2021 Yamaha R7 unveiled
After months of speculations, patent leaks and teasers, Yamaha has finally pulled the covers off the much awaited R7. The R7 is not positioned as a replacement for the more committed R6 which is now available only as a track bike. But, it does sit in between the YZF-R3 and the mighty YZF-R1 and is naturally the middleweight supersport offering from the Japanese manufacturer. Yamaha also clearly states that this bike doesn’t intend to be a successor of the original YZF-R7 that was launched back in 1999 and that they have used the R7 moniker simply in order to pay homage to it.
Yamaha R7 design
Take one look at the 2022 R7 and it immediately strikes distinct resemblance to the R series bikes like the R6 and the R1. Yamaha has used its supersport design language but the R7 has a few key elements that help distinguish it from the rest of the range, like the single position lamp, placed in the centre of the M-shaped duct unlike the R1 and R6 where there are two lamps tucked under the slit shaped DRLs. The R7 is also an extremely narrow bike courtesy the profile of the parallel-twin CP2 engine. Infact, Yamaha have managed to make the bike even narrower than the R3.Yamaha claims that the fairing design makes the bike exceptionally aerodynamic and will have a higher top speed than other Yamahas equipped with the same engine. The bike gets full LED illumination at both ends and a LCD instrument cluster. The Yamaha R7 will be available in two different colours, Icon Blue and Yamaha Black.
Yamaha R7 powertrain
The Yamaha R7 is powered by the same 689cc, parallel-twin, CP2 engine with a 270-degree crossplane crankshaft. The engine’s peak outputs at 72.4bhp at 8750rpm and 67Nm at 6500rpm remain unchanged. But Yamaha has tinkered with the secondary gear ratios to make it more suited to the R7’s characteristics. The engine comes mated to a six-speed gearbox and a slip and assist clutch to aid hard downshifts without unsettling the bike. The R7 can also be specced with a quickshifter to aid faster shifting.
Yamaha R7 chassis
The R7 uses a tubular steel diamond frame and is suspended on 41mm fully adjustable KYB USD forks replacing the telescopic forks found on the MT-07. The rear link-type monoshock gets preload and rebound adjustability. In terms of braking, the R7 gets four-piston calipers, radially mounted on 298mm discs at the front and a radial Brembo master cylinder to give it better braking performance. The R7 being a supersport also gets a more committed rider’s triangle with clip-on handlebars, taller seat and rearset footpegs. Infact, the chassis on the R7 has been tweaked to give it a 5mm shorter wheelbase and a sharper rake as compared to the MT-07 to make it a better handling bike. The seat height has also gone up by 30mm at 835mm. The bike gets a 120/70ZR17 front and 180-55ZR17 rear wheel setup shod in Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport S22 tyres. The R7’s fuel tank has a 13-litre capacity and the bike with all fluids topped, tips the scales at 188kg.
The Yamaha R7 is positioned to be an approachable supersport machine that is great at the track and comfortable enough to be a daily rider as well. The R7 goes on sale internationally by the third quarter of 2021 and it is unlikely that the bike will make its way to Indian shores, but it would be great if it did. The Yamaha R7 is rivalled by the likes of the Honda CBR650R, Kawasaki Ninja 650 and the Aprilia RS 660.
