Yamaha Motor India unveiled the new MT-15 BS6 version on Thursday in Chennai. The launch also saw the new Fascino 125 FI and the Ray-ZR 125 FI scooters being displayed for the first time in India. Yamaha announced that the new MT -15 BS6 version will hit showrooms by February, 2020.
The bike was supposed to be unveiled with the new BS6 compliant power-train to comply with the new emission norms however, Yamaha had a few hidden tricks up its sleeves which definitely surprised everyone. The bike did come with an all new engine but also got a brand new Ice Fluo Vermillion colour scheme with orange coloured alloy wheels and a new rear radial tyre as standard.
The tyre size though remained the same with a 100/80-17M/C 52P for the front and 140/70-17M/C 66H for the rear. The rim size too remains the same with 17M/C x MT2.5 for the front and 17M/C x MT4.0 for the rear.
The new radial tyre came as a much needed replacement to correct some of the unwanted characteristics of the older bias-ply tire. Bias-ply tires are notorious for not shedding heat quickly. Thus, as you ride your bike faster and faster, the tyre overheats, which causes the tyre to function sub optimally, not allowing the rider to build the confidence he needs to conquer the streets. Bias-ply tyres are extremely limiting when it comes to performance and fast riding. The new radial tires' steel belts will dissipate the heat much better and will give the MT-15 BS6 owners more freedom to get the best out of the street fighter.
The older bias-ply tyre also had a very stiff sidewall owing to the fact that the plies in the tyre run from sidewall to sidewall. The new radial tyres will have much lesser number of body cords on the sidewall, allowing the sidewalls to have more flexibility as compared to the earlier tyre. What does this mean? It means that you'll get a much better and stable contact patch on the road which is bound to give you more confidence while riding and cornering. The sidewall will also provide more feedback owing to its flexibility which is an added bonus for the rider.
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Other upgrades on the 2020 Yamaha MT-15 BS6 include the new Ice Fluo Vermillion colour scheme that brings a white base shade with a host of graphics and orange painted alloy wheels. This colour scheme will be an addition to the dark matte blue and black colour schemes that the motorcycle already comes dressed up in. The BS6 version of the street-fighter will also get a side-stand engine cut off switch and a revised LED taillight.
The 2020 Yamaha MT-15 will be powered by a BS6-compliant version of the previously used 155cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine that is also being used on the BS6 R15 V3.0. You can expect the engine on the MT-15 to also churn out 18.3 bhp and 14.1 Nm of peak torque, down from 19 bhp and 14.7 Nm of peak torque.
The BS6 version Yamaha MT-15 is expected to get a price hike of ₹ 3000-4000 over the current asking price of ₹ 1.36 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).
