Indian-spec production ready MT-15 spotted before launch

- MT-15 production ready bike spotted

- Misses out on USD forks, aluminium swingarm, bright alloy-wheels

- Will go against the KTM 125 Duke

Yamaha’s new streetfighter, the MT-15 will be launched in India on 15 March. But looks like the bike has started making its way to select dealerships, possibly for training purposes. 

While the world has already seen the pictures of the MT-15 that were being tested on the road, this is the first time the bike has been revealed in its full glory. It’s clear from the pictures that Yamaha has taken big cost cutting measures on the Indian-spec model. There are no upside-down forks, nor there is aluminium swingarm that we see on the YZF-R15. The alloy wheels misses out on the bright red paint or neon green that are standard on international models. As there’s no upside-down forks, the bike misses out on the gold finish that’s present on the fork tubes. The lack of this treatment has reduced the overall aggression character of the bike. 

The MT-15 makes 19bhp at 10,000rpm, which is same as the YZF-R15. The torque figure stands at 14.7Nm at 8500rpm. This 155cc motor will be mated to a six-speed gearbox. However, expect the MT-15 to get revised gear ratios. Also, just like in the YZF-R15, the MT-15 is likely to get dual-channel ABS. The gross vehicle weight (GVW) of the MT-15 is 288kg. It also gets a longer wheelbase of 1335mm, and is also wider than the R15 at 800mm. The length and height of the MT-15 stand at 2020mm and 1070mm respectively.

Once launched, the MT-15 will go against the KTM 125 Duke. However, only time will tell if the Indian consumers will appreciate the cut-price MT-15.