2019 Yamaha MT-15 review, road test

Yamaha’s new streetfighter is more than just a naked R15.

Published on Oct 04, 2019 08:00:00 AM

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Negative LCD is difficult to read when the sun is directly above.

Non-intuitively placed horn switch leaves you hunting in an emergency.

The MT-15 was conceived as a proper streetfighter, built to take on crowded, traffic-infested city streets, or weave through narrow bylanes to beat said traffic. This meant that the size of its bodywork had to be compact and its weight had to be as low as possible to make it easy to manoeuvre past traffic.

The MT-15’s slender shape looks better than what pictures suggest and the design element that instantly grabs your attention is the headlamp cluster. Split into two sections, the twin-LED position lamps form the upper half while the projector sits below, forming a face that resembles
a character from the Transformers movies! I’ll leave it up to your imagination to decide which one.

LED projector has decent spread, but could do with a longer throw.

The body work is trimmed down to the essentials, but there are also a few unnecessary elements. For example, the tiny 10-litre fuel tank goes with the theme, but why the fake air scoops? Although, the radiator shroud is neatly integrated underneath the scoops.

The tail, too, is sleek and as stubby as it could be, stretching only as far back as the centre of the rear wheel. The unique design does manage to attract stares, as does the matte-blue shade with its fluorescent yellow wheel-stripes, which we particularly like.

To me, the MT-15 looks raw and purposeful – ready for the battle with pesky rickshaws and other annoying road users who are hell-bent on making your commute a game of dodge ball – and it feels that way too.