Yamaha MT-03 specs and photos revealed

Yamaha’s plans of launching the MT-03 was more of an open secret, but the company had refused to comment on it. Now though, the company has officially confirmed the existence of the MT-03 by releasing the first official pictures and specifications of the streetfighter.

Like earlier speculations had suggested, the MT-03 uses the same diamond-type steel chassis and engine which is used in the Yamaha YZF-R3. Powering the MT-03 is a 321cc parallel-twin powerplant, which delivers 40.5bhp and 29.6Nm of torque. The engine is mated to a six-speed transmission, and makes the MT-03 one of the most powerful offerings in the segment.

Other components like suspension and brakes are also similar to the ones used in the YZF-R3. Though the previous patent drawings had showed an ABS ring in the front disc brake, the absence of one in the official pictures indicates that this safety feature might be an optional extra. The stripped down MT-03 is four kilograms lighter than the YZF-R3. It also gets a single-piece handlebar in place of the YZF-R3’s clip-ons.

The MT-03 will also be locally assembled in India, just like the Yamaha YZF-R3. It will compete with other streetfighters like the KTM Duke 390, Kawasaki Z250 and the Benelli TNT 300.