2020 Yamaha MT-03 breaks cover

The 2020 Yamaha MT-03 has quite a lot going on in terms of changes & updates. However, some bits like the brakes & engine continue to be same as those of the latest-gen R3.

Yamaha Motor Europe has pulled the covers off the 2020 iteration of its middle-weight naked streetfighter, the MT-03. Essentially, the MT-03 is a naked version of the fully-faired YZF-R3, as both bikes share some significant bits, like the engine and brake hardware. While the 2020 iteration continues to borrow these bits from its predecessor, it's the styling department where most of the changes have taken place. The outgoing model's styling was based on the MT-07, but the updated version takes its visual cues from the more recent MT-09 & MT-15 models. Some might even mistake the 2020 MT-03 for the MT-15, due to very similar styling.

As mentioned above, the 2020 MT-03 retains the 321cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin motor that continues to produce 41bhp & 29.6Nm of torque. The MT-03, like the YZF-R3, gets its stopping power from a 298mm disc at the front & a 220mm unit at the rear, further aided by dual-channel ABS. Coming to the upgraded bits on the 2020 model, the MT-03 now gets a YZF-R1 Supersport-inspired long swingarm (573mm), which works in tandem with a revised rear damper (with a new, stiffer spring) to provide more balanced & controlled braking abilities. At the front, the MT-03 receives new 37mm USD forks.

A new digital LCD instrument panel sits neatly behind a revised front cowl assembly. As stated above, a major styling revision on the 2020 MT-03 comes in the form of new dual slant-eye position lights & an LED headlamp. The turn indicators too are now LEDs. The 2020 MT-03 also benefits from better riding ergonomics, thanks to the new 'mass-forward' body design, made distinct by a new 14-litre wide-shouldered fuel tank cover.

Talking about the MT series in India, Yamaha, as of now, only sells the 847cc three-cylinder MT-09 and, the more recent, 150cc single-cylinder MT-15. However, the possibility of the 2020 MT-03 coming to our shores can't be ruled out entirely, as it can fill a crucial void for Yamaha India in the fast-growing 250cc – 400cc motorcycle segment. Meanwhile, the 2020 MT-03 will go on sale in Europe by December 2019.

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