Yamaha MT-03 (naked R3) may not come to India: Report

Japanese two-wheeler maker Yamaha reportedly has no plans to bring MT-03, the stripped-down version of Yamaha YZF-R3, to India. Earlier, Yamaha was expected to bring MT-03 to the country during this festive season, but it now appears like it is not happening.

According to CarandBike, Yamaha MT-03 is unlikely to make it to the Indian market as the product is not amongst the product line-up planned for the Indian market, not just in 2016, even in 2017. The reason for this move is not known.

Reports suggest that it could be because of the poor response to Yamaha YZF-R3 in India. Yamaha YZF-R3 has not been able to pull large numbers in terms of sales in the country as expected by the company.

The winner of the Indian motorcycle of the year award for 2016, YZF-R3 debuted in the country in August last year with a price tag of Rs 3.25 lakh. YZF-R3 is sold in India as CKD (Completely Knock Down) units from the company's manufacturing plant in Indonesia.

Yamaha MT-03, the naked version of Yamaha R3, is powered by a 321cc, parallel-twin, liquid-cooled engine that belts out 41.6bhp at 10,750rpm and peak torque of 29.6Nm at 9,000rpm. The mill is mated to a six-speed constant mesh gearbox.

The motorcycle weighs just 165kg, about four kilograms less than the YZF-R3. MT-03 runs on 120/70 and 140/70 section tyres at the front and rear respectively on 17-inch alloy wheels. It was rumoured to come to India as CKD route from Indonesia.