YAMAHA MT-15 Review

The Yamaha Motor Company Limited is a Japanese manufacturer of motorbikes, marine products and other motorised products.

This Japanese firm has given us amazing two-wheelers like Yamaha FZ, Yamaha Fascino, Yamaha Ray, Yamaha Fazer etc. We all love these bikes and we have trusted over these bikes and brand for many years. Now, here a new version of Yamaha product is here, the Yamaha MT-15, and let’s see what it has in store for us.

Looks and Design

MT-15 has made its presence in the international market already. Why I don’t know but I feel like the headlight is almost like the Kawasaki Z1000. Oops, already comparing the looks with the other bikes, for now, let’s see the design of this beauty. The M-15 looks muscular though, but elegant and light at the same time.

It can be said that MT-15 is the best looking bike from the company usually seen only in higher models like MT-09 and MT-10. The design is aggressive and attracts a lot of eyes on the road for sure. The twin slot daytime running lights and single LED headlights are really eye-catchy. As I said earlier, the headlights look similar to Kawasaki Z1000(just similar not an exact copy).

The single-piece seat looks really comfortable and adjusted with an extended tail section that has a nice LED taillight.

Specifications

Engine type	Liquid cooled, 4-stroke, SOHC, 4-valve
Displacement	155 cm3
Bore & Stroke	58.0 mm x 58.7 mm
Compression ratio	11.6 : 1
Maximum power	14.2 kW (19.3 PS) @10,000 RPM
Maximum torque	14.7 N-m (1.5 kgf-m) @8,500 RPM
Lubrication system	Wet sump
Clutch Type	Wet, Multiple Disc
Fuel system	Fuel Injection
Ignition system	TCI (transistor controlled ignition)
Starter system	Electric
Transmission system	Constant Mesh, 6-speed
Final drive	Chain

Performance

MT-15 has got the same engine which you get in the R-15, so, your expectations are high because everyone knows how good the engine in R-15 is and it has continued its performance and refinement. It's not the engine which different it from R-15 but its wheelbase and weight and suspension. It has small wheelbase, you can't even see the front tyre property while riding, so that is low which makes its a bit unstable at High speed and I would say don't go beyond 110kph unless the road is smooth. Still, it has its own advantage, which makes it highly flickable and real fun around corners which is combined with its lightweight body and it goes like a bee. You can take it to race tracks; the more turns it takes the more you will enjoy.

Mt-15 is more of a street fighter, the race track machine. Yamaha has also tweaked the ECU and its variable valve actuation compared to its R-15 sibling which is focused on racing which gives it much better on the low and mid-range which make it a better for the city and especially in the traffic conditions. The seat is single-seat and wide enough to give you comfort, and if you're alone you can adjust to any seating position you want, but seats are a bit on the hard side. The handlebar has been readjusted so that its easier to move around and change direction quickly. Even the suspension has been tweaked, which make the MT-15 more comfortable for the city and bit bad roads. Because it is Yamaha it is one of the smoothest bikes there is, you will feel a bit vibration once you push the bike to top rpm end.

Still, there are few things that I think might be serious for some, like if you're tall and you bend down to get into the racing position without shifting to the back seat might put your head too much in front and even for taller riders the bike might feel small and the ride position might not be desirable. The footpeg position for both the front and back are too close. The main thing you should know is, MT-15 is designed for city riders, not for long-distance touring. I think it gives you a hint about the limitations of the bike.

Price :1,38,000(INR ex-showroom)

Final verdict:

Looks and design: 7/10

Specs & features: 8/10

Dynamics & performance: 8/10

Safety & quality: 7/10

This bike is for those who want a small fun nimble bike, with decent economy. if you're tall you need to try it 1st before you go for it. But if you're into long-distance touring, straight-line speeds then there are other bikes available for you even in the same price range.

One more thing before buying it 1^st see to it that bike is suited to you or not, by that I mean you should see if you look good on the bike or not.

If you like this review, subscribe to our blog to receive quick notifications of our updates.  And comment below if you have any doubts regarding this article and let us know if you wish to see a review of any particular automobile.

ŠKODA KODIAQ VRS

It is Skoda’S first attempt in the big car segment and they have done a great job. This is a 7-seater car which gives comfort to all the passengers (not control of everything) which is something that we expect from a Skoda.

And now they have launched up the VRS version of it which is for rally sport range. Toyota Fortuner, Audi Q3 and Ford Endeavour are going to be the real rivals for Kodiaq. Will this instalment of SUV by Skoda be able to withstand the attacks of an already established brand in the market?

Looks:

The looks of this car are something to talk about. A stylish and clean-cut design like this is only seen in SUVs from luxury brands. The front grill and attached headlight give the classic Skoda feel and the remaining body shows something different. The alloy wheels are really amazing and the front headlight with adaptive front light and LED daytime running light shows style us what design with purpose means. There is a hidden rubber strip which comes out from the edge of the door which prevents the door from hitting the nearby parked cars or damaging it.

The Kodiaq gets its name from the Kodiak bear that can be found in Alaska. Though it doesn’t look huge like the bear but more compact and solid.

vRS front grill and the rear bumper looks good as usual Skodas. Coming to the backside, LED third brake light in the rear spoiler is some innovative idea so is the LED rear fog lights. The metallic blue colour combined with black gives you a stunning look with minimum effort. The car looks sporty enough, but if it’s really sporty or not will be discussed in the performance part in this review. It is a seven seater and you can get in the last row of seats which is quite comfortable for kids yeah. Tall persons, no.

Overall the car looks compact, sturdy and capable of withstanding the competition in the market and on the road.

Interior:

It is identical to all the Skoda you have seen, most from Octavia like a glove box, dashboard etc. There are auto headlamp and parking sensors all around. There are drowsiness sensors wow. In the backseat, you get an additional pouch for a blanket, well if it’s too cold inside as well outside. You will have a commanding position on the driver seat which gives you the comfort and confidence to drive.

When it comes to the interior, the first thing I want to talk about is the door sill panels with KODIAQ logo, wow. The Alcantara sports seats with vRS stitching and logo are nice looking, while carbon finished dashboard and door inserts give us a good premium vibe (it is though is a premium car).

Courtesy lights in front and rear are cool. Alcantara door the panel, aluminium pedals and LED light pack, textile floor mats, black roof headlining and what not!

Specifications:

Engine and Drivetrain

Cubic capacity	1,968
Cylinders	4
Cylinders - bore – mm	81.0
Cylinders - stroke – mm	95.5
Number of valves	19
Number of gears	7
Transmission type	Automatic

VEHICLE DIMENSIONS

Height - mm	1,665
Height (inc. roof rails) - mm	1,685
Length - mm	4,699
Wheelbase - mm	2,790
Width - mm	1,882
Width (inc. mirrors) - mm	2,087

Performance:

Kodiaq now holds the fastest 7 seater track record for the Nurburgring, but in a way, they are the only one who has done it for a 7 seater cars. Yes, it a diesel engine with a 240bhp and yes it doesn't feel right to have a diesel engine in an RS car. 

But you have to keep this in mind that the main purpose of this car is to be a “family car” i.e, to make all 7 people reach from point A to point B safely and comfortably but, if there is vRS batch on Skoda then it adds to be a bit quicker then the standard. It is more powerful and it can reach 0-100kph in just 7 sec, well it is good for a 240bhp 7-seater SUV. 

It is a big SUV so I know you will be thinking that for a vRS batch they must have fitted a stiffer suspension, but no it is just the standard one which gets a bit stiff in sports mode, now you will be thinking what's the use of power if there is no good suspension to control the body, and yes you’re 100% right but, the standard car already had a good body dynamics and making it stiffer will just make the car uncomfortable to drive especially on bad roads, and Skoda  don't want to compromise on comfort (you know German cars).

I will say it was a right step even with this added power there is not much body roll which will not make you nervous. By ‘you’ I mean ‘the driver’, I don't know about the other 6, they may be screaming with joy or, just screaming (no fun intended).

As it is a 4-wheel drive, there are lots of grips to push it around, 4-wd doesn't make it a good offroader, you can take it on the rally stage or on loose surface tracks and you will enjoy it going around the bends and sliding a big heavy car, but not much of an off-roader, it can do mild ones because of ground clearance and advantage of being a 4wd, but as I said before, don't expect much. 

But with 500NM of torque u can make it pull anything you want, it might have enough torque even to pull a plane.!

Price:- Rs 36.79 lakh (ex-showroom)

Final Verdict:

Looks and design: 8/10

Specs & features: 8/10

Dynamics & performance: 6/10

Safety & quality: 8/10

Good looking car with features, comfort, and power. If you’re looking for is a 7 seater car, and you know you're never going to do serious off-roading then you can go for it.

This is a car with great on-road potential and rides to take you to your desired point with ease.

If you like this review, subscribe to our blog to receive quick notifications of our updates.  And comment below if you have any doubts regarding this article and let us know if you wish to see a review of any particular automobile.

Harley-Davidson LiveWire

source: Harley Davidson

One of the two motorcycle manufacturers in the USA to survive the Great Depression, the other one being Indian. Found in 1903 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, it was a hit among all age and class of people. We’re talking about none other than the legendary Harley Davidson.

Fast forward to 2019, the HD has launched its new model named LiveWire. Do you know what a livewire means? It means an energetic and unpredictable person. Yeah, HD didn’t launch a human but a two-wheeler whose performance indeed match with the name.

The first prototype was showcased in June 2014 and was available for test rides in the USA, later it was seen in Europe and Canada in 2015.

The production of LiveWire hit after 18 months and the preorders have started in January 2019. Wow, what do we have is not just a two-wheeler, it is an electric two-wheeler from Harley Davidson.

Now that’s something to talk about. Are you interested? Then hop in for the review of HD LiveWire 2019.

Source: Harley Davidson

Looks and Design

Harley Davidson, one of the world known bike manufacturing company which is known for its cruiser bikes which are powerful and good-looking beast.

Now they have decided to kick both things out by going at Sporty Electric Bike, yes they are serious, and I think you might like if you give it a shot. In terms of looks, I really loved the styling they have given to it, especially the headlight. If you look at it carefully you can have a stare-down with the demonic-eyes looking directly at you.

They have given a sporty design, you can see a bit Harley touch like headlamp cover and colour. They have also given it a 10.9 cm touch screen display, to show every important detail about the bike, but the way this display has been designed and positioned on the bike is something not much appealing. It's like they just stuck a big screen phone on the handle using a holder. Harley Davidson is going to provide customization option, so you might be able to cover things up.

Before we talk about the performance and range, let's see what all tech has Harley Davidson has installed in this bike to assist the riders while riding.

Source: Harley Davidson

The latest LiveWire design is embedded with Electronic Chassis Control (ECC) system. It will make sure that the rider is confident enough go hard and fast on road(we don’t promote reckless riding).

The ECC gives you the following benefits

Enhanced cornering

Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)

Traction Control System (TCS)

Drag-Torque Slip Control System (DSCS)

You can see a combined effort of electronic controls and hydraulic power control where it's required. It uses the new six-axis Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) and ABS sensor tech.

This is just the tech that has been installed, now let's see how it feels when combined with its hardware. As it is an electric bike let’s start with its accelerations.

Source: Harley Davidson

Performance

Get an instant power when you twist the throttle, as you know, no clutch, no gears and nothing to hinder the momentum in which you wanna fly away because its an electric vehicle (EV) and Harley Davidson is using permanent magnets so that you get full torque from low rpm.

As said by Harley Davidson, a high-voltage battery or just say a (RESS); Rechargeable Energy Storage System containing lithium-ion cells packed in a finned cast aluminium housing. The big battery provides a 225 lm of city ride or  142 km combined stop-and-go at highway range.

This is decent enough for a sports electric bike, its no good if it takes too long to charge but it not. An onboard level 1 charger & a power cord which to any standard outlet in your house will do. It gets fully charged overnight. If you want a fast charger, get a level 3 DC Fast Charge station for 80% charge in just 40 minutes or 100% in an hour.

They are using cast aluminium to keep the weight as low as possible, and the frame is extremely rigid. With the Michelin tires, 180 mm rear and 120 mm front give proper grip, and Brembo brakes both in front and rear to give it the stopping power it needs. Combining all this and you get a really capable sports bike, with a low centre of gravity. The ride is comfortable which is expected from Harley, and the body control is exceptional which was not expected. Still, the range is something needs to be verified one the live wire comes to the street to live it up.

Specifications of this two-wheeler couldn’t be found anywhere but we promise to update it the moment we find it.

Source: Harley Davidson

Final verdict:

There are still a few things that are unknown like price and specs, but on the day of launch it comes in the price range it should be worth going for. Best suited for people who are planning for EV, wants a hard acceleration bike with a bit of retro look in a sports bike.

If you like this post, subscribe to our blog to receive quick notifications of our updates.  And comment below if you have any doubts regarding this article and let us know if you wish to see a review of any particular automobile.

Evading Luxury Car Tax can Cost you Big Time

Source: Flickr

You guys pay your taxes, right?

Don’t you? Oh yes, you should be a tax paying good citizen irrespective of what government does with that money in future. Well, that’s the rule and you got to follow it religiously. And there are no confusions regarding this, you pay normal tax, land tax, house tax, tax for income from other businesses, tax on hotel food, tax on movie tickets and goes the list.

You got to pay the tax or things don’t go well in future. Expect the tax department barging into your tax to raid out the hidden black money in your house.

Not a scene you expect to happen often and of course with you.

Today’s article in on tax, and as you guessed, it related to your vehicles. What, you didn’t guess that? I thought you were smart :D, how many have used Orkut? Just asking.

We are going to discuss the road tax we have to pay when we buy a vehicle and how that tax different in different states and what happened recently that caught my attention. Well not recently but a couple of years ago.

What happened?

In December 2017, a case was filed against a renowned actor of Southern movie industry under IPC sections 464 (forgery) and 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating).

What he did was, buying a luxury car (Audi Q7) from  Pondicherry/Puducherry, posing as a resident there while he actually lived in Kerala.

Now, why he did that? Well, if you don’t know the tax rates of these states, let me show you.

In Puducherry, the road tax he had to pay(as per news reports) is just 1.5 lakhs. But if would he have registered it in Kerala, the road tax could go up to 14-20 lakhs. Smart move huh, but wrong move too.

Transport commissioner Anil Kant asked the crime branch to register the case. Gopi had allegedly evaded tax by registering his luxury vehicle in Puducherry after he became an MP on May 24, 2016, reports Deccan Chronicle.

The Thiruvananthapuram RTO had issued a notice to him last month, seeking explanation on using a vehicle registered in Puducherry in the state.

In an earlier investigation done by Kerala Motor Vehicle Department, it was revealed that as many as 700 vehicles are registered at Puducherry, resulting in a revenue loss of a whopping 60 Cr to the state government.

Since many actors and people were found to be indulging in this kind of tactics to evade taxes have on stirred up controversy in the state, MVD is on a mission to explore every loophole in the system.

Well, 700 is a lot of people evading tax.

Source: 1zoom.me

Evading of road tax is not new but, this kind of big revelation has never happened in my knowledge. Well now that people have read this news last year, they will be getting ideas to find new loopholes in this law. You got to pay tax according to the State Govt’s rule to drive in that state, don’t you? Even if you are changing your home and shifting to another state, you got to pay sales tax on your car when you register the car in that state.

Why all this? Well because the state government made the roads dude! They want to maintain too, which I doubt.

Now let’s see different tax rates

New Car Registration Slabs - Road Taxes Applicable
City / State	Road Tax Fees for New Car Registration in 2019
Delhi - Individual Registration	Price Upto Rs. 6 Lac - Petrol Cars - 4%, Diesel Cars - 5%
	Price between 6 Lac - 10 Lac - Petrol Cars - 7%, Diesel Cars - 8.75%
	Price > Rs. 10 Lac as Exshowroom Cost - Petrol Cars - 10%, Diesel Cars - 12.5%
Delhi - Company Registration (Where Car Registered in name of Firm - Proprietorship / Partnership / Pvt Ltd / Ltd etc)	Price Upto Rs 6 Lac - Petrol Cars - 5%, Diesel Cars - 6.25%
	Price between 6 Lac - 10 Lac - Petrol Cars - 8.75%, Diesel Cars - 10.94%
	Price > Rs. 10 Lac as Exshowroom Cost - Petrol Cars - 12.5%, Diesel Cars - 15.63%
	+ MCD Parking Charges of Rs. 2000 for cars priced under 4 Lakh and Rs. 4000 for rest of the vehicles. Visit My car helpline for best deals
	.
Kerala	Less than 1500 cc 6% of purchase value 1500 cc and above 8% of purchase value
U.P (Uttar Pradesh) Ghaziabad, Noida, Kanpur, Meerut, Agra etc	8% If Price < 10 Lakh, else 10% Road Tax. No separate classification of Petrol, Diesel
	Additional Temporary Charges of Rs. 1500
	For used cars >15 years, new Green Tax Introduced in UP, Chargeable at time of renewal of registration. Green Tax Slabs yet to be known, it will be in addition to charges for Re-Registration + Smart Card
Haryana - last revised on 1st June 2015 Faridabad, Gurgaon etc	Price Upto Rs. 6 Lac - 5%
	Price between Rs. 6 Lac - 20 Lac - 8%
	Price above 20 Lac - 10%
Maharastra Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Navi Mumbai etc  updated on 4th July 2017
	Price < 10 Lakh - CNG @ 7%, Petrol @ 11%, Diesel @ 13%
	Price between 10 Lakh - 20 Lakh - Petrol @ 12%, Diesel @ 14%
	Price Above 20 Lakh - Petrol @ 13%, Diesel @ 15%
	Additional: If car bought in Company Name or bought by any Ltd or Pvt Ltd company, RTO Slabs would be double the slabs above. Starting GST - No Octroi and No LBT will be applicable
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana Hyderabad, Vijayawada ect	Price < 10 Lakh - 12%
	Price > 10 Lakh - 14%
	Additional : 2% RTO Tax, if buying 2nd Vehicle in same name and getting it Registered in A.P
Kerala Calicut, Cochin, Trivandrum, Thrissur etc.	Price < 5 Lakh - 6%
	Price between 5 - 10 Lakh - 8%
	Price > 10 Lakh, but Less than 15 Lakh - 10%
	Price > 15 Lakh but less than 20 Lakh - 15%
	Price > 20 Lakh - 20%
Karnataka	Price < 5 Lakh - 13%
Bangalore, Mysore	Price between 5 - 10 Lakh - 14%
	Price between 10 - 20 Lakh - 17%
	Price > 20 Lakh - 18%
Odisha	Price < 5 Lakh - 6%
Bhubhaneshwar	Price between 5 - 10 Lakh - 8%
	Price above 10 Lakh - 10%
Tamil Nadu	Price < 10 Lakh - 10%
Chennai, Combatore, Madurai	Price > 10 Lakh - 15%
West Bengal - Kolkata (One Time Tax for 5 Years) - whichever higher	5.5% or Rs 17500 in 800 cc Cars
	5.5% or Rs 25000 in between 800cc to 1490cc Cars
	5.5% or Rs 35000 in between 1490 to 1999cc Cars
	5.5% or Rs 45000 in above > 2000cc Cars
West Bengal - Kolkata (LifeTime Tax for 15 Years) - whichever higher	10% or Rs 40000 in 800 cc Cars
	10% or Rs 55000 in between 800cc to 1490cc Cars
	10% or Rs 80000 in between 1490 to 1999cc Cars
	10% or Rs 1 Lakh in above > 2000cc Cars
Chandigarh	All Cars Priced uptil 20 Lakh - 6%
	Above 20 Lakh - 8%
	Zero Road Tax in Chandigarh for People Buying Car with Disability or NGO and Social Welfare Group registered with Social Welfare Department and work for people with disabilities.
Punjab	Flat 8% of Ex-showroom price of car, irrespective of Value or Fuel Type. Also now additional 1% Surcharge Tax levied on Ex-showroom price as Social Security Contribution
Gujarat	Road Tax will be approx 6% (Individuals Cases) and 12% (For Company). For CKD Imported Cars - Road Tax will be Double the rates of CBU Cars.
Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara etc	Additional: Municipality Tax
	Even - an additional VAT Duty will be applicable at rate of 5% on buying SUV and Luxury Cars in Company Name and thus will be Ex-showroom price different on Buying Cars in Individual Name and Company Name
Rajasthan	7% - 9% (for Petrol Cars)
Jaipur, Alwar, Bikaner, Ajmer etc	10% - 11% (for Diesel Cars)
Bihar	7% (For Cars Priced under 8 Lakh)
Patna, Gaya etc	13% (For Cars Priced above 8 Lakh)
Jharkhand	6% (For Cars Priced under 15 Lakh)
	9% (For Cars Priced above 15 Lakh)
	Additional Tax: Further additional 3% Tax on Buying 2nd Car in name of Same Owner
Uttarakhand (revised effective January 2019)	Price Upto 5 Lakh - 8%
Dehradun, Rishikesh	Price in between 5 Lakh to 10 Lakh - 9%
	Price above 10 Lakh - 10%
Himachal Pradesh	Cars less than 1000cc - 2.5%
Shimla, Solan	Cars greater than 1000cc - 3%
Pondicherry (Puducherry)	Minimum Rs 8000 Tax for Cars under Rs 5 Lakh
	Rs 11K for Cars in 5 Lakh - 8 Lakh
	Rs 15K for Cars in 8 Lakh - 15 Lakh
	Rs 60K Flat Road Tax for Cars above Rs 15 Lakh - 20 Lakh
	Rs 1.1 Lakh Flat Road Tax for Cars in Rs 20 Lakh - 30 Lakh
	Rs 1.25 Lakh for Cars above Rs 30 Lakh
Madhya Pradesh - MP Indore, Gwalior & other cities in MP
	7% Flat at Exshowroom Price of Vehicle (if ex-showroom under 10 Lakh)
	8% (Petrol) / 9% (Diesel) (if ex-showroom above 10 Lakh).
Goa	9% for Cars less than 6 Lakh
	11% for Car at Exshowroom Price from 6 Lakh till 9.99 Lakh
	12% for Car costing 10 Lakh and more
	Infrastructure Cess: Additional applicable on Cars Priced above 10 Lakh. Rs. 12,000 < 10 to 20 Lakh. 40,000 < 20 - 40 Lakh. 75,000 < 40 - 60 Lakh. 1,00,000 > 60 Lakh

If you like this post, subscribe to our blog to receive quick notifications of our updates.  And comment below if you have any doubts regarding this article and let us know if you wish to see a review of any particular automobile.