[Aditya]

Yamaha has started testing the YZF-R3 motorcycle on Indian roads, indicating that this may be the bike that the company plans to launch here.









Images show the YZF-R3 (or R3) in black, wearing Uttar Pradesh registration plates and a big saree guard on its left. The R3 features a diamond frame with a telescopic fork suspension at the front and a monocoque at the rear. It measures 2,090 mm in length, 720 mm in width and 1,135 mm in height. It has a wheelbase that measures 1,380 mm and a ground clearance of 160 mm. The bike weighs 169 kg and has a fuel tank capacity of 14 litres.



is powered by a 321cc, twin-cylinder, liquid-cooled, 4-stroke engine that puts out 41 BHP @ 10,750 rpm and 29.6 Nm of torque @ 9,000 rpm. The engine is mated to a 6-speed transmission. Stopping power comes from a 298 mm and 220 mm disc brakes at the front and rear respectively.



Source: Motoroids

[Sojogator]

Yamaha finally wakes up ?

Lovely piece of machine. Perfect for our conditions as per reviews.

[Urban_Nomad]

Most firang reviews praise the bike & it seems like a great package.

And it looks like a million bucks. Hope it doesnt cost the same

Please Yamaha, price it well

[Odeen12]

This looks nice actually. Will be nice for our roads. Like Sojogator said they have finally woken up. They should look at bringing the XJR 1300, then I'd know they even smelt the coffee..

[dipen]

Price will decide its fate, at 3L+ ex-showroom, it would not find much buyers.

Image Source : http://images.maxabout.com/misc/info...r-vs-ninja-300

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by dipen

Price will decide its fate, at 3L+ ex-showroom, it would not find much buyers.

Image Source : http://images.maxabout.com/misc/info...r-vs-ninja-300

Thanks for the fantastic graphic shared Dipen.

Why do you say at 3 lacs+ it would not find buyers?

The Ninja 300 is 4 lacs, and this one will probably blow it out of the water in both build quality and performance. And it even looks hotter (in all black).

[dipen]

At 3+ ex-showroom, it is close to Ninja in terms of specs, looks, price. I somehow still feel, the Ninja looks edgier (kinda better). With the RC390 VFM pricing (poor quality in many areas withstanding), the Ninja is anyways facing the heat. Now with Y3, the sales will be nearly split between the Ninja 300 and Y3 (overall 4L rupee market share could increase by 10-20% and Y3 could get a higher share considering the newness and the Yamaha pedigree). Still it wont do large volumes like the Ninja.

On the other hand, the CBR300 looks like a bigger Karizma. The CBR design in today's time is very uninspiring.

[mercedised]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Thanks for the fantastic graphic shared Dipen.

Why do you say at 3 lacs+ it would not find buyers?

The Ninja 300 is 4 lacs, and this one will probably blow it out of the water in both build quality and performance. And it even looks hotter (in all black).

I have neither ridden the Ninja 300 nor R300, but any reasons for saying that R3 will blow away the Ninja? I don't think that there is any other bike which could compete with the R3 in India in this category atleast? IMO Ninja should prove to be an equally good machine.

[Doge]

I think it is very unlikely that it will be priced under 3L. It's main contender is the RC as no body buys the Kwacker. I hope they launch a naked version inspired by RD!

[loki]

Its a looker. Will definitely sell better than the N300. But cant compete with RC390 sales wise...

OT: Haven't we all been waiting for Yamaha to bring to India something in the 200cc-800cc segment? They teased the Fazer250 a decade ago. Now, they've imported a few units of the MT07 as well for R&D apparently... I'll believe that Yamaha has woken up only after they've launched the R3.

[PratikPatel]

For me this bike is day too late and a dollar short. After owing the R15 V1, I was eagerly waiting for Yamaha to come out with a 250cc. However, the waiting became exercise in frustration and disappointment with each passing year.

After 3 years of waiting, a die hard Yamaha fan with no other choice decided to go for what was available i.e. Ninja 300. With over 2 years of excellent ownership experience, I can emphatically say the R3 is not going to give me anything I don't already have with the N300.

[man_of_steel]

Not sure if I had missed something, but how is the R25 visually different from the R3? And how is it concluded that the bike spotted is the 3 and not the 25? Decal was not taped off on the test mule?

[Chida]

Originally Posted by man_of_steel

Not sure if I had missed something, but how is the R25 visually different from the R3? And how is it concluded that the bike spotted is the 3 and not the 25? Decal was not taped off on the test mule?

That’s a valid question and looks like even MOTOROIDS guys does not have an answer either – this is what their article says “Looking at some of the publicly available import data in recent months, we reckon this is the Yamaha YZF-R3, and not the smaller R25. This is because there have been reports of Yamaha Motor India importing two R3s last January, both in black, like the ones we see in this picture”

[payeng]

So the R25/R3 will come to India..!!

Big Question Mark: Manufactured in India (like the RC390 and CBR250R) or CKD (like the Ninja 300)?

Manufacture: Expect a competitive price tag
CKD: Expect price around the Ninja 300

Manufacturing makes business sense only if

[1] There is an assured steady decent monthly Domestic Demand

[2] Even if the domestic numbers might not be encouraging, the manufacturing base can also used as an export base (la KTM RC and Duke that are made in India)

Apart from setting up manufacturing facility, there needs to be vendor development and assurance for a minimum number of OEM parts to be supplied.

Currently the number that the CBR250R is generating (around 100-200 per month as per 2014-15 numbers), one would be really brave to set up an manufacturing line up up the R25/3.

Compared to that Kawasaki is doing better with around 90-100 Ninja 300 per month with CKD assembly and higher price tag.

So would the R25/3 be so irresistible to be able to generate good numbers to make a case for being manufactured in India? Big Question Mark.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by mercedised

any reasons for saying that R3 will blow away the Ninja?

In terms of numbers:

The R3 has more cc (30 cc), more power (3 bhp), more torque (3 Nm, at a full 1000 rpm less), revs to almost the same redline (around 13000 rpm), and weighs 6 kilos less.

The real answer, with nothing to do with cold numbers:

Its a Yamaha.

P.S. "Blow away" is biker speak. Not to be taken overly seriously. On the road, depending on your state of mind at the time, in the heat of a duel, even pulling 4-5 bike lengths ahead flat out in full crouch is happily accepted as "blowing away" .....

The Ninja 300 is a superb machine. I hope the R3 is even better. Both of them with a few tweaks can push 200, which is really something for a small twin.