Yamaha has launched the ABS-equipped R15 V3.0 at Rs 1.39 lakh. The company has also made available a new Darknight colour scheme at Rs 1.41 lakh for the entry-level supersport (prices, ex-showroom Delhi). The dual-channel ABS comes at a premium of Rs 12,000. Yamaha has not said anything about the MotoGP edition that was launched in August 2018 getting this safety feature, which leads us to believe that the limited time period for that model has ended.
The new Darknight colour scheme is essentially a matte-black finish that Yamaha has offered on its other two-wheelers like the FZ, Saluto RX and Ray ZR. Other than this, the R15 V3.0 remains identical to the non-ABS equipped version, which we expect to see getting discontinued before the deadline of April 1, 2019. It is powered by a 155cc, SOHC, four-valve, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected motor that produces 19.3hp at 10,000rpm and 15Nm of torque at 8,500rpm. The motor is paired to a 6-speed transmission that also features an assist and slip clutch.
Among other features are a fully-digital multi-function instrument cluster with a gear-shift light and an LED headlight and tail-light.
Yamaha has also announced a new product launch on January 21, 2019. With words like ‘adrenaline’ and ‘excitement’ used liberally in the announcement, it leads us to believe that this will be a premium and sporty machine. It is unclear what this motorcycle is going to be, but Yamaha is likely to launch an update rather than an all-new motorcycle. So, while we still expect the new MT-15 to go on sale this year, we might actually see the next-gen FZ FI, which has been caught testing, to go on sale instead.