Yamaha YZF R7

The new Yamaha YZF-R7 will fill up Yamaha's sportbike line up between the friendly and accessible YZF-R3 and the high-performance YZF-R1. It also replaces the acclaimed Yamaha R6 globally, and revives the legendary YZF-R7 name. What defines the YZF-R7 from its rivals is in the looks department. If the Kawasaki Ninja 650, the Aprilia RS 660 or the Honda CBR650R have a more 'upright' stance, suited for regular use than pure track usage, the Yamaha R7 has an aggressive and sporty appearance. With low clip-on handlebars, rearset and high-mounted footpegs, and styling that takes inspiration from the Yamaha YZR-M1 MotoGP machine, the R7 certainly underscored its sporty intentions, even though it's not an inline four screamer like the R6 is replaces.

The LCD dash isn't full-colour or TFT, and in terms of electronics, there's not much; it just gets a slip and assist clutch and optional quickshifter. But the clip-on handlebars, and forged lower triple clamp give an idea of the sporty personality of the R7. The cockpit view certainly looks sporty, and racy; ready for track duties!

The Yamaha YZF-R7 is based on the Yamaha MT-07's 689 cc, parallel-twin engine with a crossplane-style 270-degree crankshaft. The 689 cc CP2 engine is widely appreciated for its uneven firing order, with lively feel and good low-end torque. Instead of going for an inline four like the erstwhile R6, Yamaha has decided to give the new R7 a more practical powerplant, which will be more at home on the street, rather than being a track-focussed machine. The numbers give an idea of the CP2's strong low and mid-range; with 72 bhp at 8,750 rpm and 67 Nm at 6,500 rpm.

The Yamaha YZF-R7 though gets more sophisticated suspension than the naked MT-07. The R7 gets a fully adjustable 41 mm inverted fork, and the rear monoshock is also adjustable for preload and rebound damping; the only adjustment lacking on the R7's rear shock is compression damping. Braking duties are handled by 298 mm front discs and a 245 mm rear disc, with a radially mounted Brembo master cylinder for the front calipers. The tyres are also grippy Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport S22 units.

Other Upcoming Yamaha Models are the YZF R9 and Tenere 700