2017 Yamaha YZF-R15 gets variable valve timing

The Yamaha R15 V2.0 wasn't quite the jump in performance that we were hoping for - a throttle body that opened quicker and a newer, better swingarm that housed a fatter rear tyre were all that were changed on it. What about the rest of us who clamoured for more power, knowing that there wasn't a 250cc option in the Yamaha stable? 

The 2017 R15 addresses that, and handsomely. Power is up 2bhp to a tidy 19bhp but fuel efficiency also has gone up by a claimed 4.7 per cent. All this from a displacement that has increased by only 5cc. A large part of this is due to what Yamaha calls 'variable valve actuation' technology, which is a rudimentary form of variable valve timing. There are different cam profiles for the intake valve at low and high engine speeds. Think original Honda City VTEC, and it might give you an idea of what it should feel like. Also like the Honda, it allows the R15 to have an SOHC head, meaning less complexity and size for the engine head - always a good thing. 

The 2017 YZF-R15 launches in Indonesia this month, and we expect it to launch in India in time for the festive season.