As part of MY2023 upgrade, Yamaha is now offering LED turn indicators, dual-channel ABS, TCS, OBD II diagnostics, and new colours
Yamaha, came up with a naked version of its flagship R15, named MT15. This had the same beating heart as its race-faired sibling, albeit in a more affordable package. It featured a robotic face, reminiscent of Micheal Bay’s Transformers movies and overall athletic charisma.
It looked right, performed right and was priced below R15 with mostly the same mechanicals. In April 2022, Yamaha updated MT15 with USD front forks, an aluminium swingarm, Bluetooth connectivity and more for a price bump of Rs. 13K. When Yamaha MT-15 Version 2.0 was launched, it garnered a reputation for being pricey. It lacked certain features that owners would expect from a motorcycle priced at a premium. Some of those features are now added by Yamaha for MY2023. Let’s take a look at 5 key takeaways when compared to the outgoing model.
Yamaha MT15 Old Vs New
We have covered MY2023 MT-15 before. Since there is no official information divulged from Yamaha’s end, there are very few things known about this new model. We have compiled 5 key elements where MY2023 Yamaha MT-15 comes off as a better-equipped motorcycle. Hat tip to Burn Piston 2.0 for sharing their video with us.
For starters, Yamaha is now offering dual-channel ABS. This is the most significant addition to MT15. Dual-channel ABS was speculated to make it on MT-15 with Version 2.0, but it wasn’t. The second most significant update to MY2023 MT15 is the addition of a traction control system (TCS). Yamaha has made TCS switchable too, which is handy if the system is ever too intrusive.
Both dual-channel ABS and TCS were on offer in R15 V4 since day one. Now, they are a part of its naked sibling MT15 too. Third addition to the 2023 model is the new OBD II monitoring and diagnostics. According to reports, diagnostics reports can be retrieved from Yamaha’s smartphone app as well. This means RDE compliance, meeting phase II of BS6 norms.
The fourth addition is more of a feel-good addition, instead of a must-have. Weirdly, it is LED turn indicators. We say weirdly because it is a head-scratcher how Yamaha got away with offering halogen bulbs on its flagship products in India. Not just Yamaha, but many other bike makers follow this practice. Price-according features should be a no-brainer, right?
New Colours
This might seem trivial. However, it should have been included in the package since day one. Until now, Yamaha only offered LED turn indicators as a paid accessory. Heck, non-M variants of R15 V4 shockingly still don’t get LED blinkers in MY2023 models as well. Sticking with 2023 MT-15, we now get new colour combinations. A metallic Black shade with Fluorescent Red wheels was never offered before.
There is still no word about turn-by-turn navigation added with MY2023 MT-15 and R15. This was the one feature that people craved since Bluetooth was added. Except for these five changes, Yamaha MT-15 has been kept identical to the outgoing model. This means the same robotic face, handsome design and the 155cc 4V VVA engine with 18.4 PS of power and 14.2 Nm of torque. Launch is on Feb 13th and a price hike will be associated too.
