When I first heard Yamaha was building a new R7 I leapt off the couch like an excited dog heading for its meaty bowl. Thoughts of more carbon and titanium than found in Oscar Pistorius’ legs flowed through my mind. Maybe hideously expensive Ohlins suspension and more electronics than a Tesla car were also a possibility, and of course a price tag that only the very rich could afford. Well I couldn’t have been more wrong…
The reason for my anticipation was that I rode the first R7 back in the late 90s, which had most of the above being a pure race-bred racing machine, as well as a horrendous price tag. So, when I saw the new R7, I was a little disappointed, like many. Is it just a MT-07 with a fairing slapped around it, I thought?
Err, not really has to be the answer, but very close. Look I’m the biggest fan of Yamaha’s 689cc, CP-2 engine, without doubt one of the best mid-capacity power units in the world of motorcycling. Its ‘torquey’ nature defies the engine’s displacement, and it does deliver immense fun when used on any of Yamaha’s platforms, like the T7. And the R7 is no exception. After a week of living with the R7, I believe Yamaha has made the right decision with their new ‘budget’ racer. The fun factor is sky high and the price of 180k makes it affordable to many. Basically it’s a beautifully made mid-capacity super bike that does exactly what it says on the tin, which is a razor sharp handling R7 like the one from the 90s.
To achieve this corner-carving delight Yamaha has changed quite a lot from the MT-07, primarily the front-end suspension. The R7’s 41mm KYB forks have rebound damping on the right leg and compression damping on the left (MT has neither), like many pure race bikes have. They’re also spaced 20mm wider than the MT with new yokes, and the top yoke is made to look like the one found on the R1, and they’re also 5mm closer to the steering stem reducing the wheelbase by 5mm to 1395mm. There’s also new bracing plates around the swing-arm pivot for more rigidity and the rear shock has a stiffer spring rate and rebound damping. To improve the front end ‘feel’ even more, Yamaha has fitted a powerful Brembo radial pump/master-cylinder to feed the twin 298mm discs. Oh, and at the rear end Yamaha has dropped the gearing by one tooth on the rear sprocket for a bit more top end speed.
The R7 CP-2 engine is claimed to make one horsepower more than the MT, which is irrelevant really. 75hp@8750rpm and 68Nm is what you get, more than enough to send the YZF-R7 well past the 210km/h mark. The engine is now a Euro-5 version with two ‘cats’ in the exhaust for some emissions rubbish reason. So if you throw that in the bin and fit something less restrictive it would pay dividends, I’m sure. If you do choose to do that you’ll be rewarded with a wonderful exhaust note, because parallel-twin engines can sound a bit like delivery bikes, like Kawasaki’s 650 ER-6 for example. However this CP-2 engine has a 270-degree crankshaft with an ‘odd’ firing order derived from MotoGP, which gives it a rather pleasant V-twin sound, which I really enjoyed.
Even with a full fairing the R7 is only 4kg heavier than the MT-07, it even has a 1kg lighter battery, which equates to 188kg with a tank fuel of fuel. The tank is also one litre smaller than the MT to give it a slimmer dimension for ‘hanging-off’ around corners, and this is where the R7 excels. Nothing can prepare the new rider for how this bike attacks corners. It changes direction quicker than a confused ferret, and no matter how quickly you blast through a corner you feel like you’ve gone through too slowly: a tribute to how well Yamaha has worked on this amazing chassis set up. I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed cornering so much and the R7 has similar approval for its straight-line stability. It just makes you want to chase everything and anything because of its superb agility. I doubt if you’ll ever need a more powerful front brake as well.
Look, it does have a racy riding position that some won’t like around town but, once out on the open roads, you’ll appreciate Yamaha’s racing pedigree. The engine pulls strongly and with a hint of clutch in second gear you can also pull lengthy wheelies. Talking of gears, the six-speed ‘box is a sweet thing, but this bike had the (one direction) quick-shifter fitted from the Yamaha accessory book. Personally I don’t think it’s necessary and it just adds more expense when Yamaha is aiming to keep the R7 more affordable for all. While I’m having a small moan, the little pod for the instruments is hard to read in daylight, but OK at night, which was slightly irritating. But once you’re into ‘Qabio Fuatararo’ mode you don’t really mind, or care.
One more special thing about the R7, in either daylight or night, is how magnificent it looks. A fact confirmed by many, as I haven’t seen a bike attract so much attention in a long time. From any angle the R7 is a pleasure to the eyes and I’d imagine it’s a major selling point as well.
So the new YZF-R7 isn’t what I first expected but most certainly a worthy addition to Yamaha’s stable of sport bikes. It looks fantastic, handles in an exemplary fashion, the engine is a peach, and it’s affordable to many new or old riders – it truly is a magnificent seven once again.
Images: DP Davidson.
Visit: www.yamaha.co.za for more technical information.