Wow! Loved this episode. I'm a BS4 R3 owner. Got it for 3.96 lacs in Chennai in 2018. Been 5 years now and 73000 kms. I will try and give my comments, opinions, answers to some of the questions and also thoughts on some of the comments that I read. 1. Someone said in comments section that if R3 was priced less, it will sell more in numbers. No. R3 has been selling in BS3 and BS4 avatar since 2015 and it has averaged 40 units/month. 2. Most of the R3 owners use the bike as a sports tourer. 3. Around 2141 units of R3 were sold in India so far. Yes, I have counted. 4. Hard to show brand loyalty towards Yamaha. Even if you want to, you cant. They don't have the complete line-up in India. Kudos to Kawasaki who has different style of bikes in each engine cc class. Even Triumph has a full collection. 5. Never felt the need of TC on R3. Slipper clutch, yes. 6. The fairings are definitely not worth 5000₹. It's much more expensive than that. But somehow that difference doesn't show in the pricing of these two bikes. 7. My R3 has broken down only 3 times in 5 years and 73000 kms - Once because of starter relay issue. Second is my mistake for not changing the battery on time and getting stranded on the highway 200 kms away from my city and third because of the start switch. Otherwise, it has never ever let me down. 8. Yamaha won't localize because they don't see volumes. People won't buy Yamaha's premium bikes because it's expensive. It's a crazy cycle. Somethings gotta give. 9. I have lived in Chennai and the authorized service center for R3 was a hit or a miss. I don't know what I'm going to get. Now in Hyderabad, the R3 service center is good. Depends on the mechanic I believe. 10. R3 is 180° crank angle, Ninja 300 is 360°, Ninja 400 is 180° and RS457 is 270°. R3 is a great bike!! BS3 and BS4 owners should consider themselves lucky to have the R3 at around 4 lacs. Cheers!
I own a 2015 R3. I booked a rc390 which was like 2.5L at that time . I saw the r25 teasers and when R3 launched . I booked it instant. I got it for 3.85L . I loved the journey so far . Primary usage is a sport tourer which I am thankful instead of rc aggressive seating position and man the engine is one of the best I have ridden . Finding spares is tough but not impossible . One time my r3 was in svc for a month for spares ( met accident, replaced fairing and front shocks ) . I was happy that r3 is going to be released again which is gonna be solve my spares issue . Damm , biking is now more expensive. I know to replace R3 , I don't have much choices. I only have to downgrade. Let's see how the Aprilia does in long run in terms of spares and services . Mine is a non abs version, being schooled in CSS , electronics isn't a big deal for me since I have learned the skills .
appreciate your experience with bike but your price of 4lakh at that time is equals to 5.6 lakh today or maybe more. I was eagerly waiting for MT -03 but yamaha killed it with price and i mean literally. No bike is available for display or test ride in showrooms and only available after order. That's even pathetic by yamaha standards
If not for the price tag, it would be sold in high numbers. What is the reasoning behind Yamaha not manufacturing 300 to 400 cc bikes in india vs ckd. There is a huge market and we love yamaha. What can go wrong? Y are Japanese so late to react?
Because they are racists! 🤣 Jokes aside, I think it's because they want to play it safe and efficient. These bikes are premium bikes, so updating them frequently makes them kinda inaccessible to people who wish to make significant, but impressionable upgrades. In other words, people might resent their purchase if a new version comes out right after they bought a certain variant. This would hurt their brand image and hence, our country's demand was put at the very end of the list! It's not a Yamaha issue, it's a Japanese brand issue.
Not only the price tag. R3 looks outdated and feels inferior to r15m in every aspect rather than a twin cylinder 321cc. Also, the 300cc segment is full of competition where only a reliable engine won't get customers for Yamaha.
I've been riding an R15 V3 for the past 5 years now, and I was so excited for the R3 launch as it would have been a perfect upgrade for me! However, it is absolutely disappointing to see what Yamaha has to offer. Like Shumi said , "It's a retro sports bike." And to top it all up, the price is crazy!
I literally glee with joy whenever I see a MotorInc upload! Thank you for never sacrificing quality and professionalism. This is hands down one of the best podcasts to watch on the internet!! Edit: To answer Shumi's question regarding Yamaha Service, I recently bought an MT15 and had to take it for warranty claims. I live in Kerala and move around between Kochi and Thrissur; been to three different service centres, including the home dealer (Not because the bike has had a lot of issues, to clear my doubts and to adjust certain things), so I can say that the service here has been excellent. We know that the service staff are generally underpaid and working in unpleasant conditions, so I try to be as friendly and caring towards them as possible, taking Shumi's advice to heart. They were all quite friendly, approachable, and accommodating. The slight niggle I have had is about the parts availability and delay in operations, needing multiple approvals and procedures for a small part change in warranty. I had to wait 2-3 weeks for the part to arrive (I kept riding the bike during this interval. It was the fuel gauge in the instrument cluster that was messed up) and leave the motorcycle with the centres for 1-2 days. Hence, the delay was the factor that was bugging me, neither the quality of service nor the behaviour of staff yet. If I have a significant negative experience, I'll be sure to come over and update my comment. It's only been 3-4 months of living with the bike, and I have grown to love the service people as much as I love my bike.
The best part is the amount of honesty in they show in every single sentence. Almost every other media/ influencer channel will praise every single bike they're reviewing, talk about the specs and maybe just one or two cons. But I've never seen anyone so much focused on sharing the true experience of riding a motorcycle other than these guys. Yes, I understand that the specs and the electronics matter in our country since it gives a better "value" to the customers, but motorcycling at heart should be just about how it feels to ride, everything else can come later. I liked when Shumi said, "The price of the bike won't bother as soon as you leave the showroom after making a purchase". I've always felt that Yamaha was always a step ahead of everyone else until maybe 6-7 years ago, after which they literally took the backseat and didn't update their line-ups apart from the paint schemes while everyone else introduced fresher models with better equipment and values. I really wish that Yamaha had a better line-up, especially in the 250-400cc segment which really is the next big segment. A middle-class person starts with a 100-150cc commuter and then moves up to the next segment. For most people, that's it. Moving to a 350-400cc segment bike will be their last upgrade ever, and Yamaha not having a single option apart from the FZS 250 is really a big miss. If they would've focused on this segment instead of the scooters and brought an adv or a retro-looking bike, they would've been in a much better position now. Talking about the service network in Dehradun, I've been riding a Yamaha FZS 2011 and have clocked nearly 1.8 lakh kms on it, so there's absolutely no doubt about the reliability. I would call the service cost to be just a little expensive since they always take the extra step to maintain the quality of service, but my bike has always felt buttery smooth after getting it serviced. That said, there were some bad experiences as well, but that can happen anywhere. I would say that getting my bike services there takes some effort from my end too since they have the knowledge and the skills, but they might not always work at that level by default and sometimes need a little convincing or just a little politeness to get things done at the highest level of satisfaction.
What a class discussion yet again. I've been such a Yamaha fanboy. Our family has had RX100, RX135, R15, FZ25! I've daily ridden them. And I've loved the riding experience from all those bikes. Yamaha makes the most sweetest handling motorcycles. I have adored them because of that. But this R3's price is absolutely ridiculous! I hope Yamaha does a better job at it next year with a hopeful possible upgrade.
In America, when I tell people i ride an R3, no one cares. Glad to see you folks appreciate this little bike! I've got 22K miles on mine (2019) and it still runs perfectly!
Much anticipated video! Great work team. Also, Shumi is one of my favourite automotive journalists! The perspective he brings, mixing technicals with daily life to describe what has been, what is, and what will be, is impeccable. I own an R15 v3 BS4, and I can relate to the feeling the sense of reliability gives to a motorcycle enthusiast like me. I live in Noida, and servicing here in terms of costs hasn’t troubled me. What troubles me, however, is that the quality of service is not up to the mark as it used to be when the R15(s) were introduced back in 2008. They used to treat the R15 as a premium product and handle them with sophistication inside the service centres, whereas today, they are treated just like their any other product, with almost no care.
Hey, where in Noida sir you get it serviced? I've been to Sector 5, and that place looks more like a workshop than a showroom. Didn't enjoy the experience there. Ultimately ended up not buying an R15.
35 years ago I had a Hero Honda in college but always felt jealous of the guys who had an RX100. Still feel that I should have got the Yamaha ! Shumi and Karthikeya are spot on when they speak of the brand value of Yamaha. The podcasts are just getting better and better. Keep it up guys ! Dr.Vijay
I got my MT15 this year in Bangalore and three services in with two oil changes and one handle bar change because of an accident…. The service experience has been great . Zero complaints
Excellently distilled and unbiased POV as always from Karthi-Shumi. Motorinc has become the angel on the shoulder of the intrepid motorcycling fraternity. The clear, unfettered and uncluttered discussions y'all bring to the platform are almost constructs of the inner thoughts of everyone in the fraternity. Kudos for literally being the pulse of the fraternity and being the torchbearers for portraying the mindset we as bikers have. Of late, the world view on motorcyclists, especially in our country has become muddled by a few confused aatmas, soiling the fraternity's reputation. Thank you once again for clearing the air. Coming down to the discussion of this podcast, international two-wheeler manufacturers are at a disadvantage because they are at a disconnect from the end users. I feel this is where RE, TVS-BMW and Bajaj-KTM have an edge, although they too need to focus on the end-user experience of owning and living with their products. Just my 2 cents.
These manufacturers have been in India for a while now. If they’re serious about the market, I don’t think they need a JV to figure out strategies. Agree with the MotorInc team that they’re not going for an India first approach.
Can't wait to watch that episode in season 2. Speaking of service experience... I've received battery dead issue in MT15v2, 6 months after my purchase. I called the service centre, they said they'll send their members to transport to service centre but transport charges will be added. I agreed to it but that didn't happened (It was evening). I mailed to yes yamaha mail & they replied to call to their toll free number in specific times. (Next day) I called the next day & their reply shocked me. They told me to buy the battery from battery dealers. Not to fix it from service centre even though I repeated that my bike is 6 month old & is under warranty. I called to the service centre several times and few hours later I had to go to their service centre. After I talked to service centre guys that I came to know that their MD denied to have a transport network. So they're trying to send their mechanics to my home & ride to service centre (I don't know why they didn't explained this issue in phone itself). Later mechanics took the the bike to their garage & changed battery under warranty. I hold my nerves & emotions in check while most of the time to get my job done. but their response is not customer friendly. My service centre feedback : They do their job but it's not easy. Their respond to our feedback & complaints as if they only know about motorcycles & we know nothing about them. I've heard mostly similar from other yamaha riders too. I'm from Kurnool(Andhra Pradesh)
Was eagerly waiting for this one! Loved the Italian impression tho!😂😂 I was so taken a back by Shumi's explanation about the different engine configurations, his experience, his knowledge about motorcycles is simply out of this world. Like I always say, this channel is stronger than drugs in terms of addiction & you guys prove it with every new video. 😊😊
I've got the bs6 fz25 2020 model. Its smooth reliable and beginner friendly. The service wasnt great in my area so i tried a different service center. They are doing a brilliant job. What i feel is the more volume a service center deals with, the more the chances of the bike's problems being neglected. The head service guy also has to be committed. His attitude matters the most
Flew to Delhi from Banglore, Purchased a used 2019 R3. Drove it back to Banglore in 3 days(about 2100Km) and loved it every bit of it. (Opinion)The front and that analog dash just makes it feel so classy.
I went for Scrambler 400x with a half heart, I really really wanted to buy a Yamaha. My FZ S V1 served me well through thick and thin. Never broke my pocket with an unexpected repair.
36:59 service experience is inconsistent...i own an Mt-15 which had a terrible service in the initial years...which i still regret today , they failed to check engine oil levels, the air filter ...you name it I shifted to another service centre which was not a great service centre but still it reasonably gets the job done ...but frm this year onwards i shifted the service to another place ...close to home, which iam really satisfied...so yeas shumi is ryt ....it's really inconsistent....and partly is wat i observed they give more preference to newer motorcycles and newer than giving assistance to existing customers . Hope this helps. City : Palakkad, Kerala
I finally took delivery of R15M yesterday after a really frustrating wait of 6 months for the R3. Didn’t even wait for your R3 special because I just didn’t have any patience or hope left for R3
Was waiting eagerly for the R3 launch to follow my heart (ignoring the practicality and my use case, just for the sheer love of the engine that I had in me for so many years and was finally in a position to be able to buy one) But after looking at the pricing, I followed my mind and just got a KTM ADV X 390, saved a heck lot of money, got more usable power anyways, and probably got a better use case motorcycle as well (pillion all the time, touring) Thank you Yamaha India for helping me make a better decision! (Lot of puns intended) -(Life long Yamaha fan, own a Fz V2 BS3 as well)
I own a 2018 R3 and here’s my take on it The R3 never really embraced the “R” tag.The R15s were always sportier, had the better frame and handling, committed riding posture and that is even more prominent now than ever with the R15M sporting a slipper clutch, quick shifter and other electronics.I don’t think the 2018 R3 is a proper track machine with its foot pegs, plush suspension, comfortable rider triangle and the engine comes to life only past the 7000 rpm band.The new one is does change this a bit though.However that doesn’t mean the old one was a bad thing it made it a wonderful tourer and a bike you can ride everyday.I’ve always loved fully faired machines and very few motorcycles such as the ninja 300/400,cbr 250r fit this segment of people.The engine loves being revved and will put a smile on your face and when you ride in traffic you can comfortably ride without shifting gears often.The lack of electronics mean you'll learn better and Yamaha machines always have been a gentle teacher of sorts even without the fancy electronics . As long as you aren't idling in traffic and wear pants and shoes like you are supposed to heat isn't a problem as well. Yamaha’s service at the southern region has been a miss for me.Over the period of 5 years they’ll recommend all sorts of easy to replace spares but never go into maintenance schedules to replace fork oil/ clean the throttle body/check valve clearance etc in accordance to the manual.A very “if it works why bother to maintain it” attitude.What bothers me is, even if you request to do the same they will press on not wanting to do it as “it may not function properly post service”, Like how is that possible unless the technician can’t handle a fork oil change/caliper seal kit swap.Its either a lack of skill and equipment or a it’s not worth the time approach.Further more since all other motorcycles were single cylinder they don’t even have the equipment to sync throttle bodies though it is a recommended practice in the manual. City folk have the luxury at servicing at reputable local workshops with better equipment and experience which I do not have access to.The technician would not know basic tasks like static wheel balancing after a brake disc change and these are better done at a few tyre shops in India (the r3 comes with balanced wheels out of the factory).However this enabled me to finally work on my own motorcycle than depend on a SVC which is something I enjoy doing now. Yamaha did do the R-Pit Dealer network to address service for bigger bikes but however that was just forgotten down the line.There has been an emphasis of dealers having equipment and trained personnel to allow them to sell these model again this time around and I hope it does not go down the same road. The pricing situation is a miss here and I hope it pressures Yamaha to be serious by the time they bring on the R7s and MT-07s.
Been riding my R15 v1, for the past 12 years - been loving it nothing to complain. Comparing to the current gen R15, only thing I wish my bike had, was the ABS. Service in South Chennai is mostly a hit, with knowledgeable service engineers and reasonable pricing. Only pain point is the availability of V1 specific spares, the wait time is long - usually takes more than 3 weeks. As long on as R15S is available availability of spares should not be an issue. Been actively looking to upgrade my ride, and R3 fits the bill. I see a pro in not having a lot of electronics, as it will help hone my riding skills. 2 questions, - If I can digest the unfair pricing, do you think it's worth biting the bullet for R3? - Last time when I asked you recommended a 40 bhp bike will be a better upgrade from R15, do you have any other recommendations with similar genes?
1. Whether the pricing is digestible or not, is your call, delivi. We're pretty clear in the video about our stance on it 2. Wait for the RS 457 to come. Then we'll get to pick between the Aprilia and the RC390 at least
I've had my Yamaha FZ and FZ 25 serviced over 11 years across chennai and Guntur. Not once have I ever faced a bad experience with them. That's literally the second reason why I stick with Yamaha for life. First being Yamaha itself.
Favourite takeaway from this was that ThisConnect S02 is coming very soon! Episode one drops on New Years day? 🤞🏼 Looking forward to the engine break-in episode that Shumi hinted at during S01!
Excellent and honest review as expected and as always. Time is ripe for our Japanese Trio video, eagerly waiting. As for price, without the FTA it should cost 100% more than the price in Indonesia plus some more which comes to about 8 lakhs ex-showroom. Second the protection of local technology. Without this we would never have the Speed 400 let alone at that price. Our market has rewarded those who made a all-in and focussed effort in our market. Just look at cars, our market forced Honda to deliver what the market wanted rather than what they wanted to push and the ones like Ford/GM who refused to adapt ,became extinct. Bybre is another brilliant example which very few people seem to notice and is fast becoming the go to braking equipment across manufacturers, this is how it should happen and it actually is.
Answering your question on Yamaha Service, I've had the chance to get my bike serviced in Pune and in Bangalore. My general experience in the Pune service centers have been very pleasant! Shoutout to both Monarch Yamaha & Shelar Yamaha for their service staff! All good advice and reasonable charges, flexible with time and most importantly they share the love for the bikes. (I love to see my bikes being serviced, and they always oblige) On the other hand, Bangalore service wasn't so good. Won't name the dealer here, but it was costly, time-consuming, and wanted to upsell services not required!
I’ve ridden 2 R3 for last 5 years( abs 2018 and model 2015 now). Moved 3 cities in the duration. Ahmedabad to Hyderabad to Bangalore now. Craziest experience in service was here at Bangalore. On time delivery, they went above and beyond and fixed a few things that I wasn’t looking forward to.
I used to own a 2017 r3 and had to sell it because of a cash crunch. That said their service network in Bangalore was terrible. I had to shift to a third party service provider called Highlander because the authorised svc literally mentioned it as r15v3 in the bill on my second free service and ended up filling less engine oil. It ended up seizing a cylinder because of which my bike was in svc for 90days because parts availability is abysmal apart from air and oil filter. Yamaha India’s management was very nonchalant. I still owned the bike until last year and loved every moment with it but I wouldn’t trust a Yamaha svc for bigger bikes ever again unless they do something like a Honda Big wing and train their mechanics for bigger bikes specifically.
I expected to laugh a lot in this video and I wasn't disappointed. Excited for the new season of ThisConnect!!! I wonder if the Japanese ever gave us an exciting product first to India... Insane that we are one of the biggest markets but we don't get most of the cool stuff(Looking at you Suzuki and Honda)!
My dad owned a 100cc Yamaha Crux-R and the service center (in Bhopal, MP) consistently struggled with the most basic tasks, such as handling the air filter, engine oil changes, and even something as straightforward as washing the bike. It was surprising how they managed to encounter issues even with such routine procedures. I am sure it must be much better by now, because it was before the launch of R15 or MT.
If it would have been imported from non-FTA countries price would have been around 7.5-8.5. I kind of expected 4.7-5L current price tag even b4 they announced.
The one and only youtube channel who speaks sanely the truth and truth only. No offense to others though. But I love to watch the videos and judge my own view on the motorcycles. Thanks for your guidance Shumi ...
Loved the podcast, especially liked the perspective on import duty that will ease my conscience (and angst), when paying a premium for a Motorcycle in future. If they provide a 80k-1L discount in future, I wont mind picking up this bare bone R3, considering I have a bias for Yamaha being an owner of Fazer as my first and only motorcycle which I've been riding since 2014, R3 seems like a decent, reliable, long term upgrade.
Another excellent video. Absolutely loved it. Being a Yamaha Fan boy i have lost faith in them. Answering about the Service Center satisfaction, as a User of FZ16 for last 14 years I can tell you that In the initial years the service in mumbai was not upto the mark. But then in last 6 years it has been excellent. Infact I had to visit the service center in my home town Kolhapur and they were far through and better at getting the issue sorted. Same goes for when I had to visit service center in Goa. The gears won't shift down. The bike was stuck in 3rd gear. I had to leave for belgavi the next morning. Went to the service center by 10 They took the bike on priority and it was ready by 12. My exerience of Yamaha Service centers outside Mumbai has been far better than mumbai itself. The consumables spares for the bike are also available with ease. The experience of owning FZ16 has been nothing but a joy. I was looking forward to upgrading to higher cc Yamaha but they just don't have anything good in their catalogue. FZ25 is just a FZ16 with a 250cc Block. Same 5 gears. I can't think of that bike. It's been years and they haven't been able to develop and give us a good bike. Meanwhile TVS has given us a BMW bike and Bajaj gives us KTM, Husqvarnas and Triumps. The Japanese have lost the plot.
Great discussion as always. Addressing Shumi's final question, a US-market R3's pricing in India would likely fall within the 7.7 to 8 lakh ex-showroom range. Also, while the Ninja 300's discontinuation in most markets favors the Ninja 400, its continued popularity and availability in India, along with the R3's historical comparison to the Ninja 300, still make the R3 vs. Ninja 300 comparison relevant and valuable for Indian customers.
What we really need is a XSR 300 Legacy, with spoked wheels and looking like a proper bike, not a alien. The Triumph 400 and the Royal Enfield 650 twins are a proof that the market is there
Wow, the way Shumi has acknowledged all the sides of the story will commenting on the taxation policies the government has made us abide gives us an insight of his maturity which can take care of the emotional side of his thinking. A great person, i might not be an "enthusiastic" rider but I really love listening to him, because his talks are just so much more than automotive content, he teaches me something new everytime I listen to him.
Bikes in 150cc segments don't need traction control bruh i have seen scooties and bullts skidding in mild wet conditions just to get their vehicles on the road from footpath that is few inches below. Yamaha really thought this through lmao 😂
We love the engine. Personally i don't care about additional features and electronics as long as the engine keeps being as amazing as we know Yamaha to be. And oh the way the engine sounds, engages with our senses.
If the RS 457 has the same build quality and reliability, itl turn apprilla fortunes. Then Yamaha can sit in a corner and cry for handing this opportunity on a platter to them.
I don't think it will ever have the same reliability as a Yamaha, but as long as it doesn't have too many issues, it should be fine. And I think it will be
The Aprilia is a nice feature loaded bike. Its a brand new model. People will forgive some reliability issues because of the value of the product is really good.
I own an mt 15 for about 3 years and have clocked about 38k. The service centers where I live (Allapuzha,Kerala) have been good. The only downside which I have with the bike is the lack of a radiator guard and shitty indicator.The bike has been very good with me and is very reliable. One problem with service center is they are very slow in ordering new parts.
As a brazilian currently in India. I'm amazed with all the knowledge about the Indian market you shared. 1. I know these bikes because they are selling it in Brazil and the price tag there is even higher (but it's a political x economy + brazilian costumer culture that made all the brands make their prices high even when the bike is made there. Well said about Pakistan, Brazil aint that smart either). And I can say for sure Yamaha is not a Premium brand they are pushing it by their price tag around the world, and making it costly doesn't make it premium. 2. These two bikes don't have the VVA technology. They take petrol as big bikes. So, if you want to purchase it, put that on your mind because it might make 15Kmpl if you have a racer gene. 😂😂 And 3. is a question. Do you think Japanese brands are seeing India as a rival in terms of the international market? That's the impression I have when I'm seeing indian brands entering Brazil for sale, and now building factories there to improve american sales. Indians are making partnerships with european brands and flying high around the world. Personally, in this fight I would pick the indian side, because they used to be fair with the pricing. 😊
1. Spot on! Especially that last part! 2. Indeed! And their 150cc bikes in India do! 3. If they don't right now, we do think, they will very shortly for sure, Rocka!
Nice way to summarise the R3 .... I have MT 15 for the past 2 years , no issues what so ever. As far as service is concerned its very patchy. Good in terms of geeting my regular servicing done, but when ot comes to solving problems and ordering parts and accesories its very horrible. Completed my 40k service recently and i wanted my instrument cluster case to be changed. dealer said case is not available need to buy full cluster, but found on online yamaha parts counter for just 300 rupees. And finally the import cost will from non FTA country for yamaha R3 will be very close 10 lakhs. Enjoyed the review very much keep on going you both.
I owned a 2017 R3 in Bangalore- till year 2020, I was very happy with the service ( Bangalore Wheels, Pacer Yamaha). I now ride a 2021 V650 (Service is equally good again)
Exactly "Everyone who is not Japanese is doing it" and the biggest example is KTM they were no where in terms of their brand value since they took the Indian market seriously and started with their Duke lineup , manufacturing them in India and then exporting it out they were able to grow their brand exponentially and they are a powerhouse, also for context check out the situation in MotoGP brand like KTM struggled to even exist back in 2005 now they are a force to reckon with and Yamaha and Honda dominated back in the day in terms of technology and innovation are facing their worst ever era in the sport I think somehow it's reflected in their overall strategies. I'm a Yamaha fan my love for motorcycles began with Yamaha and it broke my heart when they released R3 at this price.
I have a Yamaha R15 V2.0 for the last 10 years and have clocked around 70,000kms. I can totally vouch for the reliability Yamaha engines provide, but I have had horrible experiences with Yamaha service centres in Pune. I had a major service in 2022 before one of the long rides, which cost me around 20k INR. To my surprise, once I brought my bike home from the service centre I noticed that there was barely any engine oil and the oil filter had not been changed even though they had charged me for it. A similar issue with the RR unit couple of years back, where they insisted saying that they have put in a new RR unit and asked me to change my battery (which was recently replaced with a new one). I ended up purchasing a new RR unit and installing it myself and the issue was resolved. When these issues were brought up with the service manager, they did everything in their power to blame the issues on me and in the end I had to spend more money to get my ''serviced'' bike fixed. I love Yamaha machines, but they really need to focus on the service centres they run especially in Pune.
I watched the whole 50min video without skipping and now I am happy that I'm going to buy duke 390 gen3 within few days😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂....... I know this makes no sense but when I saw these two gentlemen talking about bikes I don't why but I just get hypnotised by their deep knowledgeable discussion❤❤❤❤
MotorInc First Episodes are like a kind of addiction where you enjoy them a lot just having 2 person discussing about the bikes/cars. Mannn 50 min passed just like a breeze. Thank you for the inputs and continue to do so… By the way, Shumi’s question at the end was interesting but I have no answer for it, please reply the answer if you see this comment Shumi😅
Another lovely podcast. I own an R15v3 and really wanted to upgrade to R3 but pricing is no go for me now. Regarding the service, YES YAMAHA has to improve a lot. I live in Hyderabad, Luckily I found a very good service in Dealer MARVEL YAMAHA. They fixed the tappet noise coming from my engine in just one visit by simply adjusting valves while others couldn’t even figure out the reason even after multiple visits to service centre and while some others quoting exorbitantly to replace the valves. Shout out to the Dealer for excellent service!!
Hello, I stay in Nagpur. Yesterday, after again listening to your video about Yamaha R3, I was convinced that I need to experience how this motorcycle feels for real and so I headed to Yamaha Dealership (Navkar Motors). Upon reaching and asking the guard, how to reach the showroom, he showed me to a dog-legged staircase which leads to the showroom located on first floor. On asking the staff about R3, they started showing me FZ (some Version 3) and R15 (some Version 3). They were convinced that I don’t know what I am looking for. I had to show their website for R3 and they still pointed me to R15. Finally one of the senior sales-guy came in and checked that R15 & R3 are different motorcycles. He tried saving the day saying R3 is directly ordered and given to the customer and no test-rides are ever offered for this. Upon asking how many R3s have they ever sold, answer was ZERO. . A month ago, I went to Aprilia Dealership (Devkule Motors) to check RS457, and I was told you only get that in Bombay and Pune. . No wonder why KTM sales are high…
Listening to both of you is like peace to the ears. Both of you sound like international journalists, I do follow some international journalists for the Indian bikes. I am a great fanboy of YAMAHA, but...
Thank you for making this video! Love tuning into your conversations Mr.Karthikeya and Mr.Shumi! It's pure dopamine for motorheads like me. Keep rocking and keep growing! I am personally happy that we got something new and relatively bigger displacement motorcycles from Yamaha after a long time. I love this brand (for their engineering and attention to rider experience) even though I have never owned a Yamaha before (but want to someday). So far I have ridden the RX135, an R15 v3, a modified FZ S, and the Libero from their stables and loved each of them for what they did/were made for. But yeah, the current price tags on these two are simply crazy for our market. Hope they crack this game and manufacture more motorcycles locally (would be golden if there's something touring focused from them). I would love a more comfortable sport tourer from them that can rival the Versys while being more affordable (since I have gotten used to the rider triangle on standards and interceptors during my travels) before easing into more aggressive motorcycles/sport bikes while building the skills for it.
I’m just a guy looking to upgrade from my 2018 BS4 Duke 390 after completing 40k kms at a reasonable price. Really hoping Shumi’s words about the 700s making it to India through CKD route comes true since I don’t see any reasonable options to consider upgrading to at the moment. I might have to move to Europe 😂. Tenere 700 is what I’d really like ❤
So much apt video for R3. I've been riding my 2015 R3 for 115K+ kms and the R3 has been, in my view, one of the most practical bikes offered in India. And till now, with a maintenance cost of 2 INR/KM, everything included excluding only the fuel used, I think it's one of the lightest-on-pocket bike to maintain. And the reliability is another level. After so many kms, still the same thrill, refinement and the same (almost) mileage. But the absurd pricing just ruined a beautiful bike which India deserves. When I got the bike in 2015, it was 3.31 ex-showroom at KA. Now, with inflation adjusted, the price seems logical. But when we look at the market, the price is R3's biggest enemy. This price will not sell.
Really love the intro... Especially the music.. I always watch it twice before jumping into the video. Please don't ever change this intro. Service experience: Been riding the 2013 yamaha ray for a long time (over 70k kms) in HYD. Multiple services later can say that the overall service center experience is 6.5/10. Have seen instances where if there is a new part required like the throttle/brake cable or the brake shoe, the part is directly installed on the scooter without any prior intimation that it has to be changed. Otherwise the service quality and the responsiveness is all good
I own a first gen R3 and moved an year ago from Delhi to Hyderabad, so I can talk about the service experience between North and South India, which is completely different. In Delhi, the only reason you would go to the Yamaha A.S.C. would be to get parts for the bike and leave (hope that explains the situation), whereas in Hyderabad you can actually get your bike serviced (although there is only one SVC in the city which can get parts for R3 and carry out complete servicing for some reason). The only thing which remains similar is parts availability, where you need to place order even for basic parts like air and oil filter and parts take anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months to arrive (imported from Indonesia and Thailand). PS. There is no reason to buy the new R3, one can simply go for a used one, which would be easier to daily due to telescopic suspension and is not as committed as the new R3 (hard to find though, and I can see prices going up due to Yamaha pricing the new one ridiculously high)
While I can completely appreciate how well the small twins have been engineered and set up, I'm old enough now that I'd rather have one of these, but in a classic JDM setup, and without the pillion rider sitting a cool foot higher than the rider. Love your long-form content, lads.
I live in kolkata and my experience with the Yamaha service centers has been related to my one and only v3. I have serviced my bike in authorized service centers as well as local ones. Imo the Yamaha service centers do a good job with the bikes and the ride quality increases significantly afterwards. My only complaint is that it takes a lot of time but i guess its the same with every manufacturer.
Loved this video! As the video began, i saw two moto journalists, discussing a bike and its whereabouts. Progressing in, there were 2 moto enthusiasts, praising bikes and disappointed with where the Yamaha painting hangs on an Indian wall. Towards the end, i see just 2 fanatics, praising motorcycles and how the Japanese have their premium lineups as bullet proof!💯🙌🏼 Special mentions to the almost teary eyed 15:43 “OKAY” from KS and the Italian inferences 🤌🏼🤌🏼
Hi guys, im not a big bike owner but we have Fz v2.0. the service experience i would say is Neutral not good nor bad. But complaint i have is they don't hire good guys, the person who does service are newbies (always), instead of analysing the issue, their best solution (always) is change the part. Thats it. So the spare are expensive and service cost is too much. Im from Karnataka.
Hello, Just heard about the confusion of the crank off set. Well, in the market right now it's kind of a miss bag when it comes to two cylinder engines. Not all have a 270-degree crank. And talking about Kawasaki all the parallel twin motorcycles in India have a 180-degree crank offset. (I also don't recall them selling any other configuration even in the international market. Even all their inline 4 are also flat plane if I'm not wrong) Yamaha on the side have a really good portfolio especially in the international market. R3's engine again has a 180-degree crank offset. However the MT-07 has a 270-degree offset. Other motorcycles that have a 270-deree off-set eingine in India are the Royal Enfield 650s and the Aprilia RS457. Yes, the power delivery for the motorcycle is effected by the crank off-set as it hampers the ignition timing and the firing order. But engines 180 crank or flat plane crank have linear power delivery than 270 crank or cross plane. Well, I quite liked the explanation from Shummi Sir about the engine balancing. So just couldn't resist myself from chipping in a little more information. There are two major forces to balance in the engine, **first order** (due to the reciprocating mass in the engine) and the **second order** (due to the geometric relationship between the piston and the connection rod- a little difficult to explain in mere words.).Although there are more order of forces these two but these are the ones that are primarily responsible for the NVH or balancing of the engine. Before explaining want to lay up some facts. The first order forces have more magnitude than the second order forces. And, the first order are easy to balance compared to second order. Now let's explain the engines. So, in 180-degree offset engine the primary order forces are easily cancelled out by the movement of the piston. But this engine type is bad in second order forces as the movement of the piston magnifies the second order forces rather than cancelling it. Hence, more effort is needed to balance them. Which can get complex and ofcourse make the engine heavy. And the 270-degree offset engine comes in the middle ground. The pistons do not balance the first order forces as in the 180-degree (but indeed first order forces ate easy to balance, compared to second order). Where 270-degree shines is that the movement of the piston and connection rods cancels out the second order forces. This eliminates the use of heavy complex mechanisms used to balance second order forces. Hence, now a days many parallel twin engines, (especially high capacity) have a 270-degree crank off-set. I know this was a lot of technical information and may seem difficult to understand. So let me know if you want more details about engine balancing will try to help in understanding. Cheers, Happy Motoring UT
Yamaha is treating India like a child that they had by accident and now are under the obligation to take care of it. But i couldn't agree more when Shumi Sir said about Aprilia. It looks like a mouth watering machine. I hope Aprilia nails it.(Probably they will) There rumours that Aprilia is testing the Tuono version of the 457
I am an yamaha fan. Rx 100 was my dream bike. When I wanted to buy a bike, I looked upon FZ. And didn't go for it for various reasons. That's it where an idea of owning yamaha stops. I mean except R15(now) no other options .
Hello Motorinc, I was eagerly waiting for this.I have already made some points in the community post of yours when you asked what we wanted to know about these two bikes and you nailed it. The main thing that is you are gonna come up with all the japanese motorcycle brands and what are they upto (Yamaha,Suzuki,Honda) please make that video a longer one. Talk about the commuters also.We really need that.
Hello. I’m here to share service experience with Yamaha. I’m owning an R15 and a Fascino. And I’ve tried 12 service centres from different cities in my state( Odisha). I can tell you that yes people are right when they say the service experience is inconsistent. But I can tell you Most of the service stations are really good but I didn’t have good experience with 2 stations. But as I’ve other scooters and motorcycles, I can say Yamaha service is miles better than TVS, even better than Honda’s as honda don’t care much because of maybe larger costumer volume. But honestly considering the competition, I think they are good, but ya there’s always a scope of improvement which can be done but still for most of the Indians it shouldn’t bother. I’d recommend people to get the service done in some other nearest authorised service station as that’s an esp for Yamaha large network. Thank you. Hope this helps.
In chennai there's an amazing service center / dealer. They are extremely good at servicing bikes. My aerox 155 got flooded. They fixed it in less than a week. Also pretty much very electronic thing got messed up and they fixed everything except the digital console which cannot be taken apart and cleaned. They fixed what was necessary to minimise the bill amount (my insurance was due for renewal when that happened). My experience is that, small niggles are very hard to fix for engineers in our country since it requires extreme precision and less rewards (monetary benifits). So people who are not bothered about small niggles like vibrations, rattling .etc (which happens only in the worst case scenario) can have a wonderful experience with owning any japanese products (yamaha, suzuki, honda and kawasaki) both cars and bikes.
I live in PCMC, Pune and i have took my R15 at 2 different service centers till now. First one had bad service quality another one is great where I take my V3 everytime now (A.V. motors, Pimple Gurav)
A 50 minute video for a bike that I wasnt interested on and was teasing look at its price point. But the video's worth it. As a casual rider with less knowledge about bikes waiting for the Tuono 457, I gained a lotta knowledge here. Keep up the good work man❤️ And gotta say really if the price was low a lot would have gone for it. Because yamaha literally has a cult following here atleast in Tamil Nadu because of the R15. So people with money would definitely have went for it blindly as a yamaha fanboy.
First of all amazing podcast guys. I’ve been watching all the podcasts (like in a week😅) and you guys are awesome. I accidentally found Shumi‘s video in a UA-cam shorts two weeks back and I have been following him ever since. I have been riding Yamaha FZ V3 for three years and I have faced some terrible service situation. My front break liver always freezes in the middle of the ride, and they couldn’t find what was causing the problem. After multiple checks and a complete replacement of MC kit, they found the issue was with the module of the front break, so I have been asked to pay ₹12,000 to change the module (I will have to wait for a month for the replacement parts to be delivered to Alappuzha, Kerala from Chennai) after I have spent around 3K for the MC kit which had nothing to do with issue. Still waiting for the issue to be fixed.
I got into biking because of the Yamaha RX twins. I still have a RX 135 restored in 2020. My first bike in 2019 was a FZ 250. I used to blead blue...but at this price, no more Yamaha....no more 😔 the new Himalayan tho, thats a fantastic bike!!!
Fantastic review. Cannot stop listening. We kept buying Yamahas in our family just for the service experience. I am from Chennai been a regular at Shree motors Ekatuthangal (I am telling this just because I wish someone had told me about this place because I had a bad time with the rest of the service centres in south Chennai ) . Yes they try to push unnecessary add-on services been using them for 12 years now. Had one issue few years back with the very rude and manipulative backend customer relationship people of the service centre where they couldn't find few critical parts of the crux( just informing that not everything is good here ). Other than that the technicians who service the bike are fine. Now I am going to rave about Yamahas reliability and its importance - In 2020 got a RE GT 650 regret not buying a used R3 (as at that time new R3 were not available) just for the service experience and reliability. After buying the GT 650 I started appreciating the reliability of Yamaha all three vehicles FZ V1(more than15,00,000 kms and it still runs 🤯), crux, and Ray Z that I can depend on them to start and take me to my destination everyday any condition. The GT has a reliable engine but the electronics are just useless you never know when the bikes gonna stop. Reliability is so underrated. It is appreciated only when we get stuck on a dark highway pushing the broken bike with your spouse. I am writing this just to say in some situations the1.3 lakh premium makes sense if you have no other super reliable bike in the market in this price segment.
I still have a genuine feeling that Yamaha R3 was launched just for the level of demand it had, Last couple of years, "everyone were like where is the R3, when it will get launched? " The huge love for R3 has bumped up the prices and Yamaha didnt put any efforts to make the bike equipped with electronics or tech.
Regarding the RS457 : Once a Wise man (Shumi😊) had said "You don't ride the spec sheet, you ride the bike". Also for me a Shumi review is a must before buying anything. So before we even think of booking the bike do we have any tentative timeline of when we can expect a ride review of the RS457
YAMAHA MEN, I AM. With Fz150 (Older one built of 2008) - I did Sach Pass-Kishtwar-Jammu from Gujarat, Himachal as my first tour. Literally, Yamaha Nailed it. Very Very Proud of it. Always Yes, Yamaha. But if I need to buy something today - I do not have any good choice with Yamaha. Why they are on the way to disappearing... They are Optimus Prime !
What I have understood from my small experience in riding ... All these years... that machines do not matter how great it is for others It's you the way you are designed I mean the structure of the human body, you will be Only happy and comfortable on a machine by experimenting for some time that can be single twin etc etc or adv sports etc it can be anything get a good knowledge on your taste match it with the machine you got an opportunity to test it get it never get anything without testing it to your threshold...
I guess with Karthik and shumi there it would be possible to call these brands out who are selling outdated products and treats us as thrid class people. Keep going 💪
27:16 Thank you for calling out my name. I agree with Shumi's point, though I feel that taxes could be brought down for enthusiasts without hurting our economy. Love ❤
21:43 a personal request to Schumi to answer this : Pls explain why or how the N300 is not relevant now. Its retired, but doesn't necessarily mean obsolete yea ? Is it not as handsomely engineered as the R3? Since They're both making similar power and comapre well spec wise, I'm baffled. Pls reply if u can
Hats off to the employee who managed to convince Yamaha to give the R15 the equipment and tech that it currently has
🤜🏽🤛🏽
Underrated opinion
🐐
And who is that
Wow! Loved this episode.
I'm a BS4 R3 owner. Got it for 3.96 lacs in Chennai in 2018. Been 5 years now and 73000 kms.
I will try and give my comments, opinions, answers to some of the questions and also thoughts on some of the comments that I read.
1. Someone said in comments section that if R3 was priced less, it will sell more in numbers. No. R3 has been selling in BS3 and BS4 avatar since 2015 and it has averaged 40 units/month.
2. Most of the R3 owners use the bike as a sports tourer.
3. Around 2141 units of R3 were sold in India so far. Yes, I have counted.
4. Hard to show brand loyalty towards Yamaha. Even if you want to, you cant. They don't have the complete line-up in India. Kudos to Kawasaki who has different style of bikes in each engine cc class. Even Triumph has a full collection.
5. Never felt the need of TC on R3. Slipper clutch, yes.
6. The fairings are definitely not worth 5000₹. It's much more expensive than that. But somehow that difference doesn't show in the pricing of these two bikes.
7. My R3 has broken down only 3 times in 5 years and 73000 kms - Once because of starter relay issue. Second is my mistake for not changing the battery on time and getting stranded on the highway 200 kms away from my city and third because of the start switch. Otherwise, it has never ever let me down.
8. Yamaha won't localize because they don't see volumes. People won't buy Yamaha's premium bikes because it's expensive. It's a crazy cycle. Somethings gotta give.
9. I have lived in Chennai and the authorized service center for R3 was a hit or a miss. I don't know what I'm going to get. Now in Hyderabad, the R3 service center is good. Depends on the mechanic I believe.
10. R3 is 180° crank angle, Ninja 300 is 360°, Ninja 400 is 180° and RS457 is 270°.
R3 is a great bike!! BS3 and BS4 owners should consider themselves lucky to have the R3 at around 4 lacs.
Cheers!
Well said
Really good observations ... but i think Ninja 300 is 180 crank. mostly the case with high revving twins.
I own a 2015 R3. I booked a rc390 which was like 2.5L at that time . I saw the r25 teasers and when R3 launched . I booked it instant. I got it for 3.85L . I loved the journey so far . Primary usage is a sport tourer which I am thankful instead of rc aggressive seating position and man the engine is one of the best I have ridden . Finding spares is tough but not impossible . One time my r3 was in svc for a month for spares ( met accident, replaced fairing and front shocks ) . I was happy that r3 is going to be released again which is gonna be solve my spares issue . Damm , biking is now more expensive. I know to replace R3 , I don't have much choices. I only have to downgrade. Let's see how the Aprilia does in long run in terms of spares and services . Mine is a non abs version, being schooled in CSS , electronics isn't a big deal for me since I have learned the skills .
convinced with your point number 8
appreciate your experience with bike but your price of 4lakh at that time is equals to 5.6 lakh today or maybe more. I was eagerly waiting for MT -03 but yamaha killed it with price and i mean literally. No bike is available for display or test ride in showrooms and only available after order. That's even pathetic by yamaha standards
If not for the price tag, it would be sold in high numbers. What is the reasoning behind Yamaha not manufacturing 300 to 400 cc bikes in india vs ckd. There is a huge market and we love yamaha. What can go wrong? Y are Japanese so late to react?
They're simply stupid. Should've learned from their past.
Because they are racists! 🤣
Jokes aside, I think it's because they want to play it safe and efficient. These bikes are premium bikes, so updating them frequently makes them kinda inaccessible to people who wish to make significant, but impressionable upgrades. In other words, people might resent their purchase if a new version comes out right after they bought a certain variant. This would hurt their brand image and hence, our country's demand was put at the very end of the list!
It's not a Yamaha issue, it's a Japanese brand issue.
It seems like they're following Honda's method in India.
Not only the price tag. R3 looks outdated and feels inferior to r15m in every aspect rather than a twin cylinder 321cc. Also, the 300cc segment is full of competition where only a reliable engine won't get customers for Yamaha.
@@Farhan_049 that's a very bad oberservation. Yamaha and other Japanese update their big bikes very frequently. They update their R15 a lot too.
I've been riding an R15 V3 for the past 5 years now, and I was so excited for the R3 launch as it would have been a perfect upgrade for me! However, it is absolutely disappointing to see what Yamaha has to offer. Like Shumi said , "It's a retro sports bike." And to top it all up, the price is crazy!
Couldn't agree more! Thanks SC!
I literally glee with joy whenever I see a MotorInc upload! Thank you for never sacrificing quality and professionalism. This is hands down one of the best podcasts to watch on the internet!!
Edit: To answer Shumi's question regarding Yamaha Service, I recently bought an MT15 and had to take it for warranty claims. I live in Kerala and move around between Kochi and Thrissur; been to three different service centres, including the home dealer (Not because the bike has had a lot of issues, to clear my doubts and to adjust certain things), so I can say that the service here has been excellent. We know that the service staff are generally underpaid and working in unpleasant conditions, so I try to be as friendly and caring towards them as possible, taking Shumi's advice to heart. They were all quite friendly, approachable, and accommodating. The slight niggle I have had is about the parts availability and delay in operations, needing multiple approvals and procedures for a small part change in warranty. I had to wait 2-3 weeks for the part to arrive (I kept riding the bike during this interval. It was the fuel gauge in the instrument cluster that was messed up) and leave the motorcycle with the centres for 1-2 days. Hence, the delay was the factor that was bugging me, neither the quality of service nor the behaviour of staff yet. If I have a significant negative experience, I'll be sure to come over and update my comment. It's only been 3-4 months of living with the bike, and I have grown to love the service people as much as I love my bike.
Thank you very much! Glad you enjoy the MotorInc experience! ♥️
The best part is the amount of honesty in they show in every single sentence. Almost every other media/ influencer channel will praise every single bike they're reviewing, talk about the specs and maybe just one or two cons. But I've never seen anyone so much focused on sharing the true experience of riding a motorcycle other than these guys. Yes, I understand that the specs and the electronics matter in our country since it gives a better "value" to the customers, but motorcycling at heart should be just about how it feels to ride, everything else can come later. I liked when Shumi said, "The price of the bike won't bother as soon as you leave the showroom after making a purchase".
I've always felt that Yamaha was always a step ahead of everyone else until maybe 6-7 years ago, after which they literally took the backseat and didn't update their line-ups apart from the paint schemes while everyone else introduced fresher models with better equipment and values. I really wish that Yamaha had a better line-up, especially in the 250-400cc segment which really is the next big segment. A middle-class person starts with a 100-150cc commuter and then moves up to the next segment. For most people, that's it. Moving to a 350-400cc segment bike will be their last upgrade ever, and Yamaha not having a single option apart from the FZS 250 is really a big miss. If they would've focused on this segment instead of the scooters and brought an adv or a retro-looking bike, they would've been in a much better position now.
Talking about the service network in Dehradun, I've been riding a Yamaha FZS 2011 and have clocked nearly 1.8 lakh kms on it, so there's absolutely no doubt about the reliability. I would call the service cost to be just a little expensive since they always take the extra step to maintain the quality of service, but my bike has always felt buttery smooth after getting it serviced. That said, there were some bad experiences as well, but that can happen anywhere. I would say that getting my bike services there takes some effort from my end too since they have the knowledge and the skills, but they might not always work at that level by default and sometimes need a little convincing or just a little politeness to get things done at the highest level of satisfaction.
What a class discussion yet again.
I've been such a Yamaha fanboy. Our family has had RX100, RX135, R15, FZ25! I've daily ridden them.
And I've loved the riding experience from all those bikes. Yamaha makes the most sweetest handling motorcycles. I have adored them because of that.
But this R3's price is absolutely ridiculous! I hope Yamaha does a better job at it next year with a hopeful possible upgrade.
Well said Dheeeeraj!!
In America, when I tell people i ride an R3, no one cares. Glad to see you folks appreciate this little bike! I've got 22K miles on mine (2019) and it still runs perfectly!
Totally normal... I xpect an average American 2 behave that way 2wards the R3... Americans only like straight line performance and I dont blame em...
Much anticipated video! Great work team.
Also, Shumi is one of my favourite automotive journalists! The perspective he brings, mixing technicals with daily life to describe what has been, what is, and what will be, is impeccable.
I own an R15 v3 BS4, and I can relate to the feeling the sense of reliability gives to a motorcycle enthusiast like me. I live in Noida, and servicing here in terms of costs hasn’t troubled me. What troubles me, however, is that the quality of service is not up to the mark as it used to be when the R15(s) were introduced back in 2008. They used to treat the R15 as a premium product and handle them with sophistication inside the service centres, whereas today, they are treated just like their any other product, with almost no care.
That's not good to hear, TGB! Thanks for letting us know though!
Hey, where in Noida sir you get it serviced? I've been to Sector 5, and that place looks more like a workshop than a showroom. Didn't enjoy the experience there. Ultimately ended up not buying an R15.
35 years ago I had a Hero Honda in college but always felt jealous of the guys who had an RX100. Still feel that I should have got the Yamaha !
Shumi and Karthikeya are spot on when they speak of the brand value of Yamaha.
The podcasts are just getting better and better. Keep it up guys !
Dr.Vijay
The subtle Yes Yamaha @19:23 😅
I got my MT15 this year in Bangalore and three services in with two oil changes and one handle bar change because of an accident…. The service experience has been great . Zero complaints
Excellently distilled and unbiased POV as always from Karthi-Shumi. Motorinc has become the angel on the shoulder of the intrepid motorcycling fraternity. The clear, unfettered and uncluttered discussions y'all bring to the platform are almost constructs of the inner thoughts of everyone in the fraternity.
Kudos for literally being the pulse of the fraternity and being the torchbearers for portraying the mindset we as bikers have. Of late, the world view on motorcyclists, especially in our country has become muddled by a few confused aatmas, soiling the fraternity's reputation. Thank you once again for clearing the air.
Coming down to the discussion of this podcast, international two-wheeler manufacturers are at a disadvantage because they are at a disconnect from the end users. I feel this is where RE, TVS-BMW and Bajaj-KTM have an edge, although they too need to focus on the end-user experience of owning and living with their products. Just my 2 cents.
Thank you very much! We believe the disconnect comes from them not thinking India-first and that is a problem that _they must fix!_
These manufacturers have been in India for a while now. If they’re serious about the market, I don’t think they need a JV to figure out strategies.
Agree with the MotorInc team that they’re not going for an India first approach.
@@TejusSubbannaThat is true. Of late it feels they are just coasting by.
Can't wait to watch that episode in season 2.
Speaking of service experience... I've received battery dead issue in MT15v2, 6 months after my purchase. I called the service centre, they said they'll send their members to transport to service centre but transport charges will be added. I agreed to it but that didn't happened (It was evening). I mailed to yes yamaha mail & they replied to call to their toll free number in specific times.
(Next day) I called the next day & their reply shocked me. They told me to buy the battery from battery dealers. Not to fix it from service centre even though I repeated that my bike is 6 month old & is under warranty. I called to the service centre several times and few hours later I had to go to their service centre. After I talked to service centre guys that I came to know that their MD denied to have a transport network. So they're trying to send their mechanics to my home & ride to service centre (I don't know why they didn't explained this issue in phone itself). Later mechanics took the the bike to their garage & changed battery under warranty.
I hold my nerves & emotions in check while most of the time to get my job done. but their response is not customer friendly.
My service centre feedback : They do their job but it's not easy. Their respond to our feedback & complaints as if they only know about motorcycles & we know nothing about them. I've heard mostly similar from other yamaha riders too. I'm from Kurnool(Andhra Pradesh)
Was eagerly waiting for this one! Loved the Italian impression tho!😂😂 I was so taken a back by Shumi's explanation about the different engine configurations, his experience, his knowledge about motorcycles is simply out of this world. Like I always say, this channel is stronger than drugs in terms of addiction & you guys prove it with every new video. 😊😊
Thank you very much Arun!
i love him cause he makes us look beyond the hype and every small little details he talks about we don't even notice . mad and ruthless genius
I've got the bs6 fz25 2020 model. Its smooth reliable and beginner friendly. The service wasnt great in my area so i tried a different service center. They are doing a brilliant job. What i feel is the more volume a service center deals with, the more the chances of the bike's problems being neglected. The head service guy also has to be committed. His attitude matters the most
Flew to Delhi from Banglore, Purchased a used 2019 R3. Drove it back to Banglore in 3 days(about 2100Km) and loved it every bit of it.
(Opinion)The front and that analog dash just makes it feel so classy.
I went for Scrambler 400x with a half heart, I really really wanted to buy a Yamaha. My FZ S V1 served me well through thick and thin. Never broke my pocket with an unexpected repair.
number one channel to clear everything
Wow! Thanks a ton! We'll pass your compliments on to the team!
I sat through the whole video and I'm not even in the market for a bike. These guys are fricking aces at automotive discussion.
Winter morning at 12°C commuting in the metro and saw this on my timeline, finally something good!!!
🤜🏽🤛🏽
36:59 service experience is inconsistent...i own an Mt-15 which had a terrible service in the initial years...which i still regret today , they failed to check engine oil levels, the air filter ...you name it I shifted to another service centre which was not a great service centre but still it reasonably gets the job done ...but frm this year onwards i shifted the service to another place ...close to home, which iam really satisfied...so yeas shumi is ryt ....it's really inconsistent....and partly is wat i observed they give more preference to newer motorcycles and newer than giving assistance to existing customers . Hope this helps. City : Palakkad, Kerala
I finally took delivery of R15M yesterday after a really frustrating wait of 6 months for the R3. Didn’t even wait for your R3 special because I just didn’t have any patience or hope left for R3
Congratulations SB!
I'm buying Duke 390
I live in Delhi and own R15, my experience of service is pretty good till now. No complaints till now.
Thanks for letting us know!
Was waiting eagerly for the R3 launch to follow my heart (ignoring the practicality and my use case, just for the sheer love of the engine that I had in me for so many years and was finally in a position to be able to buy one)
But after looking at the pricing, I followed my mind and just got a KTM ADV X 390, saved a heck lot of money, got more usable power anyways, and probably got a better use case motorcycle as well (pillion all the time, touring)
Thank you Yamaha India for helping me make a better decision! (Lot of puns intended)
-(Life long Yamaha fan, own a Fz V2 BS3 as well)
Haha! So well out! Congratulations on the new bike, NP!
I own a 2018 R3 and here’s my take on it
The R3 never really embraced the “R” tag.The R15s were always sportier, had the better frame and handling, committed riding posture and that is even more prominent now than ever with the R15M sporting a slipper clutch, quick shifter and other electronics.I don’t think the 2018 R3 is a proper track machine with its foot pegs, plush suspension, comfortable rider triangle and the engine comes to life only past the 7000 rpm band.The new one is does change this a bit though.However that doesn’t mean the old one was a bad thing it made it a wonderful tourer and a bike you can ride everyday.I’ve always loved fully faired machines and very few motorcycles such as the ninja 300/400,cbr 250r fit this segment of people.The engine loves being revved and will put a smile on your face and when you ride in traffic you can comfortably ride without shifting gears often.The lack of electronics mean you'll learn better and Yamaha machines always have been a gentle teacher of sorts even without the fancy electronics . As long as you aren't idling in traffic and wear pants and shoes like you are supposed to heat isn't a problem as well.
Yamaha’s service at the southern region has been a miss for me.Over the period of 5 years they’ll recommend all sorts of easy to replace spares but never go into maintenance schedules to replace fork oil/ clean the throttle body/check valve clearance etc in accordance to the manual.A very “if it works why bother to maintain it” attitude.What bothers me is, even if you request to do the same they will press on not wanting to do it as “it may not function properly post service”, Like how is that possible unless the technician can’t handle a fork oil change/caliper seal kit swap.Its either a lack of skill and equipment or a it’s not worth the time approach.Further more since all other motorcycles were single cylinder they don’t even have the equipment to sync throttle bodies though it is a recommended practice in the manual. City folk have the luxury at servicing at reputable local workshops with better equipment and experience which I do not have access to.The technician would not know basic tasks like static wheel balancing after a brake disc change and these are better done at a few tyre shops in India (the r3 comes with balanced wheels out of the factory).However this enabled me to finally work on my own motorcycle than depend on a SVC which is something I enjoy doing now.
Yamaha did do the R-Pit Dealer network to address service for bigger bikes but however that was just forgotten down the line.There has been an emphasis of dealers having equipment and trained personnel to allow them to sell these model again this time around and I hope it does not go down the same road.
The pricing situation is a miss here and I hope it pressures Yamaha to be serious by the time they bring on the R7s and MT-07s.
Thanks Ashwin! That's a proper comprehensive round-up! ♥️
Been riding my R15 v1, for the past 12 years - been loving it nothing to complain.
Comparing to the current gen R15, only thing I wish my bike had, was the ABS.
Service in South Chennai is mostly a hit, with knowledgeable service engineers and reasonable pricing.
Only pain point is the availability of V1 specific spares, the wait time is long - usually takes more than 3 weeks.
As long on as R15S is available availability of spares should not be an issue.
Been actively looking to upgrade my ride, and R3 fits the bill.
I see a pro in not having a lot of electronics, as it will help hone my riding skills.
2 questions,
- If I can digest the unfair pricing, do you think it's worth biting the bullet for R3?
- Last time when I asked you recommended a 40 bhp bike will be a better upgrade from R15,
do you have any other recommendations with similar genes?
1. Whether the pricing is digestible or not, is your call, delivi. We're pretty clear in the video about our stance on it
2. Wait for the RS 457 to come. Then we'll get to pick between the Aprilia and the RC390 at least
I've had my Yamaha FZ and FZ 25 serviced over 11 years across chennai and Guntur. Not once have I ever faced a bad experience with them. That's literally the second reason why I stick with Yamaha for life. First being Yamaha itself.
Favourite takeaway from this was that ThisConnect S02 is coming very soon! Episode one drops on New Years day? 🤞🏼
Looking forward to the engine break-in episode that Shumi hinted at during S01!
Not on new year's day for sure, but very shortly afterwards!
Excellent and honest review as expected and as always.
Time is ripe for our Japanese Trio video, eagerly waiting.
As for price, without the FTA it should cost 100% more than the price in Indonesia plus some more which comes to about 8 lakhs ex-showroom.
Second the protection of local technology. Without this we would never have the Speed 400 let alone at that price. Our market has rewarded those who made a all-in and focussed effort in our market. Just look at cars, our market forced Honda to deliver what the market wanted rather than what they wanted to push and the ones like Ford/GM who refused to adapt ,became extinct. Bybre is another brilliant example which very few people seem to notice and is fast becoming the go to braking equipment across manufacturers, this is how it should happen and it actually is.
Spot on as usual Shantanu! Glad you enjoyed the episode!
Motorinc First = Therapy ❤
Also, eagerly waiting for the RS457 review.
♥️
The way he explained the particular issue about the taxation system.....Impressive
Answering your question on Yamaha Service, I've had the chance to get my bike serviced in Pune and in Bangalore. My general experience in the Pune service centers have been very pleasant! Shoutout to both Monarch Yamaha & Shelar Yamaha for their service staff! All good advice and reasonable charges, flexible with time and most importantly they share the love for the bikes. (I love to see my bikes being serviced, and they always oblige) On the other hand, Bangalore service wasn't so good. Won't name the dealer here, but it was costly, time-consuming, and wanted to upsell services not required!
All right! Thank you so much for letting us know Saurav!
Monarch excellent service, lower cost in maintenance may overcome initial higher price shock, own 2018 R3 came with Metzellers
@Saurav I agree with your statement on Monarch Yamaha, however Shelar Yamaha has multiple SCs, and I'm not sure which one is among it.
@@MayurKankrej The one in Tingrenagar, there is a Service Manager called Amir. Good chap!
I’ve ridden 2 R3 for last 5 years( abs 2018 and model 2015 now). Moved 3 cities in the duration. Ahmedabad to Hyderabad to Bangalore now. Craziest experience in service was here at Bangalore. On time delivery, they went above and beyond and fixed a few things that I wasn’t looking forward to.
I used to own a 2017 r3 and had to sell it because of a cash crunch. That said their service network in Bangalore was terrible. I had to shift to a third party service provider called Highlander because the authorised svc literally mentioned it as r15v3 in the bill on my second free service and ended up filling less engine oil. It ended up seizing a cylinder because of which my bike was in svc for 90days because parts availability is abysmal apart from air and oil filter. Yamaha India’s management was very nonchalant. I still owned the bike until last year and loved every moment with it but I wouldn’t trust a Yamaha svc for bigger bikes ever again unless they do something like a Honda Big wing and train their mechanics for bigger bikes specifically.
Oh no! That is terrible! We're so sorry to hear of your troubles!
Both of your calmness, really love to watch it completely
Thank you very much!
Keep it up MotorINC.
Keep up the honest Reviews with Pros and Cons.
Best UA-cam Vehicle Review Channel.
Much appreciated!
Can't wait for THIS CONNECT S2! My favourite podcast! Still rewatching old S1 episodes
I expected to laugh a lot in this video and I wasn't disappointed. Excited for the new season of ThisConnect!!!
I wonder if the Japanese ever gave us an exciting product first to India... Insane that we are one of the biggest markets but we don't get most of the cool stuff(Looking at you Suzuki and Honda)!
Couldn't agree more Muthu!
My dad owned a 100cc Yamaha Crux-R and the service center (in Bhopal, MP) consistently struggled with the most basic tasks, such as handling the air filter, engine oil changes, and even something as straightforward as washing the bike. It was surprising how they managed to encounter issues even with such routine procedures.
I am sure it must be much better by now, because it was before the launch of R15 or MT.
If it would have been imported from non-FTA countries price would have been around 7.5-8.5. I kind of expected 4.7-5L current price tag even b4 they announced.
😳
@@motorinc why so surprised? How much did you expect?
The one and only youtube channel who speaks sanely the truth and truth only. No offense to others though. But I love to watch the videos and judge my own view on the motorcycles. Thanks for your guidance Shumi ...
Thanks Ayan! Glad we can help!
Loved the podcast, especially liked the perspective on import duty that will ease my conscience (and angst), when paying a premium for a Motorcycle in future. If they provide a 80k-1L discount in future, I wont mind picking up this bare bone R3, considering I have a bias for Yamaha being an owner of Fazer as my first and only motorcycle which I've been riding since 2014, R3 seems like a decent, reliable, long term upgrade.
Good way to approach this RR!
I like your Fazer! Wish yamaha made a new Fazer!
@@shadow_realm47 thanks man!
Another excellent video. Absolutely loved it.
Being a Yamaha Fan boy i have lost faith in them.
Answering about the Service Center satisfaction, as a User of FZ16 for last 14 years I can tell you that
In the initial years the service in mumbai was not upto the mark. But then in last 6 years it has been excellent. Infact I had to visit the service center in my home town Kolhapur and they were far through and better at getting the issue sorted. Same goes for when I had to visit service center in Goa. The gears won't shift down. The bike was stuck in 3rd gear. I had to leave for belgavi the next morning. Went to the service center by 10 They took the bike on priority and it was ready by 12. My exerience of Yamaha Service centers outside Mumbai has been far better than mumbai itself. The consumables spares for the bike are also available with ease. The experience of owning FZ16 has been nothing but a joy. I was looking forward to upgrading to higher cc Yamaha but they just don't have anything good in their catalogue. FZ25 is just a FZ16 with a 250cc Block. Same 5 gears. I can't think of that bike. It's been years and they haven't been able to develop and give us a good bike. Meanwhile TVS has given us a BMW bike and Bajaj gives us KTM, Husqvarnas and Triumps.
The Japanese have lost the plot.
Great discussion as always. Addressing Shumi's final question, a US-market R3's pricing in India would likely fall within the 7.7 to 8 lakh ex-showroom range.
Also, while the Ninja 300's discontinuation in most markets favors the Ninja 400, its continued popularity and availability in India, along with the R3's historical comparison to the Ninja 300, still make the R3 vs. Ninja 300 comparison relevant and valuable for Indian customers.
Thanks Shashank! Great guess! 😅
No plan to dignify the Ninja 300's existence in any way.
@@motorinc Looking forward to your take on Ninja 400.
@motorinc is the ninja 300 a bad bike?
What we really need is a XSR 300 Legacy, with spoked wheels and looking like a proper bike, not a alien. The Triumph 400 and the Royal Enfield 650 twins are a proof that the market is there
Good idea!
Love your opinion and huge hats off to your editors. Would love to hear your take on the Honda CB300R
Thanks a ton! We'll pass your compliments on to the team!
Request noted!
Proud Yamaha YZF R15 V4 owner and YES YAMAHA ❤
♥️
I wouldn’t mind the lack of bells and whistles if pricing was reasonable. This is just way out there for value conscious buyers. 😢
😂😂
💯
Wow, the way Shumi has acknowledged all the sides of the story will commenting on the taxation policies the government has made us abide gives us an insight of his maturity which can take care of the emotional side of his thinking.
A great person, i might not be an "enthusiastic" rider but I really love listening to him, because his talks are just so much more than automotive content, he teaches me something new everytime I listen to him.
Bikes in 150cc segments don't need traction control bruh i have seen scooties and bullts skidding in mild wet conditions just to get their vehicles on the road from footpath that is few inches below. Yamaha really thought this through lmao 😂
We love the engine. Personally i don't care about additional features and electronics as long as the engine keeps being as amazing as we know Yamaha to be. And oh the way the engine sounds, engages with our senses.
If the RS 457 has the same build quality and reliability, itl turn apprilla fortunes. Then Yamaha can sit in a corner and cry for handing this opportunity on a platter to them.
I don't think it will ever have the same reliability as a Yamaha, but as long as it doesn't have too many issues, it should be fine. And I think it will be
The Aprilia is a nice feature loaded bike.
Its a brand new model.
People will forgive some reliability issues because of the value of the product is really good.
man i am excited for tuono 457
💯
I own an mt 15 for about 3 years and have clocked about 38k.
The service centers where I live (Allapuzha,Kerala) have been good.
The only downside which I have with the bike is the lack of a radiator guard and shitty indicator.The bike has been very good with me and is very reliable.
One problem with service center is they are very slow in ordering new parts.
Thank you so much! This helps!
I love the calmness of your videos, no background music, just pure non-chalant voice.
As a brazilian currently in India. I'm amazed with all the knowledge about the Indian market you shared.
1. I know these bikes because they are selling it in Brazil and the price tag there is even higher (but it's a political x economy + brazilian costumer culture that made all the brands make their prices high even when the bike is made there. Well said about Pakistan, Brazil aint that smart either). And I can say for sure Yamaha is not a Premium brand they are pushing it by their price tag around the world, and making it costly doesn't make it premium.
2. These two bikes don't have the VVA technology. They take petrol as big bikes. So, if you want to purchase it, put that on your mind because it might make 15Kmpl if you have a racer gene. 😂😂
And 3. is a question.
Do you think Japanese brands are seeing India as a rival in terms of the international market?
That's the impression I have when I'm seeing indian brands entering Brazil for sale, and now building factories there to improve american sales. Indians are making partnerships with european brands and flying high around the world. Personally, in this fight I would pick the indian side, because they used to be fair with the pricing. 😊
1. Spot on! Especially that last part!
2. Indeed! And their 150cc bikes in India do!
3. If they don't right now, we do think, they will very shortly for sure, Rocka!
Nice way to summarise the R3 .... I have MT 15 for the past 2 years , no issues what so ever. As far as service is concerned its very patchy. Good in terms of geeting my regular servicing done, but when ot comes to solving problems and ordering parts and accesories its very horrible. Completed my 40k service recently and i wanted my instrument cluster case to be changed. dealer said case is not available need to buy full cluster, but found on online yamaha parts counter for just 300 rupees. And finally the import cost will from non FTA country for yamaha R3 will be very close 10 lakhs. Enjoyed the review very much keep on going you both.
I owned a 2017 R3 in Bangalore- till year 2020, I was very happy with the service ( Bangalore Wheels, Pacer Yamaha). I now ride a 2021 V650 (Service is equally good again)
Exactly "Everyone who is not Japanese is doing it" and the biggest example is KTM they were no where in terms of their brand value since they took the Indian market seriously and started with their Duke lineup , manufacturing them in India and then exporting it out they were able to grow their brand exponentially and they are a powerhouse, also for context check out the situation in MotoGP brand like KTM struggled to even exist back in 2005 now they are a force to reckon with and Yamaha and Honda dominated back in the day in terms of technology and innovation are facing their worst ever era in the sport I think somehow it's reflected in their overall strategies. I'm a Yamaha fan my love for motorcycles began with Yamaha and it broke my heart when they released R3 at this price.
I have a Yamaha R15 V2.0 for the last 10 years and have clocked around 70,000kms. I can totally vouch for the reliability Yamaha engines provide, but I have had horrible experiences with Yamaha service centres in Pune. I had a major service in 2022 before one of the long rides, which cost me around 20k INR. To my surprise, once I brought my bike home from the service centre I noticed that there was barely any engine oil and the oil filter had not been changed even though they had charged me for it. A similar issue with the RR unit couple of years back, where they insisted saying that they have put in a new RR unit and asked me to change my battery (which was recently replaced with a new one). I ended up purchasing a new RR unit and installing it myself and the issue was resolved. When these issues were brought up with the service manager, they did everything in their power to blame the issues on me and in the end I had to spend more money to get my ''serviced'' bike fixed. I love Yamaha machines, but they really need to focus on the service centres they run especially in Pune.
I watched the whole 50min video without skipping and now I am happy that I'm going to buy duke 390 gen3 within few days😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂....... I know this makes no sense but when I saw these two gentlemen talking about bikes I don't why but I just get hypnotised by their deep knowledgeable discussion❤❤❤❤
MotorInc First Episodes are like a kind of addiction where you enjoy them a lot just having 2 person discussing about the bikes/cars. Mannn 50 min passed just like a breeze. Thank you for the inputs and continue to do so…
By the way, Shumi’s question at the end was interesting but I have no answer for it, please reply the answer if you see this comment Shumi😅
Another lovely podcast. I own an R15v3 and really wanted to upgrade to R3 but pricing is no go for me now. Regarding the service, YES YAMAHA has to improve a lot.
I live in Hyderabad, Luckily I found a very good service in Dealer MARVEL YAMAHA. They fixed the tappet noise coming from my engine in just one visit by simply adjusting valves while others couldn’t even figure out the reason even after multiple visits to service centre and while some others quoting exorbitantly to replace the valves.
Shout out to the Dealer for excellent service!!
Awesome! Thanks Sriksk!
Hello,
I stay in Nagpur.
Yesterday, after again listening to your video about Yamaha R3, I was convinced that I need to experience how this motorcycle feels for real and so I headed to Yamaha Dealership (Navkar Motors). Upon reaching and asking the guard, how to reach the showroom, he showed me to a dog-legged staircase which leads to the showroom located on first floor.
On asking the staff about R3, they started showing me FZ (some Version 3) and R15 (some Version 3). They were convinced that I don’t know what I am looking for. I had to show their website for R3 and they still pointed me to R15. Finally one of the senior sales-guy came in and checked that R15 & R3 are different motorcycles. He tried saving the day saying R3 is directly ordered and given to the customer and no test-rides are ever offered for this. Upon asking how many R3s have they ever sold, answer was ZERO.
.
A month ago, I went to Aprilia Dealership (Devkule Motors) to check RS457, and I was told you only get that in Bombay and Pune.
.
No wonder why KTM sales are high…
Oh wow. And you're talking about Nagpur, not some small city either!
Listening to both of you is like peace to the ears.
Both of you sound like international journalists, I do follow some international journalists for the Indian bikes.
I am a great fanboy of YAMAHA, but...
Thank you for making this video! Love tuning into your conversations Mr.Karthikeya and Mr.Shumi! It's pure dopamine for motorheads like me. Keep rocking and keep growing!
I am personally happy that we got something new and relatively bigger displacement motorcycles from Yamaha after a long time. I love this brand (for their engineering and attention to rider experience) even though I have never owned a Yamaha before (but want to someday). So far I have ridden the RX135, an R15 v3, a modified FZ S, and the Libero from their stables and loved each of them for what they did/were made for. But yeah, the current price tags on these two are simply crazy for our market. Hope they crack this game and manufacture more motorcycles locally (would be golden if there's something touring focused from them).
I would love a more comfortable sport tourer from them that can rival the Versys while being more affordable (since I have gotten used to the rider triangle on standards and interceptors during my travels) before easing into more aggressive motorcycles/sport bikes while building the skills for it.
I’m just a guy looking to upgrade from my 2018 BS4 Duke 390 after completing 40k kms at a reasonable price. Really hoping Shumi’s words about the 700s making it to India through CKD route comes true since I don’t see any reasonable options to consider upgrading to at the moment. I might have to move to Europe 😂. Tenere 700 is what I’d really like ❤
So much apt video for R3. I've been riding my 2015 R3 for 115K+ kms and the R3 has been, in my view, one of the most practical bikes offered in India. And till now, with a maintenance cost of 2 INR/KM, everything included excluding only the fuel used, I think it's one of the lightest-on-pocket bike to maintain. And the reliability is another level. After so many kms, still the same thrill, refinement and the same (almost) mileage.
But the absurd pricing just ruined a beautiful bike which India deserves.
When I got the bike in 2015, it was 3.31 ex-showroom at KA. Now, with inflation adjusted, the price seems logical. But when we look at the market, the price is R3's biggest enemy. This price will not sell.
Really love the intro... Especially the music.. I always watch it twice before jumping into the video. Please don't ever change this intro.
Service experience:
Been riding the 2013 yamaha ray for a long time (over 70k kms) in HYD. Multiple services later can say that the overall service center experience is 6.5/10.
Have seen instances where if there is a new part required like the throttle/brake cable or the brake shoe, the part is directly installed on the scooter without any prior intimation that it has to be changed.
Otherwise the service quality and the responsiveness is all good
I own a first gen R3 and moved an year ago from Delhi to Hyderabad, so I can talk about the service experience between North and South India, which is completely different. In Delhi, the only reason you would go to the Yamaha A.S.C. would be to get parts for the bike and leave (hope that explains the situation), whereas in Hyderabad you can actually get your bike serviced (although there is only one SVC in the city which can get parts for R3 and carry out complete servicing for some reason). The only thing which remains similar is parts availability, where you need to place order even for basic parts like air and oil filter and parts take anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months to arrive (imported from Indonesia and Thailand).
PS. There is no reason to buy the new R3, one can simply go for a used one, which would be easier to daily due to telescopic suspension and is not as committed as the new R3 (hard to find though, and I can see prices going up due to Yamaha pricing the new one ridiculously high)
Excellent information! Thanks CarbonRP!
RyanF9's video on engines was the first thing that popped up in my mind when the question about parallel engines came up
💯
What do you think is a bike that offers better value for money at the R3's price with a good service network in India?
While I can completely appreciate how well the small twins have been engineered and set up, I'm old enough now that I'd rather have one of these, but in a classic JDM setup, and without the pillion rider sitting a cool foot higher than the rider.
Love your long-form content, lads.
I live in kolkata and my experience with the Yamaha service centers has been related to my one and only v3. I have serviced my bike in authorized service centers as well as local ones. Imo the Yamaha service centers do a good job with the bikes and the ride quality increases significantly afterwards. My only complaint is that it takes a lot of time but i guess its the same with every manufacturer.
The best new year gift for us is the upcoming “This connect” episodes 👍
Loved this video!
As the video began, i saw two moto journalists, discussing a bike and its whereabouts. Progressing in, there were 2 moto enthusiasts, praising bikes and disappointed with where the Yamaha painting hangs on an Indian wall. Towards the end, i see just 2 fanatics, praising motorcycles and how the Japanese have their premium lineups as bullet proof!💯🙌🏼
Special mentions to the almost teary eyed 15:43 “OKAY” from KS and the Italian inferences 🤌🏼🤌🏼
Thanks a ton Kshitij! We'll pass your compliments on to the team!
This conversation is gold.
Caution: One must have a general understanding of the two-wheeler market to be able to comprehend better.
Hi guys, im not a big bike owner but we have Fz v2.0. the service experience i would say is Neutral not good nor bad. But complaint i have is they don't hire good guys, the person who does service are newbies (always), instead of analysing the issue, their best solution (always) is change the part. Thats it. So the spare are expensive and service cost is too much. Im from Karnataka.
thanks MotorInc :)
awesome QnA this time around! (mine got answered at 34:22 :D)
I like getting to know behind the scenes industry details
Hello,
Just heard about the confusion of the crank off set. Well, in the market right now it's kind of a miss bag when it comes to two cylinder engines. Not all have a 270-degree crank.
And talking about Kawasaki all the parallel twin motorcycles in India have a 180-degree crank offset. (I also don't recall them selling any other configuration even in the international market. Even all their inline 4 are also flat plane if I'm not wrong)
Yamaha on the side have a really good portfolio especially in the international market. R3's engine again has a 180-degree crank offset. However the MT-07 has a 270-degree offset.
Other motorcycles that have a 270-deree off-set eingine in India are the Royal Enfield 650s and the Aprilia RS457.
Yes, the power delivery for the motorcycle is effected by the crank off-set as it hampers the ignition timing and the firing order. But engines 180 crank or flat plane crank have linear power delivery than 270 crank or cross plane.
Well, I quite liked the explanation from Shummi Sir about the engine balancing. So just couldn't resist myself from chipping in a little more information.
There are two major forces to balance in the engine, **first order** (due to the reciprocating mass in the engine) and the **second order** (due to the geometric relationship between the piston and the connection rod- a little difficult to explain in mere words.).Although there are more order of forces these two but these are the ones that are primarily responsible for the NVH or balancing of the engine.
Before explaining want to lay up some facts.
The first order forces have more magnitude than the second order forces. And, the first order are easy to balance compared to second order.
Now let's explain the engines.
So, in 180-degree offset engine the primary order forces are easily cancelled out by the movement of the piston. But this engine type is bad in second order forces as the movement of the piston magnifies the second order forces rather than cancelling it. Hence, more effort is needed to balance them. Which can get complex and ofcourse make the engine heavy.
And the 270-degree offset engine comes in the middle ground. The pistons do not balance the first order forces as in the 180-degree (but indeed first order forces ate easy to balance, compared to second order). Where 270-degree shines is that the movement of the piston and connection rods cancels out the second order forces.
This eliminates the use of heavy complex mechanisms used to balance second order forces.
Hence, now a days many parallel twin engines, (especially high capacity) have a 270-degree crank off-set.
I know this was a lot of technical information and may seem difficult to understand. So let me know if you want more details about engine balancing will try to help in understanding.
Cheers,
Happy Motoring
UT
Yamaha is treating India like a child that they had by accident and now are under the obligation to take care of it.
But i couldn't agree more when Shumi Sir said about Aprilia.
It looks like a mouth watering machine.
I hope Aprilia nails it.(Probably they will)
There rumours that Aprilia is testing the Tuono version of the 457
10:32 - 🎉🎉 can't wait for This Connect Season 2! Whoppeee! 😊
Well this ends my sportsbike Journey for few years. Switching from R15 to himalayan 452.
I am an yamaha fan. Rx 100 was my dream bike. When I wanted to buy a bike, I looked upon FZ. And didn't go for it for various reasons. That's it where an idea of owning yamaha stops. I mean except R15(now) no other options .
Hello Motorinc,
I was eagerly waiting for this.I have already made some points in the community post of yours when you asked what we wanted to know about these two bikes and you nailed it.
The main thing that is you are gonna come up with all the japanese motorcycle brands and what are they upto (Yamaha,Suzuki,Honda) please make that video a longer one.
Talk about the commuters also.We really need that.
Hello. I’m here to share service experience with Yamaha. I’m owning an R15 and a Fascino. And I’ve tried 12 service centres from different cities in my state( Odisha). I can tell you that yes people are right when they say the service experience is inconsistent. But I can tell you Most of the service stations are really good but I didn’t have good experience with 2 stations. But as I’ve other scooters and motorcycles, I can say Yamaha service is miles better than TVS, even better than Honda’s as honda don’t care much because of maybe larger costumer volume. But honestly considering the competition, I think they are good, but ya there’s always a scope of improvement which can be done but still for most of the Indians it shouldn’t bother. I’d recommend people to get the service done in some other nearest authorised service station as that’s an esp for Yamaha large network. Thank you. Hope this helps.
Thank really helps! Thank you Amitav!
In chennai there's an amazing service center / dealer. They are extremely good at servicing bikes. My aerox 155 got flooded. They fixed it in less than a week. Also pretty much very electronic thing got messed up and they fixed everything except the digital console which cannot be taken apart and cleaned. They fixed what was necessary to minimise the bill amount (my insurance was due for renewal when that happened). My experience is that, small niggles are very hard to fix for engineers in our country since it requires extreme precision and less rewards (monetary benifits). So people who are not bothered about small niggles like vibrations, rattling .etc (which happens only in the worst case scenario) can have a wonderful experience with owning any japanese products (yamaha, suzuki, honda and kawasaki) both cars and bikes.
I live in PCMC, Pune and i have took my R15 at 2 different service centers till now. First one had bad service quality another one is great where I take my V3 everytime now (A.V. motors, Pimple Gurav)
A 50 minute video for a bike that I wasnt interested on and was teasing look at its price point. But the video's worth it. As a casual rider with less knowledge about bikes waiting for the Tuono 457, I gained a lotta knowledge here.
Keep up the good work man❤️
And gotta say really if the price was low a lot would have gone for it. Because yamaha literally has a cult following here atleast in Tamil Nadu because of the R15. So people with money would definitely have went for it blindly as a yamaha fanboy.
First of all amazing podcast guys. I’ve been watching all the podcasts (like in a week😅) and you guys are awesome. I accidentally found Shumi‘s video in a UA-cam shorts two weeks back and I have been following him ever since.
I have been riding Yamaha FZ V3 for three years and I have faced some terrible service situation. My front break liver always freezes in the middle of the ride, and they couldn’t find what was causing the problem. After multiple checks and a complete replacement of MC kit, they found the issue was with the module of the front break, so I have been asked to pay ₹12,000 to change the module (I will have to wait for a month for the replacement parts to be delivered to Alappuzha, Kerala from Chennai) after I have spent around 3K for the MC kit which had nothing to do with issue. Still waiting for the issue to be fixed.
I got into biking because of the Yamaha RX twins. I still have a RX 135 restored in 2020. My first bike in 2019 was a FZ 250. I used to blead blue...but at this price, no more Yamaha....no more 😔 the new Himalayan tho, thats a fantastic bike!!!
Fantastic review. Cannot stop listening. We kept buying Yamahas in our family just for the service experience. I am from Chennai been a regular at Shree motors Ekatuthangal (I am telling this just because I wish someone had told me about this place because I had a bad time with the rest of the service centres in south Chennai ) . Yes they try to push unnecessary add-on services been using them for 12 years now. Had one issue few years back with the very rude and manipulative backend customer relationship people of the service centre where they couldn't find few critical parts of the crux( just informing that not everything is good here ). Other than that the technicians who service the bike are fine. Now I am going to rave about Yamahas reliability and its importance - In 2020 got a RE GT 650 regret not buying a used R3 (as at that time new R3 were not available) just for the service experience and reliability. After buying the GT 650 I started appreciating the reliability of Yamaha all three vehicles FZ V1(more than15,00,000 kms and it still runs 🤯), crux, and Ray Z that I can depend on them to start and take me to my destination everyday any condition. The GT has a reliable engine but the electronics are just useless you never know when the bikes gonna stop. Reliability is so underrated. It is appreciated only when we get stuck on a dark highway pushing the broken bike with your spouse. I am writing this just to say in some situations the1.3 lakh premium makes sense if you have no other super reliable bike in the market in this price segment.
I still have a genuine feeling that Yamaha R3 was launched just for the level of demand it had, Last couple of years, "everyone were like where is the R3, when it will get launched? " The huge love for R3 has bumped up the prices and Yamaha didnt put any efforts to make the bike equipped with electronics or tech.
MKN! Good to see you again! We're honestly not sure what the gambit here is.
Regarding the RS457 :
Once a Wise man (Shumi😊) had said "You don't ride the spec sheet, you ride the bike". Also for me a Shumi review is a must before buying anything. So before we even think of booking the bike do we have any tentative timeline of when we can expect a ride review of the RS457
Hey AS! We think 3/4th week Jan would be a good promise to make
Yamaha Jorhat service is good. Owning a R15 v2 since 2016. Put 110000 kms on it. No problems faced till date.
YAMAHA MEN, I AM. With Fz150 (Older one built of 2008) - I did Sach Pass-Kishtwar-Jammu from Gujarat, Himachal as my first tour. Literally, Yamaha Nailed it. Very Very Proud of it. Always Yes, Yamaha. But if I need to buy something today - I do not have any good choice with Yamaha. Why they are on the way to disappearing... They are Optimus Prime !
What I have understood from my small experience in riding ... All these years... that machines do not matter how great it is for others It's you the way you are designed I mean the structure of the human body, you will be Only happy and comfortable on a machine by experimenting for some time that can be single twin etc etc or adv sports etc it can be anything get a good knowledge on your taste match it with the machine you got an opportunity to test it get it never get anything without testing it to your threshold...
I guess with Karthik and shumi there it would be possible to call these brands out who are selling outdated products and treats us as thrid class people. Keep going 💪
27:16 Thank you for calling out my name. I agree with Shumi's point, though I feel that taxes could be brought down for enthusiasts without hurting our economy.
Love ❤
21:43 a personal request to Schumi to answer this :
Pls explain why or how the N300 is not relevant now. Its retired, but doesn't necessarily mean obsolete yea ? Is it not as handsomely engineered as the R3? Since They're both making similar power and comapre well spec wise, I'm baffled. Pls reply if u can