Yamaha MT-03 India launch confirmed

Yamaha India has confirmed that it will launch the new MT-03 in the Indian market next year. The new Yamaha MT-03 was first showcased at the 2015 EICMA Motorcycle Show held in Milan last month. The new motorcycle is basically a streetbike version of the Yamaha R3 which is on sale in India. The MT-03 will be showcased at the 2016 Auto Expo in February with a possible launch by mi-2016. The styling of the Yamaha MT-03 is exactly similar to its 250cc sibling, the Yamaha MT-25. The design language of the Yamaha MT-03 is akin to street bikes with a beefy tank, petite tail lamp, and exposed frame along with sharp and edgy lines that should please the naked bike loyalists. Apart from the design changes, Yamaha boffins have also fine tuned the riding position to better suit to the street bike riding dynamics and seat height is also low at 780mm. The Yamaha MT-03 has dumped the clip-on bars for a more conventional single piece and wide handlebar that will endow the rider with an upright and comfortable riding stance. 

The Yamaha MT-03 is powered by the same parallel-twin motor as seen on the Yamaha R3 good enough for 43PS of peak power and 29.5Nm of peak torque. The powerplant has been mated to a 6-speed transmission. Braking is done by disc brake at front and rear while ABS is standard (Yamaha R3 sold in India doesn’t get ABS). The MT-03 employs cast aluminium wheels with a 140/70 rear tyre and 120/70 front. Expect the Yamaha MT-03 to be showcased at the 2016 Auto Expo with a possible launch by late 2016. The Yamaha MT-03 will be brought in via the CKD route to India with an estimated pricing of under Rs 3 lakh and compete against the likes of the Kawasaki Z250, Benelli TNT300 and the upcoming BMW G301R.