Yamaha's statement read, "The YZF-R3 is an exceptional performer and has been very successful on Indian roads. Recently, the parent company Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd., Japan has detected a defect in its Fuel Tank Bracket and Main Switch Sub Assy and has announced a recall. In India, this will affect 1155 vehicles."
It has been reported that the fuel tank bracket being defective on the Yamaha R3 may move about due to engine vibrations. This, in turn, could cause the fuel tank to crack and the start leaking fuel. The other issue was due to defective power switch that had the tendency to be corroded due to rain from water and cold, which would cause the motorcycle to stall. Clearly, both issues have safety concerns as well and something that needs to be addressed at the earliest.
The affected models will get the replaced parts free of cost
Yamaha India has said it will be replacing the defective parts as part of the recall campaign free of cost at Yamaha dealerships.. The replacement exercise will commence immediately and the company will be communicating with customers directly.
"This recall is a reiteration of Yamaha's commitment to the safety of its customers by offering safe and satisfactory products," Yamaha's statement read further. That said, this is the R3's first recall in India or globally. Previously, Yamaha recalled the sports bike in June 2016over faulty clutch pressure plate and oil pump assembly.
Rivaling the KTM RC390 and Kawasaki Ninja 300, the Yamaha R3 draws power from the 321cc twin-cylinder motor tuned to produce 41 bhp and 29.5 Nm of torque, paired to a 6-speed gearbox. The R3 is certainly a good performer, but comes void of ABS in India. That being said, the model is expected to get the safety feature in its next major update.
