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Since you say your budget is limited i guess thats the reason you eliminted CBR250R. Along with ZMR, r15 also consider CBR150.... the ownership review of the bike are quite good until now.

On the constraints that you have mentioned .... what I know about ZMR and R15 is as follows -
1. Mileage - Both bikes give 35-40 kmpl if ridden sanely. I have enjoyed a mileage of 45-50 kmpl on highway on a ZMR.
2. Comfort - ZMR has upright handlebars which means a relaxed riding pose. R15 has sportier riding stance. Hence initially people do feel pain in wrist and back but eventually they adapt to the posture and the pain vanishes.
3. Reliability - ZMR engine comes from Honda stable and R15 has yamaha... so both are reliable.

The major differentiating factor is the riding style... ZMR has even power delivery across its rpm range which means the riding is relaxed and kinda laid back...

R15 is rev happy bike. the bike is comparatively sluggish at lower rpm but above 4-4.5K it transforms into an all together different bike ready to revved and ridden hard..... its a mean machine at that time...

Since you are seeking for a comfortable ride i would recommend ZMR over R15 anyday... You can also check CBR150R as it is also said to have a little relaxed riding stance and obviously good engine.... check its ownership thread also...

pretty much well said Siddharth!!

Whatever Siddharth said is a go with me too!

Me also in the same situation of getting a bike and a tourer!
and now am left with ZMA/R/CBR150R..

Pros and cons from what I have analysed!

ZMR

+From the tech of Honda
+Comfortable for long distances
+Even power distribution, means a less revved ride!
+Good FE
+Upright sitting position

-Old techie, no big recent updates

ZMA

same as ZMR in performance, but can save you some dimes! <I was told>

CBR150

+From honda
+Comfortable sitting position, seems to be for many R15 riders even! <take a look at ownership thread>
+good for long distances
+comparatively good FE
+Smooth engine, Power is well distributed

-Lacks a kick at lower gears, less torque than R15
-lacks some additions like passing switch, Ignitor switch, and damn cheap plastics
-a little 10.4k costlier than R15

R15

+From Yamaha
+Sporty ride, designed with keeping track riding in mind
+High torque, than a CBR150R
+Rev happy engine, means it will push you to rev at higher ends of RPM
+Power is low at lower RPM, but once crosses 110kmph, it fades away from vision.
+Apparently, Yamaha's VFM

-Not suitable riding position for long distances.
-Gonna ride with a pillion?? forget his comfort!

You can also take a look at,

My thread, from where i got these views :


A view of R15 owner:


And, me personally, think 'll end up with the baby CBR

For your usage ZMR seems more preferable....

go for zma rather,save money.not much benefits of zmr over zma.also there is p220.have a look if you don't have a problem in accepting a bajaj product.

After riding ZMA and ZMR both for considerable amount to period and kms i can say PGM-FI makes a lot of difference specially in mileage and throttle response....also full fairing helps reducing wind blast and increases comfort and reduces fatigue. Now whether a person wishes to spend more for these reason is a personal choice..

the wind blast factor is well taken care by the semi-fairing,the zma too has linear throttle response,and the mileage difference is somewhat 5 kmpl more

1. after riding for 700 kms in a day i felt full fairing was much better....
2. Yes, the power delivery is linear... but FI ensures crisp response which is very helpful in overtaking on 2 lane roads...
3. about mileage i didnt understand what you meant. I found ZMR gives more average and with current petrol prices and touring it will matter i believe...

very true..PGM-FI is what most people underestimate while choosing between ZMA-R & ZMR..its a boon trust me guys..your bike won't stall in any condition & will start in just one press on high altitudes or in deserts(thanks to closed loop FI,Lambda sensor)..plus it gives continuous good FE unlike a carb machine, which varies a lot..throttle response also increases..
& also u'll get better braking(with rear disc)..better suspensions..TL tyres..RTMI..better RVMs..better lighting..LED tail..Bank Angel sensor..auto chain cam tensioner..

these all things are so useful in a sports-tourer & people don't care about them at all..ZMR is a hassle free bike over its predecessor..

my first preference for you is ZMR,closely followed by CBR150R..take a TD of both ZMR & CBR150 & choose between both..

i meant that a zmr would give average of 5kmpl more than zma.
ok now try a riding with a full -fairing in cross-winds you will know the difference.
how does a crisp response help in overtaking?

you are wrong here..ZMA-R returns mileage figures between 25-35kmpl which isn't consistent by any mean & ZMR returns consistent mileage between 35-40+kmpl in city & over 45kmpl or even 50kmpl on highways so the difference is more than 10+kmpl consistently..


its just an art riding a full faired bike in cross winds..you'll get to learn it within few mins after getting on a bike's saddle..

verify those figures in ownership threads.some tips on that art will be helpful.i mean it.

I myself am using this bike from almost couple of years now..& before that i had a ZMA-R..so i know what i am talking about

I am getting consistent mileage between 35-40+ kmpl..