Reborn of the mighty Yamaha R3: 2023 Yamaha MT-03 & R3 to Launch in India by the end of FY2023

The 2023 Yamaha R3 and MT-03 models have been officially confirmed for the Indian market. These bikes are expected to go on sale around the end of FY 2023-24 (between December 2023 and March 2024). Yamaha showcased the new R3 and MT-03 at a dealer conference in India and disclosed some details about them.

How is the Yamaha R3 different from the previous model?

The Yamaha R3 is a fully-faired sportbike that has a 321cc parallel-twin liquid-cooled engine. The engine generates 40.4 bhp of maximum power and 29.5 Nm of peak torque.

The R3 bike has some new features and improvements, such as:

• 37mm KYB inverted forks at the front and an adjustable mono-shock at the rear
• 298mm front discs and 220mm rear discs with dual-channel ABS for braking
• A more aerodynamic design with a full fairing, split headlamps, new LED indicators, and a new Purple paint job
• A lightweight sports chassis made of high-tensile steel tubing that ensures a 50-50 weight distribution
• A central air duct, rear-set footpegs, and clip-on bars for better airflow and riding posture
• An LCD instrument cluster, all-LED lighting, and a slipper clutch for convenience and performance.
• Yamaha stopped selling the R3 in 2019. The bike had an ex-showroom price of Rs 3.51 lakh before it was discontinued that year. Now with these updates, we expect a price tag of around Rs 4 lakh (ex-showroom). The R3 will compete with the KTM RC 390 and the Ninja 400 in the Indian market.

What is the Yamaha MT-03 and when will it launch?

The Yamaha MT-03 is a naked version of the fully-faired YZF-R3. Yamaha plans to launch it in India to expand the MT base in the country. However, the launch date is still uncertain. We don't know yet if Yamaha will launch the MT-03 along with the R3 or after that.

The MT-03 has a 321cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin engine paired with a six-speed gearbox. The engine delivers 42bhp of maximum power and 29.6Nm of peak torque.

The MT-03 has an aggressive front look with a projector headlight unit with LED DRLs. The bike also has a muscular fuel tank with creases and cuts that add to its overall athletic look. The suspension system of the MT-03 includes USD front forks and a rear mono-shock. The braking system includes a 298mm front and a 200mm rear disc, with ABS. The brakes are fitted on 17-inch alloy wheels with 110/70 front and 140/70 rear tyres.

The MT-03's price could be around Rs 3.7 lakh (ex-showroom). It will face competition from the KTM 390 Duke and the BMW G 310 R in the Indian market.

How will the new Yamaha bikes be sold in India?

When launching in India, the new Yamaha R3 and MT-03 will be sold as completely built-up units (CBU). This means they will be imported as fully assembled bikes from abroad. Later on, they will become CKD production models. This means they will be imported as partially assembled kits and assembled locally in India.