DYNO VIDEO: 2015 Yamaha YZF-R3

Those of us who have ridden the new 2015 Yamaha YZF-R3 are surprised at how such a good beginner bike can be so thoroughly enjoyed on the racetrack. But just how powerful is that smooth, liquid-cooled 321cc parallel twin with forged pistons? To find out, we strapped the $4990 R3 to our Dynojet dyno, where it spun the roller to the tune of 36.8 horsepower at 10,800 rpm and 19.8 pound-feet of torque at 9110 rpm. While that may not sound like much in 2015, the real appeal of this new Yamaha lies in its broad capabilities, its good build quality and its remarkably refined overall nature.