Re: Looking to buy my first bike.

In that case the R15 is a perfect fit. It was the most powerful 150 cc bike since its launch and even now the V3 is the only thing that is more powerful than it. All the other 150cc and 180cc motors are still producing 13-14 Bhp. So even after 9 years of its launch, R15 is still faster and powerful than its competition. You have your heart set on it and hence you should go for it.

I upgraded from a splendor to R15 V2. And I was also thinking the exact same thing that you are thinking - "Splendor is tiny and can slip through traffic easily, can the R15 do the same?" The answer is Yes, You will have to be careful for a first few months and get used to the width of the fairing. The handle bar also turns less than a normal commuter bike and you have to compensate it with lean through the bend (this is common for all performance bikes). Once you spend a little time on the saddle and get comfortable to the riding positions and the power, you will be amazed at how good the R15 behaves in traffic. Filtering through traffic is like a breeze, the dream like handling, for which the R15 is famous all over the world. I have never heard anyone complain about handling of R15, its that good.

What you might have problems with is constant gear shifting. It has a 6 speed gearbox and you will need to constantly change the gears as you accelerate and brake in traffic. For some people (like me) who enjoy the engaging ride, its fun and I can come down from 6th to 1st gear in under 3 seconds without any problem and the gem of a gearbox is so so smooth and good to use that I don't mind clicking up and down through the gearbox. But some people who are not that interested in riding, find it annoying. they are used to go up till 4th gear in their commuter and leave it there, no matter what the speed is and what gear the bike needs. Such people find a reason to complain and don't like constantly shifting. If you are one of those, the remedy is to keep the bike in 3rd or 4th gear. both of these are good from speeds as low as 30kmph till 70 kmph (for 3rd) and 105 kmph (for 4th gear). But if you ask me, keeping the bike in correct gear and correct rpm at all times is fun and keeps my mind engaged.

Re: Looking to buy my first bike.

I'm trying to upgrade from an Rx100 and hence want to see the usability in traffic. I also have wrist pains so I'm really skeptical about using the R15-S. Wrist pain occurs for me if I rest my wrist in a wrong position for even 2 minutes.
That is why I also listed the RTR twins. They have a good posture easy for commuting and also have some power to offer.

It all boils down to how well my wrist takes it. So, I plan to take routine test rides from the Yamaha showroom and also from my friends who own one. I'll be sure to drive at least 15-20 minutes to check the effect it has on me.

Also what are your thoughts on the RTR twins as a second choice (or first)?

Re: Looking to buy my first bike.

As I said earlier bro, more power at low price is always welcome. The RTR twins are currently best value for money, the ABS option is appreciated by the people whose priority is safety.

The wrist pains are a part of the sport bike category, no matter which one you buy, you will get wrist pains in the beginning. But it disappears as you get used to the sporty riding position and learn to grip the tank with your thighs (correct way of riding a sport bike). The wrist and back pain happens to everyone new to the sport bikes, most of us get used to it with time, a few of us learn to do regular exercises to get the core muscles and shoulders strong and quite a few give up and sell their bikes to opt for more comfortable ones.

In the end it all depends on what you want from a bike and how willing are you to adopt to the new bike. If you can borrow someone's R15 and ride is for a longer period of time, you will get a better idea of how bad the pains are and weather you can live with it. I would say again and most of us get used to the riding style and the pain disappears over time, core strengthening exercises help a lot. If you still find it uncomfortable, RTR is the answer.

Re: Looking to buy my first bike.

Thank you Ankey for the advice. I'll be sure to try them both. I'll try the R15-S for an extended period and also get some advice from a Doctor on my wrist ache.

Also, are there any other bikes that you would recommend keeping in mind my daily commute distance and my conditions?

Thanks again for all your answers ; was really helpful.

Re: Looking to buy my first bike.

Other options are either underpowered or too powerful to be used on city roads, not worth considering. Your choice of shortlisted bikes is absolutely perfect brother. You cannot go wrong with any of them. And I don't think that anything more is needed for your daily needs. Choose the one that suits you the best.

Re: Looking to buy my first bike.

Hi, Upgrading from a smaller capacity bike to a bigger one is always a bit of an exercise. Moreover your choices have been on the sportier bikes, The R15-S is a superb bike in that category and so are the RTR twins, as you had mentioned earlier your age, it is a kind of a spoilsport in this term, and providing this upgrade is your first to the performance category, I would suggest you to go for a bike with ABS. For every reason you will have the temptation to twist the throttle a bit more if you find an opening during a peak traffic ride and immediately jamming the brakes at the sight of an obstruction, during that time its very important to have a safety net like ABS to prevent you from kissing the Tarmac. No doubt these bikes are a joy to ride and are quite intimidating for a power cruise, learn your basics right and you ll master your ride. My suggestion please look into the threads in art of safe riding after your purchase or before that, it will help you a lot in enjoying your bike. Sorry its more of an advice than actually helping you on the right bike but take it from me, even after a riding experience of more than 10 years on a commuter and shifting to the performance segment made me do a more unlearning and relearn to ride safe. Learn to ride safe from the start and you ll go a long way in becoming a better mannered rider and controlling bigger machines will also be better.
Finally i would suggest you go for RTR 200 which will quench your thirst For more power at least for a short period of time before you get bored of it too. And welcome to the Rider in you.

Re: Looking to buy my first bike.

Thank you Mr. AbiRam.

I'll be sure to try a commuter bike and then move to the Performance segment later on.

I'm also not willing to spend a lot on my first bike as my usage as I mentioned is comparatively low. So, I'll also have to look at other low priced options.

Thanks again for your valuable suggestions and time.

Cheers 🥂