Yamaha YZF-R15 V3.0 To Get LED Headlamps

A new spy video of the upcoming Yamaha YZF-R15 Version 3.0, which has been spotted testing on the road in Indonesia, has surfaced on the Internet. This time, the video confirms that the bike will feature LED headlamps and an all-digital instrument console. This is an affirmation of what Yamaha said earlier about the Version 3.0 featuring big changes in almost all parameters.

The new R15 will receive a new fairing, inspired from its elder sibling, the YZF-R3. The biggest highlight, however, has to be the all-LED headlamp unit housed in the sleek front fairing. In its new form, the R15 looks more muscular and eye-catching. The headlamps receive a small eyebrow which along with the air scoop in the middle gives the bike a very aggressive look. The bike also gets revised footpegs and new Y-shaped alloy wheels. The tail section and fuel tank design are very similar to that of the R3. The bike gets a stubby exhaust system with a silver cowl at the end.

Moving on, the other good news is that the bike ditches the semi-digital meter for an all-digital instrument console. Being a track-focused bike, expect Yamaha to add some more features to the console such as time, gear indicator, lap timer and max speed recorder as seen on the TVS Apache RTR 200 4V.

The new R15 is expected to be powered by a slightly bigger 155cc motor which will be more powerful than the current generation. The gearbox will likely be the same 6-speed unit but might get revised gear ratio under the update.

Moving to the cycle parts, the new R15 in the video featured upside-down forks at the front and a linked monoshock at the back. USDs are definitely a big upgrade; whether they will make their way to the India-bound version is debatable. We say that because the FZ, R3 and also the upcoming FZ250 all feature telescopic forks at the front. Also, USDs are expensive as compared to conventional telescopic forks, and will affect the overall price of the bike by a good margin.

The bike in the video is almost in production-ready stage, suggesting that launch will be soon. While the new R15 will be the first bike for its segment to feature a full-LED headlamp unit, it won’t be the first in India as it is already been claimed by Bajaj with the Dominar 400. On the price point, considering the new upgrades for the version 3.0, the R15 is likely to receive a price hike and enter in the same price range as the Dominar 400. Expect Yamaha to launch the R15 version 3.0 by mid-2017 in the international market, followed by end of 2017 in India.

Source:TMCBlog