When Yamaha announced earlier this year that it will be bringing the R3 and its naked sibling– the MT-03 — to India, every riding enthusiast in the country, including yours truly, had a wide grin across their faces. We got to ride the speedy twins at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC), Greater Noida for 15 minutes each and here’s how they ride.
Now, since our time with both the bikes were limited this will be a very quick and short first ride impression for obvious reasons. While the R3 was on sale in India previously before the stringent BS6 emission norms kicked in from April 2020, the MT-03 is a completely new proposition for the riders in India.
Yamaha R3, MT-03 review: Design
Starting with their design, both bikes flaunt familiar designs. The R3 gets a typical sports bike design with a fully-faired body, a wide front apron, a windscreen, and a floating tail section. Up front, it gets a centrally-mounted projector LED headlamp flaked by twin LED DRLs that gives an aggressive look. All in all, the R3’s looks are in similar lines with the R15, but gets a slightly bigger and more brawny appeal than the later.
On the other hand, the MT-03 is a typical naked streetfighter with minimal body panels. Styling highlights include the mean-looking fascia courtesy of a signature wolf-eyed LED lighting setup and shrouds extending from the muscular fuel tank lending the bike a sharp and chiselled look. Other common visual highlights between both bikes are a split-seat setup, a floating tail section, split grab rails and an upswept single-sided exhaust muffler.
Yamaha R3, MT-03 review: Features & build quality
There isn’t a single feature to complain about, since there is hardly any. Both bikes have remained unchanged for ages and still carry the same setup featuring a basic LCD instrument panel housing a speedometer, fuel indicator, tachometer and odometer. Illumination is LED all around, but there’s no USB port for charging.
Neither of these bikes are equipped with any fancy electronics that contemporary sports bikes usually possess in their arsenal. Heck, for track-friendly machines like R3 and MT-03 neither of these motorcycles come with a quickshifter, even as an option. The only notable addition is dual-channel ABS as standard which wasn’t the case with the earlier version of the India-spec R3.
Both bikes have a decent build quality that a Yamaha is usually associated with. All touchpoints have a sturdy if not a premium feel. The switchgear layout is familiar to what Yamaha offers in all its R and MT range of sporty bikes.
Yamaha R3, MT-03 review: Engine performance
This is where both these little monsters completely shine and what better way to test these machines to their fullest than at a race track. Powering the R3 and the MT-03 is a 321cc liquid cooled, 4-stroke, in-line twin-cylinder, DOHC engine that pumps out 41 bhp at 10,750 rpm and a peak torque of 29.5 Nm at 9,000 rpm.
This motor, as expected, is very happy to rev hard and comes to life when the Variable Valve Actuation (VVA) kicks past the 6,000 rpm mark. That said, even lower down the range, the engine has enough torque to pull through the higher gears at slower speeds. Speaking of gears, the motor is paired with a six-speed gearbox which honestly felt a bit notchy at times.
However, the biggest miss in my opinion is the lack of a slip and assist clutch. For performance motorcycles of this calibre, a slip and assist clutch is almost a given. Bikes two or three segments below now offer this feature. That said, the clutch operation is smooth enough even for aggressive downshifts on a track. Another positive for Yamaha are the brakes which did more than a good job of slowing or bringing the bike to a halt.
Watch Video: Yamaha R3, MT-03 First Ride Impressions
Yamaha R3, MT-03 review: Ride & handling
It is very difficult to form a complete opinion about a bike’s ride and handling when you have only ridden it for 4 laps around a race track. From whatever little time we got with both the bikes, it is safe to say that both bikes are placed on the stiffer side. Both are underpinned by the same diamond tube frame that sits on non-adjustable 37mm front USD forks and a rear monoshock.
It must be pointed out that R3 is slightly more stiffer than its naked counterpart and, hence, more suited for a sprint on the track. That said, MT-03 is lighter and easier to handle thanks to the lack of faired body panels. On board the streetfighter, the rider faces a whole lot of wind blast due to the lack of a windscreen, which makes it best-suited for city confines.
Another major difference between the two models is their ergonomics. The R3 gets a low-set clip-on handlebar and rear-set footpegs that offer a signature sports bike riding posture which is fully committed. The riding posture for MT-03, on the other hand, is not as aggressive as the R3 and offers slightly more upright and relaxed ergonomics with a conventional, single-piece handlebar and centre-set footpegs.
Yamaha R3, MT-03 review: Verdict
There’s surely something enticing about motorcycles that offer pure joy in the simplest of forms. In today’s age of sophisticated automotive technology, the Yamaha R3 and MT-03 feel like a pair of old relics. But despite being bare bones, both motorcycles provide the purest thrill of motorcycling that will leave even experienced riders spellbound.
Performance is definitely high but not manic and scary. Moreover, coming from a novice rider like me, either of these bikes could be the first performance bike for a beginner. What will pinch though are their astonishingly absurd price tags– the MT-03 priced at Rs 4.60 lakh, and the R3 priced at Rs 4.65 lakh (both ex-showroom).
It is very hard to recommend bikes with such basic offerings at such a high price. Both bikes come to India as fully imported Completely Built Units (CBUs) and Yamaha says localisation will happen once the bikes create a market for themselves. But at this price point, I doubt it is going to happen anytime soon. Again, it is a call where the mind will have to take a back seat while making the purchase decision.