22 MOTORCYCLE MOJO SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019
The six-speed gearbox works
smoothly with a light touch, which isn’t
entirely unexpected on a lightweight
bike. The only item that I felt could
have used improvement is the front
brake, which has a soft initial bite and
requires a moderate amount of effort
when stopping.
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On The Track
At the track, the R3’s rigid chassis
stands out. The bike is stable, yet steers
quickly. I’d ridden the previous model
on a racetrack and I remember it could
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providing better front-end feedback.
And while the front brake lacks feel,
with a hard enough squeeze, it slows the
bike hard and without fading. The only
deterring factor to riding at an all-out
pace on the R3 is the stock Dunlop tires.
While they provide a surprising amount
of grip, they squirm and skip about over
bumps at near-maximum lean.