Like always, while the competitors follow the foot-steps of the Bajaj Auto, the company take 4-5 steps ahead of its rivals. Likewise now the Bajaj launched the all-new Invincible V15 motorcycle with a totally new design for the segment.
Starts with INS Vikrant, the Majestic class aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy, the ship which played a major role in the indo-pak war of 1971, the Ship which was once invincible, now lies as scrap metal thanks to the high maintenance costs involved in keeping the ship as a ship museum after it was decommissioned.
But, thankfully the INS Vikrant lives on, because of the thoughtful folks over at Bajaj Auto. We now have a piece of the mighty warship available for purchase as a part of the new Bajaj V15.
The Bajaj V15 is styled radically compared to any other Bajaj motorcycle. It’s styled to be like a cruiser commuter and given the nature of the build and it’s target customer, the motorcycle will be spending most of its time as an intra-city commuter and it looks really good for a commuter at that price point.
Based on a revised version of the Avenger’s double cradle type frame, the V15 is positioned below the Pulsars as a stylish 150cc commuter motorcycle. The major highlight is the design that is a mixture of a cruiser, café racer and a retro street-fighter, however, doesn’t look anything like any of the commuter bikes we see on the streets today, it’s not radically different from what a motorcycle should look like!
For me, the V15 evokes the simplicity in design of motorcycles of the ’80s, yet with Benelli-like silhouette styling. The muscular tank reminds me of the expensive Bonneville range from Triumph. At the rear, the design is futuristic and beautiful, with Suzuki Hayabusa style extended panel right from the middle of the motorcycle’s seat. It houses an attractive retro-looking LED tail light with chrome surrounding and comes with a great overall panel designs.
The headlamp design is like a mixture of the the discover and the pulsar 150/180, and when viewed from the side profile, the motorcycle looks really gorgeous, with the star shaped 10-spoke alloy wheels and the beautiful and curvy fuel tank taking most of the attention. The all new 150cc engine is quite a looker too. The rear end of the motorcycle looks like it has been taken straight out of a premium cruiser motorcycle. The instrument cluster is pretty basic but good looking at the same time, however, it’s sometimes difficult to read the tell-tale lights while riding in the glare of the bright sunlight.
The Bajaj V15 is not just another redesigned motorcycle based on an existing platform. It is an all new motorcycle inside-out!
The Bajaj V15 is powered by an all new, air cooled, 150cc, single cylinder engine with a maximum power output of 12 PS at 7,500 RPM and a maximum torque figure of 13 NM at 5,500 RPM. Yes this engine relies more on Torque than on Power making it a gem of an engine for intra city commutes. Bajaj has been able to achieve this by designing it to be a long stroke engine, thereby producing more torque, but at the same time this also means that the Engine in the V15 is made to be ridden in a relaxed manner and one cannot expect this engine to Rev quickly.
The Bajaj V15 is a motorcycle which likes to play with its torque and the best way to find its sweet spot is to short shift through the gears and ride that torque wave, keeping the engine below 6000 RPM. The engine sounds really smooth as long as it’s ridden below 60 KMPH, but as the speed climbs after that, the vibrations start to seep in and at around 90 kmph, it is quite clear that the engine is not liking this, one bit! Top speed of the motorcycle is just a little over 110 KMPH which is more than one could ask from a commuter motorcycle.
The Bajaj V15 has a stiff ride quality, but it’s not stiff enough to make the ride uncomfortable. Bajaj claims that the V15 has one of the the best ride qualities in the 150cc commuter motorcycle class. Suspension is set up with a conventional fork handling the load at the front and twin gas charged, pre-load adjustable Springs handling load at the rear. Braking duties are handled by a drilled and slotted disc brake up front and a drum brake at the rear.
The Bajaj V15 is built upon an all new double cradle chassis and has the longest in class wheelbase which is very well noticeable at first, as it starts to feel very long in traffic, but as it is ridden for a slightly longer time, one gets used to the length and it is then that this motorcycle feels agile. Don’t be mistaken, it’s not a corner carver, but for a commuter motorcycle, it is really capable around corners.
The Bajaj V15 is a very good commuter motorcycle for the price that it is being sold at, especially given that it is made out a piece of history. With a price of ₹62, 000(ex-showroom, Delhi), the Bajaj V15 is selling very well indeed.
Checkout more pictures and a video, after a jump.
Bike Courtesy: SUPREME MOTORS, JEPPU, MANGALORE
Ahmed Siddiq: +91 – 9845761864
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Also see: The invincible Bajaj V15 launched in Mangalore
GALLERY: Bajaj V15 – The Invincible
