Yamaha YZF-R3 Long Term Report: April 2016

In my previous long-term report of the Yamaha YZF-R3, I mentioned how every day felt like a ‘track day’ when riding this wonderful machine. Well, I’m glad to report that this feeling still strongly resonates with me. The R3 has been a bundle of joy, and there’s never a dull moment with this bike. The everyday commute to the office is made ‘soo’ much more interesting when I twist the throttle and the beautiful 310cc engine comes to life with a loud, high-pitched tone – just like a sports bike is supposed to. It’s such a wonderful feeling when your bike accelerates quickly, and is accompanied by that beautiful sound – and to add to the adrenaline rush from the speed, you lean forward, tuck your chin in, and then you really feel like you belong on a track.

But, besides the everyday commute, and the occasional ride to the gym, the R3 can also be a joy to ride on the highway as well. On a recent ride to the Buddh International Circuit, I was able to ride the bike on the Greater Noida Expressway and the Yamuna Expressway – two of the best highways in India. And I have to say that the R3’s engine is truly a remarkable piece of engineering brilliance. The overall smoothness of the engine, and its ability to remain completely stress free at very high speeds is ‘awesome’ to say the least. Even at three digit speeds, there’s no indication at all that any component is stressed in any way shape or form – except for engine sound that is, which hit a note as high as a falsetto opera vocalist. There were no vibrations felt at all! In fact, the ride was super smooth even as I nearly hit the rev limit of 12,000rpm. I was simply amazed by the engine – and also at how quickly it chugged down the fuel.

Another plus for the R3 on the highway is that it’s actually very comfortable to ride. The seat is nice, and so is the seating position. So you could definitely go on long tours and not have a horrendous backache at the end of the day. Even in the city, I’m very impressed with the R3 and at just how comfortable it is.

The R3 was crowned the Indian Bike of the Year 2016, and it is without a doubt the best entry-level sports bike available in the world – not just in India. The R3 has got a great overall design, and it turns heads wherever it goes. It performs unbelievably well, and is super fun to ride. It’s also very comfortable and has a super smooth overall ride quality. There’s nothing to not like about the bike, besides its price – which is just a little too steep. Plus, Yamaha should have definitely offered an ABS version. Other than that, I’m the happiest man you’ll see on the streets of Delhi.