THE KING RETURNS

After a longish hiatus, the R3 returns to India to claim its rightful throne. We also found out how Thailand is amazing for motorcyclists

- Joshua Varghese

IT WAS IN 2015 THAT THE YZF-R3 was first launched in India. It marked an important blip in the enthusiasts' timeline because it was a motorcycle that bridged the gap between beginner-level sport machines and the more serious stuff. It was a friendly yet fast motorcycle that offered the thrill a rider expected without being too demanding. Emission norms removed it from our reach for a while. Now, in 2023, as it makes a comeback, Yamaha took us to Thailand for a three-day tour so we could properly experience all that the latest R3 has to offer.

We rode 700-plus kilometres around northern Thailand's beautiful countryside and towns. Somehow, each corner unfolded before us a landscape that was more magical than the previous one. Even when faced with such stiff competition, the R3 stood out. Some of us may be familiar with the previous model but Yamaha have given the latest R3 a completely new front end. The LED headlights are separated by an air duct and the whole thing is placed in an aggressively shaped cowl. The top extends in a smooth arc to accommodate a bubble-type windscreen. Below the cowl, a new upside-down (USD) fork steals the show. The fairing has been reworked to accommodate the front cowl and it is a significantly more seamless design than before. The 14-litre fueltank is the last in the list of aesthetic changes and the most shapely of them all. It flows into the rider's seat quite nicely and its contours immediately make one feel like they are astride a much larger machine.

From the seat onwards till the end of the motorcycle, nothing has changed compared to the previous iteration. However, it is a timeless design and does not feel out of place with the latest styling changes. As an owner of a 2016 R3, even I am hard pressed to pick a favourite between the two. Standing on 17-inch wheels, all the proportions look just right and as before, we do get blue wheels with the blue R3.