The 2018 Yamaha YZF-R3 has started entering
dealerships. Yamaha unveiled and launched the 2018 version at the Auto Expo in
February. The only major negatives of the earlier generation
R3 were the tyres and the lack of ABS, and Yamaha has sorted out the
shortcomings in the 2018 version. The motorcycle now comes with Metzeler
Sportec M5 Interact tyres as standard. It measures 110-section at the front and
140-section at the rear. The 298 mm front and the 220 mm rear disc now feature
dual-channel ABS.
The overall design of the bike has remained
unchanged, and is similar to the earlier generation bike. The engine is now
BS-IV compliant. The 320.6 cc parallel twin DOHC mill with liquid cooling and
fuel injection makes 42 PS at 10,750 rpm; and 29.6 Nm at 9,000 rpm. Pairing
with the engine is a 6-speed transmission.
The Diamond type frame rides on telescopic fork at
the front and monoshock at the rear. The motorcycle tips the scale at 173 kg,
kerb and gets a 14-litre fuel tank. The bike costs INR 3,48,000, ex-showroom,
Delhi; and is available in two colours- Magma Black and Racing Blue. The key
competitors in its price segment include the Benelli 302R and the Kawasaki
Ninja 300.
