The 2023 iteration of the Yamaha R3 and the MT-03 have been officially confirmed for the Indian market. If we believe some industry reports, sales of these intriguing motorcycles will commence close to the end of the financial year 2023-24 (somewhere between December 2023 and March 2024). Yamaha showcased the new R3 and the MT 03 at a dealer conference in India while also disclosing some details about the bikes. The Yamaha R3, which is a fully-faired sportbike, comes fitted with a 321cc parallel-twin liquid-cooled engine. The motor develops 40.4bhp of maximum power and 29.5Nm of peak torque.
2023 Yamaha R3: What's New?
Hardware-wise, the R3 motorcycle will get 37mm KYB inverted forks at the front and an adjustable mono-shock at the rear. For braking duties, the R3 will employ 298mm front discs and 220mm rear discs, accompanied by dual-channel ABS. The 2023 R3's design is more aerodynamic. In terms of styling, the bike will come with a full fairing with split headlamps, new LED indicators, and a new Purple paint job.
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Yamaha has used high-tensile steel tubing to develop the R3's lightweight sports chassis, ensuring a 50-50 weight distribution. In addition, the bike also receives a central air duct, rear-set footpegs, and clip-on bars. Other notable features include an LCD instrument cluster, all-LED lighting, and a slipper clutch.
Yamaha pulled the plug on the R3 in 2019. The motorcycle had an ex-showroom price of Rs 3.51 lakh before it was discontinued in that year. Now with these updates, we expect a price tag of about Rs 4 lakh (ex-showroom). In the Indian market, the R3 will take on the likes of the KTM RC 390 and the Ninja 400.
2023 Yamaha MT-03: What Will it Get?
With an intention to expand the MT base in the country, Yamaha is planning to launch the naked MT-03 bike. However, the launch date remains uncertain. Official details are still awaited as to whether the brand will launch the MT-03 alongside the R3 or after that. Similar to its faired sibling, the MT-03 is powered by a 321cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin motor. The engine is mated to a six-speed gearbox and churns out 42bhp of maximum power and 29.6Nm of peak torque.
Given that the MT-03 is a naked version of the fully-faired YZF-R3, the MT-03 has an aggressive front profile. Its headlight unit includes a projector unit with LED DRLs. The bike gets a muscular fuel tank with creases and cuts, which adds to the bike's overall muscular appearance. In terms of suspension, the MT-03 is equipped with USD front forks and a rear mono-shock. For braking, the bike features a 298mm front and a 200mm rear disc, with ABS. The brakes are mounted on 17-inch alloy wheels, which are wrapped in 110/70 front and 140/70 rear tyres.
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The MT-03's pricing could be around Rs 3.7 lakh (ex-showroom). When it rolls out in the Indian market, it will compete with the likes of the KTM 390 Duke and the BMW G 310 R.
Upon launch, the new Yamaha R3 and the MT-03 will go on sale as completely built-up units (CBU), eventually transitioning to CKD production models.
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