Launch: 2011 Yamaha YZF-R15

Yamaha’s fresh ‘n’ funky new YZF-R15 is much more than a boringly slow introduction to motorcycling that would have you heading back down the dealers once you’ve passed your test.

This low-tech battler punches well above its weight has been launched to try and attract riders away from Honda’s CBR125R and Kawasaki’s Ninja 250R – both great selling models that rely on looks to make up for the use of fairly unspectacular technology.

At 149cc, the fuel injected R15 breaks the mould in terms of engine size and also where it’s produced. Although India might not be the first place you’d expect such a model to be bolted together, there’s plenty of logic in that decision. Obviously, cheap labour is the main consideration of any global company looking to be competitive in the marketplace, but India is also seen as a real-life proving ground for reliability.

It’s said that for a bike to be successful there, it has to be reliable for three years between trips to the garage. That would be a massive ask of any machine used for pleasure, but in India this is much more than just a weekend toy – think family car and light truck rolled into a two-wheeled package and you’d not be too far off the mark.

On the mean streets of Sydney, the Yamaha feels more than up to the task ahead. I’m far from the target audience for this bike – 25 years riding experience, 90kg and 189cm – but am finding the bike willing and able.

Grab the bars and flick the side-stand up and the near-weightless bike flicks underneath you. Thumb the starter and the engine comes to life with a muffled yawn before settling into a smooth tick-over.

The clutch is lighter than a small salad for lunch and takes up the engine’s claimed 17bhp without a snatch or jerk. With the narrow upright bars keen to react instantly to your every input, you’re swimming effortlessly between the gridlock that is modern traffic before you can say, “Road rage, what road rage?”

For anyone used to a bigger sports bike, the way in which the bike darts quickly from corner to corner comes as a surprise for the first few times. I was turning in too soon and having to 50-cent-bit around to keep it on line and not oversteer. If it’s your first go on a motorcycle, it’d feel more like the reaction of a push bike steering and hence be something instantly known to you.

The engine produces its power in a smooth and linear fashion. There are no power-hikes to catch out the unwary and, coupled with the smooth six-speed gearbox, progress is more than decent for city scooting. There’s enough power to beat all but the richest boy-racers away from the lights and the single discs front and rear do an equally impressive job of bringing all this motion to a predictably smooth and effortless stop. If ease of use was the designer’s brief, you’d have to say that the YZF-R15 is a fait accompli.

The view from the cockpit is equally as impressive. Although smaller than a full-on sports bike, the baby Yamaha allows for a wide range of rider shapes. I found being able to fit my long legs into the cut-outs in the fuel tank’s sides an unexpected luxury.

Looking down, the R-series family connections are obvious. The large, black-faced tacho dominates the view in true racer style. Nestled next door is the digital display speedo -- and that’s about it. The rest is made up of black plastic panels, mimicking the company’s flagship R1. If this does become your first bike, it’s a helluva lot cooler than my old Suzuki TS50ER!

A brief spell on the freeway throws up few surprises. The race-bred front screen is all fashion-defeats-function and deflects the smallest amount of air onto your chest – it’s pointless trying to hide behind it for top-speed runs or rain protection. A realistic top speed of around 140km/h means that you never feel engulfed by the surrounding traffic, even when it’s flowing at its fastest.

At those higher speeds, the small bike handles crosswinds and vehicle draughts with an all-business type mentality.

To test the bike’s design brief to even further extremes, the next stop was Eastern Creek’s Kart Centre. With kart tracks renowned for their average surface condition and rubber build-up, this would be a test of the bike’s suspension, brakes and tyres, more so than pure engine performance.

From the get-go, the bike was an eager lapper (once frictional heat had found its way into the no-name hard tyres). By now the sweet steering was a given, but the surprise was that the budget suspension didn’t feel over worked.

Even grabbing a handful of front anchor didn’t get the soft forks to actually bottom-out, and the rear shock handled both my weight and engine power with equal aplomb. In fact, the only reason to come back into the pits would have been to refuel, though with 2-3 litres/100 km consumption, it would have clearly gotten dark first.

It’s easy for experienced riders to dismiss these smaller bikes, but there’s a compelling case for them. With a list price of $3999, the R15 does exactly what it was meant to do, namely be a realistic alternative to sitting on the bus in the mornings.

And with Yamaha Finance coming to the party, it’s possible to be finding freedom for less than a Redback per week ($20). Apart from a few built-down-to-a-price areas on the bike -- the swingarm bolt protrudes like a child mimicking Frankenstein, there’s no time clock on the display and the ‘box-section’ arm is really pressed into a ‘C’ section -- it’s hard to fault the YZF-R15.

If you’re in the market for a stylish and easy to ride machine to gain confidence on, the new Yamaha ticks most, if not all, the relevant boxes.

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six-speed
Final drive: Chain
Clutch: Wet

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Rake: 26 degrees
Trail: 100mm
Claimed wet weight: 131kg
Seat height: 790mm
Wheelbase: 1290mm
Ground clearance: 160mm
Fuel capacity: 12 litres

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: Not given
Claimed maximum torque: Not given

OTHER STUFF
Price: $3999
Colours: Racing Blue or Midnight Black
Bike supplied by: Yamaha Motor Australia (www.yamaha-motor.com.au)
Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres