Yamaha has revealed the new 2020 MT-03 naked street bike based on the facelift model of the YZF-R3 sportsbike. The 2020 Yamaha MT-03 now follows the Dark Side of Japan design philosophy and looks in sync with the other MT bikes in Yamaha portfolio. The MT-03 could possibly be launched in India along with the refreshed YZF-R3 sometime in 2020, post the Auto Expo. Both the new YZF-R3 and MT-03 will be brought to India as CKD models, and pricing would be on the premium side.
Powering the Yamaha MT-03 is a 321cc, parallel-twin, liquid-cooled, 4-stroke, DOHC, 4-valve petrol motor producing 42 PS of power @ 10750 RPM and 29.6 Nm of torque @ 9000 RPM matched to a 6-speed gearbox without any slipper assist clutch which is a shame since the MT-15 gets it. The bike has a wet weight of 168 kg which is impressive with a ground clearance of 160mm and fuel tank capacity of 14L. The Yamaha MT-03 has a seat height of 780mm making it accessible to more riders.
The 2020 Yamaha MT-03 rides on a diamond chassis with USD front forks having 37mm diameter and a rear monoshock suspension. The bike sports a single disc brake at the front and back coupled to a dual-channel ABS system. The bike grips the road with a 110 section front tyre and a 140mm rear tyre, both of which are tubeless radials.
Features on the motorcycle include full LED projector headlamp, LED DRLs, LED tail lamp, aggressive MT design with tank shrouds, engine underbelly cowl, full size exhaust, split seats, full digital speedo console, exposed engine & chassis components, minimum decals, forged levers, triple clamp handlebar, small fly screen, contrast painted multi-spoke alloy wheels, etc.
The Yamaha MT-03 when launched in India will rival the likes of KTM 390 Duke, BMW G 310 R and Benelli TNT 300. While the pricing will be surely more than the KTM, it will be comparable to the other two motorcycles, but Yamaha fanboys will appreciate the twin-cylinder smooth nature of the MT-03.
