Yamaha YZF-R3 review, test ride

Yes, Yamaha's R3 makes one heck of a small capacity twin to pilot around India's biggest race circuit. Read on!

Published on Aug 11, 2015 06:21:00 PM

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The 321cc, four-stroke, parallel twin-cylinder R3 engine feels refined from the word go, and offers all the technology you'd expect from a Yamaha coming into this space. There's liquid-cooling, four valves per DiASil coated cylinder, fuel-injection, forged pistons, a six-speed gearbox, dual overhead camshafts and a competitive 41.4bhp on throttle at 10,750rpm. The step up in displacement from the 250cc class of a few years ago has paid big dividends for usability, the R3 putting into action twin 32mm throttle bodies with 12 perforations. While peak torque of 3kgm is developed at a high 9,000pm, the R3's got plenty of shove on offer even at low-to-mid engine speeds. You could carry mid-level third gear drive and use the torque to catapult out of the final corner on the sprawling and wide BIC circuit very comfortably.

Grab it by the horns though, and the R3 delivers, with acceleration that's thrilling and expectedly smooth and vibe-free anywhere from over 5,000rpm, where serious power is available to take you quickly past 11,500rpm. The exhaust note is about as evocative as you could hope for with bikes handicapped by today's crippling norms, and has a nice sporty edge when pushing hard.
Clutch and gearshift feel is just perfect on the R3, with not a single shift missed throughout our time on track.