Re: Yamaha YZF- R15 S Owners Reviews and Experiences

Oh well you're here and are with some golden info as usual. Much appreciated bro. :-)

The bike at the time of writing is 10 months old with around 8000 KMs on ODO, so that's too soon for wear and tear as we know. I inspected the brake line closely, couldn't find any sign of crack but it is twisted and turned which I'm not sure if this is just with my bike or with others as well.

The brake fluid is same 10 months old, somewhere between middle and low level, never topped it up as it wasn't required. The brake pad is as old as the bike, but the bite still is very good, despite this oddity.

I have made a note of the process however tomorrow is the 5th free service so I'll be suggesting the same and other recommendations to the SVC guy. Lets see what's the culprit.

Cheers.

Re: Yamaha YZF- R15 S Owners Reviews and Experiences

The bike is new, so the brake line and brake fluid is not the problem. The brake fluid has to be replaced after 3 years, that too if you are in a very humid environment. Usually topping it up is all that is needed. So the only culprit here should be brake pad. It should have a little life left(This totally depends on your braking habits, mine lasted 20K kms cause I ride it like a splendor ). It will wear out much faster if you ride it like a sports bike. Ask the mech at the service center to check it, if it is worn out, get it replaced and the problem will go away. For your peace of mind, ask him to take it out in front of you. Then you can see how much life it has, the lever play does increase a bit as you use through the pad, and it goes away when you put new pads in. Same happens with the rear ones, but it is not so much noticeable and it is so gradual that we get habitual of using it. The difference is felt when you put in new pads and suddenly the extra play in the paddle is gone. This cycle starts all over again.

My diagnostics is a worn out brake pad with about 20% life left. You can use it for another 3000 kms (till next service) without any problems. or if it bother you too much, get is replaced tomorrow. Cost will be 830 rs.

Ask the mech to show you the pad by removing it, and then decide accordingly.
Let us know how it went.

Re: Yamaha YZF- R15 S Owners Reviews and Experiences

Update on this (sorry a little late) :

Bin-f@cking-Go! That was it @Ankey.

Went to the SVC, explained him the situation, I had little time in hand but stayed there for some time to check the pad situation. We opened up the front pad set and they seemed to have worn out good. Take a look -



The mechanic decided that the front pad set need to be replaced and if that still won't help they'll go for line bleeding and fluid top up. However as soon as the front pads were replaced, everything seemed to revert to original. The bloody brake fluid in the front reservoir seemed to have come back up and now it sits higher at somewhere between middle to high. That was some learning. The brake lever is solid with original play now.

I'd like to thank @Anunay @Kartik Shetty @TheArcher84 and @The Monk for their same and valuable input.

However the front pad set is 555/-, the labor charge for that is 220/- as that doesn't count in free service, so that's an update for all who're reading. Here -



The mechanic and I agreed on not doing an engine oil change this service as since 4th service, my total run was only 1700 KMs and while we checked the oil level, the loss was minimal, it was still pretty much full with hardly any lack in viscosity. Courtesy to my upcoming hometown visit for 2-3 weeks this month end, my next run is expected to be no more than approx 1500 KMs till 6th service, so I guess will change the oil then itself. Rest, the bike is running fantastic as always, a small niggle or 2 like visor vibration I fixed with a 2sided tape plonked between the visor and the fairing.

PS (1): There was a FZ25 test vehicle, which the mech gave me happily to ride. I rode that for 4-5 KMs in heavy traffic and boy, my R15S felt like a tiny bike from rider's position after that. And the low end torque is awesome for city, very hard gears but the grunt was linear and such a relief with the seating position after 10 months.(Miss my FZ16 now).
Did that make me rethink my stance on the R15, no. But, brilliant work with FZ25, Yamaha.

PS (2): While I was returning from the service center, a squid on a modded up Splendor was trying to race by pulling up parallel and revving continuously. I got fed up and gave a false revv bomb, he thought I was pulling up for race. He zoomed past, couldn't brake properly at next red light, crashed into 3 bikes, got beaten up bad and the bike's f**ked. Guess he'll learn a lesson. Or don't, I don't care.


Thanks and happy Sunday.

Re: Yamaha YZF- R15 S Owners Reviews and Experiences

Happy to help, brother. Cheers

Re: Yamaha YZF- R15 S Owners Reviews and Experiences

All thanks to you buddy. Always helpful.

Regards.

Re: Yamaha YZF- R15 S Owners Reviews and Experiences

Haha.. That'll be a good lesson for him!

Re: Yamaha YZF- R15 S Owners Reviews and Experiences

Pad wear seems too much for 1700km run. I also faced the same issue around the same pad thickness like yours. Topped up brake fluid and bleed the line its all fine. I seems brake reservoir is small as the pad reached end of life air gets sucked in due to less fluid. Also when we lean heavy on the right corner with low brake fluid air can easily pass in.

Re: Yamaha YZF- R15 S Owners Reviews and Experiences

That's something I've never thought of or cared for, but you may have a point. May be others would like to confirm it.

On the other hand, years back my FZ's first front pad was replaced at 10-11K so I'm still okay with what has happened given how much fun I'm having with R15. On the other hand, I rely on engine braking a lot, so I guess the delay could've been a little longer, but I guess I'll have to see for next replacement when it happens.

Regards.

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.

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

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

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

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

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 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