- Will be introduced after the XSR115
- Based on the YZF R3
- Will follow Yamaha’s Sports Heritage range
Following the news of Yamaha getting ready to unveil the retro-styled XSR155 in Thailand, the manufacturer has been reportedly working on one more model for its Sports Heritage series. Based on the quarter-litre motorcycle, the YZF-R3, the new bike will be called XSR300 and will be introduced later after the launch of the XSR155.
Reports of the Yamaha XSR300 have been floating on the internet since 2016 when a Japanese motorcycle magazine by the name of Young Machine had published a rendered image of the bike, hinted to be the successor to the legendary RD350. The rendered motorcycle carries a minimalistic look sporting a round headlamp with LED lamps followed by a teardrop-style fuel-tank and petite tail section with a round tail lamp. It also has a similarly retro-styled digital instrument console to go with the overall theme.
In terms of mechanicals, the XSR300 will use the same setup offered on the YZF-R3 and MT-03 (available in the international market) models. It will use the diamond type chassis. motor and swingarm to keep the development costs under check. The engine is a 321cc parallel-twin mill with DOHC and liquid-cooling. In the R3, the motor is rated to produce 40.8bhp and 29.6Nm mated to a six-speed gearbox. Expect Yamaha to tweak the torque curve in the low- and mid-section of the rev range for a peppy character. As for cycle parts, the XSR300 will come equipped with inverted forks up front and a monoshock at the rear. Braking will be taken care off by disc brakes at both ends with ABS.
Expect Yamaha will bring in the XSR300 only after the launch of the XSR155 and also the next-generation R3 in the international market. Tentatively, one can expect the motorcycle to hit the markets only by mid-2020. In terms of competition, the XSR300 will rival Honda’s CB300R in the segment.
