Yamaha has hiked the prices of its entry-level sports offering, YZF-R15 V3 BS6. This is the second price hike that the bike has received after the bike observed a price hike of ₹ 1000 when its BS6 compliant variant was launched in March.
All the three colour schemes of the Yamaha bike will now come at a price premium of ₹ 2100. The hike in prices means that R15 will now retail at a price between ₹ 1.47 – 1.50 Lakhs.
2020 Yamaha R15: Updated pricing
Colour Scheme | Price |
Thunder Grey | ₹ 1.47 Lakhs |
Racing Blue | ₹ 1.49 Lakhs |
Dark Knight | ₹1.50 Lakhs |
Though the company has not given an official reason behind the hike, the losses incurred by the company due to the COVID-19 pandemic can be thought of as the probable explanation.
About the Bike
Engine
The updated YZF-R15 will continue to feature the same single-cylinder, 155 cc engine. It produces 18.3 PS of power and 14.1 Nm of torque. This engine works in conjunction with a 6-speed gearbox that gets a slip-assist clutch as well.
Features
As far as the features are concerned, the affordable sports bike gets LED headlamps, a fully digital LCD instrumentation cluster, radial tyres, dual horn and side-stand activated engine cut-off, split-style step-up seats as some of its key highlights. The motorcycle also features dual-channel ABS as standard.
Underpinnings
The bike gets a dual-disc setup, featuring a 282 mm disc at the front and 220 mm at the rear. Suspension duties are being handled by a conventional telescopic fork at front and monoshock setup at the rear.
The bike gets alloy wheels and features 100/8 section tyres at the front which get 17 inches rim, at the rear, it features wider 140/70 section tyres and same rim diameter.
Rivals
Yamaha sports bike battles it out with worthy competitors like KTM RC200 and Suzuki Gixxer SF in the Indian market. It has always sold in good volumes thanks to competitive pricing, good fun to drive engine and Yamaha branding.
Author's Take
There is no denying the fact that COVID-19 has hit the Automotive industry badly. The companies had to face huge financial losses and hence such price hikes can't really be argued.
As mentioned in the article, R15 is a decent offering and it should still continue selling well especially considering the fact that price hike is a generous one and even after the increase, it is still is a promising choice.
