Yamaha R15 or the Honda CBR150R is the question on mouths of many people planning to buy an entry level sports bike. Quiet a dilemma for an enthusiast.
Yamaha R15 was launched in India quiet some time ago and has thrived since the day it was launched with a hefty price tag of Rs. 1.1lakh in 2008. But contrary to popular beliefs the bike was legendary and was something in terms of performance, handling, dynamics and looks that India had never seen before in entry level segment.
Honda motorcycles and scooters India(HMSI) launched the CBR150R with aspirations of killing the well established R15 in 2012. But R15 has also upped its game with the version 2.0. Lets see how they fair against each other.
Both the bikes are very good looking and are sporty with R15 borrowing its looks from its dad R1 and CBR150R looks like a smaller version of CBR250R which further draws its looks from the Honda VFR1200F which rather than being a race bike is a sports tourer. Still Honda has managed to make it look sporty by adding sporty graphics and flashy colour schemes. The R15 has very sporty and dedicated riding position which takes time getting used to and is not recommended for long rides, while the CBR has more relaxed riding position and better suited for long rides.
Build quality of Yamaha R15 is fabulous and its very hard to find anything wrong with it. The panels though made from plastic feel very premium and you never feel once that you wasted your Rs. 1.35lakh buying this bike. On the other hand the Honda has disappointed everyone with the CBR in terms of build quality that even some 100cc Honda bikes are better built than it or at least make you feel that you are getting the max worth of quality you can buy. The plastics used are very cheap and the fit is also very bad. There are panel gaps so large that a midget can live in it. The speedometer console has no housing in it and you can see all the wires and piping behind it. The switchgear is used from Hero splendor and there is no pass and engine kill switch which even the Honda stunner has. So negative points to Honda here.
The Engines.
Both the bikes come with 150cc single cylinder, fuel injected engines. R15 produces 17bhp power while CBR150R produces 17.5bhp so you'd be thinking that the CBR would be faster obviously! And in straight line IT IS a bit faster but the difference is so small that it is insignificant. But same power doesn't mean the same riding experience!The tuning of both the engines is very different. The R15 though being a sports bike, its engine has been tuned to produce phenomenal mid range torque so that you never have to shift down in traffic for overtaking. The CBR's engine on the other hand is truly an engine of sports bike which is a drawback in India because you never get to revv the engine hard enough to reach the peak power which is the sweet spot of this engine. So you have to shift down quiet a lot to perform overtaking manoeuvres. But the CBR's mill is definitely the better sounding of the two and has better peak performance. So if you want to buy an engine purely based on your priorities, go for the CBR if you like peak performance and go for the R15 if you like better mid range torque. I, personally would go with the R15.
The Ride.
Both the bikes have pretty stiff suspension setup and it is quiet difficult to differentiate both on this front. The suspension though being stiff, is not hard like a rock so both are ride able in India without thousands owners breaking their backs everyday. But with stiff suspension comes ferocious cornering and you can take a corner at atleast 10kmph faster than your brain allows you with lean angles so high that if you lean a bit more you can kiss the road. literally. Also put a humongous smile on your face. So both these bikes will entice you without posing any threat to your backbones.
So what we have here are two similar bikes with same engine capacities, different delivery styles and awesome handling. These aren't very powerful and you get used to them very easily. Both the bikes come from manufacturers which are renowned for their reliability. These bikes will only be able to enthral you in the city traffic but for the open roads they are just not meant to be. What these bikes give you is a glimpse of what it would feel to ride a super-sport bikes and what might be waiting for you if you someday choose to buy their high performance counterparts.
As a better buy i'd suggest you to go for the Yamaha R15 because it is a better bike overall in terms of riding dynamics, build, power delivery and quality. It gives you a feel of quality that the CBR is not even remotely capable of providing.Also there are more aftermarket parts available for R15 if you choose to customise your ride. It is also much better equipped and is also cheaper by Rs.10k.
Honda even though being one of the premier 2 wheeler manufacturer in India has failed in this segment and failed very bad. Yamaha whose other products have failed miserably in India have played a masterstroke with the R15 bringing the company back in the competition. Well played Yamaha.
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