Yamaha offers the 155cc VVA motor in India in YZF R15 V3.0 and MT-15 only
Yamaha truly takes pride in its 155cc VVA motor as the engine now performs duties in a host of models in the company’s international lineup. Not only in motorcycles but this powertrain has also been extended to scooter offerings from Yamaha in recent times.
While the motorcycles in this range include the likes of YZF R15, MT-15 and XSR 155, the scooters powered by this motor involve Aerox 155, NMax 155 and NVX 155. This indicates the Japanese company’s faith in this reliable and peppy engine. The lineup gets more extensive with the launch of Sniper 155 and 155R in the Philippines which run on the same mill.
Styling
Starting with its styling, the new Sniper 155 has been designed in a manner that offers a sporty feel with its compact dimensions. The design is said to be inspired by the flagship YZF-R1 which makes it look sharp and sporty. The two-piece LED headlight setup is an interesting feature. It gets a low-beam unit mounted on the handlebar for better visibility at night whereas the twin-LED high beam units are placed on the front apron.
The scooter incorporates a forward-heavy faired silhouette with a short and upward angled tail section. Overall, the scooter looks stylish, agile and light and Yamaha has managed to bring the best of both worlds by offering versatile performance on race track and street respectively.
Although it has been categorised as a scooter, its riding dynamics are similar to that of a bike with footpegs instead of a floorboard. In addition, the body has been redesigned to offer a more ergonomic fit to the inner thigh.
Features on offer
Getting into features, Sniper comes equipped with all-LED lighting, a negative LCD instrument cluster and a new slip-resistant seat to offer even better grip as standard. It is also equipped with a larger 5.4-liter fuel tank. The higher-spec 155R is offered with additional gizmos such as a smart key system and a 12V power socket. Additionally, the top-spec trim gets a special material and stitching on the seat.
Mechanical Specs & Improvements
As mentioned earlier, it is powered by a 155cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected engine that returns an output of 17.7 bhp at 9,500rpm and 14.4 Nm of peak torque at 8,000rpm. Power is sent to the rear wheel via a six-speed manual gearbox and chain final drive. Variable Valve Actuation (VVA) technology ensures a linear power delivery throughout the rev range. The motor is fed air by a new 4.6-liter air cleaner box.
Thanks to a revised exhaust pipe and muffler, the scooter’s power output is optimised across the rev range in addition to the reduction in noise. Suspension duties of the scooter are handled by telescopic forks at front and a swingarm suspension at rear. Braking is taken care of by telescopic forks at the front and a swingarm suspension at the rear as standard while 155R gets 2-piston front brake calipers along with a 245mm disc for better stopping power.
2021 Sniper 155 is available in three colour options namely Yellow Hornet, Race Blu and Black Raven whereas 155R is exclusively offered in Matte Titan. Both trims are offered at a price of PHP 1,14,900 (equivalent to INR 1.74 lakh) and PHP 1,20,900 (equivalent to INR 1.84 lakh). Like the other scooters in Yamaha’s 155cc lineup, chances of Sniper 155 making it to India also look bleak.
