Yamaha UK has teased a new, small-displacement motorcycle in a competition announcement with Motorcycle Live. Motorcycle Live is a bike show in England, and Yamaha is giving away a “bike so new we can’t say what it is”.
Baby Yams:
We can guess, though. The teaser shot shows a three-headlight model of diminutive stature, and the tagline, “a new level of dark”. Given this is a clear reference to the MT line’s marketing speak in Europe, where the line “Don’t be afraid of the dark” is applied to the bikes, it’s likely this is an MT. Europe already gets the MT-125, but this is not quite the same looking bike.
We can also get a hint from the phrase “a new level” which hints at a new level of displacement. Lastly, the three headlights shown in the teaser shot look identical to the MT-15 already on sale in India and pictured in the gallery below. That bike has a 155cc engine, and is a logical successor to the ageing MT-125.
Yamaha doesn’t offer the MT-125 in America, but a slightly larger version might have an audience. We speculated earlier in the year that the brand is possibly bringing a small displacement adventure bike to international markets, and that it would potentially be based on this small MT platform.
India’s MT-15 is good for 19 horsepower and 11 pound feet of torque. That’s an increase of 4 hp and 3 lb-ft, or 25 percent increase in power and 37 percent increase in torque, a bump little-bike enthusiasts will welcome.
Whether or not North America will see these little bikes remains to be seen, but they are definitely an intriguing proposition and something worth watching.
Gallery: Yamaha MT-15 Teaser
