Yamaha R3 And MT-03 Launch In India In Mid-December

Yamaha is all set to bring back its larger capacity motorcycles officially to India. And it starts with the launch of the R3 and MT-03 sometime mid-December. Yamaha had given us a glimpse into its big bike plans earlier this year and we are glad to see the wheels being put into motion on this front.

The R3 has undergone quite a bit of change since it was last on sale in the country. It has a sharper face, hopefully a more capable front suspension and a full digital instrumentation. Where it remains more or less unchanged is the latter half of the bike, basically from the engine backwards.

So, the 321 cc parallel-twin mill still puts out 41.43 bhp and 29.5 Nm, like it used to earlier. It will be BS6.2 emission norms compliant. It continues to be housed in a tubular steel diamond frame with a gullwing-style cast aluminium swingarm. Still no front radial brake calliper or a large 320mm rotor present. Braking was not the biggest issue with the bike last time round but if we had better brakes complementing the improved suspension, it would be more willing to have fun on the R3.

What remains to be seen is what tyres Yamaha India equips the R3 with going forwards. We hated the MRF rubber that initially came with the bike and only with grippy Metzeler Sportec M5 W-rated tyres did it feel happy on its feet. However, the said rubber has become seriously expensive. We hope Yamaha kits the bike with either TVS Protorq Extremes or Apollo Alpha H1s as these tyres are great choices for Indian roads.

While the R3 isn’t new to the country, the MT-03 surely is going to be an interesting and fun addition to the naked segment. It isn’t just the R3 sans fairing and ergonomic changes. It gives off a mean look with its LED face and blinkers. And Yamaha India customers will instantly recognise it as one of their own as it follows a very similar design philosophy to the MT-15 V2.

What remains to be seen is just how well these two Yammies are priced. Considering they will be brought to the country via the CKD route and not locally manufactured, they are bound to be pricey when compared to its Austrian rivals. We expect the MT-03 to at least carry a price tag of Rs 3.80 lakh (ex-showroom) while the sporty R3 to cost around Rs 20,000 - Rs 25,000 more.