Motorcycle Mojo – September 2019

20 MOTORCYCLE MOJO SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

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the Amateur Lightweight

Sport Bike series that

showcases most of these

bikes. Jake LeClair won

the inaugural champion-

ship last year aboard a

Yamaha R3.

Yamaha mildly

refreshed the R3 for

2019, then sent out

invitations to ride it on

the roads in Ontario’s

Bay of Quinte area

and on the track at

Shannonville Motorsport

Park. We also got a chance

to ride a race-prepped 2019

R3, which will be competing in

this year’s Amateur Lightweight

Sport Bike championship. (See

Prepped To Win Races.)

Changes – Some Small, Some Big

The list of changes for 2019 is rather

small, but a couple of those changes are

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were made to the bike’s styling. The

fairing is styled more like Yamaha’s

bigger R models, and includes an air

intake between the headlights. Unlike

the bigger R models’ air intakes, which

force air into the airbox, the R3’s

air intake “ducts” cooling air to the

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air intake are LEDs, and they are much

brighter and draw less current than

the 55-watt halogen bulbs they replace.

The restyled bodywork is more aerody-

namic and is said to have increased top

speed by 8 km/h from whatever it was,

as Yamaha hasn’t divulged the previous

number. Ergonomically, the clip-ons

have been lowered by 22 mm.

Replacing the previous model’s

PRESS LAUNCH 2019 YAMAHA YZF-R3

Compact, 321 cc, liquid-cooled, DOHC, eight-valve parallel

twin-cylinder engine offers solid performance right across

the rev range, with very linear throttle response,

low vibration and excellent fuel economy.

Six-speed transmission ratios have

been designed to suit the torque and

power of the engine. Fifth and sixth

gears are overdrive gears to reduce

engine rpm at highway speeds.

LCD multi-function instrument cluster includes

speedometer, bar tachometer, fuel meter,

odometer, two trip meters, fuel trip meter,

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temperature meter, fuel economy readout, oil

trip meter, ABS indicator, adjustable shift-

timing light and headlight high-beam indicator.

New styling is

similar to the

R1 and R6

models and

results in a 7%

reduction in

drag and an

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increase in

top speed.

Valve-adjustment

interval is 42,000

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engine features

an automatic

cam-chain

tensioner.

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plastic covers, which

can reduce costs in

the event of damage.

Lightweight, diamond-type,

high-tensile steel frame is

optimized for rigidity and

balance to give light, agile

handling with excellent stability.

Low-mounted

2-into-1 exhaust

design centres the

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agile handling and

a lightweight feel.