The Yamaha YZF-R7 made its global reveal yesterday. This new model is a sports bike based on the MT-07 naked streetfighter.
The Yamaha R7 has been a hot topic of conversation ever since some official pictures were leaked online a few days ago. The motorcycle has now officially been revealed by Yamaha. Previously, the R6 held the place for the Yamaha middleweight sports bike between the R3 and the R1. The R7 has been launched to offer another middleweight sporty motorcycle and expand their lineup. The R6 is currently being sold as a track only motorcycle in some parts of the world and is not legal on road as the bike could not match up with the Euro-5 (BS6) emission norms.
In terms of design, the YZF-R7 is gets sporty styling as most of the other models from the YZF series. In my opinion, it looks like a combination of the many elements from the R3 and the R1. Whats new is the single headlight unit fitted right into the center of the fairing. The LED DRLs have also been retained and are sharp and sleek units. Overall, this is a good looking motorcycle with a light kerb weight of just 188 kg. For now, the bike will be sold with the option of two colour schemes – Raven Black and Team Yamaha Blue.
The Yamaha YZF-R7 is essentially a faired version of the MT-07 and this new model will also make use of the same engine that is seen in the MT-07. This is a 689-cc, parallel-twin cylinder motor which puts out 73.4 hp at 8,750 rpm and a peak torque of 68 Nm at 6,500 rpm. This engine is paired with a six-speed gearbox and gets a slipper clutch as standard. In comparison, the mighty Yamaha YZF-R6 draws its power from a 599cc, inline four-cylinder motor making 118 hp and 62 Nm.
The suspension setup comprises a fully-adjustable 41mm KYB USD front fork and a link-type monoshock at the rear that is rebound and preload adjustable only. The braking setup on the YZF-R7 includes twin 298-mm front discs with radially mounted calipers. The R7 also features a radial Brembo master cylinder for better feel and stopping power. In comparison, the MT-07 comes equipped with axial calipers. There are also changes made to the geometry of the motorcycle which in turn will make the R7 a sharper handling machine than the MT-07.
On the Yamaha US website, the bike is listed starting at $8,999 which translates to about Rs 6.57 lakh. There is no word from Yamaha on whether we will be getting this model for the Indian market so we will have to wait and find out. We feel that this would be an ideal machine for someone looking to upgrade from a 400-cc motorcycle. The bike will go up against the likes of the recently launched Aprilia RS 660.
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