Next Generation Yamaha R3 Coming In 2019?

There have been talks of Yamaha working on the next generation R25, which they sell in Indonesia and select Asian countries. And now, Motor Plus, an automotive magazine has published rendered images of the next generation R25 in its Indonesian edition. While the images give us an insight into what the next generation R25 will look like, it is of significance to us too. You see, the Yamaha R25 is based on the same platform as the Yamaha R3, which is sold in India. So, it is quite possible that the R3 will be updated as well.

First off, the new R3 seems to get a sharper and sportier design, along the lines of the new R15 v3.0. Like the new R15, the bike will get LED headlamps, a large ram air intake and taller windscreen. The new fuel tank seems to borrow its design from the R15 and rakes in sharply into the seat which gets a slimmer, sportier profile. The tail section looks similar to the R15, albeit sportier, with a taller pillion seat perch. Going by the updates, it is safe to assume that the new R3 might get a full digital instrument console too.

The underpinnings seem to receive a major upgrade as well. It gets upside down forks and radially-mounted brake calipers. A linked-type rear suspension is also expected to feature in the new update. There are also talks of a new and lighter frame that will focus more on sportiness.
The India-spec Yamaha R3 currently makes 42PS. In the wake of the launch of the larger Kawasaki Ninja 400 that makes 49PS, a more powerful Yamaha R3 seems logical.

The Yamaha R3’s 321cc parallel-twin motor is expected to get revisions too similar to the R15 v3.0. Chief among these could be the inclusion of variable valve actuation (VVA) and a slipper clutch. Interestingly, the magazine reports that the ram air intake in front of the Yamaha R25 is not a dummy unit but will actually feed air into the engine. Whether this feature will make it to the R3 remains to be seen. The Yamaha R3 has been sold in India for quite a while now. It was recently updated when it got ABS and stickier Metzeler Sportec M5 tyres as standard equipment.

The Yamaha R25 is expected to be launched sometime in 2019. By that yardstick, a global unveil at the 2018 Tokyo Motor Show around October seems to be on the cards. We expect the new Yamaha R3 to come in the later part of 2019.

Images courtesy Young Machine