Yamaha Working On Dual-Purpose Motorcycle 'WR155' Based On YZF-R15

The YZF-R15 platform has turned out to be extremely successful for Yamaha Motor and the bike maker has churned out a number of motorcycles that use the same underpinnings. Following up the likes of the R15, MT-15 and the most recent XSR155, Yamaha recent filed a patent for the name 'WR155' in Indonesia, hinting at a new dual-purpose motorcycle. Yamaha has patented two names - WR155 and the WR155R with the Indonesiaon the Indonesian Intellectual Property Database (PDKI) website. The company has not made any official statements about the patents.

Also Read: R15-Based Yamaha XSR155 Breaks Cover In Thailand

That leaves us with little idea as to what to expect from the Yamaha WR155. Internationally, the manufacturer's WR series has a range of dual-purpose motorcycles including a 125 cc, 250 cc and a 450 cc model. An offering in the 150 cc segment is missed and that's the void the WR155 would want to fill. That said, it'll be interesting though how the Deltabox frame will be adapted for an off-road ready motorcycle. Do expect to see changes to the subframe to meet the dual purpose nature of the motorcycle.

The Yamaha YZF-R15 V3.0 is a popular motorcycle in India and internationally too

The powertrain though is likely to be identical to the YZF-R15 V3.0 on the WR155. The manufacturer uses a 155 cc liquid-cooled, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine with Variable Valve Actuation (VVA) that produces about 19 bhp and 14.7 Nm of peak torque. The motor is paired with a 6-speed gearbox. If the engine is carried over, the gearbox will see changes to the gear ratios. Other hardware is likely to include a long travel suspension setup with braking performance coming from disc brakes at either end. ABS will be on offer too.  The bike will take on the Honda CRF150 and Kawasaki KLX 150 in the Indonesian market.

On the design front, Yamaha is likely to borrow cues from the larger WR series motorcycles sporting minimal bodywork, knobby tyres, high ground clearance, raised mudguard and more. The exhaust will be higher set too, in order to improve the bike's water wading capabilities. It's not clear yet as to when the WR155 will enter production. Considering the patent has just been filed, the bike is far from its launch. It will also be too early to comment on the dual-purpose bike making its way to India.