Yamaha R15: One Motor, Many Personalities

You might be surprised to know the different applications yamaha has found for its 155cc engine

The Yamaha R15 has remained a crowd favourite ever since its debut in India in 2008. Finally, after almost a decade, the Japanese brand introduced the 155cc unit with Variable Valve Actuation (VVA), which was unheard of in this segment. VVA allowed the R15 to have a better top-end without compromising on the low-end grunt. While some may argue that this may be advantageous only for a supersport, you’ll be taken aback by the varied applications and the history of this engine.

Yamaha NMax 155
The 155ccc liquid-cooled engine started its stint in the NMax 155, producing 15.3PS at 8000rpm and 13.9Nm at 6500rpm. It sports a CVT unit instead of the six-speed transmission seen on the R15. The maxi-scooter even boasts features like traction control, dual-channel ABS, smart key, and a Bluetooth-enabled console.

Yamaha Aerox 155
After the Nmax, Yamaha plonked this engine into a slightly sportier offering, the Aerox 155. Underneath the aggressive design, the Aerox shares its components with the NMax. Even the engine performance remains unchanged. However, instead of the 13-inch wheels on the NMax, Yamaha equipped the scooter with 14-inch units.

Yamaha MT-15
Just a year after this engine debuted in the R15, Yamaha introduced the MT-15 in the international markets and a few months later in India. To suit the characteristics of a streetfighter, Yamaha opted for a bigger rear sprocket for the additional grunt and tuned the motor to produce 18.5PS and 13.9 Nm. The lack of fairing meant the bike was light and despite the slight difference in performance, it remains an engaging bike to ride.

Yamaha XSR155
In 2019, when the neo-retro bug bit enthusiasts, Yamaha came up with the XSR155-- a retro-styled spinoff of the MT-15. Surprisingly, Yamaha has extracted the most performance from the 155cc engine for this bike. It makes 19.3PS and 14.7Nm, which is more than the MT-15 and the R15. For the retro appeal, Yamaha has equipped the bike with a tear drop-shaped tank, a bench seat and minimal panels

Yamaha WR 155R
Two scooters, a supersport and a couple of nakeds later, Team Blue found it to be perfect for a dual-purpose motorcycle. In 2020, the Yamaha WR 155R debuted, and for this bike the engine was detuned to put out 16.7PS and 14.3Nm, but it achieves its peak performance 2,000rpm sooner than the R15, something you would expect from a bike meant to tread beyond the tarmac. It sports completely different chassis, suspension and brakes to suit its intent, and tips the scales at just 134kg!

Yamaha F155 Concept
If you think Yamaha is done toying with its 155cc mill, you are mistaken. Earlier this year, the Japanese company pulled the wraps off a droolworthy abomination of the Aerox 155 and the R15. Though Yamaha hasn’t given out any details, the company announced that this is the direction ahead for its performance scooters in the future.