Re: Yamaha YZF- R15 S Owners Reviews and Experiences

Hi guys, Im looking to buy R15s next month. I heard that Yamaha going to launch R15 V3 in near future(rumor is someone already spotted R15 v3 in Hyderabad showroom) . My concern is even though v3 being launched, is YZF R15s production going to be stopped? will i face any problem while buying YZF r15s next month? Thank you in advance.

Re: Yamaha YZF- R15 S Owners Reviews and Experiences

Quick question folks.. can I replace the side fairings of R15S with those of R15 V2? I like those fish gill vents on V2 so much If yes, what would be the cost. Thanks.

Re: Yamaha YZF- R15 S Owners Reviews and Experiences

Answers in red. Hope this helps.

Re: Yamaha YZF- R15 S Owners Reviews and Experiences

Replies Inline bold

Any other choices, list your budget and give more details. Will definitely share my opinion.

Re: Yamaha YZF- R15 S Owners Reviews and Experiences

Hi,

I am in love with this machine and planning to buy one this month and obviously stuck with some doubts. here are my basic requirements. You experts please tell me if this one is the best option !

1. Minimum 40km mileage. ?
2. Daily use and weekend long rides ?
3. is this good for family use ?
4. Service cycle and cost ?

or any other choices ?

Re: Yamaha YZF- R15 S Owners Reviews and Experiences

Yes mate I always clean & lube the chain every 500 KMs or as soon as it feels a bit dry. I mostly ride on good roads so the chain hardly gets dirty but I do clean it atleast once a month.

The chain is still halfway on the adjuster notches on swing-arm and is set to adjustment as mentioned in the manual (3-4 CMs free play)

I also carry a can of lube spray when going on tours.

That is precisely my line of thought. As in 'Why fix it if it ain't broken?'.

I only asked regarding the valves/tappets to gauge if there is any set interval when they loose correct clearance, But judging from your & [MENTION=77010]Anunay[/MENTION] 's reply I can tell it is not a regular occurrence. Thanks for clearing it up for me.

And I do keep my Owners manual handy (It is good reading material every once in a while )
Also change parts/consumables at specified intervals and sometimes even before that.

Off Topic:

I seem to be having a hard time with oil leaks these days. As only yesterday I discovered my TVS Scooty Zest (Used for domestic duties) was also leaking oil from the engine. Turns out the oil drain plug O-ring had lost shape due to extreme summer heat. So had to get my hands dirty yesterday and changed the O-Ring and fit a new drain plug for good measure along with the usual oil change. My mom suggested I should quit my day job and open up a garage lol

Hard to believe but 2 out of 3 of my two wheelers had oil leaks in the same week. Weird conincidence or just bad luck!

Happy riding!

Re: Yamaha YZF- R15 S Owners Reviews and Experiences

21 thousand km done and no valve clearance or tappet adjustments done till now.
Only regular services done on time, and nobody at service center advised to get these things done or checked.
From my end, there was nothing wrong with the bike, no tappet noise or anything, so I didn't ask them to check (why fix when it isn't broken, right ).

So I think there is no need to worry about valves and tappets, unless you are sure that they need to be worked upon. Also, check the service book, it will have all the jobs that should be done at certain no. of kms (For ex - air filter has to be replaced at 12k kms). I don't remember tappet or valve adjustments intervals. Check the service book and you will get a more clear picture.

Re: Yamaha YZF- R15 S Owners Reviews and Experiences

Nice to hear that. I myself is a Yamaha fanboy and and back myself by making other understand how well made and high performing engineering it has got.
I owned this for 21,000 kms and except brake pad change and few chain tightening and wheel alignment nothing special was performed.

Regarding tappet adjustment. If you hear any tic tic noise along with smooth humming engine sound at idle , thats when you need to adjust tappets. I remember doing the adjustment on my first service as the bike came with loose tappets.
Also the most important suggestion for a smooth and long engine and chain sprocket life will be cleaning chains and lubing every 600-700 kms and keep them adjusted. Because most of the dirts enter engine through this mechanism.
Happy riding.

Re: Yamaha YZF- R15 S Owners Reviews and Experiences

Hi Anunay,
Glad to hear from you!

Yes I completely agree with you on the reliability part as well as no machine comes even close to delivering such performance from a 150cc engine.

In-fact, to this day I am yet to hear any sort of criticism about my R15 S from all of my family members & friends who rode it. Once they go for a ride on this machine, they come back with a mile wide smile on their face; and praise its performance. One of my friend who rides a Harley Davidson Street 750 even told me if he were to ever consider buying any other Indian made bike then it has to be the R15.

I might be sounding like a fanboy at this point, but even from a rational perspective it is hard to come across such a problem free bike like this one.

And your observation regarding the oil issue seems spot on. As the culprit was an improperly tightened drain plug which was not threaded-in properly; And it became loose due to the pressure/vibrations from the crankcase at high RPMs when I took the bike for a long spin on the Highway. Before that there was no such leak, but immediately after the ride I could see a small oil stain right where I park my bike.

Update:
I have since driven about 500 kms on replaced oil and not a single drop has been leaking since, neither is there a reduction in engine oil level. The ride quality is smooth and vibe free as Day 1 and gear shifts are clickity click like a Swiss watch mechanism.

I also brought this issue up on the R15 V2 thread and had lots of useful tips from experienced members over there. As per their suggestions I will be keeping a close eye on the oil level until I am sure no further problems exist.

At this point I no longer trust the SVC mechanics to do the job properly in my absence; so will get the head checked at next service. Those incompetent guys made a fool out of me at first free service by not changing the oil filter, and then at third service by skipping the oil change. Both incidents happened at different SVCs.

On Another note how many times have you had to get the valve clearances/tappets adjusted on your bike??

I have hit 7000 KMs mark on ODO and the engine sounds just fine (No loose marbles sound); So wondering if it is a gradual increase in tappet sound or it just happens altogether?

Thanks,
Chirag

Re: Yamaha YZF- R15 S Owners Reviews and Experiences

Indeed it's one hell of a reliable and high performance machine. Probably the best 150cc.
Regarding oil evaporation/leakage ask your mechanic to check cylinder head gasket and the o-ring near oil filter. That should be the culprit as per my understanding.
Regards

Re: Yamaha YZF- R15 S Owners Reviews and Experiences

Hi Folks,
Anybody tried fitting a small luggage rack at the rear of the S? Studds has one which I suppose anchors onto the grab rails.

Re: Yamaha YZF- R15 S Owners Reviews and Experiences

Ownership update after 6500 KMS in 6 Months:

I have a Spark Green R15S bought in late October 2016. The bike has been maintained religiously with chain lubing/paint waxing/air pressure done every 300-500 KMS as necessary. No trouble given by the machine yet. Took it on two long rides so far. (Ahmedabad-White Rann of Kutch & Ahmedabad-Rajkot-Gir Forest) the engine seems bulletproof and cruises easily at 115 KM/H all day long. Ride quality is highly commendable for such a tiny motor.


Small Comparo with Dominar 400:
This weekend I swapped rides with one of the Dominar 400 riders in my group and rode it for about 90 KMS on the Highway; Although the torque and top speed were way beyond the R15's league the Dominar has some very prominent vibes above 110 KM/H or 6000 RPM.I sorely missed the smoothness of the engine and the precise throttle input of the R15. Not trying to defame the Dominar by any means but there is a clear 0.2-0.3 second lag in fueling when compared, but for someone who hasn't had the chance to ride these bikes back to back it will be difficult to notice.

Parts replaced so far:

• Left Fairing Panel- Once (Small crash in the first month)
• Right Fairing Panel- Once (Not so small slide in the third month)
• Right RVM- Once
• H/L Assembly- Once (Some idiot hit me from the front)
• Headlight Cowl- Once
• Gear Shift Pedal- Once
• Brake Lever/Clutch Lever- Once

Issue that I am facing:
So I was in for an unpleasant surprise yesterday when I checked the oil level in the engine (Usually I check oil level every 500 KMS). Came back from a 150 KMS ride and let the engine cool down for a bit. Put the bike on temporary center stand & unscrewed the oil level dipstick, wiped it clean, reinserted and was startled to see the oil barely touch the minimum mark. The oil was replaced just 900 KMS ago O_O. Now I do understand that nominal oil evaporation of about 100-150 ML is acceptable at 2K-3K kms, but this seemed way more than that. There was no indication of this from the sound of the engine or engine smoothness.

I saw some oil smeared near the drain bolt, but that could have been due to the excess chain lube on the front sprocket.

Decided to take the bike to SVC and have the oil drained & measured, since the bike is relatively new & covered under warranty. I explained the issue to the head mechanic and he agreed to measure the quantity of drained oil before we arrive to any conclusions. It came up to around 650 ML , thus my suspicion was sadly spot on. We were left scratching our heads as to how come so much oil evaporated/leaked in just about 900 KMS?

What I want to know from fellow members here is:

1. Riding on about 650 ML of oil would have done any permanent damage to the engine? (The oil was a mucky dark black color but i couldn't find any metal bits or particles in it)
2. Has anyone faced such a drop in engine oil levels on their R15?
3. Is it possible for the Oil drain bolt to become loose on its own ?

At the moment I have refilled 1 Litre of fresh Yamalube Sporty premium in the engine and will be keeping a careful watch on the oil level every 250-300 kms to see if it drops any further. Fingers crossed it could have been a fluke or maybe the mechanic didn't change the oil on last service. But the only way I can think of oil leaving the engine is through blown piston rings or a loose drain bolt. And if that is the issue then the SVC shall fix it under warranty.

Hoping that my R15S won't have sustained any long term damage as I have no plans to part with it anytime soon and wish to do thousands of kms of riding happily on this gem of motorbike that I can't get enough of.

Please offer any insights or pointers that I should watch out for!

Thank you,
Chirag

Re: Yamaha YZF- R15 S Owners Reviews and Experiences

Guys is it necessary to replace coolant after 20k kms. Mine has clocked 26k in 13 months. Coolant from radiator cap looks just like new.

Re: Yamaha YZF- R15 S Owners Reviews and Experiences

Yeah...Rs 360 for old switch assembly.. just plug & play

Re: Yamaha YZF- R15 S Owners Reviews and Experiences

Had anyone tried to retro-fit old switchgear into new AHO switchgears ?
Because I dont want to damage the battery.