2018 Yamaha YZF-R3 has been confirmed to make its India debut at Auto Expo 2018. The motorcycle carries no mechanical changes from the last version as the only difference that one could spot is the Team Yamaha livery with Blue and Black paint scheme.
Indian market once got the R3 for a short time but BS4 emission standards resulted in discontinuation of the model in April 2017. As the model here was imported from South Asian markets, the process stopped suddenly after India entered a stricter emission circle. Importing Yamaha R3 from some other country would not keep the price competitive in any way.
US spec R3 is offered with optional ABS for $300 (INR 19,000 approx). The base price is $4999 (approx INR 3.20 lakh) and importing the same will take the price higher by almost two times. Yamaha can even plan a local manufacturing process for R3 to compete against KTM RC 390 and Ninja 300, latter of which is also planning to enter local production in 2018.
Yamaha R3 is also available in two other mouth watering shades. It might arrive in India without ABS as Yamaha has no plans to introduce the safety feature before government makes it mandatory for every brand in the country around April 2019.
Yamaha R3 is powered by a 321cc, twin cylinder engine producing 41.4 BHP at 10750 rpm and 29.6 Nm at 9000 rpm. The engine comes mated to a 6-speed gearbox. As the bike weighs just 169 kg, it is undoubtedly the most effective twin cylinder machine of its segment. Benelli even recently introduced the 302R for INR 3.48 lakh, making it the most affordable option, that too with ABS, for this engine segment.
The only drawback was its high weight and flat looks, still pushing riders into the Kawasaki stable. If Yamaha plans to save the ABS cost, they could launch the R3 at Auto Expo 2018 and have more than 1 year of low initial cost experience. But we think Yamaha India must bring the updated R3 with Anti-Lock Braking System as ABS is a must-have safety feature in this segment.
2018 Yamaha YZF-R3 Specs
| Displacement | 321 cc |
| No. of Cylinders | 2 |
| No. of Gears | 6 |
| Maximum Power | 41.4 Bhp @ 10750 rpm |
| Maximum Torque | 29.6 Nm @ 9000 rpm |
| Seat Height | 780 mm |
| Ground Clearance | 160 mm |
| Kerb/Wet Weight | 169 kg |
| Fuel Tank Capacity | 14 litres |
| Top Speed | 188 kmph |