This week we not only go a chance to see the 2015 Yamaha YZF-R3 unveiled at the AIMExpo, but also we had the chance to see the R3 up-close in the flesh. The budget-minded sport bike shows the obvious signs of more cost-effecient construction and fitted components, yet retains the fit-and-finish you would expect from a Yamaha motorcycle.
This makes the R3 a prime candidate for aspirational riders, who want an affordable first motorcycle that looks the part of a proper sport bike. Track enthusiasts and veteran riders though will be disappointed with the Yamaha YZF-R3’s non-adjustable KYB suspension, box swingarm design, and bulky chassis — this is still a 368lbs (wet) motorcycle.
That being said, you can’t accuse Yamaha of bringing a knife to a gunfight, as the YZF-R3 is perhaps the most robust machine to come to the small-displacement war from a Japanese manufacturer. Extracting 41hp from its 321cc parallel twin engine, the Yamaha YZF-R3 has the second highest power output in its class, with the KTM RC390 making 1.5hp more from its 373cc thumper.
Priced at just below $5,000 for the US market, and styled to look like a smaller YZF-R1 (as is the YZF-R25), the Yamaha YZF-R3 sits between the $5,199 Kawasaki Ninja 300 SE and $4,399 Honda CBR300R. We have yet to hear how KTM will price the RC390 when it comes to the USA in 2015, but it is expected to be north of $6,000.
It will be interesting to put the Yamaha YZF-R3 through its paces. The bikes of other manufacturers have suffered from the cheaper components used to bring these bikes to market at their price points, especially when it comes to braking.
Yamaha’s choice to go with a twin, instead of single-cylinder engine, could be a strong advantage. As the Honda CBR300R has proven to be quite buzz with its thumper pounding away. Having not ridden the RC390 yet, we can’t comment on its riding feel, but some attributes are inherent to their design.
Significantly cheaper than the similarly powered KTM, more robust than the Honda, and cheaper than the Kawasaki, the 2015 Yamaha YZF-R3 could be the smart pick for 250cc/300cc class sport bike riders. We can’t wait to ride one.
Photos: © 2014 Jensen Beeler / Asphalt & Rubber – Creative Commons – Attribution 3.0
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