The sound would come even though the chain was well lubed man, so I thought it wasn't chain noise. But it turned out to be bad links in the chain, that I hadn't even thought of!!
Anyways, I will take care more care of the chain now.

Its the same problem that even Ankit from Pune is facing on his FZ.
If you maintain the (new) chain the way you suggest you are doing now, it would last for longer!
Might be a good idea to inspect your front and rear sprockets as well,

Bad links = Bad teeths!

Edit: Sorry to hear about the accident Kashif..
take care of your wife, you can always arrange for a swift bashing g2g once she is all fine!

The sprockets look good man. No issues with them.
The links have smoothened out to an extent after the service past saturday. Have ridden the bike for about 30 Kms after the service, and its a lot smoother now. Still some smoothness is desirable though.
Was wondering if cutting a few links off is advisable/ possible?

Did that on my bike, but it wasnt exactly successfull... possible, but not easy...

Hmmm.. If the problem persists, I might end up taking up this option. Spending 2.2k on the chain at 13k Kms is a stiff amount.
What kind of place can I nget the links removed? A local mechanic, at Yamaha, or somewhere else?

Go to what we call the 'leth' waalah... Metal fabricator etc etc! Go to a local mech, he will let you know!

Heck call and ask Santaa if he has tried it, or know if anyone around blore could do so for you!

Hmmm.. If the problem persists, I might end up taking up this option. Spending 2.2k on the chain at 13k Kms is a stiff amount.
What kind of place can I nget the links removed? A local mechanic, at Yamaha, or somewhere else?

Hmmm.. If the problem persists, I might end up taking up this option. Spending 2.2k on the chain at 13k Kms is a stiff amount.
What kind of place can I nget the links removed? A local mechanic, at Yamaha, or somewhere else?

@Tibby - the R15 chain cannot be opened for removal. to remove it, you need to open the swing arm assy, and then only can you get the chain out.

Also if your chain has bent links, its due to dirt and grime in the links. If you can get it done, dip the chain in kerosene or diesel overnight after removal, then wash it, clean it, and lube it. It will be back to condition.

My friend faced the same issue, and did the above, and his chain is butter smooth, no squeaking noise nothing ( he is a DIY mech as i like to call him, so his judgement was right in this regard ). Infact i will be doing the same thing to my chain next weekend at his place.

Kerosene/diesel have the least impact on the O-rings of the chain, and clean it pretty well.

You can remove links, but there's a special link removing tool. Its used to remove a link, and then remove the chain. The factory shop in your city must be having it.

Open the chain, and give it to them for a wash. They have a dedicated parts washer (wash with water, or kerosene). Washing it this way is very efficient, and then lube it and put the link back.

Even my chain has bent links the way your bike has, but they work themselves out when I clean & lube the chain. A chain change at 13.5K kms is too early!!

^^ if he goes with the swingarm removal method, then simultaneously he can also get the mono-shock linkage lubricated, which should be done once a year.

Take your time and get to know the bike over time. Its always better to be confident about the speeds you are riding at (even if it is slow) while being 100% confident than getting overconfident & being careless. Getting comfortable with a pillion on the bike will also take some time. Dont worry, it happens to everyone.

Do read up on cornering. It will definitely help. Ride safe !

Just take it easy, and get used to it. You'll be amazed after 3 months. Riding any other bike will feel primitive.

About the riding, get help from friends, but common stuff would be:
1) Everyone new to an R15 puts a lot of the upper body weight on the clip-on bars. Consciously avoid that. Try gripping the tank with your knees, or 'sit' on the seat, letting the bum take all the weight rather than the wrists.
2) The R15 is very high-revving. So on some bikes you can get away with lugging it at low speeds in a high gear, but this bike won't pull, and most probably will stall. So yes, you'll have to do a lot of gearshifting to stay in the powerband, but hey, that's what the bike is all about.
3) U-turns. Practice them. They will help you learn the dynamics. First practice with both feet floating (to support the bike in case it feels like its going to tip over). Slowly you'll get the hang of it, and you'll be able to do it without taking your feet off the pegs, and in some cases even by shifting your weight into the turn.
4) Practice using the front brake to stop. Ideally use 70% front and 30% rear (only on proper surfaces, on any loose surface, sand, gravel, mud, slush, tiles, marble, etc, use rear brakes, and go slowly). Peope will tell you a lot of stuff, but trust me, the R15's front brake is enough to stop it from full blast to nil in just a few metres.
5) Avoid pillions. The bike isn't made for pillions.
But yes, having pillions will help you improve yout handling.
6) As for cornering, take it easy, do it only when you have the confidence, do it safely, and yes, read up on cornering theory in the ride safe section.

was thinking how the superbike owners manage to shift gears with such a heavy clutch