Quick Highlights:

• Makes slightly more power than the Indian version

• Available in three colour options but the Black shade looks striking

• Features list and underpinnings remain unchanged

Yamaha has launched the XSR 155 in Japan, priced at Yen 490,000 (around Rs 2.97 lakh). The bike looks similar to the version we get here in India, except for a slightly different black colour scheme, and alloy wheels design.

The bike continues with the iconic XSR styling, it gets a metal fuel tank, exposed frame, round LED headlamp and premium looking golden fork. The bike is available with halogen indicators, rather than the LED ones we get in India. Also, this gets differently designed alloys. While they are still 17-inch units, they're wrapped with block-pattern dual-purpose tyres, which suit the overall roadster styling of the XSR quite well.

In Japan, the bike is available in three colour options, the Green and Silver shade look similar to the ones we get in India. However, the Black shade is quite different, and looks the best in our opinion. We just wish that the Indian version also had this. It gets golden coloured pinstripes on the fuel-tank and side panels; there is also a subtle looking, red 'Yamaha' logo on the tank. Rounding-off the whole design are the bronze coloured alloy wheels.

Mechanically, the Japanese version and the Indian version are similar. Both get the same 155cc liquid-cooled engine, but the Japanese version makes slightly more power at 19PS, while the torque is slightly low at 14Nm (Indian version makes 18.4PS and 14.2Nm). The features and underpinnings too are the same. There is dual channel ABS, switchable traction, and a basic LCD console, which does not get Bluetooth connectivity. Overall, the Indian version of the XSR 155 does not miss out on anything, but the Black paint scheme of the Japanese bike is something that Yamaha should definitely introduce in India as well.