Yamaha YZF-R3
18 reviews
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- +4
An ideal first motorbike – This is the second least powerful learner approved (LAMS) supersport bike from Yamaha. It sports a 321cc inline twin-cylinder motor, athletic fairings and dynamics that make this a popular option amongst first time riders. Producing 30.9kW (41hp) @ 10,750rpm and 29.6Nm @ 9000rpm from a mere 321cc, this isn’t a slow bike for learner riders. I’d… Read more
compare the combination of this power with a lightweight chassis (167kg) to a Mazda MX-5 or Subaru BRZ. Acceleration is immediate, with a healthy amount of low end torque for a LAMS bike, thanks to that inline twin setup. Additionally, a high revving motor helps increase the overall enjoyment of riding this bike.
The YZF-R3 is obviously more softly sprung, making it far more comfortable to make it your daily rider. Without being overly aggressive, this superport is easily thrown into corners, and is one of the best ways to introduce yourself to riding.
Despite its supersport looks, the YZF-R3 impressed me with its fuel efficiency. It averaged around 5L per 100km during my time with the bike; that’s an excellent figure that allowed me to rarely have to visit the pump, compared to my Ducati. Warranty is 24 months and servicing costs are set by the individual dealers but service intervals are every 10,000km, with valve checks every 40,000km.
Highway riding can also be a little precarious as cross winds gently guide the bike side to side, thanks to it being so lightweight. Obviously, there’s no cruise control available on this bike (I’d be surprised if there was), so your wrist can feel exhausted by the end of an extended highway ride. In addition, the engine has a radiator to keep the temperature of the motor down, making it a pleasant ride in bumper to bumper traffic, compared to the furnace that I call my Ducati, which is strictly air-cooled.
If you’re looking for your first supersport and you’re not sure if 600cc will be too much money and power, well you’re looking at a bike that should be at the top of your list. It looks great, it rides even better and will make you fall in love with riding, rather than resenting ever completing your riders test at the local testing centre.
*Disclaimer - I work for ProductReview as their independent car and motorbike expert. I borrow new cars and motorbikes from manufacturers and owners to review. I am not paid or incentivised by these brands to post reviews. I write and create content to provide insight and information about any new or used vehicle I can get my hands on.
This is great – Looks like a good bike my husband would like it for sure
- +1
Amazing bike, heaps of fun – For context/perspective: I am Middle-aged, 6'1" (185cm) tall and weigh 70kg (155lbs). I am somewhat unexperienced, particularly on road bikes. I've played and dabbled on dirt bikes as a kid but only recently acquired my motorcycle license. My R3 is a 2022 in icon blue, bought brand new from the Dealership. I have made no modifications or… Read more · 1
alterations to it.
Comfort: It's really comfortable. For my weight and height I am very comfortable seated on this bike, my legs aren't cramped, there is minimal weight on my hands/wrists and there's no pressure on my back. The seat is soft enough to be supportive and comfortable but not so much that you sink into it. Handlebars are at a good height for comfort riding, high enough that you keep a nice upright position but still low enough that you can tuck in behind the screen without feeling cramped. Reaching for the foot pegs feels natural and the brake and gear shift pedal are angled and positioned nicely relative to the peg. The clutch and brake levers aren't adjustable however I find them almost perfect for my size hand (large according to most gloves) and it doesn't cramp or stretch my hand reaching for or operating either lever. The suspension feels great, on bumpy roads you can feel some of the bumps but it's not unnerving and on most roads she feels planted. As stated I weigh 70kg's so heavier riders may disagree however I have no inclination or desire to want to adjust, change or modify the suspension.
I intend touring on this bike. The touring idea is what brought me to the motorcycle world however like many aspiring and new riders we're legally limited by capacity or power for a period of time. I chose the Yamaha R3 because I had a local dealer (Small country town, hard to find bikes) that had the stock, it looks gorgeous, it's been highly reviewed and praised and the resale value is really good for if and when I decide to upgrade. My point being that I'm not waiting for an upgraded license followed by a bigger bike to start my tours and adventures, I am going to start right away on my little Yamaha. In the first week of ownership I've put 1000k's on the clock and can vouch for it's comfort for slightly longer stints. Even after riding for 2+ hours, you only need 5 minutes off the bike to have a drink and you're right to get back on and do another 2+ hours. Maybe this is because I'm relatively light (70kg's) but I can honestly ride this bike all day and wake up early the next wanting more.
Performance: Well it's a 321cc so it's not a rocket ship but it's still quicker off the line than most cars and has a top speed well beyond what I want to ride at so for someone who's barely beginning their motorcycle journey then I found the performance to be enough to keep me smiling but not scary at all. I didn't buy this to race or be silly and I'm not chasing adrenaline hits so the so-called 'beginner' or 'small' status or performance of this bike is not a problem to me, in fact I thoroughly enjoy it.
The bike sits very comfortably on the highway at 100km/hr (60m/hr) at about 6,500rpm. Surprisingly the throttle is still quite responsive at this speed, even in 6th gear if you roll the throttle you continue to pick up speed. Overtaking is not an issue however if you require to get around someone quickly then consider dropping back a gear or 2 which the bike can handle and it will get her moving more quickly. Again - I did not buy this bike for racing so I found her ability to overtake even on the highway more than adequate. At highway speed the bike is quite solid, yes the wind from trucks can move you a little but not to an unnerving extent. The clutch is light and taking off from lights even on hills is done easily and without hesitation. I have stalled her once or twice but I would blame this on me not the bike. She revs quickly and enjoys chopping through the gears smoothly.
Handling: As per every other review you've read or video you've watched on youtube whilst considering buying this bike - She is a delight to throw into corners. The bike is light, and it feels light and when you lean in she obliges. In the corners she feels planted, the tyres feel like they want to hold on, the bike doesn't feel heavy at any point during the corner and she stands straight back up when you want her to once you've found your exit. Roll on some throttle and away you go, looking for the next bend. I imagine more race and track focused riders would be able to give a better review on this aspect but for the beginner's out there looking to buy rest assured this bike is easy, forgiving and a lot of fun to learn all about bends and curves.
Fuel Economy: I have been suitably impressed with the fuel economy. The average consumption on mine currently sits at 2.9L/100km, meaning I can comfortably get more than 300km's to a tank. yesterday I had done 200km's since filling, and the fuel gauge said half, I stopped to refill and could only fit 7 Litres in there. Being that it's a 14L tank this suggests the fuel gauge was correct/accurate and it was indeed at about half a tank - meaning I could have gone close to 400km's (248miles) on a single tank. Not bad. (I ride conservatively, at the speed limit, no red-lining. Your riding style dictates fuel economy and individual results will vary.)
Conclusion: Here in Australia the bike is $8199 ride away with ABS. I found this to be very good value and cheaper than its competitors. The bike looks incredible, it is extremely fun to ride, it inspires and encourages you to keep riding and learning and it is relatively forgiving. You can WOT anytime you like a not worry about flipping her over. The engine brake is quite strong and for most conservative riding you will rarely need to use much brake. Simply closing the throttle or dropping back a gear slows her down quickly. She's user friendly and can take off in 2nd or 3rd gear if you're a beginner who forgot to get back to 1st at the lights. You can change early or late and around town you can get away with being in just about any gear you like. Hence why I say she's forgiving for a new or learning rider. If you're teetering on whether or not you should buy this bike then you should absolutely just buy this bike. If you've read this much and considered it this hard then I guarantee you're going to love it. Just buy it - get started. You can decide all the things you like or dislike about particular bikes after you've been riding for a while, after you've learnt exaclty what it is you like or dislike. Right now you just need to start your journey and the Yamaha R3 is a fantastic start.
Good little bike – I bought my R3 new in 2018. I’ve put 12000km on it, servicing every 5000km. I’ve been riding for 6 years and have mostly ridden 250cc and smaller bikes, often thinking I would like a bigger bike but I am honestly very happy with this one. Most of my ride to work is speed limited to 80 or less so I can’t justify getting a bigger bike. The R3 has… Read more
plenty of power for what I need. No problem sitting on 110km/hr freeway speeds though - maintains revs at about 7500. I typically get between 350-400 km a tank (95 ULP) which I think is very good. I haven’t modified it in any way - I just treat it gently and look after it.
The best LAMS supersport bike but – I purchased my 2019 Yamaha R3 from OnTwoWheel at Campbelltown. I still remember the first time I turned it on, that beautiful growling as the engine pumps the feul. When I first sat on it, and entered the road, I gave it just a little gas and my wheels got me gripping hard. The adrelanin that this bike gave me, it was like riding my motorcycle… Read more
for the first time again...and I miss that feeling but I always get it back.
Unfortunately I was in a accident with a truck, and most likely my motorcycle is a write off now but if I had to buy another bike, itd be the R3 or...
As a P1 I'm restricted to ride certain bikes, and just recently I figured that Honda has a 600F that's LAMS. Will definitely give it a shot but the R3 never failed me, always got me excited and never ran into any mechanical issues
Perfect first bike. Amazing handling – I bought an 18 YZF-R3 in matte black, as my first road bike a year ago and have done 20,000K's on it. It's perfect to learn on. Amazing handling and more than fast enough for a new rider. It's perfectly comfortable to ride either aggressively or as a commuter. Commuting is perfect as it's narrow enough to lane filter in tight spaces and it's… Read more
mirrors stalks easily fold in and out without losing your mirror angle setup. It doesn't struggle to leave traffic behind you when the lights go green.
Riding aggressively in tight twisties/hills is where this bike really shines. It's amazing handling and fast, high revving engine means you can easily keep up with most other LAMS bikes.
Fuel consumption is good enough that you don't need to panic with fluctuating petrol prices. Depending on how I'm riding, I get between 4 - 5 L/100km.
I definitely don't baby this bike, yet, with regular maintenance, it's never given me any issues yet.
The only downside is constantly having to explain to the uninitiated that it's NOT an R1 and it's ONLY a 320cc. :P
2017 Yamaha YZF R3 Review – I bought my 2017 YZF R3 brand new on the 15th Dec 2017. Today it’s the 3rd Feb 2018. I’ve done 2100 kms on it in less than two months. My god, what a bike! I’ve put a tale tidy on it and the Akrapovic slip on exhaust for $399 here in Sydney. It’s had its first 1000km service. This bike goes like the clappers when you know how to ride it (took… Read more
me a while to understand it plus it needs the break in period of 1600kms or so).
I got the blue colour and it turns heads everywhere. I’ve only seen a black one on the streets. It’s a rare bike. Mostly I see ninjas or hyhusongs.
This bike is a dream. Can’t say much more. If you’re looking for a mechanical break down, don’t bother. It’s at the top of its class.
Love it.
Amazing LAMS bike! – So impressed with the Yamaha R3. Not being the most experienced rider when it comes to non-LAMS bikes, I can't say how it could compares to the big bikes, but I'm amazed at how much bike I'm getting out of this ripper of a machine! I honestly can't see how I'll ever want or need to upgrade as this things keeps my wow-factor well satisfied. Having… Read more
riding mainly Honda LAMS bikes, this thing is just so much more fun and keen to thrill. My only negative with the bike is the mirrors - I ended up buying extender spacers to get better vision. All in all, fabulous bike, don't know why you'd bother with the heavier restricted 600cc+ LAMS bikes. Can't recommend the R3 more!
Great LAMS bike – For suburban riding or a bit of fun on a winding oad the Yamaha YZF-R3 is a great choice. It's light, easy to manoeuvre, great on fuel, and has enough power to get the job done without scaring the life out of new or inexperienced riders. The engine in the R3 is a lot of fun as well. Under 7000 rpm it's tractable and gets you up and running… Read more
smoothly and efficiently due to the excellent torque curve of the motor.
If I want to be critical the brakes and front shock are probably not up to what the engine is capable of - but that's pushing the bike well beyond any legal limit. Also, the fairing can make the bike a bit twitchy when you encounter a stiff cross wind, but by still I mean 40 kmh or more.. Finally, the bike is capable of touring and freeway work but there are a other bikes out there I think that would be more suitable like a CBR500r or Ninja650L if we stick to the LAMS category.
Overall, very happy with the bike and would recommend it for suburban commuters of any skill level but in general it's a bike for the new rider or someone wanting to step up from a 125 or a 250 road bike.
Really nice ride in summer – This bike is a really nice bike to ride in summer. I've been riding for approx. 2 years now and it is a great first bike for learner to learn on. having said that, if you live in a windy city, I'd recommend that you get a heavier bike as you'd be feeling the wind pressure.
Excellent LAMS bike for both beginners and aspiring 300cc racers – I've had my R3 for about a year now and it doesn't fail to impress. What you get is enough power to make easy overtakes on the highway, a comfortable seating position, new tech and the potential to dabble into aftermarket modifications than can turn your bike from a commuter to a formidable 300cc race bike. My favourite things about the R3 is… Read more
that it has great tech that really helps out beginners (gear indicator, shift light, fuel consumption etc.), the sport bike styling is excellent, the reliability and durability (survived many drops and a few crashes without little damage) and the fuel economy, which averages at about 4.6L/100k for me, although I push it all the time.
You won't go wrong with the R3. Slap on some Pirelli tyres and higher rearsets and it'll become a bike that'll teach you how to go fast without the risk of going ridiculously fast fast.
Great learner's bike – The Yamaha R3 is a good bike for leaners, as a first bike. It is extremely easy to control and maneuver. The breaks are very forgiving, which is especially helpful for new riders.
CRAZY FUN BIKE ! – My wife bought one of these and asked me to pick it up and take it home for her. By the time I got home, 60 k's later, wanted one ! Great little bike. They say you get what you pay for but in this case, well I think you get more for your money than anyone thinks. I normally ride super bikes, this ain't one of those, but it's a FUN bike and behaves… Read more
like a decent bike at all times. A pleasure to ride and pretty well made from what we can see so far !
Find out how Yamaha YZF-R3 compares to other Super Sport Bikes
Know better, choose better.
Can't get off it – First time rider, mid life crisis. First off my main attraction to the R3 was it's looks, Had started out looking at the CBR300, then at the Ninja 300 but at the last minute after I put a deposit down on the Ninja I changed it to the R3. Best move I made, The Ninja almost won it for me by having the slipper clutch and as a new rider I thought… Read more
that would be important. Turns out not to be an issue and the thing the R3 had over it was the gear indicator, Now for a new rider I have found that to be very helpful and have never been in the wrong gear at the wrong time.
I don't look at it so much now but at first it was good to have it.
The bike itself I can not complain about, cant find a single thing that for the money I paid for it warrants a complaint.
Ok the bike had a recall but good to see it happen, after sales service working a treat.
The power is enough for new riders and will stand you in good stead for an upgrade in power one day.
Gear changes are smooth and once you put a louder pipe on it ( safer to be heard ) it becomes even more of a joy to ride.
in the first 4 months I put just under 6000 k's on it and that's not using it to commute to and from work, all just fun riding for the sake of it kilometres. had it almost 6 months now and will defiantly be keeping it for the year, I think when it hit 12000 klms I will sell it and upgrade but I don't think I will have any regrets.
Great bike to start out on, Wish I had started riding when I was a young man ( 45 now ) but better late than never.
Thanks Yamaha, A job well done.
YZF-R3 composed and capable – Yamaha YZF R3, Entry level super sport bike. Recently I had two of these bikes in my shed one was my nephew’s brand new awaiting pickup from him as he lives out in the country and the other was a friends that she was hiding her new bike from her family until she got her learner’s permit. I have ridden both of the R3’s firstly my nephew’s just for… Read more
a road test and bed in the brakes for him recommended by the dealer and the other my friends and I would pillion her to some big car parks and work on clutch control and basic riding skills as well as we would take the bike on a few long runs around 60 kilometres at a time.
Firstly my impressions of the YZF R3 were that they are a very composed and capable bike that does everything very well. Looking at the power of the bike been 42 HP and given the weight factor the performance is impressive both in the way of having a pillion on the back and or without. The bike carries another person on it with no effort at all up the hills and also under the brakes with the handling very composed around the tight bends. And with just one rider on the bike one can easily see that the R3 would make an awesome track bike. Once you start to lay hard into R3 the bike shows you it’s ready to race and eggs you on to max it out through the gears and hit the corners at nutty speeds with ease making this a top fun light weight super sport bike.
In my family we have a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14r and a Yamaha YZF-R1 and a worked XVS-650 so given these bikes to play with daily I feel I can give a fair opinion on the aptitudes of the YZF-R3.
I hope this help you in a simple review about the composed and capable Yamaha YZF-R3.
Great commuter with enough power and tank range to tour – I sold my SV1000S and CBR250R and got the R3 as a bike that I could commute and occasionally tour on, rather than having a different bike for each purpose. As a commuter the bike is cheap to run and has enough low down power to handle the stop-start nature of traffic plus the ABS could be a life saver one day. The tank range is also sufficient… Read more
for one fill per week (around 300km of riding on an average working week).
As a tourer, the bike has JUST enough power to safely overtake traffic without needing an unduly long run up. The tank range is also good enough for 350km or so of travel between fill ups and the bike is fairly comfortable although it does start to get a bit uncomfortable after 8 to 10 hours of riding.
The biggest plus is the handling - this bike handles better and feels lighter than any other bike that I've owned. It is a pleasure to ride in the twisties and can carry a lot of speed into the corners. There is just enough power to make the corner exits fun too.
The only thing I'd like would be an extra 10hp or so but other than that It is pretty much the perfect bike for what I need. It's a shame that they don't make 400cc IL4s anymore but in their absence the Yamaha r3 was definitely the next best thing.
**Update** I recently sold my R3, after almost 2 years, and 33,000 km of trouble-free use. The R3 was a fun, and very economical commuter, and it was very cheap on consumables: the front tyre lasted 30,000 km, the rear tyre lasted 20,000 km, and I did a chain and sprocket set at the 30,000 km service. Other than oil changes and servicing at the recommended intervals, and a couple of headlight bulbs, nothing went wrong in my time of ownership.
**Update 2** I've just bought another R3 to use as my daily commuter.
Best learned legal supersport out there! – I bought this bike around 3 months ago and have loved it eversince! It's an absolute beast for a 320cc bike and will not disappoint. Would recommend it over any other 300cc learned bike. Even the KTM rc390 as the KTM is only single cylinder and overheats even when you test ride it!
all that is needed in one package – My wife and I just picked up our New R3 and I am very surprised at how versatile this little bike is. It may be learner legal, but its no reason not to get this flexible little bike. Easy to ride at low speeds and very maneuverable, stable and agile in the city and small and light for traffic, yet wind it up in the revs and its a top little sports… Read more
bike, well I wouldn't say its little, it looks quite large yet my wife at 5'4" can plant her feet easily. I think learners will love this machine as it is not a boring little buzz box and I have been riding for 35 years I'm happy to climb aboard and zip to work or take a spin with the boys on the weekend. great build quality and good on fuel, I suspect it will hold its value well as learner legal bikes are always in demand.
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