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Re: Yamaha R15 v3 ownership
I have had the chance to ride this bike for 2 weeks now, and here are some of my thoughts on the v3.
Looks - is very good. Enough said. I'm a fan of the the older versions though, ones with the sharper tail. That said, Yamaha has done very well with the Led setup in the front. Best in the R family imo.
Ergonomics - First thing you notice when you sit on the bike is how much one has to lean over to reach the handlebars. You prepare for this mentally knowing that the handlebar will be lower than the seat, but the feeling of it first hand is something else. This was the first time on a supersport riding position and it was eye opening. I expected pain in the regular spots - the back, shoulders and wrists, but in the first day there was none. I was gripping the tank with the thighs, so maybe that helped. By day 2 however, there was a bit of an uneasiness in the lower back. This continued to worsen on day 3, a bit of research on YouTube however, I found out that you had to rest the front portion of the foot on the peg. This releases the pressure on the lower back, and your back is relatively stress free. Long rides however does cause some pain in the upper back and the neck, but this can be managed by moving around the seat and taking a break now and then. Traveling with a pillion will be problematic I assume. Arrive alone.
Build quality - The plastics. Especially that panel between the tank and the swing arm. It seems like it's made of low quality compared to a KTM, when you fold the mirrors, there is a bit of paint peeling off. The tank and the digital speedo are very easily scratched. A guard for both needs to be installed on a new bike straight away. You can see the welds on the frame and such, but the tank hasn't come off yet. Yamaha has probably sorted it out now. Otherwise it's all good.
Engine, clutch and gearbox. Makes you ignore how you sit on the bike and all it's welds, flaws and whatnot. What. A. Gem. VVA makes torque available in the low end makes it so tractable in the city. You could shift all the way to sixth at speeds as low as 30kmph, and the engine will run without a hiccup. The gains you have in stop go traffic is unbelievable. Slipper clutch makes the clutch use so light and minimal.
Icing on the cake is the refinement. It's so smooth. Especially upto 5k rpm. Which is the range you'd be spending the most time at, in a congested city. You could do about 60kmph at 5k rpm without any problems. There is a bit of a vibe zone between 5 to 6k Rpm, but the engine eases out again at 6.5k Rpm, haven't gone to the 7k Rpm range yet where the VVA kicks in again. It could be vibey, but I feel these would get better when the engine beds in.
But the way the engine, clutch and the gearbox come together is quite the experience. It feels like a cast iron Enfield, the way it goes at slow speeds, the difference is -
Handling - The committed ergonomics pay off here. You somehow feel that the weight is centered, and the low centre of gravity gives you flickability that you can't experience on many other bikes. I haven't filtered like this in traffic in quite a while. VVA gives you ample torque, but its the frame gives you the flickability to get there. You feel like Lionel Messi and that had me grinning from ear to ear.
Brakes - There is good feel at the lever and is good enough for low speeds if one is careful, but ABS is needed though. Already saw 2 crashed v3s waiting for parts at the service centre. The repair estimate costs had me sweating.
Ride quality - the suspension is quite stiff, and unsettles your posture when the roads are bad. It's not comfortable per se, but you could live with it.
Overall, there are more easier bikes to live with especially when it comes to the ergonomics part. Riding with a pillion could be a pain. Catching up with a faster friend on a more powerful machine might make you put the bike out of its comfort zone. But, if you are willing to look past all that, and want a supersport experience on a budget, look no further.
I have had the chance to ride this bike for 2 weeks now, and here are some of my thoughts on the v3.
Looks - is very good. Enough said. I'm a fan of the the older versions though, ones with the sharper tail. That said, Yamaha has done very well with the Led setup in the front. Best in the R family imo.
Ergonomics - First thing you notice when you sit on the bike is how much one has to lean over to reach the handlebars. You prepare for this mentally knowing that the handlebar will be lower than the seat, but the feeling of it first hand is something else. This was the first time on a supersport riding position and it was eye opening. I expected pain in the regular spots - the back, shoulders and wrists, but in the first day there was none. I was gripping the tank with the thighs, so maybe that helped. By day 2 however, there was a bit of an uneasiness in the lower back. This continued to worsen on day 3, a bit of research on YouTube however, I found out that you had to rest the front portion of the foot on the peg. This releases the pressure on the lower back, and your back is relatively stress free. Long rides however does cause some pain in the upper back and the neck, but this can be managed by moving around the seat and taking a break now and then. Traveling with a pillion will be problematic I assume. Arrive alone.
Build quality - The plastics. Especially that panel between the tank and the swing arm. It seems like it's made of low quality compared to a KTM, when you fold the mirrors, there is a bit of paint peeling off. The tank and the digital speedo are very easily scratched. A guard for both needs to be installed on a new bike straight away. You can see the welds on the frame and such, but the tank hasn't come off yet. Yamaha has probably sorted it out now. Otherwise it's all good.
Engine, clutch and gearbox. Makes you ignore how you sit on the bike and all it's welds, flaws and whatnot. What. A. Gem. VVA makes torque available in the low end makes it so tractable in the city. You could shift all the way to sixth at speeds as low as 30kmph, and the engine will run without a hiccup. The gains you have in stop go traffic is unbelievable. Slipper clutch makes the clutch use so light and minimal.
Icing on the cake is the refinement. It's so smooth. Especially upto 5k rpm. Which is the range you'd be spending the most time at, in a congested city. You could do about 60kmph at 5k rpm without any problems. There is a bit of a vibe zone between 5 to 6k Rpm, but the engine eases out again at 6.5k Rpm, haven't gone to the 7k Rpm range yet where the VVA kicks in again. It could be vibey, but I feel these would get better when the engine beds in.
But the way the engine, clutch and the gearbox come together is quite the experience. It feels like a cast iron Enfield, the way it goes at slow speeds, the difference is -
Handling - The committed ergonomics pay off here. You somehow feel that the weight is centered, and the low centre of gravity gives you flickability that you can't experience on many other bikes. I haven't filtered like this in traffic in quite a while. VVA gives you ample torque, but its the frame gives you the flickability to get there. You feel like Lionel Messi and that had me grinning from ear to ear.
Brakes - There is good feel at the lever and is good enough for low speeds if one is careful, but ABS is needed though. Already saw 2 crashed v3s waiting for parts at the service centre. The repair estimate costs had me sweating.
Ride quality - the suspension is quite stiff, and unsettles your posture when the roads are bad. It's not comfortable per se, but you could live with it.
Overall, there are more easier bikes to live with especially when it comes to the ergonomics part. Riding with a pillion could be a pain. Catching up with a faster friend on a more powerful machine might make you put the bike out of its comfort zone. But, if you are willing to look past all that, and want a supersport experience on a budget, look no further.
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