Yamaha R2M review first ride: A lightweight sportsbike that loves corners

The Yamaha R2M packs a bigger engine, more technology and a lightweight chassis into a compact sportsbike package. We rode it on track to see how it performs.

Yamaha’s R2 is an interesting motorcycle because it doesn’t try to overwhelm you with performance. Instead, it takes the basic formula of a lightweight sports bike and adds more performance, more technology and a bigger engine.

The R2M is the flagship version of the range, and I got to ride it on a racetrack to see how this new Yamaha behaves when pushed hard.

On paper, the numbers are promising. The R2M uses a 204cc, liquid-cooled, four-valve single-cylinder engine that produces 26.5bhp at 10,000rpm and 19.1Nm of peak torque at 8,000rpm. It weighs 150kg and gets a six-speed gearbox, ride-by-wire and an up-and-down quickshifter.

But it is the way those numbers come together that makes the R2M interesting.

How different is it compared to the R15?

Despite looking familiar from a distance, the R2 is mechanically quite different from the R15.

The biggest change is the engine. The 204cc motor uses a 66mm bore and 59.6mm stroke, with an 11.5:1 compression ratio. Unlike the R15, there is no VVA system here. Instead, Yamaha has used the larger displacement along with ride-by-wire to deliver the performance.

And you can feel the difference.

Compared to the R15, the R2 has noticeably more initial torque. It doesn’t need as much revving or clutch work to get moving, but the engine’s personality changes as the revs climb.

Beyond 6,000rpm, the R2 really starts to come alive. The mid-range feels strong, while the top-end keeps building towards the peak of 10,000rpm. For a 204cc single-cylinder engine, it has enough performance to keep things interesting on a racetrack.

Yamaha has also completely changed the chassis philosophy. The R2 uses a steel-tube diamond frame instead of the R15’s Deltabox, with a 37mm USD fork and a linked Monocross rear suspension. There’s also an aluminium die-cast swingarm at the back.

And then there’s the weight.

At 150kg for the R2M, it is still a relatively light motorcycle. Add the 810mm seat height and compact 1,340mm wheelbase to the equation, and you get a motorcycle that doesn’t feel intimidating when you climb onto it.

The R2 also gets a 12-litre fuel tank and 170mm of ground clearance, making the package reasonably practical for something that is designed to look and feel sporty.

The equipment list is fairly comprehensive too. There’s a TFT instrument cluster, Y-Connect connectivity features and three riding modes, while the R2M gets the full suite of features available in the range.

Riding experience

The first thing that struck me about the R2M on track was just how easy it is to corner.

The bike feels extremely light when you’re throwing it from one side to another. Quick direction changes require very little effort, and the motorcycle responds quickly to even small inputs.

You don’t have to fight the chassis to make the bike turn.

Instead, you can focus on your line, your braking point and how much speed you want to carry through the corner.

And that’s where I think the R2M is at its best.

It encourages you to carry momentum rather than rely on outright horsepower. The 150kg kerb weight means there’s less mass to manage under braking and through direction changes, and that makes the motorcycle particularly enjoyable on a technical track.

The front suspension could be better

The R2M uses a 37mm USD fork at the front, and while it works reasonably well with the bike’s road-oriented character, I found it a little bumpy on track.

For aggressive circuit riding, I would have preferred a slightly stiffer and more controlled front end.

Under hard braking and corner entry, there’s room for more support from the fork.

However, this is also where the R2M’s road-going nature comes into consideration. A suspension setup that’s slightly more compliant can make much more sense on Indian roads, where broken surfaces and bumps are part of everyday riding.

So while I would want more stiffness for track use, the setup isn’t necessarily a bad compromise for a motorcycle that has to work on the road as well.

The brakes work, until you start pushing hard.

The R2M uses a 282mm front disc and a 220mm rear disc with dual-channel ABS. It runs a 100/80-17 front tyre and a 140/70R17 rear.

For regular riding, the braking setup feels perfectly adequate.

But on track, the ABS became the biggest limitation for me.

When you’re braking late and really hard, the ABS intervenes quite aggressively. And when you’re trying to slow the bike down at the very last moment before turning in, that intervention can prevent you from shedding speed exactly where you want.

The result?

You can end up carrying too much speed into the corner and running wide.

For road use, I don’t see the braking setup as a major concern. But if you’re looking at the R2M specifically for frequent track riding, the ABS calibration is something you’ll need to account for.

The quickshifter is excellent, with one problem.

The R2M’s up-and-down quickshifter is one of my favourite parts of the bike.

Most of the shifts are extremely smooth. You can keep the throttle open, shift through the gearbox and the bike stays composed.

It reminds me of the quickshifter on the R15 V4, which is already one of the smoother systems in this segment.

However, there was one issue with the motorcycle I rode.

Every time I shifted from fifth to sixth, the gear would get stuck.

The rest of the shifts were smooth and consistent, so I would need to ride another R2M before saying whether this was specific to the test bike or something that needs further investigation.

Verdict

The Yamaha R2M isn’t a dedicated track weapon, and my experience on circuit made that clear.

The ABS is too intrusive when you’re braking extremely hard, the front suspension could use more support for aggressive track riding, and the fifth-to-sixth shift issue with the quickshifter needs further investigation.

But the fundamental motorcycle is very easy to like.

The 204cc engine gives it a noticeable step up in torque over the R15 and becomes properly entertaining beyond 6,000rpm. The 150kg kerb weight makes it extremely easy to change direction, while the compact chassis gives you the confidence to carry speed through corners.

And that’s ultimately what defines the R2M for me.

It doesn’t try to scare you with performance.

It makes performance accessible.

You can concentrate on your braking points, your lines and your corner exits rather than managing a motorcycle that’s constantly trying to overwhelm you.

For a lightweight sportsbike, that’s a very appealing recipe.

And after riding it on track, I think Yamaha has managed to create something that sits nicely between an approachable beginner-friendly machine and a genuinely entertaining sportsbike.

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