This Is The Best Selling Yamaha Motorcycle Ever Built

As a relative newcomer to Yamaha ownership, I'm increasingly interested in the goings on of the tuning fork brand-in-blue. While everyone and their brother already knows Honda's best-selling unit is the humble Cub, I was curious to know what really churns the coffers at Yamaha. After digging into it a little, it should come as no surprise that it's an inexpensive single-cylinder sport bike aimed largely at the young riders of Southeast Asia. Replicating the look of larger and faster R1 and R7 models, but with significantly less power and speed, the YZF-R15 makes about 18 horsepower from a diminutive 155cc engine. This definitely isn't one of Yamaha's fastest machines, but it isn't just a cruiser either. Folks in Indonesia, India, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam snap these machines up like they're candy.

While prices vary a bit by region and specification, the little YZF is typically priced around $2,000 to $2,500. For a variety of reasons, the bike is a sales smash success, shifting well over a million units so far. The YZF-R15 has been on sale globally since 2008, but hasn't made its way to the U.S. market, though rumors indicate it could be introduced here in 2026. Import duties and long-distance shipping will make the YZF-R15 a bit more expensive in our local market, but even if the boys in blue could get the starting price under $3,800, it would be significantly less expensive than the current R3 model. It would significantly undercut Honda's least expensive sport bike, too. 

With all the right looks and a fuel-sipping engine, it makes sense that people who love to ride, but don't have a lot of dosh, would buy the R15 in droves. There are less expensive bikes available in many of the markets where Yamaha sells these machines, but customers value the Yammie for its engineering. They're attracted by the smooth-running engine, the bike's reliability, parts availability, longevity, ergonomics, and aesthetics. It seems like an incredible buy in the price range, and honestly, even at the theoretically inflated U.S. market price, I could be convinced to pick one of these up over a similarly priced frickin' Grom or whatever. With 155ccs of displacement, the R15 should easily top 85 miles per hour (various sources have it at somewhere between 80 and 87), while a Grom is stuck closer to 60 mph. 

Give me 155ccs of freedom. This might even make the perfect starter track motorcycle, as it would allow a rider to learn without feeling overly intimidated by speed. I know I want to give it a try. If Yamaha expands the markets this bike is available in, it'll be sure to hit two million in sales pretty quickly.