Indian motorcycling enthusiasts have been expectingYamahato launch a few of their global motorcycles in the country. If were being honest, they also wish Yamaha to bring in a host of their big bikes too. Yamaha is taking one step at a time and they have recently launched XSR 155 in the country.

It dwells on the same formula as Yamahas YZF-R15 and MT-15, but is packaged in a lovely neo-retro styling that is currently getting more and more popular. XSR 155 is definitely late to the party and is trying to get on the hype train in DDLJ style. The question is, does Yamaha XSR 155 have enough sauce for Indian motorcycling enthusiasts to pull XSR 155 in the hype train like Raj Malhotra pulled Simran Singh? Lets find that out.

Yamaha XSR155 First Ride Review The Design!

We have to start with the way Yamaha XSR155 looks as that is its biggest strength. We have to say that XSR155 is much better looking than Yamahas half-baked shot at neo-retro genre with FZ-X. In terms of design, Yamaha XSR 155 primarily rivals the likes of TVS Ronin and Royal Enfield Hunter 350 and with KTM 160 Duke where engine displacement and architecture are concerned.

XSR 155 has almost all the ingredients to make a stellar-looking neo-retro motorcycle. Retro elements include circular LED headlights, circular LED tail light, circular instrument cluster, a teardrop shaped fuel tank, simple side body panels, single-piece ribbed seat, simple handlebar and others. Keyhole is on the fuel tank, rather than its handlebar.

Neo elements include elongated LED blinkers, functional ORVMs, an exposed perimeter Deltabox frame, chopped off rear fender, modern digital cluster and others. There are four colours to choose from and Yamaha is even offeringScrambler Kit and Cafe Racer Kitto spruce up the design over the already handsome stock bike.

How does it feel?

The 140-section rear tyre, chunky USD front forks lend it a nice stance. There is an XSR branding inside the LED headlight cluster and on the Black element on fuel tank, which is nicely executed. I wished this Black element on fuel tank was painted with all four colourways, like it is with Vivid Red colourway. Gold USD front forks are only offered with Metallic Blue and Orange painted wheels are only with Greyish Green Metallic.

Switchgear is quite simple with XSR 155. Left side switchgear consists of headlight controls, horn and turn indicators, while on the right side we have an integrated kill switch and engine starter and a hazard light. I wished there was a dedicated headlight pass switch for left index finger, but it is integrated into headlight switch to be operated by left thumb. Horn and turn indicator positions should have been inverted and were a major confusion.

Being a 182 cm tall individual with log legs, Yamaha XSR 155 is not the right motorcycle for me as it is slightly cramped. Shorter individuals should feel right at home. Seeing a neo retro roadster motorcycle, one would expect an upright riding position, but that is not the case. Handlebar commands a lean and footpegs are rear set. Yamaha calls this marriage of ergonomics and design as Retro Sport.

Lightness is King!

Overall ergonomics is comparable to MT-15 than a typical neo retro roadster motorcycle. Due to this position, riders can load the front better and extract good feedback from the communicative Deltabox frame. What helps XSR 155s cause further is its low 137 kg kerb weight. This is thanks to extensive use of non-metallic parts and a rather small 10L fuel tank. This low kerb weight improves the overall experience with this motorcycle.

With lightness comes better performance, better everyday usability, better braking and lively handling. The engine is the same as MT-15 and R15 and this 155cc 4V liquid-cooled unit is known for its refined nature and top-end pokey performance. This engine packs 18.4 horses and 14.2 Nm, mated to a slipper clutch, 6-speed gearbox and VVA. This VVA is what brings the top-end performance at higher revs.

Bottom-end torque is lacking on XSR 155 and I also found that this powertrain does not like the combination of higher gears and lower speeds. You have to be in the right gear at the right time and cant just throttle your way out without stalling. 0-100 km/h sprint can be achieved in around 10 seconds and the speedo indicated top-speed can go a little beyond 120 km/h on a very long stretch of straight road.

If Yamaha had not offered a quickshifter, I would not have wished for one with XSR 155 for its displacement and performance class. But Yamaha does and I do. While the braking hardware is not segment best, the lightness makes the overall braking performance better along with dual-channel ABS and Traction Control System. We wished there was a better bite from the brakes, though.

Handling is an area where R15 and MT-15 had performed excellently and XSR 155 is no different. The combination of lightness, communicative Deltabox frame and stiffly-sprung suspension ensures an explosive ride. Bump absorption is not Yamaha XSR 155s forte and it gets unsettled quite quickly on broken roads.

Features and Equipment

The circular instrument cluster is of reverse LCD type and is quite legible even under direct sunlight, except for some extreme angles. This cluster has two physical buttons on either side with great clickability to cycle through the features and informatics like trip meters, odometer, fuel efficiency stats and more. Fuel efficiency stats are in L/100 km, which takes an extra step on a calculator to decode.

We got a 2.5L / 100 km mileage figure (fuel efficiency) fromXSR 155quite consistently with mixed city and highway rides, which turns out to be 40 km/l. With sensible throttle inputs, one can extract a little higher fuel efficiency figure from this motorcycle too. The cluster supports Bluetooth connectivity just for the sake of advertising Bluetooth connectivity without useful features like turn-by-turn navigation.

The LED headlights could have offered a better throw and illumination. But if your usage is within the city at slower speeds, this headlight might prove to be enough. At Rs 1.5 lakh (Ex-sh), Yamaha XSR 155 is quite a compelling package if you bring aesthetics and performance into the equation. If you always wanted an MT-15 with a timeless design, XSR 155 is that bike.

Yes, it is late to the party and it lacks outright features and wow tech. However, Yamaha XSR 155 is highly fashionable and stirs emotions in motorcycling enthusiasts with its desirability. To answer the question we posed at the start, Yamaha XSR 155 has enough sauce to make heads turn and rev hearts. If youre in the market for a 150cc to 160cc motorcycle, Yamaha XSR 155 definitely deserves to in your shortlist.