Yamaha MT-03 to debut at 2016 Auto Expo

Yamaha is slowly but steadily increasing its presence in the premium motorcycle segment. After launching the YZF-R3 couple of months ago, the Japanese manufacturer will showcase the MT-03 at the upcoming 2016 Auto Expo.

While the launch of this bike hasn’t been confirmed yet, the company did say about the bike debuting at the 2016 Auto Expo. The main reason Yamaha took this step is to gauge everyone’s reaction to this naked motorcycle and decide about its launch accordingly.

Based on the YZF-R3, the MT-03 uses the same diamond-type steel chassis. Powering the MT-03 is a 321cc parallel-twin mill, which delivers 40.5bhp and 29.6Nm of torque. The engine is mated to a six-speed gearbox that transfers power to the rear wheel via a chain drive.  The bike tips the scales at 165kg, which is pretty light for a bike in this segment.

Once launched, the Yamaha MT-03 will compete with the Kawasaki Z250, the Benelli TNT 300 and the upcoming BMW G310R. Yamaha will launch this bike as a completely-knocked-down (CKD) unit and will be sold only through select dealerships. But in terms of pricing, we are expecting the Japanese manufacturer to price the bike Rs 30,000 lower than its fully-faired sibling.