With the approaching launch of the MT-15, dealers across India have begun accepting bookings for the sport-naked motorcycle. The MT-15 has been in the news repeatedly over the past few months, owing the multiple leaks. Not only do we have booking information and the launch date of March 15, but we also have a spy image and leaked technical data.

On speaking to multiple dealers across the country, we have learnt that Yamaha dealers in Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai have begun accepting bookings for an amount of Rs 10,000. Dealers in Bengaluru, meanwhile, will secure your booking at Rs 2,000. However, the dealers we spoke to in Kerala told us that they are not accepting bookings for the MT-15 yet.

Yamaha’s plans of bringing the MT-15 to India first came to light in October 2018. It was then that we told you about the likelihood of an India-spec model, where the components would be specced down in order to lower costs. This was proven correct when the first spy shot of the MT-15 made its appearance; the bike in the picture was seen riding on a conventional fork in place of the premium USD unit seen on the Indonesian model. The Indian bike has also ditched the aluminium swing arm for a basic, box-section unit.

Interestingly, while the MT-15 appears to be missing the premium swing arm, the India-spec R15 V3.0 does feature it. This clearly indicates that Yamaha is trying to lower costs and price the MT-15 lower than the R15 V3.0 in India. That said, the upcoming sport-naked will feature the same engine as the R15 V3.0. This 155cc, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected motor comes paired to a 6-speed gearbox and makes 19.3hp at 10,000rpm and 14.7Nm of torque at 8,500rpm.

The Yamaha MT-15 is expected to be priced around the Rs 1.2 lakh mark, at which point it will steer clear of the Rs 1.33 lakh FZ25 and will demand a slight premium over the R15S (based on the V2.0) priced at Rs 1.17 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom, Delhi).