After a long wait, Yamaha finally brought their naked entry level sports bike MT-15 to India. Now the sales figures for the naked version of R15 are in and they reveal that the naked streetfighter from the Japanese maker has started outselling its closest Austrian rival – KTM Duke 125. The Duke 125 was launched in India at the end of last year and made quite a splash in the market as it went on to become the highest selling model of the brand in a very short time. Talking numbers, the Japanese bike sold 3,823 units last month and the Austrian bike KTM Duke 125 could only manage 2,199 units. This number is a testament of the fame of the bike because the Yamaha MT-15 is nearly Rs. 12,000 more expensive than the KTM Duke 125. However, once one stacks the output of the two bikes the price difference becomes less pronounced as the Japanese bike is far more powerful than the low displacement KTM Duke 125.
The price for Yamaha MT-15 is Rs. 1.36 lakhs, ex-showroom whereas the price for the KTM Duke 125 is Rs. 1.24 lakhs, ex-showroom. Therefore, the difference in the price is negated by the fact that not only the Yamaha offers more power output but also the looks of the Japanese bike are also very unique. This is something that the KTM Duke 125 cannot boast about. Apart from this, the Yamaha bike is also more refined than the Austrian offering.
MT-15’s design is inspired from Japanese bike maker’s top naked offering MT-09. The entry level offering MT-15 shares a lot of mechanical parts from its fully faired sibling R15 this includes the engine as well. The main difference between the two bikes is the relaxed riding stance of MT-15 as compared to the more aggressive riding position of the Yamaha R15. This makes the MT-15 well suited for handling daily traffic in the cities and also gives it the edge of being a daily commuter as well as a performance bike at times.
As far as the specs of Yamaha MT-15 are concerned, the naked streetfighter comes equipped with a 155 cc engine the same one found on R15. On the MT-15 as well the engine produces 19.2 Bhp of power and 15 Nm of torque. The liquid cooled mill of the bike is paired to a 6-speed gearbox which has slipper clutch as standard. Now coming to the Duke 125, the entry-level Austrian bike comes with a 124cc four stroke engine rated to deliver 14.5 Bhp and 12 Nm. The engine is liquid cooled, fuel injected, and comes with a 6 speed gearbox. However, some features like the USD forks are what distinguishes the Duke 125 from the MT-15.