The Japanese manufacturer has issued a recall for over 15,000 motorcycles in Japan, which includes the MT 250, YZF R25, YZF R25A, YZF R3 and the MT 320. There seems to be a problem with the oil pumps, transmission and front brakes as well.
There were 1,458 models of the YZF R3 that were recalled as well which had a problem with a flawed oil pump design. Apart from that, some of these also had faulty clutch plate bearings in the transmission. Constant use of the clutch might damage these bearings as they are not strong enough to take the load. Damaged clutch plate bearings will render the motorcycle useless. These R3 models were manufactured between March and May, 2016.
The R3 models sold in India are brought via CKD (Completely Knocked Down Kits) route, from Japan itself. So there is an outside possibility of the models that were sold in India having the same problems. Although, Yamaha India hasn't issued any recall or any such till now. From what we hear, the company is trying to find out if any of the R3 models sold in India were afflicted with the above mentioned problems.
The Yamaha YZF R3 was launched in August last year and is Yamaha's entry level sportsbike. Although, at a price of Rs. 3.26 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) it is almost a lakh more expensive than its closest competitor, the KTM RC390 and approximately Rs. 30,000 cheaper than the Kawasaki Ninja 300. The R3 is powered by a 321cc, twin-cylinder engine that pumps out 41bhp and churns out 29.6Nm of torque. You can read our review of the Yamaha YZF R3 here.
