The Bangkok International Motor Show is currently underway, and manufacturers are displaying their products at the motoring event in Thailand. One of the many products displayed at the show is the Yamaha YZF-R3 that expected to arrive in the Indian market soon. The previous generation model is currently sold in the country, and it is only a matter of time before the facelift comes to India.
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The 2019 YZF-R3, similar to its predecessor, could come to India via the CKD route. The company would most likely retain the exact same specification as the international model for the India-spec YZF-R3.
IAB spoke to Ravinder Singh, Sr. VP, Strategy & Planning, Yamaha Motor India Sales (YMIS) on the sidelines of the FZ Fi and FZ-S Fi V3.0 India launch to find out more about the plans to introduce the 2019 YZF-R3 in the country. Singh did not reveal many details, but he did mention "right balance". The details are scarce, but Yamaha could be considering heavy localisation of components for the 2019 YZF-R3 to keep the prices competitive. A similar strategy was used by Kawasaki India with the Ninja 300 that brought down the costs by a considerable margin and boosted the sales.
To recap, the 2019 YZF-R3 features revised fascia that includes dual LED headlights and an updated fairing design. In comparison, its predecessor uses halogen headlight to perform the illumination tasks. The new fairing and windscreen are claimed to reduce aerodynamic drag by 7%, and enhance the top speed by up to 8 km/h over its predecessor. Shock absorption tasks on the 2019 model are performed by 37mm KYB upside-down forks at the front and link-type rear mono-shock at the back.
Engine specifications continue to feature a 321 cc, liquid-cooled, in-line twin-cylinder, DOHC engine with fuel injection that makes 42 PS of maximum power at 10,750 rpm and 29.6 Nm of peak torque at 9,000 rpm. The engine employs a six-speed gearbox.
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With its updated hardware, the 2019 Yamaha YZF-R3 could carry a premium price tag over the previous generation model. However, Yamaha would aim to keep the price hike minimal, or even bring it down with localisation of parts. For reference, the current YZF-R3 is sold at INR 3.49 lakh (ex-showroom for ABS model).
