SOMETHING FASTER SIR? GYTR WSSP300 SPEC R3
As a little treat, Yamaha let us sample their full-fat GYTR (Genuine Yamaha Technology Racing) World Supersport 300 spec machine for a session and it was an absolute bloody hoot. Dialled in by the Official Yamaha riders on track the day before, these R3s ditch all the excess road tack and don’t mess about when it comes to trick parts. One of these will come equipped with uprated Brembos, Ohlins suspension front and rear, a kit ECU and loom, quick-action throttle, a full system, slight modified piston, cams, gasket kit and air funnel design which when combined with some sticky Pirelli Supercorsa rubber and a whole job lot of other little trick bits makes a corner-speed hungry apex hunter. Trick, eh?
Jumping on board the only thing that resembled the standard R3 was the dash; the seat was incredibly high, bars ludicrously low and the geometry felt like the thing is literally standing on its nose. It would be comfier to sit on a throne of pins but the positioning is perfect for the 5”nothing nippers racing the things, who are apparently more important than me anyways…
Bowling out of the factory-looking pit box and down pit lane the first thing made apparent to me was the throttle connection. Thanks to a combination of those altered internals, a proper pipe and a quick action throttle to tie everything up nicely, the engine felt instantly more aggressive, with some much-needed punch, and as with any proper race bike, the stiffly sprung suspension was absolutely grim to get used to;
I mean the first few corners felt like I was on a bloody wooden horse. I was surprised actually; the road bike is such an easy tool yet from the outset the R3 felt surprisingly unforgiving and just begged to be ragged beyond all belief, and it wasn’t until I’d had a few laps to bed my brain and body into the sensation where I could really start to get a feel for the thing.
When I did though? Cor that little Yammy could shift. On the way into corners the Supersport spec brake set-up felt as powerful as any thousand with double discs, and the Suter slipper clutch made downshifts absolutely effortless. The setup and light weight means that the front end was more precise than a Japanese train timetable, and with the whole bike being raised into oblivion, the ground clearance was absolutely astonishing – it felt like it would turn on a six pence. Yet even so it didn’t feel unstable; yes, it was slightly twitchy as it just wanted sweep through the turns and changes of direction, but it was incredibly poised, and a credit to what can be done with a bit of imagination. In fact, with every lap and corner the race spec R3 just kept on getting better and better, and between us, I was absolutely gutted when the chequered flag came out. If only I was younger, thinner and faster…
Overall, the little R3 race bike was bloody awesome. Yeah it’s small, but it’s bloody mighty, and it can be yours for just €12,000…