Motorcycle specifications YamahaYZF-R3 300 2019 Assertive re-engagement

A certain family R. None of Yamaha's sportbikes can deny it anymore. Since the profound transformation of the R1 in 2015, all YZFs want to resemble the supreme M1 tracker. With more or less differences, but the silhouette is now totally anchored in the R-series DNA.
There's no question of the R3 standing apart. The sibling's reputation is at stake, and it's important to make a mark. Especially as the 300/400 category is beginning to establish a (small) reputation in Europe, with its flagship tactical position in the SBK championship, the WSS 300.

it's taking a bit of a beating this R3. Long gone are the days when CBR 250s and Ninja 250s came to rough out a nascent category. Flimsy and timid, they seemed lost in a small-displacement market long since abandoned in favor of the 500/600/650. Today, hesitation is no longer an option. The new R3 is bloody proud to show its face and its audacity, as if the R1 and M1 were adoring it in front of its public - just as a Kawasaki Ninja 400 is no longer afraid to claim to be a fan of Jonathan Rea and his ZX-10RR. Its R6 look will please, its jaw and its look will challenge. The sculpted shapes of its fairing ensure the essential appeal, while keeping a master card, which it will lay on the table when it comes to making the tachometer go wild. The manufacturer has announced a 7% reduction in aerodynamic drag. This translates into an 8 km/h increase in top speed.

with your head in the (new) bubble, knees bent and right wrist twisted, you'll be able to take it easy on the connecting rods, while the engine takes off to conquer the 42 hp spewed out by the 321 cm3 twin-cylinder. Both the mechanics and the frame are unchanged from the previous R3. 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. There's nothing new here; it's for the ground connection that Yamaha has offered new parts.

A new 37 mm inverted fork is called to the rescue. Larger and stiffer, it will allow you to demand a little more from the chassis during tough outings. Alas, it offers no adjustment options. But it doesn't care. With the exception of those who will take it out on the track, most users will have little desire to fiddle with the settings to fine-tune the 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 fuel tank has been redesigned with this in mind. 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-guidelines are also lowered, by 22 mm. All the more reason to adopt a sportier attitude.

her winks seem more pronounced. What did she put in her eyes? An array of LEDs. As we've seen, the fork head benefits from a new design, and its surroundings have also been given a bonus. A certain uniformity in the dashboards brings the YZF family spirit even closer. The R3 forgets its old handset to give the rider a more sporty feel. No more needles, no more compromises: an LCD panel very similar in style to that of the R1 takes its place in front of the openwork fork crown. Yet another link to the big R models, with a barely toned-down racing ambience. The display gives pride of place to speed, engine rpm in bar graph format and gear engaged. The rest of the information is of little importance to the rider, and more for the pulse of everyday life. There's a fuel gauge, odometer trips, a clock and engine temperature.

The R3 seems to have changed category, from sports-roader to pure sports car, adopting 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. A little mysterious detail: this evolution is displayed at 167 kilos, two less than the 2015/2018 version - but we don't know how it lost them.

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