The Yamaha YZF-R3 - The Constant Fun Bike
After living with the Yamaha YZF-R3 for a few months, is it still fun? Oh yeah! It's got the looks and the performance – and to top it off it's also very comfortable. Over the last few months, I've ridden the Yamaha YZF-R3 mainly in the city – and, on just a few occasions, outside Bangkok. But, frankly, it doesn't really matter where I'm riding the Yamaha YZF-R3, because it's always a joy to sit on it and rev the engine.The only thing left to find out is if it can be a good 'small-capacity' touring motorcycle. The fact it doesn't vibrate at all – even at high speeds – means that it should be just fine. It makes the everyday commute enjoyable. The clutch can be a bit heavy if the traffic is bad, and your forearm can begin to hurt.
And now that the weather is getting hotter, the engine heat has started to bother me when at a standstill. But these are minor problems that you forget about as you begin to ride again.
If there's one thing that I'm not happy about though, it's the tires. They just don't math the overall performance of the Yamaha YZF-R3. Braking suddenly can cause the tail to swing out. And grip becomes even worse when the roads are wet – so you really need to ride with caution. If I owned and Yamaha YZF-R3, I would replace the tires immediately. On the other hand most competitors in the 250 ~ 300cc sportsbike class could have the tires replaced directly…
But, I love everything else about the Yamaha YZF-R3. For a sportsbike, it's just so easy to ride that almost anyone will be confident and comfortable on it. Its refinement levels and quality are the best in the market segment. The more I ride the Yamaha YZF-R3, the more I start to think that its higher price tag is completely justifiableTag: Yamaha YZF-R3 R3 300cc Sportbike Small-Capacity Riding
