2020 Yamaha YZF-R3SP Review

The media heaped praise on Yamaha’s learner-approved YZF-R3 when it was updated last year. The changes for model year 2020 amount to new paint colours for the regular models, along with the release of a limited-edition SP version, as reviewed here.

The SP is destined to be a sell-out. Yamaha has bolstered the R3’s appeal by applying the same decals that can be found on the MotoGP racers. That might not sound like a big deal to the returning riders considering a new bike but it certainly adds to the street-cred for riders throwing a leg over for the first time.

Even better, Yamaha’s stinging you for the chance to look like your track heroes: the R3SP costs $7899 ride away, or $100 more than the regular bike.

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Behind the stickers the rest of the package is unchanged.

The 321cc parallel-twin engine still loves to rev – the action only really fires up once you're past 8000rpm on the digital tachometer. Peak torque arrives at 9000rpm and maximum power doesn’t arrive until 1750rpm after that.

So not only do you look like your idols, you’re encouraged to wring the R3’s right grip just as hard as they do, albeit with a lot less acceleration.

That’s not to say the R3 is a slouch. It powers off the line brilliantly on the way to a claimed top speed of 180km/h.

It’s also happy to haul in a higher gear – and lower revs – than naturally suits the engine, courtesy of an upgraded 32-bit ECU that manages the fuel injection to ensure you’re not causing the ultimate embarrassment and stalling the bike when you release the clutch.

The R3 uses a new upside-down KYB front fork that helps plant the front through mid-corner corrugations and high-speed highway sweepers. Flicking into a curve off one freeway and onto the next is an adrenaline-inducing experience for younger riders, even when you have to back off because the car in front of you baulks at a tightening-radius corner.

The rear – despite coming with preload adjustment – isn’t quite as forgiving. Harder hits tend to rebound back through the frame and, not surprisingly, mean more experienced riders will appreciate more adjustment in the back end.

Given the price of the bike, you can’t hope for much more. Yamaha has had to cater for riders from a svelte 55kg teenager to hefty 130kg returning riders and the suspension does pretty well coping with that level of differentiation.

New kids on the block won’t notice or care; folks who are familiar with more expensive machines with more advanced suspension will tolerate it. If they’re in a position to ride those bikes, they’d have bought one, or they wouldn’t be on an R3 in the first place.

Under 60km/h or on a smooth stretch of tarmac, there’s no cause for complaint no matter what the road surface is like, making the R3 a damn good compromise.

A digital display is standard on the R3 and is legible in pretty much any situation, from full sunlight to dusk riding.

The fuel tank is now wider, so you can lock the knees in better, while the clip-on bars are 22mm lower but offset by the 780mm seat height. As a result the natural ride position is a relaxed, semi-upright stance, but enthusiastic riders can adopt a racer-style crouch without any problems.

In that case, the fairing and screen provide reassuring protection from the wind and allow the rider to believe they’re emulating those MotoGP riders.

The LED lights are a match for the speed of the R3 and the spread of the beam ensures you’ll at least see the kangaroo before you collect it during regional night rides.

The fit and finish is okay but it’s worth noting the R3 is on its 11th recall since the bikes was launched. There’s nothing overtly wrong with the build quality but in this scribe's view the Thailand-assembled machine does seem to suffer from the Monday/Friday syndrome, where some bikes appear to be better-made than others.

If it was my child (and yes, I’m old enough to have kids coveting LAMS bikes), I wouldn’t be upset if they had their sights set on a Yamaha YZF-R3.

As a parent, I’d probably discourage them from the SP version, simply because the race-derived stickers will give other learners cause to think they’re a challenge … and kids tend to think they’re bulletproof until physics prove otherwise.

That said, the Yamaha YZF-R3 has the suspension, chassis and brakes to forgive all but the stupidest of mistakes.

Forget about the new colours for 2020 – the big changes to the popular Yamaha R3 happened last year with the MY19.

When I first rode my MY19 YZF-R3 race bike at Queensland's Morgan Park Raceway I couldn’t believe the difference in handling, which is the biggest change here.

The new front-end with upside-down fork and more adjustment is so much more rigid and gives so much more feel and feedback than the conventional fork of the previous model.

For the track, I run a K-Tech rear shock and fork cartridges, which provide even more control and adjustment, but even the standard suspension set-up lifts the R3’s cornering stability to a new level.

Same goes with the engine upgrade, which includes a smarter 32-bit engine control unit that delivers more power and efficiency at the same time.

In race trim with a full Akrapovic exhaust system, most MY19 Yamaha YZF-R3s seem to make more power straight out of the box and there’s less variation in outputs than there was with the old model.

ENGINE
Type: Liquid-cooled, DOHC, four-valve parallel-twin
Capacity: 321cc
Bore x stroke: 60.0 mm x 44.1 mm
Compression ratio: 11.2:1
Fuel system: Electronic fuel injection

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 41.4hp (30.9kW) at 10,750rpm
Claimed maximum torque: 29.6Nm at 9000rpm

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six-speed
Final drive: Chain

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame type: Steel diamond
Front suspension: 37mm KYB upside-down telescopic fork, 130mm travel
Rear suspension: Preload adjustable monoshock, 45mm travel
Front brakes: 298mm disc with twin-piston caliper
Rear brakes: 220mm disc with single-piston caliper
Tyres: Dunlop Sportmax, 110/70-17 front, 140/70-17 rear

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Claimed wet weight: 167kg
Seat height: 780mm
Wheelbase: 1380mm
Fuel capacity: 14 litres
Economy: 5.0lt/100km (as tested)

OTHER STUFF
Price: $7899 ride away
Colours: Special Edition Monster Energy Replica
Bike supplied by: Yamaha Australia, www.yamaha-motor.com.au
Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres