We saw it coming, didn’t we? When Yamaha launched the R15 V4, it was inevitable that its naked counterpart, the MT-15 will also be sent to the operation theatre for a major makeover.
That time won’t be far when the updated MT-15 will join the showroom floor with the R15 V4. It has become even more apparent, now that Yamaha India has officially discontinued the outgoing MT-15. Yamaha sold only 17 units of the MT-15 in January 2022, hinting that a new model is well underway. So what can we expect from the next-gen MT-15?
One of the primary updates on the new MT-15 could be the inclusion of USD forks which luckily, the R15 V4 has now finally received. It will not only make the updated MT-15 look even beefier than before but will also aid its corner-carving capabilities. The R15 in its latest guise also benefitted from a multi-functional fully-digital instrument cluster that also comes with Bluetooth connectivity. We can expect Yamaha to swap the outgoing MT-15’s negative digital LCD cluster with this new unit. Since the R15 V4 also received a major cosmetic overhaul, we cannot rule out the possibility that the MT-15 will don new clothes as well. Yamaha might trickle down the same design language that it introduced with the 2022 MT-09.
Yamaha R15’s fourth generation also introduced a new electronics suite including wizardries like traction control, quickshifter, and two display modes: Street and Track. To keep the production costs in check, Yamaha might omit these features on the updated MT-15. Since MT-15 is more road-focused, it is not like these electronics will be ‘sorely’ missed. Along with these updates, expect Yamaha to roll out new colour shades as well.
The updated Yamaha MT-15 is expected to carry forward the same underpinnings as its outgoing model. It will be powered by the same 155cc, four-valve, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled VVA engine that puts down 18.4hp at 10,000rpm and 14.2Nm at 7,500rpm.
