The new Yamaha YZF - R3 is what the R15 would have grown up to be if it were an actual living thing. The R3 is bigger, brawnier, and naturally more powerful than its 150cc sibling. It looks better too. Not so much in terms of cutting edge modernity, but its visual presence is that of a more mature, grown up and purposeful motorcycle. And we absolutely love those headlamps. The R3 also looks like a motorcycle that wants to go fast. And it does! But, we will get to that in a bit.
First, let's look at some facts. The Yamaha R3 isn’t as exotically built as the R15. It doesn’t get a deltabox frame, no aluminium swingarm and it doesn’t even get a radial rear tyre. Instead, the R3 has a tubular, diamond type, steel frame, telescopic forks upfront and a non-linked monoshock at the rear, and single disc brake setup at both wheels, without ABS. The engine is a 321cc, 42bhp, twin cylinder unit and at least on paper (for a bike weighing in at a wet 169kg), the recipe seems pretty inviting.