.0 and gets a few tweaks to keep costs down and competitive for India when compared to its international version. The bike gets a regular telescopic fork and a box-section swing-arm has been used in place of the aluminium setup on the R15 V3.0.
Headlights could well be an LED setup and the alloy wheels may be similar to the Indian R15 V3.0 and different from the Thailand model. The side panels and tank design will be similar to the bike that was unveiled in Thailand. The bike should come with ABS since this will be a compulsory safety feature for all Indian motorcycles from the 1st of April this year.
The Yamaha MT-15 gets the same engine used in the R15 V3.0 which is the single cylinder 155 cc SOHC engine that dishes out 19.3 HP and 15 Nm but we might see a change in sprocket only or gearing entirely to suit the naked sport nature, i.e. for more lower end torque. The VVA (Variable Valve Actuation) technology will also be used for this bike along with a 6-speed transmission unit and slip and assist clutch.
The MT-15 will be Yamaha’s most premium offering in the 150cc category. This will compete with the newly launched KTM 125 Duke. The MT-15 however could be slightly cheaper as compared to the R15 V3.0 by about 10-15k.
