Yamaha MT-15

If you look at the M-15 from a distance you can be mistaken of the MT-09. The design of the MT-15 is heavily drawn from the MT-09, however, Yamaha has ensured to put minor tweaks in order to distinguish the newbie. The seat contours, shape of the tank and air-vent attachments are all similar. At the front, the predator-styled LED headlights are also like the one on the MT-09, but Yamaha has positioned around projector light below the twin lights to differentiate the looks. The front is aggressive, but the tail end is kept minimal. The stylish side panels on the tail end are new and different from both MT-07 and MT-09. The fuel tank is the only bit of painted bodywork, rest everything is just matte black plastics. The extended radiator shrouds and the elaborate underbelly cowl add to the snazzy looks of the bike. With fat, tubeless tyres, and stylish alloy wheels, the MT-15 is set to get a second look while zipping through the roads. Also, there are as many as four funky colour schemes to choose from - Ice-grey body with fluorescent red wheels, Matte Blue finish with electric-yellow wheels, Tech Black and ‘Ice Fluo’. It comes equipped with a bar style, all-digital instrument console that displays information through a speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge, gear indicator, and a shift signal.

The MT-15 is 1,965mm long, 800mm wide and 1,065mm high. It has a minimum ground clearance of 155mm and the seat is placed at a height of 810mm. The wet weight of the bike is 133kg. Suspension setup consists of upside-down telescopic front forks and Swingarm monoshock at the rear. The MT-15 rides on 17-inch light-weight alloy wheels at both the ends. These wheels are wrapped inside fat tubeless tyres – 110/70 at the front and 140/70 at the rear. Braking is performed through hydraulic single discs at both the ends. Sadly, ABS gets a miss and is not even offered as an option.

The M-15 draws power from a 155cc, four-stroke, four-valve, liquid-cooled, SOHC engine that generates a max power of 19.3PS at 10,000rpm and a peak torque of 14.7Nm at 8,500 rpm, mated to a six-speed manual transmission setup. The engine comes with an Assist and Slipper clutch which prevents rear wheel lockdown during aggressive downshifts. Also, the Variable Valve Actuation (VVA) system provides torque for ease of use at the low to mid ranges RPM. The fuel tank capacity of the MT-15 is 10 litres.

The previous models of the MT series have performed well on the Philippine soil and the latest MT-15 is bound to continue the trend. With an aggressive design language, fully-loaded features, high-performance and tested engine, and a variety of attractive colour schemes on offer, the MT-15 is surely a great option for someone looking for an enticing naked street fighter. The only thing we can complain about is missing ABS, which would have completed the overall package.