At long last, Yamaha India has finally launched the XSR155 in our market and after having ridden it we can confirm that it really does ride as good as it looks – for the most part, at least. Here are the top 3 reasons why it needs to be on your radar and two that will make you look elsewhere
Reasons to buy the Yamaha XSR155
1. Handsome style
One of the biggest reasons to pick the XSR155 over its rivals – or even its sporty-looking siblings for that matter – is its great design. Simple, clean lines that scream textbook retro mean the XSR cuts a handsome silhouette. Quality and fit/finish all over is also very nice with one exception, which we’ll address later.
2. Strong performance, great efficiency
The 155cc Yamahas have had a great reputation for being engaging to ride without sacrificing fuel economy – a synergy very few machines in India have been able to achieve. These attributes carry over to the XSR too and it gave us both very respectable fuel economy and great performance when we subjected it to our instrumented tests.
3. Spacious riding position
Small bikes usually have riding positions that can cause larger riders to feel cramped and uncomfortable – this is true of the XSR’s siblings. However, the neo-retro 155cc Yamaha has a roomy riding position which means bigger riders won’t have to contort themselves in an unnatural position to sit on the bike.
Reasons not to buy the Yamaha XSR155
1. Suspension comfort on bad roads
Since the XSR155 is based on the same R15/MT-15 platform with the chassis remaining largely the same. That means that the sporty and stiff suspension setup of its siblings also carries forward here and over repeated bumps or long stretches of bad road, the XSR will transfer a lot of the impact to your back.
2. Switchgear can improve
While quality and fit/finish is generally good all across on the XSR, one area that can stand to improve is the switchgear. It not only looks quite budget, but it also has an unergonomic rocker style button for the high beam flash switch. The horn and indicator button placements have also been interchanged like on some Honda bikes, which is also very unintuitive.