2019 Yamaha R3 gets a revised riding posture, better aerodynamics and new instrument cluster
Japanese motorcycle manufacturer, Yamaha, is all set to launch updated R3 in the Indian market on 19th December 2019. At present, the R3 is priced at Rs 3.51 lakh ex-showroom and posts around 20-30 units every month. However, last year its archrival Kawasaki Ninja 300 has killed all the sales of the bike by reducing the price to Rs 2.98 lakh.
New Yamaha R3 gets revised styling, better aerodynamics, lower handlebars, and new instrument cluster. Along with this, the bike gets ram air intake as seen on the bigger bikes. The complete front fascia of the bike differs a lot than the outgoing version. However, in terms of looks, the older R3 was better suited to our eyes.
Coming to the engine, it continues to derive power from the same 321cc liquid-cooled, parallel-twin engine with a 8-valve head. This powerplant develops 42bhp and 29.6Nm twisting force. The engine is paired to a 6-speed gearbox which could take the bike to a top speed more than 180 kmph. At present, there is no word about engine being a BS6 compliant unit but if Yamaha doesn’t launch a BS6 version, it has to do the same after April 2020.
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Rest of the components, including the frame, suspension, and braking are carried forward from the current-gen bike. There is a dual-channel ABS to provide better control during hard braking.
The main question comes out – will new Yamaha R3 give any fight to the Kawasaki Ninja 300? A normal price hike is unavoidable due to added TFT display and other changes so expect a price hike of about Rs 20,000. And on top of that, a BS6 engine will increase the price by another Rs 15,000 to 20,000.
At an ex-showroom price of Rs 3.8 lakh, the new R3 can never compete with the Kawasaki Ninja 300 which is Rs 80,000 cheaper and returns a bit less performance. If Yamaha increases the localisation of the R3 and launches it at a price tag of around Rs 3.2 lakh, then Kawasaki has to think about something else. However, we have to wait till December 19th for the price and other details.
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