Yamaha has launched the 2019 Yamaha R15 v3.0 in Thailand. The fully-faired motorcycle has received a small price hike of THB 500 and now costs THB 97,500 (INR 2.16 lakhs). The MY2019 update is only cosmetic.
The MY2019 update has brought new colour options including Blue-Black, Black and Grey-Yellow. The Japanese bikemaker had earlier in March 2019, introduced these colours in the Indonesian market. There these colours are called Racing Black, Racing Yellow and Racing Blue.
Mechanically, the 2019 Yamaha R15 v3.0 is unchanged. Suspension duties are administered by an upside-down fork up front and a monoshock in the rear with adjustable preload. In comparison, the Indian variant uses a conventional fork in the front to keep costs under check. An upside-down suspension setup allows the Yamaha R15 v3.0 to perform better at corners and keep it more stable on uneven road surfaces.
The powerplant is the same 155 cc liquid-cooled, 4-valve, SOHC mill with Variable Valve Actuation. Coupled to a 6-speed gearbox the engine can produce 19.3 PS of power and 14.7 Nm of torque. The Yamaha R15 v3.0 in Thailand is significantly lighter than the Indian version. In fact, it tips the scales at just 137 kg, which is a full 5 kg lighter. However, one reason for this can be the lack of dual-channel ABS as Thai laws do not require motorcycles to have this safety feature. Other ergonomics like seat height and ground clearance have remained the same.
Also Read: 5 most powerful motorcycles in India priced under INR 1.5 lakh
Key features include a large 140-section rear tyre and all-digital instrumentation with large readouts and a gear shift indicator, disc brakes and aluminium swingarm as well. The gearbox is assisted by a slipper clutch.
Besides that, back home, Yamaha has not officially confirmed these colours for the Indian market. However, we expect them to be introduced in India later this year. Yamaha India has recently increased the price of R15 v3.0, which now retails at INR 1,40,280 (ex-showroom, Delhi).
