यामाहा 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 Lander XTZ 250 and Tenere 700