A 1000 Km Ride on Yamaha XSR 155 – Bengaluru to Coastal Karnataka ( Udupi, Mangalore, Karkala) and Back!
We are back with yet another motorcycle review. You read it right, it is the all new XSR 155 – Yamaha fans’ most anticipated motorcycle has finally made it to Indian market and we cannot wait to share our experience riding this beautiful machine which is powered by the most loved Yamaha R15 engine. At the outset, we are totally delighted to have ridden this motorcycle across various terrains, ghat sections, traffic filled chaotic urban roads to smooth curvy Shiradi Ghat section… Riding the bike under scorching sun and also riding it under cracking clouds with heavy rains & storm, the only thing which remained constant is that peacefully roaring engine – asking for more chaos and challenges! One important take away from riding this Yamaha XSR 155 is its stubbornness to constantly perform with same consistency and rhythm. As a rider of this motorcycle on a long trip like this, It never felt tired and it only delivered the best on every throttle release, on every brake / clutch operation. What follows below is the detailed review of all new Yamaha XSR 155 motorcycle.
Intro – Yamaha XSR 155 – The beginning of XSR series in India.
Yamaha surprised the Indian market by announcing not 1, but 4 great products (XSR 155, FZ Rave, EC-06 and Aerox Electric) on 11th November last year. The main hero of this launch is the very new XSR 155 motorcycle – Indian motorcyclists well deserved this new product with a brand new XSR series. While the 155cc liquid cooled engine (VVA) is same as the one present in Yamaha R15 and MT15, it feels very new and perfectly adaptive to the nature of all new Yamaha XSR 155.
Design, Looks and Ergonomics – Retro yet so much fresh and young
Design wise, from the front – it looks like a retro styled motorcycle. The round headlight features LEDs and it lits up very well with good light spread. The bike features LED Indicators and brake-lights. The XSR 155’s digital Speedometer is well-visible even under sun – the round dial, the graphics on circular interface is very well done, easily understandable for the rider.. The placement of tachometer bars, gear indicator, fuel gauge, trip meters are perfect and the rider can observe everything at a single glance.
Looks wise, it is nice, the one which we tested here is Metallic Blue. There are totally 5 colors which is on offer – the all black color is recently added. This particular unit which we are testing gets a golden USD forks – it enhances the overall road presence of XSR 155. Unlike Yamaha FZ Rave, the fuel tank lid gets a hinge, however the fuel tank capacity of new XSR155 is only 10 litre. You can see stylishly written XSR 155 branding across the motorcycle – especially near the tank pad… The motorcycle gets a single seat option ( but slightly shorter than any commuter bike ). For the rider, it offers good ergonomics and offers a very up-straight and a relaxed position – so this helps in longer comfortable rides. For the riders wearing heavy backpacks, the backseat itself offers a good amount of support, transferring the load from the rider’s arm. There is a strap present on pillion seat which is a replacement for grab rails – that helps the pillion rider to hold on. We prefer grab rails over strap.
The overall paint job on XSR 155 is brilliantly done, it is the Yamaha standard. The XSR 155 didnt offer any type of USB charging port by default – If it was added, it could have been perfect for charging your phone on-the-go on those long rides. The XSR offers Bluetooth connectivity where you can sync your smartphone alerts on the motorcycle dash – however it misses on turn-by-turn navigation. If Yamaha does bring in these features in future releases that would be great.
Dimensions
Lets start with the weight of this motorcycle – XSR 155 is very very light – it weighs just 137 kg ( Kerb weight with Full tank fuel and Oil). Since it is light, it is very agile – you could bend it as you want, manoeuvre through any conditions without any hassle – the body is well-built, In our 1000 kms of “stress” test on different conditions, the bike always felt like one single sturdy piece – no dangling things to worry about, no unnecessary sounds, the cables and wires running through the motorcycles were nicely tied, tucked and packed .
With a seat height of 810mm, it is very much accessible even if you are a short rider. When it comes to the length, it is actually a very short motorcycle by length -measuring only 2005mm. XSR 155’s seat length cannot compete against other 150cc premium commuter bikes like Unicorn — However, the motorcycle gets a single piece long seat that can easily host a pillion without much of a hassle. In fact, we did a “Triple Riding” during the recreational ride across the “Kodi Bengre” beach to spot the very famous Delta point ( where all branches of river meets. the sea) Map Link.
Kodi Beach Ride – Helmet recommended
Triple Riding on Yamaha XSR 155, ( For recreation purpose only, Helmet recommended)
The motorcycle’s Wheelbase of 1355mm, is good enough to enjoy every corner in the ghat section. Our favourite was descending through the Shiradi Ghat post Sakleshpura (towards Dharmastala). The motorcycle sound is a music to your ears, the cherry on top are those hill bends!
The Yamaha XSR 155 offers a very short Fuel tank – only a 10 litre tank. Since the fuel economy of XSR 155 ranges between 45 kmpl to 50 kmpl, the tank capacity really does not matter here. With a full fuel tank filled to its brim, you could easily cover 450 kms at one go!
Engine, tech specs, power output details
Lets talk a little about the specs of XSR 155 – The heart of the bike, which is engine – has a displacement of 155 cc. It is a liquid-cooled type engine – with 4-stroke, 4-valves. The engine is E-20 fuel compatible and uses the fuel injection system. This Yamaha engine is one of the best thing you could find in the current market – It brings back the memories of Yamaha RX 100 and the likes…
When it comes to power figures – Yamaha XSR 155 churns out a peak power output of 18.4 PS and delivers a maximum torque of 14.2 Nm. The XSR 155 runs the most advanced VVA and traction control system which keeps your ride alive and kicking. More performance and riding details below.
Performance in city, highways and country roads
We decided to split our performance report into multiple sections as we got to test more kilometres than usual review.
The City – Home to Office to Home regular runs + City traffic
In the first few days of our testing, the XSR 155 did a fine job in commuting to office and home without any hassle. The Bengaluru city traffic is intense as always, the bike did a good job here, thanks to assist-and-slipper-clutch tech present in the bike, it really helps in smoother operation of clutch/gears and prevents hand fatigue during heavy traffic in cities. The engine is the star here, it copes up well with any higher gear, especially while down-shifting – you can do lower speeds even being on higher gear. Navigating through stop-and-go traffic is quite easy with this, thanks to its lighter weight (137 kgs). The motorcycle is also perfect for female riders, as it is light and also the seat height is reasonably low.
The Highway – Udupi -Mangalore stretch, Bangalore-Kunigal-Hassan- Sakleshpura road
Talking about the rides on long stretches, it more depends on rider’s intent than the motorcycle. XSR 155 eases rider’s job in 2-ways – Firstly it promises a confidence derived from the highly refined liquid-cooled engine, it is dependable and well tested among R15 and MT15 riders. Secondly, it is totally fuel efficient, one of the most crucial factor for Indian motorcyclists – shields you well from raising petrol cost. Riding a distance of 1000 kms is never straightforward, you need to plan the route well, and you need that workhorse which doesnt break that plan. XSR 155 was a great for long commutes like this – Bangalore-Udupi-Mangalore-Karkala-Bangalore. The liquid cooled engine’s consistent performance throughout the ride is the key here. We maintained a speed of about 100 Kmph on straight roads, there were no vibrations felt at all. In fact, the motorcycle enters a very different avatar at higher speeds- thanks to Yamaha’s VVA technology which comes along with this bike.
The Country roads – Forest Kola Roads + Rain + Bright Headlights
When we enter different territory, for example, the roads which passes through rural and less travelled semi-rural places, the motorcycle behaves well here too. You would be constantly shifting gears in such conditions, the suspension setup and braking becomes key here. XSR155 with its USD fork suspension system in the front and also great suspension at the back, makes your ride less tiring as it absorbs lot of those stress created from patchy roads. The motorcycle is very agile, listens to you on every curve or unexpected speed breaker giving you the full control on your ride.
In one such strange experience where we had to pass through a deep forest in Karkala, the motorcycle’s bright headlight was a lifeline and saviour of that particular night – the light throw and spread was perfect thanks to LED headlamps.
Ghat Sections – Shiradi Ghat
This is the best encounter in our entire 1000 kms stretch, thanks to the magnificent curvy roads between Sakleshpura and Dharmastala – The Shiradi Ghat does deserve a great mention. While people particularly mention this stretch as dangerous and difficult to drive or ride — NO, it is not, especially with this XSR 155 ( ofcourse,, because of newly developed renovated road), The most notable memories surpassing Shiradi Ghat stretch, Down shifting, upshifting, the sound of engine, safely overtaking the trucks, giving way for the speeding cars, the wind, the ride stability, the mind authoritativeness achieved while dominating the roads ,, its an experience for life.. Cornering the every corner and also quickly braking at speed-breakers, the motorcycle excelled here offering a great braking performance. The assurance of ABS safety feature further adds-up to rider’s confidence. We recommend XSR155 to take it over a long ride like this.
Yamaha XSR 155 Parked in one of the Shiradi Ghat Curves
Ride Control – Brakes & Suspension
Suspension on XSR 155 was just perfect – It features a Telescopic upside down Front Fork and a swingarm type link suspension at the rear. We noticed how amazing the suspension system gets into work when the rider encounters long concreted rumble strips – It takes on every hump so beautifully, guarding. your back and keeps you in a very comfort space..
The front tyre features a larger Disc ( 282 mm) and at the rear is equipped with 220mm disc brakes. The braking feedback is excellent in this motorcycle, it all synchronises so well – the brakes applied triggers very intuitively, it feels just right. Additional thanks to traction control system, the presence of dual-channel ABS…. You will have that riding confidence and safety assured because of the high quality equipments which Yamaha has used in this.
Available color options and price details
The all new Yamaha XSR 155 is available in 5 color options ( One was recently introduced):
- Metallic Black (Newly added)
- Metallic Blue
- Metallic Grey
- Vivid Red
- Greyish Green Metallic
What about the price – The ex-showroom price of all new Yamaha XSR 155 starts at Rs 1.50 lakhs.
Verdict – What do we think of all new Yamaha XSR 155
What’s our take on all new Yamaha XSR 155? We would say it is “Money well spent“. The XSR 155, firstly offers its potential buyer a distinction that it is the first one from the XSR stable to be on Indian roads. It is a great upgrade for any existing motorcyclists who is still pushing miles on their old carbureted engines. The liquid cooled engine (from R15), upside-down forks, dual-channel ABS, retro looks, and multiple accessory options to customize the looks ( Check Official website where you can customize windshields, front fairing, stickering and many other things), plus you can choose between 5 amazing color options. For long rides, it is a fail-proof machine. For city rides, it is agile and quick. At a price point of less than Rs 2 lakhs (on-road), this is any-day recommended over fuel-hungry 350cc bikes. While it doesn’t roar like a 350cc bike, it does its job wonderfully well, its efficient and does what is it build for.
We could be happy enough to answer all your questions over email. Email your queries or questions to [email protected] . Special thanks to Yamaha team and Perfect Riders, Bangalore for making this ride happen.
Check out the all new Yamaha XSR 155 motorcycle photo gallery below:
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