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Yamaha YZF-R3 Review (2015)

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Yamaha YZF-R3

I have about 46,000 miles riding experience and the R3 is by far the most fun bike to ride.
- Rating: 8 / 10

What Is It?

The Yamaha YZF-R3 is an A2 licence friendly sports bike and is powered by a liquid cooled 321 cc parallel twin engine, producing 41.4 bhp at 10,750 rpm and peak torque at 9,000 rpm.

Specs

  • Seat Height: Low (780 mm / 30.7 inches)
  • Weight: Average (169 kg / 373 lbs)
  • Economy: Good (60 mpg / 4.7 l/100km / 21.2 km/l)
  • Range: High (180 miles / 290 km)
  • Power to Weight: Low (0.249 bhp/kg / 0.185 kW/kg)
  • Top Speed: High (110 mph / 177 km/h)

Pros

  • Easy to ride at low speed
  • Suspension
  • Economy
  • Comfort
  • Light
  • Fun
  • ABS

Cons

  • Brake lever isn't adjustable
  • Lots of heavy steel bits
  • Stopping power

What Is It Like?

Yamaha YZF-R3

2015 Yamaha R3

I passed up the new gen R3 in the Spring of 2015 for the MT-09, believing it did not really fit in my collection of bikes, fully knowing I was going to own a second Yamaha that would change five years down the road.

Then my riding skills improved to a point where I wanted a very light, nimble and performance driven motorcycle, so the R3 was my first choice.

It was harder than I thought to buy one because all the 2015 gen R3s where owned by younger guys, all of which didn’t want to get off the couch to sell them. I finally found one near me, however it took a lot of coaching on my part, even though it was advertised for sale lol.

Last November I began riding it and have put more than 5,000 miles on it.

Mods

The bike had 14,000 miles on it when I bought it and needed three of the four recalls, new brake fluid, oil, air filter change, new tyres, low beam and a good clean under the fuel tank.

I had every intention to put on and have...K&N air filter, M4 racing exhaust, Bauce racing ECU flash, Diablo 3 tyres, two more bar end mirrors, fender elimination and now it suits my riding style.

Plus there are so many mods you can do to this motorcycle. TST has the largest inventory of parts that will make any R3 into a favourite for anyone, street or track and they can even sell you one track ready.

Yamaha YZF-R3

Handling

The R3 loves to rev around 7,000-8,000 rpm, with usable rpm to 11,000 no problem. Shifting is way more fun than the MT, it's the lowest insurance class here and I can get over 220 miles on a 14 litre tank of fuel.

My inseam is about 30 cm so I sit flat footed on it and it's easy to move around on or off.

To Sum Up

I have about 46,000 miles riding experience and the R3 is by far the most fun bike to ride. The stock brakes have been criticised, but for riders 80 kgs and under I am not seeing a problem with them.

- Michael H, 2019

Deals, specs and pics

Price Guide

Year
Dealer
Private
Part Ex
Mileage
2018
£3,750
£3,000
£2,650
4,900
2017
£3,400
£2,750
£2,400
6,700
2016
£3,100
£2,500
£2,200
8,500
2015
£2,900
£2,300
£2,000
10,300

Gear & Accessories

Related Bikes

Yamaha MT-03 - The second generation MT-03 is essentially a naked version of the R3, with a more relaxed riding position.

Add Your Review

Do you own this bike? We would love to hear anything good, bad, unexpected or that you have changed plus anything that a prospective new owner might find interesting or useful.

More Info

Check out this video review from TheMissendenFlyer.