Yamaha weighs bringing bigger bikes such as R3 and R7 back to India
Yamaha is considering expanding its presence in the 250 cc to 1000 cc segment in India, which could see older models return.
Yamaha is preparing another big push in India's premium motorcycle market. The company is considering expanding its presence in the 250 cc to 1000 cc segment, which raises the possibility of some of its older models returning to India. Apart from the R3 and MT-03, the company may also be focusing on bikes such as the R7, Lander 250 and Tenere 700.
Yamaha earlier sold the R3 and MT-03 in India through the CBU (completely built-up unit) route. However, because of their high prices, sales did not meet expectations and the bikes were later discontinued. The R3 was priced at Rs 4.65 lakh ex-showroom, while the MT-03 cost Rs 4.60 lakh ex-showroom.
If the company now increases production or localisation in India, it could open the way to pricing these bikes more competitively. With greater localisation in India, prices of Yamaha's premium bikes are likely to become more competitive.
The R3 has a 321 cc parallel-twin engine that produces 42 PS of power and about 29.5 Nm of torque. With a 6-speed gearbox, 37 mm USD fork and dual-channel ABS, the bike is built for sporty riding. The MT-03 uses the same platform.
Yamaha also introduced the Lander 250 in India. The bike could strengthen the company's entry in the dual-sport segment, where the Hero Xpulse 200 4V, Xpulse 210 and Kawasaki KLX230 are currently on sale. The Lander 250 is therefore likely to find its own space.
In the premium segment, the R7 and Tenere 700 could become two more important options. The R7 has a 689 cc CP2 parallel-twin engine that delivers 72.4 bhp of power and 67 Nm of torque. The Tenere 700, on the other hand, could give Yamaha a strong option in the middleweight adventure segment.
Yamaha's plans to expand its R&D capacity in India and to increase export capacity relative to Indonesia are also seen as significant. If high-capacity bikes are produced in India, prices are likely to be lower than those of CBU models. However, Yamaha has not officially announced any timeline for the launch of the R3, MT-03, R7, Lander 250 or Tenere 700 in India.
