For a very long time, Yamaha Motor India did not have any big bikes on sale in the country. Not even a single product positioned above the 155cc YZF-R15. Then, Yamaha introduced R3 and MT-03, which hinted at a potential expansion of their multi-cylinder higher-displacement portfolio in India leading to launch of Tenere 700, R7, R9, MT-07, MT-09 and others.
However, the big bikes did not make an appearance outside of dealer meetings and the entry portal of multi-cylinder bikes, the R3 and MT-03 are reportedly discontinued as well. Let’s take a closer look.
Yamaha R3 and MT-03 Discontinued
As per a recent report, Yamaha Motor India has silently discontinued their flagship (for India) R3 and MT-03 motorcycles. Imports of these motorcycles are reportedly stopped and a few Yamaha dealerships have confirmed the same. Even dealer inventory is quite limited and the sales are at lower double digits.
When Yamaha launched the R3 and MT-03 in India in December 2023, prices were kept at a premium starting from Rs 4.6 lakh (Ex-sh). They were brought in via CBU route in India and received mixed reactions from Indian motorcycling enthusiasts.
There was an attempt to make pricing more accessible as Yamaha slashed the prices of R3 and MT-03 by around Rs 1.1 lakh (Ex-sh). However, the popularity of R3 and MT-03 did not pick up from there. Across their lifecycle, the popularity of these bikes remained at the lower end of 350cc to 500cc motorcycles and now, these motorcycles are discontinued.
New Models Incoming?
One of the reasons for the lack of excitement in India could be because the global markets had received new versions, especially with R3. The model launched in India was an older version, while the newer generation model with newer and sharper design language inspired by the R1 had already been out.
This new generation of Yamaha R3 is already patented in India and a launch might happen soon. The discontinuation of R3 and MT-03 might be a step to clear a path for newer models to arrive in India. With R3 and MT-03 gone, Yamaha Motor India currently do not have any active import operations.
Both motorcycles were powered by the same 321cc parallel twin-cylinder DOHC 4V/Cylinder liquid-cooled engine that cranked out about 41.4 bhp and 29.5 Nm of peak torque, mated to a 6-speed gearbox. Immediate rivals for Yamaha R3 and MT-03 include KTM 390 Duke, RC 390, TVS Apache RR 310, Apache RTR 310, BMW G 310 R, G 310 RR and others.
Also read – Yamaha R2 name trademarked in India
Source
Source: Bike - rushlane.com
