0ctobrer 2011: Yamaha just launched NEW version 2.0 of their 150 cc flagship R15.

This new variant claims to have a different Engine Control unit (ECU), which means changed ignition timing and advance. This could technically also mean changed valve timings, but I doubt that valve timings have been changed. There has been a change in drive train, which means different gear / sprocket ratios and hence different road manners. However these changes are not specifically mentioned or quantified, so DiFFERENCE IF ANY, can be known only by a road test.

The visually most obvious differences are the wider tyres and the split seats. While the earlier version had a 17-inch diameter 80/90 front tyre, it now sports a wider, lower profile 90/80 front tyre of same diameter. The same has happened in the rear: while earlier the rear tyre was 100/80, it now has a wider, lower profile 130/70 tyre. More visible than the difference in tyres is the difference in seating. The new split seat is such that it would definitely need the pillion to lean heavily on the driver’s back, an act that most drivers having multiple girlfriends would appreciate highly.

The other physical differences are an increased wheelbase of 1345 mm as opposed to the earlier 1290 mm, an increase of 55 mm. The kerb weight of the bike has also gone up from 131 kg to 136 kg, an increase of FiVE kilograms.

The 4-valve engine retains the same cylinder dimensions and the same power and torque figures at the same compression ratio as earlier.

While the wider tyres and longer wheelbase will definitely affect the bike’s braking and handling characteristics as well as mileage (it will be less than the older version), it remains to be seen how many people will go for this version which will reportedly cost @ Rs. fifteen thousand more than the older version.