Bike tested: Yamaha R15
Price OTR Mumbai: 1,15,000/-
Yamaha R15! Yamaha R15! Yamaha R15! Those are the words that have been ringing in the minds of bike enthusiasts since the day Yamaha announced the R15. It was a long wait indeed as Yamaha did take some time launching the bike. But when they did launch it, they did it in style, on the track. We got our hands on the R15 and a test ride of the bike has made us fall in love with it.
There is no denying that the R15 is the best looking bike (Leaving the higher capacity bikes aside) in the country. Inspired by the R1, I have heard some not so knowledgeable people comment on the R15 calling it a modified Pulsar. The rear is a bit disappointing. The small tail lamps and thin tires can confuse the R15s rear with a Unicorn. The Quality of the bike is superb though and fit and finish is top notch.
Performance of the R15 is a little disappointing for a bike costing 1+ lac. Surely it has very good performance for a 150cc engine but still as the old saying goes “There is no replacement for displacement”. Low end grunt is missing, you need to revv the engine to extract the best out of it. This makes it not so easy to ride the R15 in the city. However as the revvs climb higher this Yamaha justifies why it has a “R” in its name. Once above 5000RPM the R15 really starts to pull and once past 6500RPM the Yamaha motor comes in its own. The power comes in beautifully at higher revvs, something no other bike in our country can boast of. Top speed depends on your weight and your leaning ability 
I also noticed the test bike to have some sort of vibrations and the engine didn’t feel as smooth as would have expected from a Yamaha that packs such a punch of technological innovations. However i have been told that once the bike finishes run in there won’t be any such issue. The 6 speed gearbox is easily the best you will find anywhere and shifts very smoothly.
The tires may be thin but they are very sticky and offer good enough grip. Braking is fantastic and handling is easily the best in the country. Overall i find the R15 to be a very good bike. It is light at 120kgs and thus with less power it can keep up with higher CC bikes. But at the price Yamaha is selling it, it could have been better. We would have loved it if Yamaha would have tweaked the engine to atleast 20bhp and given this bike split seats and a better rear. However there is no bike in India which can give you such a wide smile on your face and make you feel like Rossi and still keep you smiling when you fuel up. This Yamaha is easily the most fun to ride bike available today. It looks great, rides like no other, handles like a train on rails and gives good mileage too. Easily the pick of the segment and the best performance bike in our country by a fair margin.
Whats Kool 
- High End Power
- Braking
- Handling
- Gearbox
- Mileage
- Looks
- Technology
Whats UnKool 
- Could do with more power
- A better rear end
- Could have a fatter rear tire (looks asthetically pleasing)
- No Safety Stand
- No Split seats
How does it Move: 
How does it Look:
How does it Ride:
How does it Handle :
How does it Go:
R15 Specifications:
- Engine: 150CC liquid-cooled, four-stroke, single-cylinder, SOHC, 4 valves
- Power: 17PS @ 8500rpm
- Torque: 15Nm @ 7500rpm
- Transmission: 1 down 5 up
- Top Speed: 135kmph
- Fuel Consumption: 45-50 kmpl (City), 50-55 kmpl (highway)
- Fuel Tank Capacity: 12 litres
- Fuel Type: Petrol Unleaded
- Fuel System: Electronic fuel injection
- Tires: 80/90/R17 (F), 100/80/R17 (R)
- Brakes: Hydraulic, single disc (Front/Rear)
R15 Dimensions:
- Overall length x width x height: 1995mm x 670mm x 1070mm
- Seat height: 790mm
- Wheelbase: 1,290mm
- Minimum ground clearance: 160mm
- Dry weight / Curb weight: 120 kgs / 131 kgs
Official Website - Yamaha R15
Yamaha FZ16 Review
Mon, Sep 22, 2008
Bike tested: Yamaha FZ16
Price OTR Mumbai: 75,000/-
MotorBeam rating:
The Yamaha FZ16 has been a highly awaited bike and is a very important bike for Yamaha. We thought reviewing the FZ16 is as important as reviewing a new Maruti car, so we did not delay in getting our hands on the Yamaha FZ16.
To start off this bike has striking presence. The looks of this bike will be a major reason for its success. We all know that the Pulsar 150 isint as great a bike as its sales figure suggests, its engine is not as refined either compared to the Unicorn but it does sell and how! One of the main reasons for the Pulsar 150 to sell so well is, it looks the part and the FZ16 makes the Pulsar look like a bike from last generation. After looking at the FZ16, i can confidently say that the bike is Definitely Male.
Just like the Yamaha R15, the FZ16 has been wind tunnel tested for better aerodynamics. The engine is air cooled and uses a carburetor. A FI version would have made this bike really more desirable but then Yamaha had to price it sanely too. However the bike does ride pretty well.
There is good amount of low end grunt, something which is missing in the R15. Though power of 14PS doesn’t speak much, its the torque which is worth talking about. 13.6NM @ 6000 RPM means this bike pulls very well from any RPM. There is very good throttle response and the bike will nudge 120kmph which is the norm in the 150cc segment. Yamaha claim an unrealistic mileage of 50kmpl. Expect 40kmpl under normal riding conditions.
The fat front forks, mono cross suspension and the fat tires ensures that the FZ16 rides very well. You hardly feel a bump and is thus suited for our roads, which are well poorly made. Although the bike looks all muscles, it handles pretty well. Change of direction is quick and the wide handle bars makes the riding position almost spot on. Braking is good and gear shifts are smooth but not as good as the R15, which is in another league.
We really didn’t like the instrumentation on the FZ16. The tacho needle is small and makes it difficult to read. Otherwise too the instrument cluster is a wee bit small for our liking and for a bike which looks so big and butch, i really don’t know why Yamaha compromised on better instrumentation. The bike also has no kick start (ala Pulsar 220), similar fuel tank capacity as the R15 (12 liters) and weighs just 127 kgs (dry)
To sum up the FZ16 is a fantastic machine, it is worth the money and is certainly our pick in the 150cc segment. However Yamaha could have made it better, all those fat tires and forks need a bigger engine, perhaps a FZ20 should be launched by Yamaha to quench the performance hunger in us.
Whats Kool
- Looks amazing
- Rides very well
- Engine has good grunt
- Attention to detail
- Fat tires
- Good pricing
Whats UnKool
- Unimpressive instrument cluster
- Pillion seat too small for humans
How does it Move:
How does it Look:
How does it Ride:
How does it Handle :
How does it Go:
FZ16 Specifications:
- Engine: 153CC air-cooled, four-stroke, single-cylinder, SOHC, 2 valves
- Power: 14PS @ 7500rpm
- Torque: 13.6Nm @ 6000rpm
- Transmission: 1 down 4 up
- Top Speed: 120kmph
- Fuel Consumption: 35-40 kmpl (City), 40-45 kmpl (highway)
- Fuel Tank Capacity: 12 litres
- Fuel Type: Petrol Unleaded
- Fuel System: 26mm CV Carb
- Tires: 100/80/R17 (F), 140/60/R17 (R)
- Brakes: 267mm single cross-drilled ventilated rotor with 2-pot calipers / 130mm drum
FZ16 Dimensions:
- Overall length x width x height: 1975mm X 770mm X 1045mm
- Seat height: 790mm
- Wheelbase: 1,335mm
- Minimum ground clearance: 160mm
- Dry weight / Curb weight: 127 kgs / 137 kgs
Official Website - Yamaha FZ16
