6.Yamaha R3
Yamaha
took the wraps off it’s new low-capacity supersports model, the
YZF-R3, at EICMA. In essence, the bike is a slightly more powerful sister of the the
R25 and hence, is to the donor model what the Kawasaki Ninja 300 is to the
Ninja 250. The R3 went on sale in the international market in April 2015
and has been receiving rave reviews from both media and enthusiasts. Enough has
already been speculated about the Yamaha R3 India launch prospects and
recently, the highly awaited bike was spotted testing on our country’s public
roads. Thanks to the recent sighting, it is pretty much confirmed
that India Yamaha Motors won’t be bringing the R25 to India and it is the
R3 that will lead Yamaha’s charge in the fast growing quarter-litre performance
bike market of our country.
Engine:
The R3 has a newly designed
liquid-cooled twin 321 cc engine with a 6 gear transmission, in-line 2
-cylinder DOHC (with 4 valves per cylinder), and closed loop fuel-injection
that produces a nice amount of power and performance with a wide power band.
It also has a progressive throttle pulley. This helps to manage power at
small throttle openings, which translates to easy riding for riders of all
experience levels. What’s also neat about the R3 motor is the forged aluminum
pistons, which is the same technology used for the R1 and R6. Most Yamaha owners and fans
are familiar with the cross plane crank—found on many of their bikes including
the R1—which improves combustion and torque, resulting in a better throttle
feeling. The R3, however, is equipped with a 180 degree crank that provides a
compact engine design and a relatively smooth feeling when accelerating through
the rpm range.
Chassis/suspension:
Like the
engine, the chassis is slim and designed with a steel diamond frame. What’s
interesting is that the R3 has the same swing-arm and wheelbase length ratio as
the R1. Yamaha says it was created this way for less variability in swing-arm
angle during riding conditions.
Suspension
wise, the R3 comes fitted KYB 41mm fork tubes with a 130mm stroke, and a KYB
single shock rear with seven step pre-load adjust 45mm stroke with 125mm wheel
travel. While riding through rough patches of road, the suspension felt stable,
and handled the bumps beautiful without upsetting the positioning of the bike
whatsoever. It also made me feel more confident on the bike—it’s almost as if
you were riding a bigger bike with higher end suspension. Helping to
support the R3’s chassis and suspension and contributing to its light weight
are the Michelin Pilot Street tires, with a size of 110/70 for the front and
140/70 for the rear. The wheels have Akebono brakes—298 mm floating mount front
disc brakes and 220mm in the back—that Yamaha says provides great stopping
power.
Features:
There’s
nothing technologically ground breaking for the R3, but the things it does come
with is nice to have, especially on a small displacement motorcycle. It
has an awesome analog tachometer and adjustable shift. It also comes equipped
with a multi-function meter that lets you know what gear you’re in, a fuel
gauge, real time and average fuel economy, water temperature, clock, two trip
meters and an oil change indicator light. This bike has a better dash than on
my 2011 Suzuki GSX-R750, so it’s definitely up with the times.
The R3 comes
with a tank cover in case of the rider lays the bike down and the colors available are Raven (black
with red highlights/trim), Team Yamaha Blue with Matte Silver, and Rapid Red.
On average, it gets 10.63Kmpl and has a 14L tank.
Shades and Expected Price:
The Yamaha YZF-R3 will be available in three attractive shades: Race Blu, Midnight Black and Rapid Red. The expected price of this bike is INR 3.00-3.50 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi) may vary.
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