2021 Yamaha MT-15: First impression

In the Malaysian automotive landscape, there has been a significant increase in interest for the street naked bikes. To take advantage of that, Hong Leong Yamaha Motor introduced the Yamaha MT-25 back in September. Following that the Japanese bike maker now launched the all-new Yamaha MT-15 sports naked in the country, which promises to be another hot item in the brand’s lineup.

Developed from pure MT DNA, the MT-15 First Edition boasts an edgy and modern look. Yamaha highlights this agile and lightweight model as the start into the world of naked bike motorcycle riding experience. It is also a part of the brand’s ‘Spirit of Darkness’ series that also includes the new Yamaha MT-09 and Yamaha MT-07 recently launched in Europe.

Although the first look of the model was released in September only alongside the MT-25, today the Japanese automaker announced its official pricing and availability details. Here we bring all the official facts and figures of the MT-15 through our first impression. 

2021 Yamaha MT-15 Design

Just like the new MT-25, the MT-15 looks stunning with its clean lines and masculine appearance. The compact mass-forward body design and twined eye position lights give the bike a ready-to-attack look. The LED headlamp unit comes with LED daytime running lights.

With a delta box chassis and an aluminum swingarm, the naked streetfighter features a side-mounted air intake and a narrow tail section with an LED tail light. All these reflect a muscle character of the 155cc hunk. The bike has an upright riding position just like its elder siblings to cater a fun and comfortable ride. It also has a decent ground clearance that measures 155 mm and has a wheelbase of 1335 mm, making it easy to ride through city traffic. 

The bike comes with a 10-liter fuel tank, which is decent for long-riding hauls. And it rolls on 17-inch wheels wrapped in 110/80 tyre at the front and 140/70 tyre at the rear.

Besides this, the new MT-15 comes with a monochrome LCD metre panel that features an easy to read multi-function display with a range of information. 

For the colour choice, the customers have only two options, including Ice fluid and Yamaha Blue.  

2021 Yamaha MT-15 Engine

Powering the new Yamaha MT-15 is the same liquid-cooled 155-cc single-pot SOHC, VVA mill that also powers the R15. Paired with a six-speed gearbox, the engine churns out a maximum power of 19.3 PS at 10,000 rpm and a torque of 14.7 Nm at 8,500 rpm.  The gearbox features an assist and slipper clutch as standard, which reduces the weight of the clutch pull in and allows smoother low-stress downshifts. It enables smoother and lighter gear shifts and also aids the bike in quick acceleration.

2021 Yamaha MT-15 Suspension & Braking

As for suspension, the all-new MT-15 comes with upside-down front forks with gold anodized fork legs and a preload-adjustable mono-shock at the back. Speaking about the braking system, it gets a large 282 mm front disc paired with a 2 pot calliper that gives strong braking power while at the rear, there is a 220 mm disc with a single-pot calliper. Unlike the MT-25, the anti-lock braking system is missing on the MT-15 specs sheet. 

2021 Yamaha MT-15 Price in Malaysia

The new Yamaha MT-15 is priced at RM 11,988 (excluding registration fee, road tax, and insurance). On purchase, the buyers will also get a two-year or 20,000 km warranty, an exclusive first edition MT-15 keychain, and a safety disc lock worth RM 100.

Also read: 2021 Yamaha Aerox/NVX 155 VVA Connected revealed in Indonesia