Motorcycle specifications YamahaR3 300 2026 Assertive re-engagement

The Yamaha R3 follows in the footsteps of the new R9. The new sports bike with the heart of an MT-09 leads the R series into a new design, which the little 300 makes its own. A face full of promise, with ambitions unchanged.

Tapered eyes, busted nose, busy nostrils, insinuating aerodynamics - the R3's face wants to go beyond fashion and into its own dimension, with hints of techno-symbiotics. Its cheeks are adorned with ersatz winglets, more to keep up with the trend than for real efficiency. Only experienced riders know how to exploit the potential of winglets on a 200-horsepower hypersport, but on a 40-horsepower millstone...

The latter relies on other assets to seduce, although the public is always sensitive to arguments coming from the aura of competition. The R3 gains a USB-A socket and a new LCD dashboard. No color TFT? No handlebar-mounted controls? Yamaha seems to be limiting its modernization efforts. But connected bikers aren't forgotten, as it's possible to link up your smartphone and take advantage of the MyRide app. You'll be able to keep track of a whole host of motorcycle parameters, check where you last parked, create a logbook, view data on engine speed or acceleration rate (for example) and be notified of calls, texts and e-mails. To name but a few.

The new R3 is designed to improve rider comfort, with a narrower seat and profile, a clutch lever closer to the handlebars, and the addition of an assisted, anti-dribble clutch. This reduces lever effort and calms rear-end slippage under hard deceleration.

This modernized look conceals exactly the same mechanical and chassis specifications as the previous R3 - a package that hasn't changed much since the first generation, except for the suspension. Head in the bubble, knees bent and right wrist twisted, it's time to take it easy on the connecting rods, while the engine sets off to conquer its 42 hp from the 321 cm3 twin-cylinder engine - Euro5+ approved. Its tubular steel skeleton completes its rigidity by resting on the engine block. Braking is provided by a 298 mm front disc, a 220 mm rear disc, twin or single-piston calipers (depending on the size of the bite) and ABS. Nothing's changed here; it's for the ground connection that Yamaha has offered new parts on Phase II.

The road needs to be trimmed, and a 37 mm inverted fork is called in to the rescue. Larger and stiffer than the 41 mm conventional fork, it allows you to demand a little more from the chassis during tough outings. Alas, it offers no adjustment options. But it doesn't care. Apart from those who take it out on the track, most users won't be too keen on tweaking the settings to fine-tune their handling. And a more advanced fork would have significantly lowered the price. A 300, somewhere between a sports bike and a sport-GT, is not destined to offer the sharpness of a 600 SuperSport.

But that doesn't mean you can't have a close encounter with the R3. A motorcycle has to be held together. The tank has been redesigned with this in mind for 2019. Without losing a liter of its 14-litre capacity, it has been redesigned to be wider at the top and a little lower in height. The half-handlebars are also lowered, by 22 mm. The result is a slightly sportier attitude.

The R3 seems to have changed category, from sports-roader to pure sports car, with M1-style bodywork and a more muscular front end. A fine exercise on Yamaha's part, indicating the confidence that certain manufacturers are developing in this segment. This 300 plays the game and wants to have fun with a little more mischief.

M.B - Manufacturer's photos