Brought my new Yamaha YZF R3 home: Initial impressions post delivery

Right from the moment I started from the showroom, I can already feel, this is the perfect upgrade to my R15.

BHPian R15M_Rider recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Spolier Alert: This acquisition will not make sense to most of you. Its one of my most emotionally driven purchase of just about anything for me with the heart having 90% weightage over the head

The Origin:

For those of you, who have haven't following my previous thread, I was an owner of a 2022 Yamaha YZF R15M for two years. It was my first motorcycle and it truly ignited the motorcyclist in me. It showed me how much of a liberator of stress and fun a machine on two wheels can be. It gave me the opportunity to venture out to touring and an unforgettable glimpse into the race-track. Of course, on tours, especially on highways, there one thing inevitably lacking, that is the power. 18.1 BHP, don't get me wrong is not slow by any means for that gem of a 155cc engine, but its something you definitely will grow out of pretty quickly, especially if you're an enthusiast who rides, breathes and sleeps dreaming about motorcycles. Its almost like a tug of war, one part of the emotional pull is to keep sticking with your first bike, do stuff with it and create memories, while the other keeps telling me that, you need 40 BHP in your life, especially in your prime youth and not upgrading now, might make me regret it later a lot when other responsibilities of life creep in.

Why 40 BHP is my ideal/dream figure? - Having done my research, I have a firm belief that in a country like ours, you need a bike that can feel comfortable at cruising speeds of 110-120 Kmph while also providing decent gas mileage. This is the sweet spot. This is the maximum level of performance that can be used in the best of roads, our country has to offer, but also act decently as a commuter too without being a hassle. The 600cc, litre class segment, with the R1s, Daytonas, R7s, ZX10R etc while they have definitely aspirational value like how a Ferrari or Lamborghini is viewed in the car world, they are equally not appropriate for daily use. Yes, in my dream, the motorcycle I choose needs to be able to do right from touring the country to something as simple as commuting to office on a daily basis. At no point in my ownership of the R15, unless it was for medical reasons, did it collect dust for more than 2-3 days at a single place.It also eventually became the reason, I had to let it go too. I intent to apply the same to this upgrade as well.

Towards the end of 2023, and beginning of 2024, the 300-400cc segment saw a huge influx of bikes from Truimph, Bajaj, Aprilia, Kawasaki and of course Yamaha (please excuse if I missed any other significant brand).

Why the obsession for the R3 ?

Obsession Begins Here

Dec 2023 - Yamaha makes an announcement that, the well awaited, YZF-R3 and MT03 were going to hit Indian shores by Jan 2024. Thanks to the CBU route, it came with an astronomical price tag of 4.64L - ex showroom. What ensued, is of course the sheer expression of disappointment by both enthusiasts and journalists alike. Coming from the R15, I more or less became in love with the sports-bike category. The sheer feel of having razor sharp handling in corners is just equivalent to a chef's kiss. I also, have one more perspective and I understand this might not make sense a lot, but I always try to look at the value part first and then the accessibility part of it. To me, every machine has a character. In the long run, I strongly believe, choosing the machine whose character closely resembles your taste makes more sense than whether it has the features to justify its price tag. By character I mean, it can be something as simple as the design, the exhaust note, the engine response, handling etc. Its something that is so powerful and personal, that it will never make any sense if you try to explain to others who has a different opinion.

So, going by what is available on the market for a sporty-faired motorcycle in the 300-400cc segment with 40ish BHP, these are the options to choose from:

1. Aprilia RS457
2. Kawasaki Ninja 500
3. Kawasaki Ninja 300
4. Yamaha YZF R3

I will go through what the normal perception is of the above 4 bikes:

RS457 - Now, going by reviews and the general sentiment, the RS457 walks over the other three likes its nobody's business. It has the most power at 47 BHP, amazing low-end torque that pulls in just about any gear and at any speed. It also has the most modern looking design too and its packed with features and electronics that most customers crave for.

Kawasaki Ninja 500 - Creamy smooth engine. Ludicrously over-priced. No features on offer comparable to the Aprilia. Most expensive of the bunch here.

Kawasaki Ninja 300 - Kawasaki has forgotten to discontinue this model in India. But engine is bullet-proof.

Yamaha YZF R3 - 2019 designed model which is due for an upgrade in 2025. Not even a slipper clutch. Legendary and proven twin cylinder engine, Yamaha is trying to force us to accept their "if it isn't broken, don't fix/upgrade it approach".

Now comes to the tricky bit, how do in the world do I explain to you guys, out of all the four, why in the right mind would I have chosen the R3 over the much more modern and VFM RS457.

Well then, let us start with some honest admissions then. Right from my childhood, when it came to automobiles, I always had an admiration for the Japanese. I loved their car culture. I always found them interesting in their beliefs of stability over agility (which I guess is hurting them now in someways when it comes to sales tactics and figures, comparing with how other companies work). My most favorite era of cars from them is the 90s-early 2000s with the RB26 Skyline GT-Rs, 2JZ Supra, the Evos and STIs. I loved the designs of these cars. Simple, functional and not too extravagant with legendary engines, that some models are unsurprisingly having price figures rivalling Ferraris and Lambos today. So, I fully admit, I have a soft spot for Japs inspite of the sad state they are in today in certain areas.

Why I didn't wait till 2025 then? For the updated MY2025 YZF-R3 ? :

Simplistic Beauty!

Reasons are getting more personal now. To try and explain to the best of my ability, let me draw another parallel with my interests of cars. As mentioned above, I drool over simplistic designs. My favorite cars in the world are the 90s, 2000s R32,R33 and R34 Skyline GTRs. Clean, elegant and simple. Also, this was a period of time, when cars were having only base level tech. I consider this period to be the best. It was when tech was not yet intrusive enough that required people to demand, but rather, the focus was more on the experience, the feel of driving, the roar of the engine, hardware induced emotions etc. While tech and features started into cars around the early 2010s itself, for bikes, I think its truly starting to show now only. The 2025 model seems a bit too busy for my taste especially the extra DRLs, who prefers simplicity. The back is way too similar to the R15 too. You can call me a boomer , but it is the truth for me.

In March 2024, I went to the MMRT for participating in the Track Day organized by Yamaha. Until this point, I never saw an R3 in the flesh, not the current one at least. I loved the design in the pictures due to reasons mentioned above. I have seen videos from the entire world of people riding and sharing their experience on the R3. But in the flesh when I saw it, that's when it truly became from just a bike I was deeply interested in to one that started to become an obsession. Something just clicked that day. A connection which just refused fade away with time. Trust me, as much as I tried to look at the logical side of things, watch millions of content on the RS457 or any of the others, none of them, I was able to connect with. No, I don't have someone having a gun to my head. Nobody is paying me to remain loyal to a company. I don't expect everyone to understand, but, truth is, this feeling can never be truly explained.

I was also the same person who persuaded my dad to test-drive before finalizing on the CB350 Highness. But when it came to this, a dream so powerful that I made a complete U-Turn .

Booking:

Initially, the plan was to get this in Nov/Dec. But day by day, this impulse was getting stronger. I was rigorously saving up for this bike for months. Around 18th Oct, we had planned a trip to Yercaud, me and my dad. While starting the trip itself, it rained and since the forecast near Salem wasn't encouraging, we decided to postpone it. Instead, we just planned to enquire some showrooms and get an estimate on the R3. With Deepavali around the corner, I was hoping to see some discounts. Listing down the showrooms and their estimates shared:

1. Shanti Motors, Pallikarnai - 60k discount, had stock ready to deliver on the day to which can be chosen - 4.90L onroad (without exchange value of my older R15)
2. Sky Motors, Thoripakkam - Laziest staff, hardly interested. No discounts, pathetic estimate for my two year old R15. (95k)
3. Bikerz Yamaha, Nandanam - Same showroom I got the R15 from. Being an existing customer, I did expect some good discount. But got a 30k discount only. Also, that complimentary kit which Yamaha offers for free on buying the R3/MT03, that seems to be part of the discount with value of 20k!

Apart from this one notable mention is Sri Motors, Kattupakkam- got a quoted discount of 40k over messages (didn't physically go).

Eventually, settled on Shanti Motors. 4.90L was in a way a good estimate. The RS457 on-road price comes close to it what you can get on-road. Once again, only saying about the price, not the features you get for it. An exchange offer was given for my R15 at 1.25L(low side only, should've gotten atleast 1.40L), but after discussion internally with my dad, we went for it.

The plan was part down-payment and part-finance/EMI. Earlier we had gone for L&T finance and this time too we decided to stick with it. The finance person was not that experienced I feel. Finalizing this itself took at least two separate trips to the showroom. The cherry on top was when everything was done, they added a "loan processing charge " amounting to 15k. Something which was never communicated earlier when were booking the bike. Nevertheless as much as it spoilt the mood, I stuck with it. So if any of you are planning to use L&T finance, make sure you have a written estimate of every single charge beforehand to avoid such hiccups. Transparency is needed.

Shanti Motors also offered to showcase the unboxing of the bike from the crate (as its a CBU) along with an option to ride the bike ourselves to the RTO. I believe these were suggestions given by fellow BHPian V.Max who also took delivery from the same showroom of the R3. Still, it was a good gesture and I am glad they offered it.

Delivery:

Delivery was taken today (31st Oct 2024) on the auspicious occasion of Deepavali. A day I was craving for so badly, dreaming of it every time I went to bed. Finally, around 11.30 AM, took delivery! Color I had chosen was signature Yamaha's "icon blue". Two colors are on offer - Icon Blue and Yamaha Black. Though I come from a silver R15, this time, it was indeed the call of the blue! Delivery was nicely organized as well.

Its here!

Overall, the experience at Shanti Motors was good. Whatever was promised, they have delivered on time. Communication for the most part was transparent too, though sometimes, I felt, when it came to submitting some documents, they could've reduced my showroom visits from 3 to 1 if they had mentioned everything to be shared in advance itself properly. But I guess, this occurs in other showrooms too. That finance part too was a slight downer. Overall, since these guys have already sold 3-4 R3s in Chennai, I guess, you can consider them if you're planning to get one in Chennai. Overall, satisfied with the experience.

Initial Impressions:

Pros:

• The riding posture is very comfortable coming from the R15. I have seen in reviews too, that the R3 is more sports-tourer orientated rather than a full blown Sports bike. I can confirm this.
• Right from the moment I started from the showroom, I can already feel, this is the perfect upgrade to my R15. The way in which the power is delivered, linearly, its just like the R15. But 321cc twin shows its color as you move up the rev range. Since its in run-in period, I am not going to push until 1000 km is done. But even then, I can feel the rev-happy nature of the engine.
• Having not taken a test-ride, and this being a direct first on-hand experience, I can say it with confidence and a wide grin on my face that, I am so glad I went with my heart instead of going by reviews and other external factors. Pure Pleasure is what I can describe it as. The exhaust note is beautiful! Smooth and refined as expected.
• Fuel Economy obviously drops significantly from my R15, but that's expected. Still a respectable 25 kmpl can be expected as per some reports. I can confirm only after a week or 2 of riding it.
• Build Quality is rock solid! Overall impression is of a well-built product, one expects out of Japan, It is a CBU, I know, but still worth mentioning it.
• Suspension is neatly tuned. I did go through some bad patches of roads while returning home from showroom. Shocks are excellent.
• Servicing costs mostly could be on the lower side compared to competitors at Aprilia and Kawasaki. Yet to confirm this, but definitely the service network is much more wider than the other 2.

Cons:

• Lack of slipper clutch. I will admit its not as bad as I thought it would be. I already have a habit of rev matching when I down-shift, so that I guess is helping now. But still, its a major omission for sure.
• Quick-shifter? - While I don't mind its absence, It was nice to have this on my R15M even if it was for up-shift only. Since its sold in UK and some international markets from what I have heard, Yamaha should've provided it here as an accessory as well.
• Lack of accessories. Hardly anything noteworthy to add officially from Yamaha.
• Spares availability is still a question mark for CBU bikes.
• Price without a good discount is extremely steep.
• Engine does heat up quite a lot. But I think this must be due to initial engine oil which needs to be used till 1000km. Hopefully will be done after that.

Dual Headlights have a certain charm indeed!

Side Note

Yamaha is supposed to send a complimentary kit with some Oakley sunglasses, T-Shirt, RS4GP engine oil. No sign of it yet.

I will as usual, keep this thread updated and active whenever required and possible. Overall, this happens to be the best purchases I have done, most expensive but possibly the most heart's desire fulfilling asset till date. Having turned 25 just this month, I feel I have managed to acquire this dream machine in the best phase of my youth.

To conclude then, do I recommend to try this approach of going purely on instincts and intuition? Frankly, and ideal answer is no. Test ride and proper analysis is must when you're willing to spend this much especially when you aren't fully attached to anything particular. But sometimes, just sometimes, if your intuition is too powerful, then maybe, just maybe, try giving your heart the benefit of the doubt and go for it. Sometimes risks can be rewarding too without regrets!

Happy Deepavali,

Ride Safe!

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