Both the R15 and CBR150R are extremely revv happy machines, ready to attack corners.
Entry-level performance motorcycles are gaining popularity in India. When Yamaha launched the R15 way back in 2008, it created a revolution of sorts. Three years later, the upgraded Version 2.0 of the Yamaha R15 was launched and Honda took notice. The Japanese automaker surprised everyone at the 2012 Auto Expo by unveiling the new Honda CBR150R. Both these machines are very similar yet different. While the Yamaha R15 is priced at Rs. 1.35 lakhs, the Honda CBR150R is priced at Rs. 1.55 lakhs (all prices on-road, Mumbai). Yet it’s difficult to choose either one of them.
Styling - The new Yamaha YZF-R15 V2.0 is an absolute cracker when it comes to design, with the R6 inspired tail section and the new ‘shelves’ in the front fairing, making it look fresh and energetic. While the Honda CBR150R looks conservative and the design is inspired by its elder sibling of the family. Every part is smaller than that of its elder sibling. The headlight, stubby exhaust, the smaller tail light and tyres makes it definitely look like a smaller CBR, which makes the bike a head turner too. With its distinct graphics and colors options, it stands out in the crowd. But the beauty pageant award goes to the Yamaha R15.
Instrument Cluster and Switch Gear - Both bikes have an analog tachometer and a digital speedometer but here again the R15 scores with its high quality switch gear and host of features it has to display on its instrument cluster. The switch gear in the CBR150R is massive disappointment because it’s a straight lift from small capacity bikes of the Honda stable and lacks the engine kill switch. The pass light switch looks decades old too. The Honda CBR150R makes do with a temperature gauge and digital clock to display apart from the regular trip-meter and fuel meter. But the CBR150R’s digital console shines with an all around piano black finish and in the night the RPM needle glows very brightly. This grabs the attention of the commuters around you.
Performance - Both the CBR150R and R15, come with the 150cc, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, 4-valve engines and this is where the similarities end. While the R15 comes with an SOHC engine, the CBR150R comes with a DOHC unit. This is the sole reason which makes these bikes poles apart. The R15 produces 17 PS of power at 8000 RPM and 15 Nm Of torque at 7500 RPM which you might think is pretty high in the revv range. The CBR150R produces a power of 18 PS at a whooping 10,500 RPM and a low 12.66 Nm of torque at 8500 RPM, which on paper makes the CBR150R slower than the R15 because they weigh almost the same and power comes at very high RPM.
But as soon as these bikes get on the road, things change. Once the Honda CBR150R crosses 7000 RPM, it makes all its power and below 6000 RPM it’s as good as dead and the engine is tuned for drive-ability rather than performance in city. But no matter what, the RPM stays around 4000-5000, so you can easily make progress by shifting at around 7000-8000 RPM in city. Tall gearing of the CBR150R makes the engine easily rev to a stratospheric 11,700 RPM redline where it makes all its power and is faster than the R15 to 0-100 km/hr by 1 second, but slower than the R15 when it comes to 0-60 km/hr. The CBR150R reminds one of the VTEC, the technology found in Honda’s cars which no doubt makes it a pick for those fun track days or cornering hard on a winding twisty roads.
The Yamaha R15 is more practical bike to live with, when it comes to drive-ability in city. It has superior low end torque when compared to the Honda CBR150R. The screaming SOHC engine is also a hoot to ride and loves to redline. But it lacks the fun quotient which the CBR150R gives while riding hard. The new V2.0 is tuned to be a much friendly street bike than the older one which was specifically made with track performance in mind. The R15 and CBR150R even have the same top speed but it is the baby CBR which will put a wide grin on your face when you’re riding hard.
Riding Dynamics - Let’s come to brakes first, both have front and rear disc brake setup and both have superb brakes, offering great feedback enabling them to come to a halt exactly where you want them to. It’s because the dimensions, weight and the disc diameter are identical. Ride quality on both motorcycles is good, both bikes dismiss small bumps very easily, but it’s the bigger bumps which make the rider uncomfortable because of the dedicated riding position offered by both these bikes. The riding position on the CBR150R is spot on. It is comfortable for those long trips once you get used to the bike and gives good feedback to the rider too.
But it’s the Yamaha R15 with its aggressive riding position which gives massive feedback to the rider and makes the rider push harder and harder into corners every single time. The V2.0 has had lot of changes when it comes to dynamics. The weight distribution has been changed with more weight on the front, extra long wheelbase thanks to the aluminum swing arm and the fatter front and the rear tyre. All this has made the bike more stable around the corners than before but it takes a bit more effort than before to turn because of the 55 mm increase in wheelbase. It’s no slouch but it doesn’t feel agile in changing directions like the previous version.
The Honda CBR150R though has 1305 mm wheelbase and with a fairly dedicated position and twin tube diamond frame chassis handles beautifully, front suspension has a bit more travel then we expected. However, it’s still fun to chuck into corners and is easy when coming out of the corner at high speeds because of the top end power it generates with utmost ease, a true CBR characteristic. But it’s the tyres which are a complete let down, switching to soft compound tyres of the same dimensions will generate more confidence in the rider. Both bikes should check the rear suspension as the factory settings come on extremely softer side.
Verdict - If you enjoy riding, want the practical pillion seat and if budget permits, then go for the Honda CBR150R. But, if you would be riding solo most of the time and you have a tight budget and still want a stylish motorcycle with high quality levels and low end torque for your daily commute, then go for the Yamaha R15. After all, these bikes are very similar when it comes to measuring performance and dynamics but what you need to choose is which of these bikes characteristic suit your needs.
If you are looking for a high revving motorcycle with sharp handling and surefooted brakes, both the Yamaha R15 and Honda CBR150R will please you to a great extent.
Further Reading -
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imtiyaz bloody November 19, 2012 at 1:45 am
no bikes can beat r15 which is in 150cc… honda hv to accept its lose…
Grahamphone November 19, 2012 at 9:53 am
true…cbr is a flop from honda and is unable to create those what a R15 does. R15 is a very stylish…looks like mini superbike and fun riding machine. worst part of cbr is its styling …
crazywheels December 5, 2012 at 7:59 pm
cant say CBR is a flop. The elder brother CBR 250 R already eaten a lot of Kawa. Ninja’s sales in the world market.Also R15′s sales declined a lot due to the competition from CBR and Duke.
Duke is simply a great one that fits into the pocket. But the problem is Duke and R15 offers a stiffer suspension system that gives the rider backpain after driving a little while. R15 is better than Duke in all terms.
Rakshith November 19, 2012 at 2:28 pm
Cbr 150r best than r15 r15 sucks
crazywheels December 5, 2012 at 7:49 pm
Thats true . The suspension of R15 is stiffer and the riding position is not suitable for long distance journey. Whereas CBR ‘s suspension works well in potholes and it is a kind of tourer segment bike which gave me pleasure on Long journey.
R 15 rocks in style, But CBR is ahead of it in technology basis.
Ben November 20, 2012 at 10:12 am
Even though cbr wins in 0-100 sprint, it will be only for a short period of time. The rpm consuming engine needs extensive cooling system inorder to maintain balance. Any small defeat will decrease the performance to a great level. R15 outperforms cbr in almost all aspects except straightline acceleration that too only because of the dohc unit in cbr. So except for this cause it is a waste to invest another 20k in cbr. Everyone here knows about the service offered to its 250cc variant by honda. Then think how will they handle this dohc unit which requires extensive service.
Agnal November 23, 2012 at 11:02 pm
I have rode both r15 v2 and cbr150 both in highways and city.i have to say that r15 sucks wen its loaded up with a pillion rider.in case of cbr gear had to changed frequently but had less strain.and i loved rideability and refinity of honda.i cant say its a flop in city.
In highway long runs r15 is fun when the road is empty.cbr gives more easiness than r15 in corners.but the primitive switch clusters are the most worst part of it.fuel efficiency was almost equal for both wen ridden under 60 kmph.one thing u all missed to notice is the strength of shield.its hard in cbr than r15.and i loved driving on cbr than r15.
yuvanathan November 24, 2012 at 6:44 pm
honda rocking but price is high.soooo….. yamaha rockzzzzzzzz
vamsi kattula December 4, 2012 at 9:19 am
if u we are comparing the CBR 150R performance…my vote is for…….. YAMAHA R15 is the best…
YAMAHA the BEST & BEST BRAND IN THE WORLD…
Ashwin December 4, 2012 at 11:43 pm
Prics given are wrong
Cbr-1.35 on road
R15-1.22 on road
Faisal Khan December 5, 2012 at 12:48 am
Ashwin, prices are right. There have been quite a few price hikes since launch and we are quoting on-road Mumbai figures here.
Arjun December 18, 2012 at 1:01 am
The stiffer suspension in the r15 increases road grip as the tyre hugs d road while cornering at high speeds…but both are brilliant machines
ATUL December 24, 2012 at 4:26 pm
WHO SAYS THAT R15 CAN OVERTAKE CBR NOT NOW AND WILL NEVER!!!!
BCOZ… CBR150 IS THE SIBLING OF ITS ELDER ONE CBR 250 WHICH IS A SUPERBIKE
AND IT LOOKS MUCH WAY BETTER THAN THE R15 AND PERFORMANCE IS ALSO AWSOME
THE BLACK COLOURED IS JUST A KILLER IN LOOKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*****CBR IS THE BEST******
jeet March 3, 2013 at 6:28 pm
R15 CAN OVERTAKE CBR 150 AT ANY TIME AT ANY SPEED CBR 150 SUCKS ….
AND U SAID CBR150 IS THE SIBLING OF ITS ELDER ONE CBR 250 WHICH IS A SUPERBIKE……
BUT R15 IS ALSO IS THE SIBLING OF ITS ELDER ONE R6 THAT IS WAY OUT OF REACH U ASSHOLE
Raj May 16, 2013 at 5:17 pm
Ha ha..check the specs and drag runs dude, CBR 150 has disappointing acceleration till 100kmph and the Yammie Beast has mad acceleration. In the BSMOTORING Shootout Honda does 85 kmph when the R15 was doing 104 kmph.
golu December 24, 2012 at 6:37 pm
Both are Nice . . . .
Little price difference is not a big deal.
Anyway cbr could be cheaper than R15.
golu December 24, 2012 at 6:44 pm
ONE MORE THING. . . . . NOTHING IS THE BEST AND PERFECT :D
If you like something, its OK. But that doesn’t mean that you humiliate others…..
VIVEK SINGH December 31, 2012 at 11:51 am
Planned to buy R15 V2 next month. Is it a rights choice..? vying for more power (Like CBR 250 or Duke 200) and confused if this is right choice for drive mostly in city conditions (Mumbai)… pl suggest. Feedback from bike owners would be more appreciated…
Thanks in anticipation!
Aniket January 9, 2013 at 12:13 pm
Which bike is best of the three?
Honda cbr 150r
Ktm Duke 200
Yamaha r15 version 2
Guys plzz help me
Faisal Khan January 9, 2013 at 1:10 pm
Aniket, KTM Duke 200.
GIMSON March 29, 2013 at 8:22 am
CBR 150 R
Aniket January 11, 2013 at 11:16 am
Thanks fas 4 helping me.
Madhusudan January 14, 2013 at 10:53 pm
which bike is bettr wen it comes to mileage n performace on daily basis in a city…?
cbr 150r or d r15 v2 ….
plz reply asap… ty
Rohit January 15, 2013 at 11:27 am
☆ R15 ☆ AS BEST OPTION..
BOTH OF THE BIKES HAVE THEIR ORIGIN FROM THEIR HIGHER VERGSIONS, R15 FROM R1 AND CBR 150 FROM CBR 1000. BUT AS ITS TRUE THAT R1 CAN EASILY BEAT CBR 100O ITS ALSO EASY FOR R15 TO BEAT CBR 150.
☆☆☆ R15 THE BEST ☆☆☆
sunjoy January 17, 2013 at 12:13 am
plz suggest me which bike from honda cbr 150r and yamaha r15 is better to buy for family?
Prateek January 25, 2013 at 10:11 pm
CBR 150 IS BEAT BIKE FROM YAMAHA BIKE
YAHAMA FLOP FROM HONDA BIKE…
I KNOW. BCOZ. I HAVE CBR 150…
AND I M SO HAPPY…
HANDA BEST IN THE WORLD
HANDA ROCKING…
srinath January 31, 2013 at 10:46 pm
Cbr’s sheild is stronger than r15…. And I have seen my frnd’s r15 which shattered into pieces when he had an accident head to head with my frnd’s cbr 150r..!!!! r15′s doom was tottaly crushed…!!! But cbr 150′s body and doom was having just a minor scratchs and minute cracks than my frnd’s r15 v2…. But the headlights of both the bikes were broken… But cbr 150r had very less damage than r15…..!!!!!! FOR SAFETY, IT’S ABSOLUTELY CBR 150R….
jeet March 3, 2013 at 6:32 pm
U ARE SUCH AN ASSHOLE WHO WANT TO HAVE AN ACCIDEN HEAD TO HEAD JST TO PROVE WHICH IS STRONGER U PEICE OF SHIT\
sudharsan January 31, 2013 at 11:00 pm
Yeah u r true..cbr is far more better than r15 in terms of excitement in riding and suspension and quality of the doom, body and its reliability in long rides… I assure every one that cbr 150r’s body is STRONGER THAN r15′s body…
cbr 150r is WORTHY..!!!
Akshay February 2, 2013 at 5:40 pm
I think that yamaha r15 V2.0 is best of all and honda cbr 150 is boring bike i had ever seen..
$YAMAHA R15 THE GREAT$
madhav February 3, 2013 at 4:12 pm
i wont 2 buy a bike nearly in 2 months got confused between cbr 150, R15 v2 , fzs and pulsar ns200 as my height is 5.8 and i m not healty at all need 2 know which bike will suit me… ?
prasanth February 20, 2013 at 3:34 pm
if u have deep pockets go 4 cbr 250r otherwise stick with r15
Balpreet February 7, 2013 at 9:17 pm
Cbr 150r and r15 v2 which gives good milege performence and handling plz help
Akash February 7, 2013 at 9:40 pm
Go for splendor pro with self start . . . . . He he he he
Surya February 9, 2013 at 8:37 am
Both bikes cannot beat my legendary karizma zmr. Hero no.1 bike company is the best.
ance February 9, 2013 at 3:12 pm
Can … any one help me……plz
Am very confused now…
now am aim to buy a bike ….
there is 2 choice for me :r15 and cbr 150rr
Which one is god
i want to look after milage and speed
also i want the bike use for 3 yrs,,, cntsly
which one i can grab
or do i want to wait some more for future models….????????????
Ganesh February 18, 2013 at 5:17 pm
Guys am planning to buy new bike in 2 months my height is 6 feet
1 CBR 250
2 CBR 150
3 R15 v 2.0
Plz help guys
Vishnu bhakt February 18, 2013 at 5:47 pm
Hi Ganesh,
Looking at your height,I think CBR 250 will be the best option.Also remember,there is no replacement for displacement :-)
Nikhil February 24, 2013 at 12:03 am
Hi Guys,
Its been an year long research for owning a darling. However, I am confused between,
(i) Honda CBR 150R
(ii) Yamaha R15 V2.0
(iii) Bajaj P200 NS.
I have taken test ride of all the bikes and amazed by all three. However, since I’m 5`3“ i cant get hold of 200 NS and it is also a bulky. I am more confused between the first two. Yamaha no cons yet (only that it is common now), however in honda – no engine kill, no pass switch and cheaper footpegs (wat a shit they have provided) a complete let down to me. Also wrong approach by honda guys @ahmedabad, they told me 250 cc variant is 1,86,000 on road. However on inquiring the same they told me its 1,70,000. How can I bank upon them for service as well. I loved the revving however. I will be doing commuting of around 12 km per day and occassional highway bursts.
Is there any other new bikes coming from these manufacturers in one month or so. Please help me out. Also tell me how to choose helmet and racing gears and kits.
Faisal Khan February 24, 2013 at 2:34 am
Nikhil, get the CBR250R if your budget permits.
febin February 24, 2013 at 8:35 am
I’am planning to buy a bike
heard a news that yamaha is going to launch r125 in india is it correct????
Faisal Khan February 24, 2013 at 2:52 pm
Febin, no Yamaha is not launching R125 in India.
Baljinder Singh February 24, 2013 at 2:20 pm
yamaha still not decided to launch r125 India…….
gunjan February 28, 2013 at 1:49 am
pls..suggest me which bike cbr or r15 is better in look.??!!!
Anthony nirmal February 28, 2013 at 12:01 pm
Both are Superbly Designed But r15 suits only for Solo riderz coz pillion cant manage sittting for a long ride…
Cbr is good even for pillion and a family bike 2…… it depends on persons…. But Both are good…
Amjath rahman March 1, 2013 at 12:56 pm
I wanted 2 buy CBR250R so badly..but my parents say they really cant afford 2 buy a bike at that price.. So changed my decision 2 Yamaha R15. But now it seems(i don kno d truth) ,even though there are bikes in the showrooms.. the problem is that it is not allowed 2 b registered here in kerala.. So is the CBR150R a good option.?
Faisal Khan March 2, 2013 at 1:54 am
Amjath, yes CBR150R a good option but why is there registration issues in Kerala?
Amjath Rahman March 2, 2013 at 9:11 am
I don kno that clearly actualy. Wnt 2 showroom nearby..the people there told abt the registration issues.. The police people doesnt allow R15 as a 2-seater and says that the bike doesnt suit the kerala roads. :-/ . They say that the height of the pillion seat is too high..and also there hav b3n instances where the rear part of the bike hav broken off .
Faisal Khan March 2, 2013 at 3:54 pm
Amjath and what are Yamaha dealers in Kerala saying?
Amjath Rahman March 2, 2013 at 10:55 pm
Yeah..there are bikes 4 sale..but even if we can buy the bikes ,they are not b3n registered! :-/
Faisal Khan March 3, 2013 at 11:42 pm
Amjath, can you register it else where?
Amjath March 4, 2013 at 12:51 am
Hav 2 check on that.!
Amjath Rahman March 2, 2013 at 10:27 am
And also does the CBR250R pillion good 4 a woman(takin d cse f ma mom nd ma sis)?
Faisal Khan March 2, 2013 at 3:55 pm
Yes Amjath, CBR250R is a good bike for pillion.
dpk saini 1111 March 4, 2013 at 9:47 pm
i got cbr 150 r new in green colour beleive me
it looks much greater to kwasaki ninja in green
i love my bike bcs it looks way much ahead then ninja
quality of honda is superb
for years u can drive it with love
supa hot bike cbr 150 only green n black colour
check out in show room
rocking looks
Faisal Khan March 5, 2013 at 12:19 am
DPK, what mileage are you extracting?
Arnold March 7, 2013 at 12:40 am
I’m very confused between Karizma ZMR , R15 , CBR 150r
which bike should good for city
nd can u give me d info abt d milage of these bikes..?
Faisal Khan March 11, 2013 at 12:50 am
Arnold, get the R15. Mileage is giving in respective reviews, search in top right for the same.
Divaakar March 8, 2013 at 11:23 pm
Man,zmr **cks
Ashwin March 10, 2013 at 12:04 am
My baby ceeber’s engine got shut off mysteriously at 105 kmph and the CBR specialist at the Honda service centre couldnt explain to me why. Anyone knows any reasons that why a PGMFI engine should experience this?
Faisal Khan March 11, 2013 at 1:11 am
Ashwin, no idea, probably error with the ECU.
Amjath Rahman March 11, 2013 at 1:19 pm
Helo Faisal bhai..itz me again.. Checked with the main yamaha dealer in kochi.. And thankfully it is being registered as a 1-seater.! And thats fine with me.! Going to book my first bike this weekend! :D so happy.!
The yamaha R15 is better right when compared with the CBR150R.?
Faisal Khan March 12, 2013 at 12:54 am
Amjath, yes the R15 is a good choice.
Amjath Rahman March 12, 2013 at 6:11 pm
Is Yamaha launching any 200cc bike this april.??
Dwarak May 16, 2013 at 5:38 pm
Yamaha R4 or Yamah YZF-R250 not sure, is prone to be launched in the first part of 2014. Yamaha Indonesia has confirmed the Bike is 90% completed and has better looks and performance than NINJA 300 and CBR250.
Bal March 30, 2013 at 1:14 pm
can u tell me about accelration about R15 v2 0-60 and 0-100
reena April 25, 2013 at 12:29 pm
fuck u
Sandeep May 10, 2013 at 11:42 pm
Dekho bhai jiskai paas CBR 150 hai usko CBR badia lagti hai or jiskai paas R15 hai usko R15 pasand hai dikhnay mai R15 badia hai or perfirmance mai mughe pata nhi kyuki mere paas R15 v2 limited eddition hai or bhai mughe to apni r15 pasand hai CBR bhi badia hai pur itni khaas nhi hai so its means (R15) ROKSSSSSSSSSS
pavan kaluve May 14, 2013 at 10:28 am
cbr 150R worst bike to ride when compared to r15
Faisal Khan May 14, 2013 at 11:52 pm
Pavan, why you say so?
Raj May 16, 2013 at 7:20 am
hey.. guyz plz help me out.. m vry confused.. wid the R15 nd CBR 150R.. plz plz guyz help me out.. sme of my frnd say tht “u buy CBR coz it has long life engine” nd other says “dont buy R15 coz the frst time it will accident or if u continously ride thn it will effect on engine nd in 1 year the bike will look bad”.. plz plz guyz gve me suggestn.. !!
Jason May 16, 2013 at 5:32 pm
India Yamaha Motor and HMSI are both Japanese Subsidiaries of Yamaha Motor Japan & Honda Motor Japan. They both are built to perfect for long time use. Honda has Better Usability for its comfortable riding position and pillion seat setup where the Yamaha sports an aggressive seating setup(Maximum Load Transfer to the Front). Regarding performance , the Top end Performance is almost equal in both the bikes but bottom end or 0-80kmph performance is not Good in Honda CBR 150R. So the Yamaha has Best performance comparing both bikes. Coming to Built in Quality Honda again loses to Yamaha for borrowing switch sets from Honda Stunner and absence of Engine kill switch. The Yamaha’s Sticky compund offers better Grip Than Honda. ok now for God Sake why is the Honda 9k costlier?? not good on Honda’s side with competitions from KTM and the Upcoming Suzuki.