@@beefwithjacob1869 That bike have premium components in just a 390cc bike you saw someone saying that the first ktm bikes had engine heating problem and continue to say that...KTM is up there with Kawasaki and Yamaha in terms of qualiity. Did you watch kawasaki telling their costumers to put their Ninja 400 because of problems they have detected in factory? Honda and Toyota severall times said the same to their costumers with problems in their cars nad they are great japanese brands.
@@ricardopires4713 i have owned multiple ktms their dealer support is trash and the bikes are no where near as reliable as yamaha or honda imo. plus parts are outrageous and i always would find myself waiting on them for parts
Plenty of fun to entertain experienced riders. I love the small capacity bikes especially for the UK roads. Great in the twisties, light and nimble in traffic and it just makes you appreciate the riding experience. These R3’s are great value too.
Being 19 and had a love for bikes my whole life, I went to the ExCel show a couple weeks ago and the R3 was the bike I wanted to sit on. I absolutely loved the feel and want it as my first bike. I think this video just helped me with being 100%! Thanks for the review! :)
Good timing with this one, trying to decide on what my starter bike would be, and you do well to cover the practical things, the things people need to know regarding comfort and ergonomics rather than just performance.
No problem Andrew I'm 50 and have been riding since 16 ....and still love it Good luck with your test ....go and see the guys at crescent and mention my name to them ...it will earn me brownie points Regards mark
Hi Mark. Love the review, I have a year old zx10r but still love riding these small capacity sports bikes, at least you can go out for a good ride and come back feeling that you have had a good thrash round they are great fun!!!. Ride around at max revs on my 10 and you certainly would not last long lol!. Truth is on a really tight twisty back road most people would probably go quicker on a tiny light bike. Only negative is you don't get that sensation of immense power and torque on the straights. Keep up the good work.
when it comes to A2 cat. good bike for a review would be Kawi Ninja 400 (You already done on that and plenty of other reviews on internet ) and Honda CBR500R new 2019 model, not many reviews on internet on that one , at least not made by experienced and detailed rider as Yourself. So if by any chance You will wonder which bike take out next, You cannot go wrong with that one. Anyways thanks Mark and keep up , You are doing a great job
It's between this bike and the 650r for me. I'm from Bournemouth and I know honda of Bournemouth would be more than happy to give you a test ride on it.
@@miguel90744 Unfortunately no, I tried to but being so young with no credit I couldn’t finance it. However I did get a 2019 Honda Rebel 300 under a first time buyers program! So regardless I got a nice bike and I taught myself how to ride and I ride almost everyday!
@@oroboros2432 I wanted that liked the Honda rebel, everything happens for a reason, wasn’t your time to get that bike you wanted. I also like the MT-03 but that’s my 2nd choice if I can’t get the r3 for some reason
Recently had my Honda CBR 250 R stolen. It was a 2014 model (which, as an aside, was the year they stopped making them) and I had been considering my next bike before it happened. I am an experienced rider, had downsized to the 250 from a Honda Deauville, and I want to step up again (slightly). Looking around You Tube for ideas. Impressed with this bike, the Kawasaki NINJA 400 and the Honda CBR 500 R. I think one of these bikes is likely to my next buy. Thanks for informed review.
@@markpulling12 I agree. At just over £6K on the road I think the cbr500r is probably the best value for money. I have been biking for nearly 30 years but I am not a big bike man. I have had them but never felt particularly comfortable with them. But the cbr250 was a bit on the 'willo the wisp' side. The cbr500 will provide me with that noticeable extra weight and power I am looking for. Thanks for the feedback.
Depending on your oil viscosity and how you broke it in (ie. per-manual to maintain perfect ring seating for compression), 128 mph, 118 mph if you were impatient.
Hello , i am a student and 21 years old. Soon i will have my licence and i can affort the r3. I save up lot of money by not going to parties and beer. (Saves a lot of money) thats how i affort a yamaha r3 2016 version. If i wait 1 or 2 months than i have the 2019 but i want the 2016. So yea, if u work and not spend a lot of money. A student can affort a yamaha r3 😄
yamha r3 is easily the best looking a2 motorcycle off the A 2 bikes and fun aswell regards the top speed its faster than most off the 1970 super bikes i rided and ive purchased one
Hi Mark, great reviews, I was especially interested in your Yamaha R3 and R7 reviews. I am returning to riding after 30 years (TZR 125) and have an Yamaha R125 I am getting mileage on to help pass my test. Looking for my next bike the R3 seemed the obvious choice (I like sport bikes and higher revving top end power style). My question, is the R3 much faster than the R125? I seem to be to being told its too slow and I would quickly be looking for something faster like the R7, I am put off the R7 as it seems to have an engine with low rev power that seems unusual to find in a sport bike. Having reviewed both do you have any advice?
Hi scott ,yes it will feel alot more powerful than a 125....also have a look at the honda cbr500...sorry for the late reply your message went into my "held for review " folder for some reason cheers mark
This or ninja 400 as first bike? Want to buy new and intend to keep it for two years before getting a 600cc. Great review thanks just unsure if 400 ya much better power/spec etc thanks
Nice video mate! I have the same bike but the 250cc R25 variant, do you recommend the longer windscreen on your bike? I am looking to buy one for myself.
Shared this vid to a friend I may ride with. I’m thinking of investing in an r3. Looks nice seems to be one of the most positive reviewed 300 bike. What do you think Kawasaki or Yamaha for first bike? Great and detailed vid btw.
Hi Luke ,my money would go on the Yamaha ,like I said in the video to me the handling and fit and finish just seemed that little bit better all the best mark
Luke Baldwin I'm thinking of INVESTING in an R3 is wrong. When you Invest in something you expect to get your money back and some extra. Buying a Bike is like throwing your money down the Drain , you will lose most of it. The extra you get is the experience you have and the memories , hopefully good ones. But most of all the feeling of Freedom , very addictive , and no car can compete with a bike for that buzz of being on the open road on a nice summers day. Winter not so much lol
Hi Luke they are all great ,just depends weather you want naked mt03 or sports r3 ,I love the r3 just reviewed the z400 which is great my review should be live tomorrow Evening cheers mark
I really love your content but the new intro seems a bit too long and has a mid to late 2000s vibe to it.... but nevertheless the bikes are what we are all here for and thats where you shine at! Awesome review as always...
What i dont get with yamaha is that the R15(150cc) has VVA, delta box frame, aluminum swingarm, assist slipper clutch and that sexy aerodynamic tail section. Why they skipped those on the bigger R3 i have no idea.
@@cranky1812 then they should've named it a Fazer 300. It doesn't deserve the R brand. It's like calling the Ninja 400 a ZX-4r when in reality its more of a smaller Ninja 650 than a zx6r.
@@batperson3532 I absolutely agree with you especially if you think about the FZR series from the mid 80's to mid 90's with inline 4 cylinder 250cc and 400cc engine, deltabox chassis proper sports motorcycles. Now it's just marketing gimmick. KTM is the only manufacturer who are making proper sports motorcycle in this category.
@@Philth_E nope, not better performing than the 400, but sure is a great bike for a 300, the Rev is def better, and it's pretty smooth from what I've heard
How i felt with it's facelift is how i felt with the ninja 400. First look: it looks meh 😕 After a week: hmmm it doesnt look bad After seeing in person: 🤤
How would you describe this bike for motorway journeys? Will it cruise comfortable and planted between 60-80? How's the overtaking potential at that speed? Any idea on it's mpg at 70? I'll mostly do town riding but I do have to take the M roads now and then too
@@markpulling12 brilliant, thanks for the quick reply. Always appreciated in a sea of comments, is there any chance you can do a video on what to look for in a used bike as potential buyer? I'm familiar with cars and don't have biker friends. Would be nice to know what signs to look for... All the way from paperwork, condition. Little clues of incidents etc. How a proper test ride should be done. Usually in a car, the guy sits with you and go check it out.. How is it with bikes?
@@markpulling12 I've subbed so I'm looking forward to it! Hoping to do the DAS this summer and figure out the gear side of things then grab a bike. Excellent channel, it's good to see the UK channels grow. Some USA perspective don't apply to us and leave open questions. Have a nice day!
I feel like for a little more money you can get a ninja 650 which isnt too powerfull and still a great beginner bike. Unless you have an A2 license, and this is the most power you can have.
Its all preference my man. The r3 is as close you are going to get to a true sport bike like the r6. Its geometry and handling will better prepare you for those types of motorcycles. The 650 is more like a sport tourer.
Do you recomend this for 1st time riders ? I know how to ride a bike. But dont know how to ride a motorcycle. Cause im planning on stealing it from my friend.
Hi Johny ,it was great ,one of my favorite small bikes , lovely handling and well made , obviously. Down on power compared to the 650 but a great bike All the best mark
Would you say this bike is worth it as an upgrade from a 200cc scooter haha? I have an a2 licence and am not sure if I should get this or a somewhat "bigger" bike like ktm duke 390, ninja 400 or cbr500r or even an mt07 and restrict it.
Hi there , the r3 is great little bike ,but it has a sporty riding position ,bear this in mind if your coming from a scooter this may feel wierd, you may get on better with something like an mt-03 ,cb500 or z400,which have the same A2 power but are a bit more upright and comfortable all the best mark
@@markpulling12 thank you for your fast reply. Yeah I was more looking into sport bikes. Exception nakeds duke 390 and mt07. Edit: I live in a country that mostly has roads with many twisties and not many highways. I would mostly go on those old roads for like one day trips but I also want it to have enough power when I do need to use the highways
@@markpulling12 looking through the comments it seems im not the only one wanting to see the 500 series, its the maximum horsepower for A2, but what i'd want to know is if everything else is good too before i take the plunge on a 5k starter bike.
They are just as good as each other Jan ...I prefer the yamaha handling but like the bigger engine on the ninja it pulls a bit better ...just go for the one you feel most at home on :)
Hi Adam alot depends on how you ride ...a chain will stretch quite alot in the first 1000 miles from new then settle down ....me personally I adjust mine about every 1000 miles All the best mark
@@anirbanghosh5066 yes I found it had Vibes about 8k revs but didn't really notice it in general use ,the r3 has a twin cylinder so it has a nice buzzy feel to it ,it's smooth but the 4 cylinder feels smoother ,that's just the nature of twins vs 4 cylinders
Can I ask people out there which bike, this or the mt03 as a learner bike? I am 50, short, heavy, wanting to acquire riding skills as fast as I can. To that end I want to ride as much as possible with the goal of long distance adventure riding with this or another bike. What is the comparison between the seat and the riding position between these bikes? I have no riding experience, and I cannot project myself on a bike. LOL the video addressing the seat this minute. Any comments welcome. I was also looking at the Yamaha XT250. No interest in speeds or racing just want something I can learn on. Afraid of larger bikes than this.
another rider who rode both the R3 and Ninja 400 said they liked the Ninja 400 because it's faster, more power, more flickable, better engine sound. What do you say to that?
Hi Caleb ,yes you will be ok ,as you are tall your legs maybe cramped up a bit ,unless you definitely want a sports bike , maybe look at something like a z650 / mt07 as well ? All the best mark
My fieancee is giving me harm's she says it's amazing. And I will be a 100% new rider . She's 5'4" & 115 pounds me 5'10" & 190 pounds . Honestly I think she wants a new one and I get the old one .better since I haven't a clue how to ride yet ...lol it is a beautiful motorcycle.
@@markpulling12 , just like Simon's accent in the Britain Got Talent.. I may want to try that accent here in the Philippines in my motovlog soon. Thanks for the reply Mate :)
Good luck, just by your statement you don't seem to have the maturity to respect and ride a machine of that capacity. I have a friend who has ridden bikes for many years and he told me his least favorite was the R1. He basically said it was an ego purchase and completely impractical. I have built my skill and I still keep learning by riding "smaller" bikes like the r3. Very fun, enough power, simple and easy to maintain. Also very economical.
3rd gear 65mph, 4th 85mph, 5th 100mph, 6th 118 When I ride it hard with my mates, 85mpg, when I'm steady 95mpg. So light, loads of room, I'm 5ft9 Two riding positions, you can sit up and relax or keep your bum back and chest on the tank
Generally I enjoy your video reviews, but I have to say the addition of the flashy intro and the musical interlude during the walk around the bike do not enhance the experience (imo). Otherwise, keep up the good work.
