Bajaj V15

The new Bajaj V15 is the Pune based bike maker’s answer to its dwindling sales in the commuter class courtesy some experiments gone wrong with the Discover brand. And to stand out in the crowd, this mass-market commuter motorcycle now comes in a fancier avatar. The V15 is positioned between the Discover 150F and the Pulsar 150 but it has a confused identity; it doesn’t know what genre of motorcycling it belongs to. But, of course, the biggest talking point about the V15 – at least in Bajaj’s books – is the use of a tiny amount of metal from INS Vikrant for the making of all V15s fuel tanks.

Once you’re done looking at this new Bajaj (it is different looking but it still does catch your eye) and you hop on, the V15’s seating instantly impresses. It has a wide handlebar, low seat height and neutrally positioned footpegs. The seating is commuter-ish all the way and a comfy one. If here’s any problem, it is the design of the fuel tank, which makes it difficult to grip it with the thighs properly.

Get moving and the Bajaj V15’s lack of weight, its flickable nature and the easy leverage its handlebar offers, makes it a fun bike to filter through traffic with. It weighs 135.5kg kerb weight making it one of the lighter 150cc motorcycles. What also impresses is the V15’s ride quality. The telescopic front forks and gas charged twin shocks at the rear have adequate travel and have well damped characteristics. Broken roads, speed breakers, bumps, what have you, are dispatched with the plushness one mostly associates with more expensive bikes. The only draw back of sorts is the front bottoming out through some pronounced potholes. For those looking at commuting over long hours in the city, the V15 should work really well.

The engine on the V15 is a 150cc single-cylinder motor that produces 11.8bhp at 7500rpm and peak torque of 13Nm at 5500. This engine is mated to a five-speed gearbox, which has all-up shift pattern. This engine produces decent amount of low- and mid-range torque, which makes overtaking easy, at least at city speeds. The V15 manages 35kmph in fifth gear and feels good till 60-70kmph. But once it crosses that mark, vibrations can be felt. It was also disappointing to see the lack of refinement and the presence of slight harshness on this engine. The braking though is sorted. The 240mm disc at the front and 130mm drum at the rear provide good stopping power. And feel.

The Bajaj V15 uses the metal of INS Vikrant for a bit of its fuel tank. And it will make V15 owners feel proud. We wont be surprised if some customers buy the bike for this fact alone. Credit then to the brilliant marketing team at Bajaj.

Plus, the attention to detail on the V15 is good. The exposed wires in front of the tank has been neatly covered with a black rubber flap; the black lid on the fuel cover adds to the premium feel; the thin padding on the cowl looks right and is useful; and it also gets an in-built allen key as part of the motorcycle’s key to aid removal of its rear seat cowl. The 3D logos on the tank and side panel look nice as well. The quality levels overall and the fit and finish – particularly the paint quality – is a huge step up over older Bajaj bikes too. Furthermore, the instrument cluster on the V15 is simple but attractive thanks to the choice of fonts and the overall design. The seat is well padded and comfy. And the V15’s styling, barring the headlamp design, is very attractive. And it must stand out to make any sort of in-roads into the established competitions stranglehold. The tank is muscular, the decals are thoughtfully used, and the usage of an 18-inch front wheel and a 16-inch rear wheel, also works well towards giving the V15 its cruiser or café-racer like stance. Interestingly, the tread pattern on the Nylogrip tyres also adds to the whole muscular stance.

Depending on your mood, you could ride the V15 as a single seater (café-racer) thanks to the seat cowl. Or remove the latter with the turn of a couple of screws to reveal a reasonably comfortable pillion seat with smartly styled grab rails (cruiser, anyone?). The grab rail too, has been nicely integrated on the V15 and is pretty useful. 

Buy the Bajaj V15 if you’re looking for a motorcycle for the city that’s unique, fresh, and comfortable. Bajaj has hit the right note with the launch of the V15. While the design of the V15 is surely interesting and fresh, the fuel efficiency is something we haven’t tested yet but Bajaj claims it to be between 50kmpl and 55kmpl in the real world. Then, of course, there’s the patriotic pitch thanking INS Vikrant. But there’s also the pretty attractive price tag of Rs 62,000 (ex-showroom Delhi) to consider which makes it a pretty good deal.

At 62,000 (ex-showroom Delhi), the Bajaj V15 is Rs 4,115 more expensive than the Honda CB Shine SP – its closest competitor. But, if we talk 150cc motorcycles, then there’s the recently re-launched Honda CB Unicorn 150 to consider. It is Rs 5,778 more expensive than the V15. But, Bajaj’s main focus with the V15 is the existing 125cc owners club. It wants Shine and Glamour customers to upgrade to the V15. And if it can convince even a small percentage of this lot to buy the V15, it’s job done for Bajaj.