Yamaha R3 India launch on August 11

Yamaha India has sent out an invite for the launch of a new product on August 11th. Given the fact that the new offering is being unveiled at the BIC race track we have a feeling that it will be riding in the new Yamaha R3 in India. This should come as good news for the hordes of two-wheeler enthusiasts who have been eagerly waiting for the bike to hit Indian roads. Yamaha Had showcased the R25 Concept at the 2014 Auto Expo in Delhi and it had created a huge interest among the visitors. Yamaha was testing the R25 and R3 for the Indian market and both the motorcycles were sporting UP plates as the head office for the Japanese bikemaker is at Surajpur.

Since both the bikes will come via the CKD route, it seems Yamaha has preferred the higher displacement motorcycle which in our books is the correct decision. The Yamaha R3 will be the new locally assembled flagship offering for the Japanese two-wheeler giant in the Indian market. In terms of styling the Yamaha R3 is similar to its 250cc sibling with sharp and edgy lines that should appeal to the masses. Powering the Yamaha R3 is a 321cc, parallel-twin, liquid-cooled motor churning out 42PS at 10,750rpm and peak torque of 29.6Nm at 9,000rpm. The mill is mated to a 6-speed constant mesh gearbox. In terms of power output, the Yamaha YZF-R3 sits between its arch rivals the Kawasaki Ninja 300 (39PS) and the KTM RC 390 (43PS).

Braking is done by disc brakes at front and rear while ABS is standard. With localisation and CKD assembly we can expect the Yamaha R3 to be priced around Rs 2.5 to 2.8 lakh. If Yamaha is able to pull this off, then it has a winner on its hands as the Yamaha R3 can deliver the refined nature of the Kawasaki Ninja 300’s twin-cylinder motor and match up to the KTM RC 390’s power output. We will be soon riding the Yamaha R3 also so watch this space for a review report.