The folks looking forward to buying the new model of the YZF-R3 sports bike have some disappointing news from Yamaha as the bike will not launch in India anytime soon, according to Ravinder Singh, VP of Global Sales and Marketing for Yamaha India. Since the implementation of the BS6 emission regulations in India on April 1, 2020, the Japanese brand has not launched a new or updated product in the 250cc+ motorcycle segment.
In the Indian vehicle market, Yamaha's model lineup has the following big bikes - the R1, R1M, MT-09, and R3. The R3 was built from CKD (Completely knocked down) kits, whereas the first three were imported as CBUs. When the country implemented BS6 emission standards, all of these bikes were taken off the market, and they are unlikely to return anytime soon.
For the moment, it appears that the company's objectives in India will be focused on its existing motorcycle platforms and the popular 125cc scooter platform. The company has recently introduced the new FZ-X, a scrambler-styled bike built on the FZ platform, as well as a Fascino scooter with a modest hybrid mode.
Considering the price of upgrading the engine to meet BS6 requirements and the fact that the supersport isn't a high-volume seller in the premium market, it's no surprise that the brand planned to not launch the new model of R3 in India.
The company has revealed that they are renowned for their big bikes across the world, however, the extent and capacity of the Indian market currently lacks that volume and maturity. According to Mr Ravinder Singh, the brand has currently no plan to release any of the big bikes in the Indian market, however, they can look into it if the demand increases in future.