Yamaha has launched the 2023 FZ15 in Brazil, and this updated motorcycle is likely to make its way to India as the FZ V4. This new version of the long-standing FZ line-up gets a new look at the front courtesy of a redesigned LED headlight. Other changes include a revised tail-lamp and a tweaked LCD instrument cluster that sports a gear position indicator. Underneath these cosmetic changes, there are a few key differences to the mechanicals as well.
The 149cc, single-cylinder air-cooled engine has taken a hit in terms of performance on this new iteration. Peak power stays the same, at 12.4hp, but is made slightly higher up in the rev range, at 7,500rpm, as opposed to 7,250rpm on the existing model. Torque, however, has gone down by 0.9Nm, to 12.4 Nm, and that too is made higher up in the rev band, at 6,000rpm, instead of 5,500rpm on the existing FZ-FI. The Brazilian version is tuned to run on ethanol as well so it is not clear whether this bike will have the same output figures if and when it makes its way here.
The wheelbase and seat height, at 1,330mm and 790mm, respectively, stay unchanged. While kerb weight does stay the same, at 135kg, the fuel tank has shrunk in capacity to 11.9 litres, down 1.1 litre from the current one. Ground clearance has gone up by 5mm to bring the total up to 170mm. The spring on the preload-adjustable monoshock is finished in yellow, as opposed to the black on the current model. The rest of the hardware such as the front fork, braking componentry and the single-channel ABS unit, all appear to be carried over from the existing model without any changes.
The FZ V4 gets a new instrument cluster that continues with the negative backlit LCD design, but now shows a gear-position indicator for the first time in its 14-year-long model run. The redesigned all-LED headlight now more closely resembles its elder sibling, the FZ 25. The tail-lamp is also a brand new all-LED unit with a completely different design than the existing model.
The seat, body panels and the exhaust muffler all appear to be near-identical to the current model and are expected to stay that way when it does make its way here in the coming months. Internationally, it is offered in three colours — black, red and the traditional Yamaha blue — but we will have to wait for the launch to know which options are offered here.
Currently, the FZ-FI is priced at ₹1.13 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) and is cheaper by ₹8,000 than the more upmarket FZ S-FI. With all the changes that this new model brings to the table, expect Yamaha to hike the price to reflect them. In this hotly-contested category, the FZ-FI goes up against rivals such as the TVS Apache RTR 160 4V, Hero Xtreme 160R, Suzuki Gixxer and the newly-launched Bajaj Pulsar N160.
