Where are you seeing such prices? These are Nitron for the FZ07. I can't see how the R3 prices would be much different.
http://www.bikehps.com/acatalog/Nitron_Shock_Absorbers_for_Yamaha_Motorcycles.html
Nitron Sport (NTR1) : 400GBP
Nitron Track (NTR2) : 550GBP
1st of all, those prices are in British Pounds Sterling. You might be able to get the Nitron's for less if you could find an EU reseller that drops out the VAT tax for non-EU buyers, but the extra cost of shipping would probably offset that anyway, so back to square one.
First link you added doesn't show ANY listings for the R3. Does show listing for the MT-07/FZ-07. And that Matris shock (another great shock) is $1,030.00 shipped for a pre-load only shock, though it does have
hydraulic pre-load adjustment.
Nitron UK doesn't have a listing for the R3, so I checked Nitron USA. They show $1,075.00 for the NTR3.
http://www.nitronracingshocks.com/Nitron-NTR-R3-Yamaha-_p_656.html
And $975.00 for the NTR2.
http://www.nitronracingshocks.com/Nitron-NTR-R2-Yamaha_p_655.html
The NTR1, their basic shock (with preload only) is $699.00
http://www.nitronracingshocks.com/Nitron-NTR-R1-Yamaha_p_654.html
If wanted, hydraulic pre-load adjuster adds $275.00 to any one of these.
Webike's prices are even higher on the Nitron's and seem to be one of the only resellers who have them and no-one seems to be discounting them curently. That could change.....
So, you can get a
pre-load only NTR1 for $700 plus shipping (though Nitron doesn't currently have a listing for the R3 on this one), or a
fully adjustable 3-way YSS for $400, shipped.
The YSS pre-load only shock is just $300.00 shipped. Save $400 over the Nitron pre-load only one.
If you want the 3-way Nitron shock, it's about $1,100.00 shipped. The equivalent YSS shock saves you $710.00.
YSS shocks are VERY high quality. Designed by Dutch and German suspension engineers in Australia who have 25+ years experience. The low cost is due to them being manufactured in Thailand.
I personally think the stock R3 shock is perfectly adequate for everything except aggressive street riding and track use, and possibly not adequate for either very light or very heavy riders.
Someone tried drilling/coring the stock muffler and it had almost no effect since probably 90%+ of the silencing is done down in the collecter box under the frame. No muffler at all is barely louder than with the stock muffler in place.