After many years on my 1999 Honda Hornet, downsizing to the Yamaha R3 was a big shift. The Hornet was a beast in comparison— a slightly detuned 600cc inlinefour from the CBR600RR delivered plenty of torque, and a soundtrack that made me grin. At 13,000rpm it was loud enough that a mobileusing driver might just get a fright big enough to drop their phone. But at 120,000km, reliability issues started creeping in, and I really wanted ABS for winter commuting. Filtering through Wellington traffic on cold tyres when cars change lanes without looking causes front tyre lock ups, so ABS would be peace of mind, as it reacts faster than me.
FIRST LOOKS I really think the R3 looks great. Sure, you can see where Yamaha trimmed costs to hit the price point, but the sum of the parts is greater than the individual pieces. And it all works together
so very well. From the start I knew the stock front suspension would be soft for my hefty Kiwi frame( a few of us on the KR staff would debate Chris’‘ hefty frame’- Ed), so Robert Taylor and Mac at Maidstone Yamaha sorted the bike out with some new springs. They’ re firm now, which I like, but they have highlighted the slight softness and fast rebound of the rear shock. I’ ll upgrade that eventually, but, for now, it’ s fine for daily commuting.
ON THE ROAD In town, the R3 is brilliant. Nimble, light, and practical. At 169kg wet, it’ s easy to push in and out of Wellington’ s crowded bike parking spots. The low seat height makes stop-start riding in traffic completely stress-free. Out on the open road? It loves corners. There’ s a bend on my commute marked 75km / h- hypothetically speaking-, but it’ ll do double that without breaking a sweat, apparently. It flops onto its
38 KIWI RIDER