A 300cc sports bike that’s all about performance
For 2019 Yamaha came up with a lot of improvement for the YZF R3 that will enhance the bikes performance on street and on track although the price remains almost unchanged. The starting price for the 2019 YZF R3 is $5.299 and the most important part is that the looks got a lot closer to the mighty YZF R1. So if you are an A2 rider looking for a bike to start your race career this might be your answer. Here’s why.
The YZF R3 impresses not only because of the looks, for 2019, the bike's aerodynamics are improved and the ergonomics also. You can now tuck in at higher speed without having the tall gas tank hitting you in the gut. The upside down front forks got ticker now for a bit more stiffness and superior feeling while riding.
The engine is a 321cc parallel-twin that produces and impressive 42 hp. Considering the racing background of the R3 the new model will be a small rocket tipping the scale at only 167 kg. In terms of electronics, you get a cool looking LCD dash inspired by the one on the R1 that can offer the rider a lot of useful information like the gear and the fuel economy. For safety, the YZF R3 comes fitted with the mandatory ABS system.
The main rival for the Yamaha YZF R3 is the Kawasaki Ninja 400 that produces 3 Hp from the 399 cc engine. the price of the Ninja is just the same in US. The displacement difference might make you scratch the back of your head but Kawasaki gave up the 300 cc model because of the emission regulations and now the Ninja 300 became Ninja 400.
The 300cc class became popular pretty fast because the bikes are limited to the amount of power and the difference will be made by the rider and the small details that the manufacturer can fill in. By differences, I’m referring to riding position, power curve, frame stiffness, suspension feedback and many more. You won’t believe how important is to have everything in a perfect balance when racing a smaller cc bike.