Yamaha seems to be working on giving a major revamp to its portfolio in India. The Indian arm of the Japanese bike maker was recently spotted testing what is likely to be the next-generation 2022 model of the YZF R3.
The test mule was entirely camouflaged so there’s no way we can be entirely sure about it being the R3. However, the spy shots give a couple of hints backing our speculation. Firstly, the front fascia and side faring look larger than that of the YZF R15 V3. Even the rider seems to be sitting in a sporty yet relaxed position which is a trait always been associated with the R3, unlike the R15’s extremely committed ergos. Moreover, the presence of upside-down forks at the front only add to the certainty of the test mule being the R3.
Left Side View
It’s quite interesting to see that the motorcycle boasts Yamaha’s new-age styling that’s similar to the new YZF R7. With the combination of a central air intake housing an LED projector with slits on its sides, it looks nearly identical to the bigger supersports. Even the smaller R15 V3 will most likely be overhauled, but the aforementioned traits are certainly that of the R3. The 321cc, parallel-twin cylinder engine of the motorcycle is expected to remain unchanged, except for the BS6-bound revisions which might bring along slight changes in its power figures.
We hope Yamaha prices the next-gen R3 competitively in India, unlike the discontinued model that was priced profoundly high. Once launched, it will compete against the Kawasaki Ninja 300, TVSApache RR 310 and the KTM RC 390 which is due to receive a major update soon.