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.
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Denne historien er fra January 2024-utgaven av Bike India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Bagnaia Wins the Battle; Martin Wins the War
Despite Bagnaia's best efforts, Martin hung on to third place on Sunday to seal the deal and take home the champion's trophy at the conclusion of a long 2024 season
Navaneeth and Yogesh Crowned Champions
Dynamic weather around Coimbatore was the perfect backdrop to end the 2024 JK Tyre Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup season in fine style.
DRIFTASTIC
TVS have modified a bunch of Ronin motorcycles for flat-track racing. They invited us over to spend an afternoon learning how to turn right to go left
Quarter Mile of Thrills
The Valley Run 2024 Winter Edition was a weekend of high-octane speeds, a celebration of bike culture as well as an event that witnessed records being shattered by an unlikely competitor
Pure Community
Motoverse is the easiest way of understanding Royal Enfield's diversity
Revolt Against City Traffic
As a commuter motorcycle, the Revolt RV1+ brings a lot in its package at a competitive price. We hopped on this electric motorcycle to check its practicality around the city
Vibe Check
With the launch of the Goan Classic 350, Royal Enfield have wrapped up the year of the Classic well
Tiny Yet Mighty
Enter the BMW CE 02, a 15-hp e-scooter that looks more like a design project dreamt up by a skateboarding intern than a production two-wheeler, but in terms of youth appeal and, yes, that X-factor, it is taking no prisoners
Ducati Revamp Powerful Multistrada 14 S
At face value, it appears Ducati have only mildly tweaked the Multistrada V4 S for 2025, which is why we arrived in Perugia, Italy, a few hours north of Rome, expecting a couple of easy days on the classy adventure-tourer. However, it quickly became apparent that despite only mildly updating the Multi's familiar looks, beneath the bodywork lies a vast number of updates that Ducati hope will make the bestselling Multi (and best-selling Ducati globally) even more versatile than before
This Bear is Royal and Friendly
The first ride of the Royal Enfield Bear 650, spanning eight hours, was held in California. Here is our first impression
