2024 Yamaha R3 Road Test Review: Expensive But Fun!

All the years that the Yamaha R3 was on sale in India, it was always a slightly expensive but rather adored bike. After making an India comeback some time ago, it’s still expensive but the question that needs to be answered is the second one. Is it still adored and can it still find a place for itself in our market, given how much the 300-500cc space has grown in the past couple of years? We answer that very question in this road test review: 

Design 

Yamaha has updated the R3 for 2024 and the bike now gets a sharper dual LED headlight setup with an intake between them. Now, while that does make it look more aggressive than the older R3, our issue is that the new R3 looks a bit too similar to the Yamaha R15, in terms of design as well as proportions. And funnily, the new R3 looks the most similar to the Yamaha R15S, which is the most affordable R15. Now of course, us enthusiasts would be able to tell the difference easily, but for a lot of people the bikes would be a bit too similar looking from afar. During all these days, we had many R15 riders trying to race our riders because they thought it was a fellow R15 rider.  

These things said, the Yamaha R3 is still a very handsome bike and will definitely grab a lot of attention in public. As of now, the bike is offered in two colour schemes: Yamaha Black and Icon Blue. The black colour scheme on our bike was a bit too subtle and if you’re looking to buy an R3, getting it in the iconic blue paint scheme would make it look nicer, in our opinion. 

Engine, Mileage And Performance

What made the R3 so likeable was its rev-happy twin-cylinder and it’s still very much the case. This engine revs till almost 13,000rpm and it’s an absolute joy to rev it out. For perspective, the R3 actually does a speedometer-indicated 63kmph (which is actually 58.66kmph) in the first gear itself, something that not many other 300cc bikes can do. So the R3 will give you all the joys of owning a sportsbike and your weekend rides up and down a twisty road will be a lot of fun. In fact, the R3 has always been one of the best small capacity bikes to take to a race track in its stock form. That said, if a lot of sporty riding is what you’re aiming for, a tyre upgrade is highly recommended. The R3’s Dunlop Sportmax tyres are okay on dry tarmac but the moment there’s any imperfection, be it water, sand or gravel, the grip levels go down immediately and they don’t really inspire a lot of confidence. We strongly recommend the TVS Eurogrip Protorq Extreme tyres for they’re not only quite affordable but are also very grippy in both dry and wet conditions. Here’s how much they cost: 

These things said, the R3 is one of the smallest displacement twin-cylinder sportsbikes in India and you do feel the displacement handicap once you start revving the R3 out. It sits at 100kmph in 6th gear above 6000rpm and the moment you go beyond that speed, you’ll feel a buzz creeping in on the right side of the handlebar. Mind you, we’re not saying that the R3 feels underpowered, it’s just that because of its lower displacement, it always feels that the engine is working quite hard all the time and just feels a little bit stressed. And that was something we also saw by how frequently the R3’s radiator fan kicks in. 

Sporty riding aside, when you want to tone things down a bit, the R3 is happy to do that too. Its engine is supremely tractable, meaning higher gears in lower speeds isn’t an issue at all. 5th gear, 30kmph and the bike chugs along with no complaints. That said, the R3 throws a fair bit of heat towards the rider’s legs when stuck in long traffic jams and if you’re not wearing riding pants, you will feel the hot air on your ankles and calves. But again, if you’re buying twin cylinder bikes that rev high, heat is something that you will have to get used to. Another thing that prospective buyers will have to get used to is the heavy clutch. Given the lack of a slip-and-assist clutch, it requires quite a lot of effort and modulating it constantly in the traffic will give your fingers a workout.  

As for the Yamaha R3’s mileage, we got about 23-24kmpl when riding the bike hard. So if you’re a slightly more sedate rider, you could get about 26-27kmpl as well. But getting anything more than that will be quite hard. 

Handling And Ride Quality

Now obviously you buy a sportsbike for its handling and the R3 doesn’t disappoint at all. Its handling isn’t as sharp as some of its rivals but it’s progressive and you won’t require a lot of effort to steer it. It tips into corners with a sense of predictability and with all those revs at your disposal, you will enjoy riding it hard and fast. And the best part is the way it strikes a balance between being friendly enough for beginners while being engaging enough for the experienced riders. In sum, anyone who gets on the R3 will have fun going fast and will enjoy pushing their own limits. 

Now while the R3 has been quite a comfortable sportsbike, there’s something interesting going along there. Granted, its upper body ergonomics are actually very comfortable and it’s quite upright to ride. The clip-ons are quite tall and it doesn’t put you in the typically uncomfortable sportsbike riding posture. But the lower body ergonomics are quite tight and they will put taller riders’ legs in a very sharp angle. Plus the R3’s seat, while comfortable, is not very roomy. So once the rider is locked in, there’s not a whole lot of room to move around. 

These things said, these issues were faced by our taller tester (6 feet tall) and riders upto 5’9 found the ergonomics just fine. So this is a problem that riders near or above the 6 foot mark will face and it’s something we’d advise you to look out for when you test ride the R3. As for the suspension, the R3 is surprisingly more comfortable than the MT 03. And that’s because the rider leans forward (given the clip-ons), so some of the weight is taken off their butt, meaning they don’t feel as much of the jolts from the stiffer rear suspension, as much as they would on the MT 03 (where they’re sitting upright and hence more weight on their butts). 

Features 

The R3 is quite bare bones in terms of features and there are no fancy TFTs or rider aids to talk about. There’s a big tachometer with a gear position indicator and the speedometer under it. Towards the bottom there are gauges for the engine temperature and fuel along with a clock, odometer and tripmeters. Switching through the tripmeters or changing the metric systems (showing the speedometer in miles/hour or the average mileage in miles per gallon) is done through two buttons placed just under the console. We have no issues with the console layout since everything one would want to check out on the go is very legible. 

Our issue is with the quality levels. The switchgear doesn’t feel premium and the clutch and brake levers are neither adjustable and nor do they get any kind of good looking finish. Such bikes are obviously very aspirational but such things just take away a bit from that very aspiration index. 

Should You Buy The Yamaha R3?

At Rs 4,64,900 (ex-showroom Delhi), the R3 is definitely not a value for money product and is priced way more than what it should have been. That said, it’s still a friendly, forgiving yet extremely capable sportsbike and anyone who gets on it will return with a big smile on their face. And when you consider the fact that it’s known to be extremely reliable and that Yamaha takes good care of its big bike owners (helping them out with spare parts), it does help the R3’s case. 

To sum it up, buying the R3 will be a heart-over-head decision. It might not appeal to a cynical brain, but could very well appeal to a heart that loves just how fun this bike can be. So if finances aren’t an issue and you’re looking for an authentically Japanese twin-cylinder sportsbike that’s versatile and very capable, the R3 is back!